Today we registered 19 rabbits, phew, writer's cramp. Fortunately most Blackberry Farm rabbits are registered, so it is mostly filling in the first generation. But there are always a few that require a second or third generation filled in when an overly fat doe couldn't get registered or a purchased rabbit doesn't have a registered background.
Some folks register all their rabbits, some register only ones that get three legs and grand champion out, some want to see that red/white/blue on their registration, some don't think registering is worth it. To each his own, it is a personal choice. My thoughts are it is good for several reasons.
1. It is good for ARBA, it brings in a little income. If a registered rabbit champs out, it will bring in a bit more as the owner applies for a grand championship certificate. It provides numbers that possibly reflect the popularity of a breed. It certainly provides a history of breeds and the individual rabbits.
2. It is good to keep our registrars busy and hopefully encourage them to take the next step to becoming a rabbit judge. We certainly need more judges. It provides them a great learning experience. Until working behind a judging table, where else will they get to put their hands on so many different breeds of rabbits? They can familiarize themselves with a particular breeds' Standard as they refer to it. They can ask breeders questions to learn more about the breeds. Judges are a good resource for registrars to learn from but they may not raise a breed. They may not know all the particulars about a breed that aren't in the Standard of Perfection. A lot of learning is done thru repetition and going over a lot of rabbits to register them provides that. Going thru the same motions of checking toenails, markings, teeth etc. are all the same skills they will need as a judge.
3. It is good for buyers as they can see that a particular rabbit adheres to the Standard and hopefully the generations behind it were registered giving reassurance those rabbits met the Standard as well.
4. It shows that you take pride in your animals and value them enough to plunk a few dollars down to document their existance.
5. When registering every rabbit over 6 mos. old, it is easy to send in for a grand champ certificate when that 3rd leg comes in. You don't have to wait for the chance to get them registered before sending in the paperwork.
It's up to individual owners to decide whether to register their rabbits. I'm not trying to convince anyone one way or the other, just pointing out what I think are the positives. Incomes are tight and it is admittedly more fun to spend money on entry fees and showing than to register. With planning and selection, you can do both.