Linebreeding Rabbits

The majority of breeders who claim to inbreed are probably line breeding in some form or another, and this system is usually the most satisfactory. Line breeding itself is a form of inbreeding, but is less intense. The object of all line breeding is to keep the strain related to particular animals, or their direct descendants. Usually the animals to which stock are line bred are bucks, but may just as easily bedoes. In line breeding, animals are mated together which are both descended from the particular animal, but which are as distantly related otherwise as possible.

Line breeding rabbits are one of the methods of rabbit breeding that are simple to follow. The main aim of all line breeding is to continue the strain related to particular animals or their direct offspring.

Rabbit line breeding is generally practiced to receive a particular line of breed from a common ancestor. Characteristics that are maintained in rabbits are: conformation, reliability, productiveness, temperament, coat color, elegance.

Line breeding involves use of selection process as a basic tool. This has to be strictly followed to achieve the pure breeds. For this, a fool-proof and productive line breeding program has to be practiced in a disciplined manner. Normally, there are two bases on which a breeding program is based. These are Genotypes and Phenotypes: Genotype refers to the genes that an animal gets as inheritance while phenotype is the external physical characteristics of an animal. Any kind of breeding plan is made by considering either of these two or both the factors to get the desired type of generation.

A scientific approach is essential in rabbit breeding because it is a fragile animal. It needs a special treatment before deciding a breeding plan to achieve the desired traits. Most of the time, breeders have very little control on the gene pool of their rabbit stock. As a result, they require a consistent and promising breeding plan like line breeding to develop a generation based on single line of ancestors.

What is line breeding?

Line breeding is an extensive breeding program that produces animals from a common ancestor; for example within a family, from mother to son or father to daughter. Here, it is mandatory to have a perfect type of rabbit with best characteristics that is willing to follow the ideal offspring.

Usually, rabbit line breeding is based on the principle of like-to-like breeding. This method gives an opportunity to rabbit breeders to put forward an easy method in short time. Despite this, it equally intensifies both the good and bad traits present in a particular rabbit family. To achieve high quality line of rabbits, it becomes essential to continue repeated breeding process.

Difference between rabbit line breeding and inbreeding:

Inbreeding is generally referred to the breeding of two rabbits that are related to one another. On the other hand line breeding is practiced to develop own lines of breed that are consistent in producing a certain type. It is basically a scientific approach introduced by breeders of pure breed live stock.

Benefits of line breeding in rabbits:

• Line breeding helps to identify the good and bad rabbit traits.
• It helps to pick the undesirable from the stock of rabbits.
• Quality and pure breed can be developed for generations.
• Line breeding do not create genetic problems.

A line breed pedigree exhibits a guide to focus on superior rabbit breeds with desirable qualities. The selections that appear more than once in a pedigree are continuously repeated to develop pure breeds. Thus, line breeding rabbits prove suitable and important as it helps assortment of right animals and good pick.

The pedigrees below show two forms of line breeding. A is mated to B to produce C which is mated to A to produce D which is mated to A to produce E. This is the closest possible form of line breeding. In the second pedigree F is mated to G to produce H and F is mated to I to produce J. H and J are mated together to produce K whirls, having F as both its grand sires is nearly as closely related to F as to its parents.

Line breeding will therefore increase the purity of the stock in relation to the qualities of a particular animal and its descendants. Selection of the right animals, with good cullingis of course of great importance.