Registering Domestic Rabbits In America

The American Rabbit Breeders’ Association has a registration system which is unique among most species shown.  Read on to find out why--and what registration really means.

In the case of most purebred species, registration--the practice of formally certifying the pedigreed animal with an organization--is undertaken at birth, and is largely a simple matter of paperwork. Quality of the animal, and its worthiness to be registered, is strictly left to the judgement of the owner/breeder.

Rabbits are considerably different than this.  The American Rabbit Breeders Association set up a registration system using trained and licensed individuals who examine each animal at six months of age or more to determine its quality as compared to the Standard for its breed. There are many different reasons why this methodology is superior; let us examine a few.

1) Animals to be registered are examined by a knowledgeable member of ARBA who has met certain prerequisites to become a licensed registrar. This means that the animal’s fitness as a member of its breed and variety is evaluated by someone other than the owner in an objective fashion.

2) Although persons wishing to have their animals registered must belong to ARBA, they also gain the benefits of a large and unified organization which will aid them in breeding superior animals. This results in a higher quality of rabbit, and decreases ‘bunnymilling’ by encouraging careful and well-planned litters.

3) By evaluating the animal at the age of six months or more, the registrar is able to ascertain with reasonable confidence the mature status of the animal and thus, fewer undeserving animals are registered--which also means that a registration on a rabbit holds considerably more cachet than that of the average purebred dog or cat.

4) When the breeder will be registering the animal at six months or more of age, elementary culling will already have been done; there is no registration of entire litters by the organisation unless the entire litter is worthy on an individual basis.

5) Recordkeeping through ARBA is done via computer, from handwritten registration applications which are filled out at registration by the registrar and sometimes the owner.  Legibility is vital, and is a common difficulty in attaining proper registration, as mistakes and misunderstandings occur and some few mailings back and forth of incorrect certificates may be needed.

6) A system of ‘seals’ encourages consistent registration from generation to generation; a red seal denotes registration of both parents; red and white, all parents and grandparents; and a red/white/blue seal means that all animals on the registration form were themselves registered. A gold seal means that all animals on the registration were registered grand champions.

Some hints when registering your rabbits:  First, have your ARBA card, four dollars, a complete three generation pedigree, and the rabbit with you. Bear in mind someone, whether you or the registrar, will have to recopy that pedigree, so make sure it is clearly and easily read.

When recopying the pedigree, put the animal’s name and ear number on the ‘name’ line....this way, a record of the regular ear tattoo is kept on the registration.

Make sure you fill in the ‘variety’ blank properly; even in Lops, a color is needed there--’broken agouti’ as opposed to ‘broken’... ‘chocolate chinchilla’ rather than just ‘chinchilla’. This is most important with the interest most people take in genetics, so know your colors!

Take the extra time to carefully write the pedigree information and double check what the registrar put on the top of the form.  The pedigree information must be clearly legible, or mistakes will occur!

Make sure the registrar tattoos the animal, either with the “R” or the number; some prefer the number so that, should paperwork be lost or destroyed, ARBA has something to track the animal by.

Good luck, and may you show well!

RNRQ, V3N1, 1999