# Tell me about rabbit tatoos



## savingdogs (Dec 9, 2010)

I have some beautiful purebred rabbits with tatoos in their ear from the breeder.

I'm not planning on showing rabbits, but I do plan on breeding them.

Do I need to learn to tatoo? 

If so, how is it done?

What rabbits need this, ones being sold to someone who wanted to show rabbits?

I don't see why a pet rabbit would need a tatoo. Can someone enlighten me?


----------



## Heartlandrabbitry (Dec 10, 2010)

Some rabbits have tattoos because at shows it's required to have a legible tattoo in the left ear. It helps the judges know who is who and also if you loose a rabbit you can identify it by it's number. You do not need to learn how to tattoo, if you are selling them as show/pets then the people who purchase them can tattoo them their selves if they wish. Tattoos are not in anyway required for the rabbits unless you want to show. I like tattooing mine so that I can keep track of my offspring. That's why the two kits that you have are HL and then a number.


----------



## savingdogs (Dec 10, 2010)

Were they awake when tatooed?


----------



## CrimsonRose (Dec 10, 2010)

If breeding rabbits to sell then yes a tattoo is needed... This way you can keep track of who is who and keep track of pedigrees and such... 

Mom and Dad rabbit needs a tattoo... and they only babies you need to tattoo are ones you plan to keep for your breeding herd... and the ones you plan to sell... you can tattoo them about 8 weeks when they are ready for new homes... 

If you are selling them for pets only and do not plan to offer a pedigree then there isn't a need to tattoo them... but if you do offer a pedigree you have a better chance of getting more money for them.

Tattoo the their LEFT ear with any combo of numbers or letters you like... They are awake... and some will scream.... but it's over pretty quick... 

Here is a video on youtube showing the process... 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeK3dweCLac&feature=related


----------



## savingdogs (Dec 10, 2010)

Thank you for that video, CrimsonRose. 

I bought my rabbits from HeartlandRabbitry luckily so the four I have currently are tatooed and permanently identifiable. 
However I'm wondering if I need to invest in the tatoo equipment or not. I'm not sure if my buyers would want pedigrees or not.  I would expect that I would be selling them as pets for the most part and it will be a long while before I need to keep any breeding stock, but I can see how permanent identification could be essential as well. I have several months to go before I can even breed them so I'm just thinking ahead here.

I think I'll postpone the decision until I see who is interested in buying bunnies locally. I have a very large circle of animal-loving friends and I suspect my pretty babies will end up in their homes to a large degree as pets.


----------



## CrimsonRose (Dec 10, 2010)

are you the person who bought the cream d'argents or however it's spelled? or some other rare breed? (sorry I have a very short memory... LOL) 

If you do have a rare breed I would definitely look into tattooing in the future... maybe not your first batch or so since those are going as pets to friends... but it would be a huge selling point to have them pedigreed and tattooed if advertising them as a rare breed to others... If selling them to help offset the cost of raising them... you can ask more money for animals with a pedigree so will need to sell less... 

you can get a tattoo gun pretty cheap through jeffers... 

http://www.jefferslivestock.com/standard-tattoo-outfits-and-accessories/camid/LIV/cp/0030138/

or even contact a local rabbit 4-H group... sometimes they can do the tattooing for you... (this is what I've done so far since I'm a weenie) ROFL but plan on purchasing the tattoo outfit I posted above soon to start doing it myself...


----------



## Heartlandrabbitry (Dec 10, 2010)

Since Cremes are a rare breed it would be a good idea to tattoo them, it helps to follow offspring and to follow Creme breeders as well. I have a BEW Beveren doe that nobody tattooed, she doesn't even have a pedigree so now I'm stuck in a pretty big hole - I don't know anything about the breeder or where she is from. Beverens are a rare breed too and I think it's important to keep tract of the rarer breeds since there are not many around.


----------



## savingdogs (Dec 11, 2010)

Okey dokey, you've got me convinced. 

Crimson Rose you crack me up about being a weenie....I really don't have a problem with the actual tatoo application process as I've worked at vet offices for years and we held animals for much worse live procedures than that. I was reluctant more along the lines of how it would make them skittish, having something bad like that happen while being handled. 
I'd almost rather a strange person did it so that they did not associate it with the handler (me). 

So what would I tatoo there? Do I have to name my farm?


----------



## Heartlandrabbitry (Dec 11, 2010)

You can tattoo whatever you would like, since my rabbitry is named Heartland, I do HL and then a number. Some people like to do parents first initials then a number.


----------



## savingdogs (Dec 11, 2010)

We are in the process of thinking of a name for our farm, interesting that this should come up.


----------



## Heartlandrabbitry (Dec 11, 2010)

Good luck naming your farm


----------



## tortoise (Dec 17, 2010)

Jumping in here - I do sell to show people and I don't tattoo.  If I get to a point where I want to show or where I can't remember their names and parents, then it's time to tattoo.  Also if you have a very "regular" looking breed - if they are all solid white it's a little harder than with the huge color variety I have.

When you pick a name, go and register it with ARBA so nobody steals it out from under you.  It's really cheap to register a rabbitry name.


----------



## Heartlandrabbitry (Dec 19, 2010)

Cremes are be born the same color, it's hard to tell them apart!!  Since some of the breeds I raise come in only one variety I have to tattoo so I know who is who!


----------

