BEWs

[Heartlandrabbitry]

I recently posted about my BEW Beveren having a seizure, well yesterday she had another small seizure. I have been talking to other people and reading a lot since yesterday, I think I'm getting closer to the reason why she is having seizures. I am not the only Beveren breeder who has been experiencing seizures with the BEWs.

I'm think that maybe since the BEW gene is weak that breeding too many BEWs together is causing this. I don't have my doe's pedigree so I'm not sure what her lines look like but that's just what I'm coming to. Has anyone experienced the same thing with their BEWs, Linoheads, Holland Lops, Netherland Dwarfs, etc?? I'm thinking about getting another BEW doe that has been crossed with other colors in her lines to see if the seizures happen with her.

 

[Bunnylady]

I don't know that this is related to the BEW gene itself; it may be more a case of what genes it hangs out with. Beverens aren't a very common breed, nor is BEW a very common color, so I'm thinking that you are playing in a pretty small gene pool, with all of these animals to some degree related to each other. Linebreeding, inbreeding, call it what you will; but breeding related animals limits the amount of genetic variability you have to play with. When the animals are of excellent quality, the excellence gets passed on, but any faulty genes they have can get passed on as well. Sooner or later, the bad stuff starts to show up, and some really carefully planned outcrossing and ruthless culling is called for.

I did a quick Google search on the subject, one article referenced a 1958 study of audiogenic seizures (triggered by sound) in a strain of BEW Beverens. It said that these seizures were even seen in 2nd and 3rd generation hybrids, apparently not diluted by all the additional genetic input from the other breed(s). That surely must signify something, I'm just not sure what.

Just FYI, Lionheads in general have seizure problems of their own; I haven't heard anything to suggest it is in any way related to color.

 

[Heartlandrabbitry]

I purchased my doe from a feed store, I tried everywhere to find someone who dropped these kits off. My doe could of been inbred to the point as you said were the bad stuff shows up, and the breeder may of knew it and just wanted to drop the kits off somewhere and not let anyone know. I'm trying to find another girl who had a Beveren at our local fair to see if she purchased her buck from the same feed store and if he is having the same problems. There's nothing I can do now but just keep her comfortable while she has her seizures. She is retired from showing and will never be bred, she is only 8 months old too. She will live the rest of her days comfortably in the house.