bro and sis

Question
I told my mom the bro and sis cant mate cause the babys will have problems but she dont beilve me.  she says they will be fine. what do you say

Answer
Hi Jazmine

Although it does happen on occasion where brothers and sisters from the same parents have had accidental litters it is not advisable.  There are breeders who do what is called in-line breeding.  They breed sons back to mothers and daughters back to fathers.  The controversy is that people believe the genetic defects come from the actual inbreeding.  What is really happening is it brings out genetic defects that already exist.  Experienced breeders who use this method can easily tell which rabbits carry these genetic defects by decreasing the outside gene pool.  The whole idea is to get better quality rabbits and to cull all of those that do have defects that may have otherwise not been noticed until several generations down the road.

It is never advisable to breed brother to sister.  There are indeed people who do it but if you find any genetic defects such as malocclusion, split penis, generalized weakened immune system etc then unfortunately these rabbits are pretty much worthless from a breeders stand point.  It is acceptable to breed half brothers and sisters but again any predisposed defect will usually surface within 1 to 2 generations.

I hope this helps both you and your mother with your answer.

If you have any further questions please let me know.

Pam