IAGARB BUYER/SELLER GUIDELINES

 

 

IAGARB GUIDELINES FOR BUYERS AND SELLERS

 Statement of intention: These guidelines are intended to assist buyers and sellers in procuring the best possible stock in accordance with the IAGARB Standard.  All bunnies are cute but not all make good breeding stock.  Kindly review the information provided on the web site in order to make educated choices.

IAGARB assumes no responsibility for buyers or sellers and shall be held entirely harmless.   IAGARB will take no sides in disputes.

For Both Buyers and Sellers:

Buyer and seller discuss the reason for purchase, the environment the buyer will provide, and general care of the rabbit.        

  1. Check for Health – Do not purchase or sell any rabbit with clinical signs of disease.  Ask about any recent illnesses in rabbitry.  Sellers should point out no evidence of respiratory illness, diarrhea, vent disease, sore hocks or any other clinical signs of disease.
  2. Check for Disqualifications – Do not purchase or sell an animal with issues that would disqualify it from IAGARB registration. The list of DQs is provided in the Judges Handbook in the link above. Both buyers and sellers should be aware of these.
  3. Check for Eliminations  – Eliminations are potentially temporary conditions.  Sales of rabbits with these issues should be conditional and clearly defined between the buyer and seller in writing. The list of Eliminations is provided in the Judges Handbook in the link above.  Both buyers and sellers should be aware of these.
  4. Verify gender.  Has the rabbit been previously bred?  What were the results?
  5. Request/provide a copy of the pedigree with color identified where known.
  6. Check that ear tattoo numbers are legible and match the pedigree.
  7. Ask to see parents and records of wool performance.  Check their coats for texture and synchronicity whether albino or colored.
  8.  No animal less than 12 weeks should be sold or purchased as quality is difficult to assess.
  9. It is strongly recommended that colored animals should be a minimum of 6 months old before buying or selling.
  10. Purchase from reputable breeder with history of satisfied customers.
  11. Preferably purchase from someone willing to mentor you.
  12. Buyer should expect to put a deposit on a rabbit and pay the remainder upon pickup.
  13. Prior to the completion of sale, buyers and sellers should agree to options for return, sickness, other issues in writing. Offer your customer assistance either by mentoring or by including an IAGARB membership as part of the sale.

 

It is important to understand that some DQs may appear after the sale date.  For instance, malocclusion, glaucoma, and non-synchronized coats (as well as others) can occur after a rabbit is over 6 months of age.  This is why it is important to understand any recourse you may have regarding the sale of the rabbit and have that understanding in writing.

Reputable breeders will often replace the rabbit, but details regarding transportation and returning the rabbit with the DQ, should be discussed before the sale.

 

DISQUALIFICATIONS:

 

1.Malocclusion
2. Missing teeth
3. Blindness in one or both eyes (ie malformed or missing)
4. Mismatched colored eyes
5. Glaucoma
6. Crooked front legs
7. Bowed back legs
8. Screw tail / Broken tail (permanently out of line)
9. Bobbed tail (if more than 1/2 of the tail is missing)
10. Dewlaps in bucks and young does
11. Lopped ears
12. Missing ear or damaged by more than1⁄2
13. Bucks not showing both testicles
14. Mismatched toenail color (Colored toenails in white rabbits, White toenails in colored rabbits)
15. Missing toenails (dewclaw is permitted to be missing)
16. Two or more colors in the coat (foreign spots)
17. Complete lack of furnishings
18. Fraudulent tattoo numbers
19. Non-synchronized coats

ELIMINATIONS:

  1. Clinical signs of respiratory disease
  2. Running or inflamed eyes
  3. Moon eye (pearl cloud on retina)
  4. Ear mites
  5. Wool mites
  6. Sores or bleeding on any of the feet
  7. Abnormal lumps: Abscesses, Tumors or Hernias
  8. Distended or pot belly
  9. Overweight or underweight rabbits (after wool has been shorn)
  10. Pregnant does
  11. Any clinical sign of genital disease or inflammation
  12. 12. Illegible or missing ear number tattoo
  13. Wool length under 1.5 inches
  14. Poor coat condition: Large matts, bald areas
  15. Poor wool texture: cottony wool, excessive guard hair
  16. Wet wool / altered wool