Encantadora
LvL Chinchillas
I don't know that this directly relates to the topic, but I was once told by a respected rancher that the best animals they had came from 1st place males bred to a 2nd place females. Both from great lines of their own.
Pedigree Breeding vs Breeding on Appearance
- Thread starter mark miller
- Start date
Help Support Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum:
mark miller
Miller Chinchillas
I'm very interested in bloodlines. I ask questions, study pedigrees, remember those animals as well as their numbers from other breeders when I see a chin that impresses me at a show. Even if I know I can't buy that one, I'll remember those lines and get a sibling or offspring at a later time. Joe Brown had a female that had produced several GSC standards. I had studied the pedigrees at each show and figured out it was the same cross and a certain sire line that was really working with this female. I had a male from Joe bought previously that had this same sire line. Finally, he showed up at a show with 2 females that were out of his good female. He said they were the last 2 offspring cause the mother had just died. One was gorgeous and won class champion at the show, the other got a 2nd place. I knew he'd want to keep the CC female so, I offered him a 1st place female of mine in trade for the 2nd place female of his. Some people at the show thought I had lost it, including my Dad. I believed in the lines over the looks of the animal and knew I had a sire male at home that would work with her. The very next year, that 2nd place female produced -RM S43 2007 ECBC National Grand Show Champion. My Dad thought I was a genius! I believed in the pedigree lines over what my eyes could see in the animal. Sometimes it works, not everytime, but sometimes breeding based on lines can be great if you'd studied those lines and understand the traits behind them.
I have been told several times that you can have two exact siblings. One may have done better in show, may look better in appearence...but the second one will throw better offspring. I always keep this in mind when I am purchasing... Sometimes it may not always present itself, but it IS there in the genetics.
Sycamore Chins
Well-known member
I feel like I've dipped my toes in a little bit of everything, have done pretty well, but haven't seen vastly better results with one method over another. Then again, I have a super small operation.
I've experimented with line breeding (there is an ECBC Natl GSC in there) and the pair consistently produces nice animals, but never anything extraordinary. I'm now onto "F2" and the offspring are looking pretty nice so far, hopefully something extraordinary will pop out.
I've trusted a breeders word that even though the female looks like a torn up mess, she'll do well for me - and she produced my reserve champ standard female!
I've also bought the second best sibling, who is a beast herself, and am ridiculously happy with her - and hopefully her 5 offspring will do well for me this show season.
Since I don't have a lot of animals, i'm very picky with the ones I purchase, so right now I usually stick to breeding based on appearance, but when I can grow my herd I will probably do a little more based on pedigrees since i'll have more animals to mess with.
I've experimented with line breeding (there is an ECBC Natl GSC in there) and the pair consistently produces nice animals, but never anything extraordinary. I'm now onto "F2" and the offspring are looking pretty nice so far, hopefully something extraordinary will pop out.
I've trusted a breeders word that even though the female looks like a torn up mess, she'll do well for me - and she produced my reserve champ standard female!
I've also bought the second best sibling, who is a beast herself, and am ridiculously happy with her - and hopefully her 5 offspring will do well for me this show season.
Since I don't have a lot of animals, i'm very picky with the ones I purchase, so right now I usually stick to breeding based on appearance, but when I can grow my herd I will probably do a little more based on pedigrees since i'll have more animals to mess with.
threewingedfury
<3 BIG and Blocky <3
I have purchased based on appearance and based on pedigree. As to what has worked for me so far, a little of both. I have the tendency to go after the show champions more than anything, but have realized that spending tons of money on some of these champions was a waste because I've produced just a nice animals out of 1st and 2nd place animals as I have the champions when paired properly. I have been very surprised by some lines that I never expected should do well, and then I've had GSCs to throw mediocre animals I'm disappointed in. Either way - each animal is a breeding tool if you find the correct pairing.
I do have a couple of lines that I line breed based on a certain animal in the line. For instance, I have an excellent Shoots male with a sire that's M1885 - all 3 of his females have M1885 as their grandsire and were purposely purchased for this reason. Every single animal that I own with M1885 in the lines has shown well on the table, produced very well for me and seems to have consistent quality. My reserve champion male of show at York this year and my reserve section black velvet male at Nationals were out of M1885 lines. I own more of this animal in my lines than anything, but I also use this line to outcross to animals outside of Shoots lines after the one generation of line breeding. My mutations have really increased in quality from using these animals and my standards are getting better and better.
In other cases, I have purchased 2nd place animals on the table because I knew the lines and knew the genetics were there. If the price is right and I can use it in my lines, I go for it. I tend to believe that some traits take two generations to build up. Some may take even three. Patience is the key. On one generation, you may get good clarity and density, but you're lacking in size. So paired with the next mate for size, you've got a better chance in getting a clear, dense, larger animal.
I have one pure standard female that took a 1st at a show - I personally didn't expect it to take above a 2nd due to size. I knew her parents were very nice animals as I had spoken to the breeder about her, and realized I had some of her lines at home. The breeder put an awesome price tag on her, and I grabbed her up. I knew she carried size in her lines, and I paired her with an animal that has the same grandsire as she does, and her offspring has shown better size so far. Would I have purchased her based on her appearance that day and show placing? No, I purchased her because I knew the lines.
I do purchase based on appearance though - depending on what qualities I need in an animal to compliment the one needing a mate. I tend to make a list of animals I need as mates and the qualities they must have to compliment before I impulse buy at a show.
I do have a couple of lines that I line breed based on a certain animal in the line. For instance, I have an excellent Shoots male with a sire that's M1885 - all 3 of his females have M1885 as their grandsire and were purposely purchased for this reason. Every single animal that I own with M1885 in the lines has shown well on the table, produced very well for me and seems to have consistent quality. My reserve champion male of show at York this year and my reserve section black velvet male at Nationals were out of M1885 lines. I own more of this animal in my lines than anything, but I also use this line to outcross to animals outside of Shoots lines after the one generation of line breeding. My mutations have really increased in quality from using these animals and my standards are getting better and better.
In other cases, I have purchased 2nd place animals on the table because I knew the lines and knew the genetics were there. If the price is right and I can use it in my lines, I go for it. I tend to believe that some traits take two generations to build up. Some may take even three. Patience is the key. On one generation, you may get good clarity and density, but you're lacking in size. So paired with the next mate for size, you've got a better chance in getting a clear, dense, larger animal.
I have one pure standard female that took a 1st at a show - I personally didn't expect it to take above a 2nd due to size. I knew her parents were very nice animals as I had spoken to the breeder about her, and realized I had some of her lines at home. The breeder put an awesome price tag on her, and I grabbed her up. I knew she carried size in her lines, and I paired her with an animal that has the same grandsire as she does, and her offspring has shown better size so far. Would I have purchased her based on her appearance that day and show placing? No, I purchased her because I knew the lines.
I do purchase based on appearance though - depending on what qualities I need in an animal to compliment the one needing a mate. I tend to make a list of animals I need as mates and the qualities they must have to compliment before I impulse buy at a show.
Last edited:
