# Linebreeding vs inbreeding



## Genipher (Jan 26, 2012)

Long story short, all I have left of my Silver Fox rabbits are five 10-week-old kits. I want to keep this particular breed going but I haven't found any "new" SF blood to bring into the herd. (At least, not yet.) I've heard/read that linebreeding is just fine but I keep hearing conflicting stories on inbreeding. I went back and checked the old threads and found one that said inbreeding for one generation would be fine. Another thread said their rabbits had problems due to inbreeding.

My questions:

Would breeding a full-blooded brother and sister together to produce ONE new generation be "harmful"?
Has anyone here tried this before?

Opinions?


----------



## currycomb (Jan 26, 2012)

well, you won't get 2 headed kits, or anything like that, but if there are other minor problems, like crooked legs, that might pop up, and be very hard to eliminate. you will need to find a buck that is not closely related to keep a strong line going.


----------



## crazyturkeydesigns (Jan 26, 2012)

I think full sibling breedings are best when you know your lines. Do you have a line that consistently produces healthy and strong animals free of faults, even minor ones? When I say faults I mean DQs according to the SOP. Next I'd ask myself what faults are in my lines. Do you have a problem with pinched hindquarters, low shoulders, fur issues? In talking with other breeders and imo, inbreeding should be used to "set" good things into a line (keep in mind that it may also set bad things). 
Edit: I've never done a brother to sister breeding before, but I'm still feeling my lines out and figuring out what I need to work on. I have bred quite a few related animals with good (and consistent) results. I know people who have had some of their best rabbits from sibling breedings and people who would never do it again. Like I said before, you should know your lines. Do you have consistent type problems in litters? I would stay away from brother/sister breedings until it's improved. If it's the other way around, it's up to you as a breeder to decide what's right for your herd.


----------



## Genipher (Jan 26, 2012)

That's a problem right there, crazyturkey. I _don't _know my lines.  I bought the parents (non-pedigreed, non-registered) and they had one litter. It's the first litter of rabbits that I've ever had and I have _no _idea how the animals should look (like your examples of pinched hindquarters, etc.).

So far the litter is healthy and the kits are fairly large. That's about the limit of my knowledge thus far...

I still have quite a few months though, to try to find an unrelated SF buck. Until then, I have a "mutt" buck that I could always use. That is, when the SF doe kit is old enough to breed...


----------



## AZ Rabbits (Jan 26, 2012)

Breed them and see what kinds of results you get. If you don't like the results, you don't need to keep them. If you get good results, great! Then when you do find another unrelated rabbit, you'll add new genes to the herd. 

Without knowing their genealogy, strengths, weaknesses, etc, it's a basic gamble. But if they seem to be good stock, you have just as good chance getting good as you do bad. It's not going to hurt anything to try it out. In fact, you should do it just to see what you end up with...


----------



## Genipher (Jan 26, 2012)

Sounds good AZ. Now I just have to figure out which are boys and which are girls...


----------



## 2seth2 (Jan 26, 2012)

you can olny do it once then you have to cross to a rabbit that has absolutly no relation to yours


----------



## AZ Rabbits (Jan 27, 2012)

2seth2 said:
			
		

> you can olny do it once then you have to cross to a rabbit that has absolutly no relation to yours


That's a misconception. You can line breed and inbreed for many generations if done carefully and selectively with very positive results.


----------



## Bunnylady (Jan 27, 2012)

AZ Rabbits said:
			
		

> 2seth2 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


x2 Though I would add, as long as you know what you are doing and have the nerve to cull ruthlessly.

Not to be mean, but you admit you are unfamiliar with the breed. If these animals have no pedigrees, are you sure they actually are Silver Foxes? They could just be largish mixed breed rabbits that have the right coloring.


----------



## DKRabbitry (Jan 27, 2012)

One breeder told me the best thing about rabbit breeding is that you get to eat your mistakes 

Anywho, you might want to consider just breeding your does back to their sire, or a buck kit back to the dam.  Whichever would suit your breeding program the best.  For example, if your buck is a significantly better specimen than your doe, then line breeding on him would make more sense.  From my understanding, that would be less likely to magnify faults as much, or create genetic issues from the genes being too similar.  But all goes back to what AZ said.  If you don't like the results, cull them and don't do it again.


----------



## Genipher (Jan 28, 2012)

Oh, they were _definitely _SF, Bunnylady. The lady I bought the original breeding trio from _only _raised SF. I _do _need to learn more about conformation though...


----------



## Snowfie (Jan 30, 2012)

DKRabbitry said:
			
		

> One breeder told me the best thing about rabbit breeding is that you get to eat your mistakes
> 
> Anywho, you might want to consider just breeding your does back to their sire, or a buck kit back to the dam.  Whichever would suit your breeding program the best.  For example, if your buck is a significantly better specimen than your doe, then line breeding on him would make more sense.  From my understanding, that would be less likely to magnify faults as much, or create genetic issues from the genes being too similar.  But all goes back to what AZ said.  If you don't like the results, cull them and don't do it again.


Agreed.  The key to linebreeding or any familial breeding is that what you keep should always be superior to their parents.  That can mean a LOT of culling, but as long as you keep only the healthiest, best formed rabbits, you should be okay.


----------

