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Conformationally correct is a term used to describe the structure of the animal. All breeds have a standard in which breeders use as a guideline in producing offspring. The goal is to get as close to the standard as possible. No animal will be 100% perfectly Conformationally correct, and in order to be able to breed towards this, its important to have your animals evaluated by a variety of judges on a regular basis.
The placements, wins or losses, should also be considered when pairing up two animals for a litter. The judges comments are not something concrete, but something to always keep in the back of your mind. Each judge will see something different in the same animal. On occasion each judge will see the same thing, and in that case you should keep that at the top of your list to breed out, or not breed that animal all together. Things such as a narrow head, light bone, well breed to a larger boned animal. All breedings should be made for improvements. If a breeder is not showing their animals then there is no way to really learn the breed standards as they are subjective. It is easy for a person to not notice a particular fault and focus on certain things such as shoulders. It is easy to become "barn/Kennel Blind", which is why having your animals evaluated is important. Watching all the animals being judged that day is also a huge learning experience for the owner/breeder as you can see how the winning animal exhibits and what you could be missing in your breeding program. Showing is an extension of the knowledge of the breed. So many times I have seen it posted in the description of available young. Both Rabbits and Puppies alike. Even I, myself, has posted it in the description. Often times newcomers to the hobbies are asking for Show Quality. Most commonly used by pet breeders to help boost sales. But what does it really mean? All breed species have a standard. A blueprint for breeders to work towards. No animal is 100% correct, they all have faults, although some could be pretty darn close. Within that standard are qualities that would prohibit the animal from winning in conformation competitions, shows. These are Disqualifications. Things like a foreign colored spot, eye color, percentage of color, etc. Any animal that does not have any physical signs of any disqualification listed within it's breed standard is considered show quality. But this does not mean the animal can be competitive when shown.
Both the above rabbits are bucks, both Tri Color. Both are SHOW QUALITY. Only one of them has achieved Grand Championship.
If your new to the hobby, and looking to purchase your first show animal and see an advertisement for "show quality". First, check out the breeder. Do they show? If not....walk away! Familiarize yourself with the breed standard before you purchase and attend a show if possible. This would give you an opportunity to see what is being shown, what the judges are liking and what to look for when choosing your show animal. This also gives you an opportunity to connect with several breeders and maybe even find one you like. Understand that show quality means it can be shown, but does not mean that it meets the standard and will win or should be bred. |
Helpful InfoHere you will find lots of informational articles on how to care for your rabbits, about showing, and just news about our rabbitry in general. Archives
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