Pedigrees are required for all registered rabbits. However, all pedigreed rabbits aren’t required to have their pedigrees documented.
The process of registering rabbits differs greatly from the process of registering dogs. Puppies born to registered dog parents are also instantly registered. However, this is not the case with rabbits.
ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) only accepts those animals that are free of any disqualifications and displays the right traits for their particular species to be registered.
Animals are allowed to become registered only after meticulous inspection by an ARBA qualified registrar.
Requirements for Rabbit Registration
A rabbit must be 6 months old to be eligible for registration. Your rabbit should be examined once they reach six months of age to determine if they are eligible for adoption.
You can easily check your weight at home. For bunnies that will reach more than 4 pounds, weight is also a significant consideration. When your rabbits reach six months of age, you should register them.
When purchasing a rabbit, make sure it is of a hue that you can show off. Various breeds have different approved colors. Ensure everything is clean, including the tail, nails, teeth, and toes.
If your rabbit has any of the following: extra toes, malocclusion, a missing tail, missing toes, or an abnormality, it will not be accepted for registration.
Also, if your rabbit hasn’t fully recovered from an injury, it won’t be registered.
Another important factor to registering the bunnies early is because it’s possible to ruin an easily registrable rabbit with a small mishap, such as ripping off a nail.
A rabbit will not be eligible for registration if disqualified from the tournament. The ARBA contains the whole set of standards for different breeds. The guidelines regarding nail color, eye color, and so forth are numerous.
To be considered, a rabbit should have a tattoo on its left ear. If you haven’t already had it done, you can ask the registrar to tattoo your bunny.
Your rabbit’s right ear will be tattooed if it is eligible for registration. Take your rabbit, ARBA card, along with the rabbit’s pedigree, to the authorized registrar. The registration price is $6, so plan accordingly.
Also read: Are Rabbits Good Pets for Seniors?
Here’s How You Can Register Your Rabbit
You must be an ARBA member in good standing and have your ARBA membership card to register a rabbit. You can then take your rabbit to a licensed ARBA registrant.
Examine and weigh the rabbit to ensure that it does not have general defects or deficiencies. You can register the rabbit if it satisfies the conditions.
The registrar is going to annotate registration blanks with details such as the animal’s kind and color and its features such as its bones, eyes, ears, and hair.
The registrar may then tattoo either the registration number or the letter “R” in its right ear once the blank has been filled in.
ARBA will send a registration certificate to the individual who filled out the registration form and returned it.
If the rabbit is sold, this registration should be transferred to the new owner by ARBA, and the new owner should contact ARBA to do so.
The rabbit’s registration proves that the rabbit is devoid of any disqualifications or general flaws and that the recent ancestors have at least met the breed minimum weight standards.
Rabbits must be registered to be eligible for an ARBA grand champion certificate. Here’s something to consider: just because a rabbit fits the SOP does not indicate that it is a magnificent bunny.
Please don’t buy a rabbit simply because it’s registered; keep that in mind.
Papers Certifying the Registration of Rabbits
If you’ve never shown or bred rabbits before, you might be perplexed by the differences between pedigreed and registered animals.
In many cases, people try to apply their understanding of AKC-registered dogs to bunnies, but it never works! Registries for rabbits are managed distinctly.
However, rabbits are not immediately eligible for registration because their parents are registered. Many registered rabbits do not have registered parents or grandparents.
Rabbits must also be examined in person by a professional registrant to be registered. So, let’s begin from the very beginning.
If you plan to exhibit or breed show rabbits, be careful to secure a three-generation pedigree from the rabbit you purchase. Breed, name, and weight for three generations must be included in the pedigree.
Non-showy colors are fine in some of the forebears. The ear numbers for each of those species are also helpful.
If a dog is registered, the registration number is included in the pedigree and any great champion numbers that could apply. You should also ensure that your new rabbit does not have any disqualifications.
When registering a rabbit, the same characteristics that preclude it from being exhibited also disqualify it from being accepted. Pedigrees are common in show rabbits.
On the other hand, pedigreed rabbits aren’t eligible for official registration with the ARBA.
There Are a Few Conditions for Registration:
- A rabbit with a “Red Seal” indicates that both of the rabbit’s parents have been registered.
- The white seal signifies that the rabbit’s parents and four great-grandparents have registered.
- All three generations of the rabbit registered have been registered with the Blue Seal.
- A rabbit with a gold seal has been recorded as a grand champion in all three of its generations.
What Are the Benefits of Rabbit Registration?
If you buy a rabbit, you might consider registering it. To what end would you be committing yourself to this?
Several factors are at play: The rabbit must first be registered to receive a certificate of Grand Championship.
If you win the rabbit’s legs, you may register your rabbit. After following these steps, you may apply for a certificate of Grand Championship if you like.
When you register your rabbit, certain registrars will give in your rabbit’s legs if it acquired them before registration.
An additional benefit of registering your bunny includes serving as a mark of authenticity. Only rabbits free of any disqualifications can be registered.
Seeing a pedigree may provide just the most basic information about the rabbits in it (such as their weight, color, and whether or not they are male or female).
However, if any of the ancestors are already registered, you can be certain that they did not have any disqualifications at registration.
A red-colored seal is added to your rabbit’s registration certificate in case it has registered parents.
In case your rabbit’s grandparents and parents have been registered, they will receive a white and red seal for their animal.
If all 3 generations have registered, your rabbit’s registration papers will have a white, red, and blue colored seal. It’s easier to register the offspring if you register all eligible rabbits.
You are not required to fill in any previous ancestor’s details on the form of the application when you reach a registered ancestor!
What Is the Process for Obtaining a Grand Champion Award?
After collecting all three legs, you must register your rabbit with the ARBA before it can be declared a grand champion.
The leg of your rabbit will be attached to a piece of paper when you obtain the results of a rabbit show in a few weeks.
The document will detail the circumstances behind your rabbit’s amputation of its front limb.
You should fill out the relevant field on the form with the rabbit’s registration number. ARBA’s current executive director will receive the legs and the current $4 charge by mail.
Although the address is hidden on the backs of certain legs, it is always available on the ARBA website under the list of directors and officials.
Photocopying the legs is a good idea because they won’t return to you. The Grand Champion certificate will be awarded to the rabbit’s owner; therefore, be certain you possess the record for that rabbit.
As a buyer, you have no record if you don’t have the registration certificate correctly signed over to you (see the back of your registration certificate).
Have the person who sold you the rabbit sign the back of the document to transfer ownership to you. Send the paperwork and payment to ARBA so that you may document your ownership.
At the same time, you may transfer ownership and submit your GC legs for your certificate.
Your Grand Champion Certificate will be given to you after all of the necessary documentation and payments have been submitted.
After becoming a Grand Champion, you can use the term “Grand Champion” in front of your rabbit’s name with pride!
Wrapping Up
It is not necessary to register your bunnies, but it is always a pleasant gesture. A registrar outside a performance might be difficult to find, but it’s cheap. ARBA issues licenses to registrars.
Rabbits must have a three-generation pedigree that contains colors, weights, patterns, and either the name or ear number for each of the three generations.
A 6-month-old rabbit, regardless of breed, must be tattooed in the left ear to be registered. It must also fulfill ARBA’s standard operating procedure (SOP) and be devoid of faults or disqualifications.
Other articles you may also like: