Tattoos
Having a tattoo kit is a key component in your rabbitry. Keeping track of your rabbits and their individual production history will determine the level of success in your overall production. The standard location of identification tattoos are the left ear. The right ear is reserved for the registration number (if you choose to go that route).
The tattoo is fully customizable based upon the breeder's identification system. The tattoos can be anywhere from 1 digit (letter or number) up to 5 digits, depending on the tattoo kit.
Our rabbits start their tattoos with "AZ" followed by numbers and letters based upon a system we have established.
Records
Keeping accurate records is vital to your breeding. The only way to know ho well you're doing is to keep good records. Tracking the results will help you to know which does are the best producers, which kindle the largest babies, etc. This will allow you to eliminate the poor producers, keep the offspring from best producers as replacement stock and fine tune your herd.
(Free downloads at bottom of this page)
Some things you'll want to track are:
- Ear # (Name)
- Breed
- Sire and Dam (lineage)
- Date of Birth
- Weight
- Date Breed
- Buck Breed With
- Kindled Date
- How Many Born Alive, How Many Dead
- Weight of young at 4 weeks (average)
- Weight of young at 8 weeks (average - if relevant)
- Overall Litter Quality
You may also want to have information on their hutches for quick reference. Some of this information may be:
- Fertile Date (when they can be bred)
- Palpate Date
- Nestbox Date (when to put the nestbox in the cage)
- Fostering (either fostering out or in kits)
- Planned Rebreed Date
When you track you are better able to know what kind of results you're getting.
DOWNLOADS
To download these PDF documents, click on the links below...
- Doe Record Sheet
- Buck Record Sheet
- Hutch Record Card - sized for 7.5" J-Feeders
- Pedigree Chart
Please feel free to use these documents for your own use. They are NOT to be sold or distributed for any gain or profit, nor the Copyright information removed.