Once upon a time, I was in that exact same boat. I didn't know the first thing about a pedigree or what the significance was.
Now that I've moved on to an almost completely pedigreed herd, I'm going to share with you all of the things I wish someone had told me in the very beginning.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What is the purpose of a pedigree?
A pedigree is quite simply a way to keep track of a rabbit's lines. It tells you who the rabbit is and keeps track of at least 3 generations of ancestors (parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents).
While a rabbit's worth shouldn't be based on the pedigree at all, the information contained on a properly written pedigree will help you breed smarter in your own breeding program.
A pedigree becomes most important when you have a rabbit that you want to get registered or granded. Rabbits must be registered to be granded, but they cannot be registered without a complete 3 generation pedigree that has all the required information (listed in point #2).
2. Will a pedigree make my rabbit worth more?
Short answer is: no.
A pedigree may increase a rabbit's prices slightly just for the time and effort it took to keep records and write up the pedigree, but overall, a rabbit's worth shouldn't be based solely on the pedigree.
A lot of breeders get wrapped up in making sure all their rabbits are pedigreed, and while record keeping is a very good habit to get into, a lot of truly spectacular rabbits get passed over because they're missing a piece of paper.
Pedigrees are not necessary for a rabbit to be shown. It is literally just a piece of paper that keeps track of ancestry information and we have to remember that pedigrees are only as honest as the people writing them.
Rabbits are judged solely on type and not the names that can be found in their backgrounds. In fact, big names in a background doesn't mean that the rabbit you're looking at is show-worthy. I've seen some truly terrible looking rabbits come from grand champion lines, and I've also seen grand champion rabbits come from lines that all started with a rabbit someone bought at Rural King.
While I will always be one to advocate for pedigrees and good record keeping, we also can't lose focus. We need to remember to keep breeding to better our breeds versus just breeding for big names on a piece of paper.
3. What information is required to make a complete pedigree?
As said above, a properly written pedigree will have at least 3 full generations (parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents), and will have at minimum the names, ear numbers, colors, and weights for all ancestors.
Additional information that should be included when applicable would be the number of legs the rabbit has earned, the registration number, grand champion number, and the date of birth when known.
This could mean something different for each breeder, but it essentially means that the pedigree doesn't have all of the required information. Anything less than 3 complete generations is NOT full pedigree.
Most breeders say it's a partial pedigree when ancestors are missing, but there are some that will call it a partial pedigree if the pedigree is missing even one weight for an ancestor.
5. Can I change information on my rabbit's pedigree?
Unless you're the breeder of the rabbit, it's completely unethical to change any information on a pedigree, especially without the breeder's permission.
If your rabbit was sold with a pedigreed name, you may give it a barn name, but the name on the pedigree must remain the same. The only exception would be if the breeder sells the rabbit with their prefix and no name and specifically tells you that you are allowed to fill in the name to be whatever you want. In that case, the breeder's prefix must remain attached to your rabbit's name.
One of the most common pieces of information missing on pedigrees is weights or legs for ancestors. Sometimes that information can be tracked down, but even then, you never alter any pedigrees without express permission from the breeder you purchased from.
But overall, changing names, removing prefixes, altering/forging other information is one of the fastest ways to get yourself blacklisted in the rabbit community.
6. How do I write my own pedigrees?
If your rabbit wasn't sold with a pedigree, you can't just make something up, but as long as you keep good breeding records, you'll be able to start building pedigrees as you keep breeding along.
In the meantime, you can always send birth certificates with your homegrowns that include all the important information on the parents so that your buyers are one generation closer to having pedigrees of their own (or, if selling to pet people, the kids absolutely LOVE getting birth certificates for their buns.
7. Where do I find pedigree templates?
A quick Google search will bring up some free pedigree templates, you can buy a pedigree book directly from ARBA, you can use the free printable below, or you can design your own in a word program or any program similar to Photoshop.
To use the free printable below, right click and "save as" on a computer, or hold on the photo to save to your photo roll on a mobile device.
-Emily