# Pedigrees or Birth Certificates?



## HappyFarmBunnies

I have a hard time deciding which one to provide to my customers. I tend to feel like every purebred animal should have a right to come with a pedigree, but then other breeders say that if they are selling to a pet home (even if the animal is better than pet quality) they never give a pedigree, only a birth certificate. Others will do a birth certificate when they are selling the animal as "pet quality" only. 

Some customers really like to have a pedigree so they can see the ancestors and it's kinda neat for them, which I totally understand. But I am concerned that if I sell a purebred animal to a pet owner and give them a pedigree that eventually they will be bred or something. And like any other breeder I want to know if you are buying for brood or show stock so I can make sure that I am confidant about the quality of the animal I am selling for that purpose. I would hate for an animal I deemed "pet quality" and sold as such to be walking around breeding with my name on it..

Just wondering what you all thought.


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## Korr_and_Sophie

The people who are going to breed pet quality rabbits are going to do it if there is a pedigree or if there isn't. They tend to not really care and would just want the cute babies. So for these people, all you would really end up doing is preventing your name from getting on the offspring. 

While I don't breed and really don't have intentions of doing it, I do like the genealogy part of the pedigree. I kind of like trying to find the rabbits in the pedigree and just see who they are. However, since I don't really care about breeding, I don't tend to care about getting a show vs pet quality rabbit. I do understand not giving a pedigree to rabbits sold as pets even if they are more breeding/show quality. 

Maybe what you could do is just give the birth certificate with pet rabbits (regardless of the quality). You can then offer the full pedigree on proof that the rabbit has been spayed or neutered. This would give them the pedigree if they want it while preventing the breeding (as much as you can) of rabbits who shouldn't be bred.


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## GorbyJobRabbits

I give NO papers to anything that will not be show quality. Like stated above someone who just wants to breed pet rabbits will just do so... I prefer not to have my name plasterd on that.


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## MiniLopHop

I like the idea of giving the pedigree AFTER proof of neutering. I'm a geek and would love to know what is in my bunny's background eventhough I wouldn't breed. It's fun to play with genetics in an abstract way too.


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## hillrise

I only give pedigrees with non-pet rabbits. Birth certificates are a neat idea, though. And I can see the merit in offering a pedigree after proof of spay/neuter.

Another help to prevent people from using the rabbit for breeding is to tattoo PET in the ear (I think if you put it in the right ear that rabbit then can't be registered, even if the person forges a pedigree), which can stop a few breeders, but not many.


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## bunnychild

*hillrise wrote: *
Another help to prevent people from using the rabbit for breeding is to tattoo PET in the ear (I think if you put it in the right ear that rabbit then can't be registered, even if the person forges a pedigree), which can stop a few breeders, but not many.


that is a super idea and can save some money, too. 

where would you find a rabbit birth certificate? I LOVE filling out paper work ( i am a dork :bunny18)


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## CCWelch

Bunnychild, you would have to create one in a Word type program. I have not seen bunny birth certificates for sale anywhere.


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## bunnychild

ok thank you


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## bunnychild

I found a place that has birth certificats http://www.freeprintablecertificates.net/showcover/birth_certificate_rabbit


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## bunnychild

ignore my last post


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## The Haven Rabbitry

What if you didn't give them the info necessary for a pedigree, but at least listed colors of lineage, what lines they come from (but not necessarily which rabbit comes from which line)etc... No tattoo numbers or anything like that?


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## HappyFarmBunnies

Just so that everyone knows the resolution, I decided that my policy is to sell all of my rabbits that are going to a pet home (purebred or show quality or not) with only a birth certificate that shows the bunny's name, parent's names, colors and breeds and their DOB. Pedigrees will only be provided to those buying to breed or show. And I haven't had anyone complain yet! I'm keeping a pedigree for every rabbit on file, of course, so that if someone did come to me later and say that they wanted to breed, I could provide it at that point.


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## BlueCamasRabbitry

I don't give the pedigrees when rabbits go to a pet home. Unfortunately this doesn't stop them from being bred, but then at least my name isn't going to potentially be on mutt rabbits. In all my pet sales I will include a care sheet as well, unless the buyer is familiar with rabbits, then I just go over what my rabbits are used to being fed, etc. etc. I also give one to two small lunch baggies of feed with my rabbits, pet or show home, it doesn't matter.

If you are buying for show/breeding, then I will include the pedigree, and the bag(s) of feed. Care sheet usually isn't included unless the buyers are just starting out. 

I do like the idea of having a birth certificate for those pet buyers though. I will have to look around at some examples and maybe get something written up. 

Emily


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## MiniLopHop

I recently bought a rabbit from a breeder. I wanted the petagree/birth certificate just because I love to look at genetics. They were fine with my suggestion that I would send them the reciept from his neuter then they would send the papers. I thought it was a fair solution.

My baby is also a cryptorchid, so I wouldn't think anyone would want him for breeding purposes. He wouldn't be able to show like that either (I don't think). I know his neuter will be more, but she was very happy to get him into a pet home so he was only $15. Plus he's so sweet and the perfect mate for my widdowed bun.


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## bunnychild

i made a birth certificate if anyone wants to use it i dont mind







sorry if the colors are to bright


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