Identification of Rabbits
Tattooing vs. Ringing
NOTE: the goal of this is not to make people angry, but to help others to see another side to something that is commonly taken for granted. There is another possibility to Tattooing! This was a school assignment, and although I do tattoo and am not completely against it, I had to argue one way or the other, and chose the ringing point of view. Soon, I hope to have a section about the other point of view to give a fair trial so to speak.
Identification is important in the raising of rabbits, it is essential in the keeping of proper records, it is crucial in the exhibition of rabbits, and even necessary for the hobbyist. In various countries, there are varying ways that are used to identify rabbits. Some ways are superior to others, and some countries have become are outright ridiculous in their methods of identification. America, France, Japan, Holland, and much of Canada seem to be some of the countries who have gone out of their way to find a poor system of identification, the tattoo.
The probability that during the tattoo process an injury will occur is quite great. It is obvious that pain is experienced during the tattooing process due to the squealing of the rabbit. Anyone who has not heard a rabbit squealing cannot imagine the amount of pain that is represented in that high-pitched noise! There are actually multiple injuries that are possible with the process of tattooing, some more serious than others. An ear can be torn, if the tattoo is improperly done, or the rabbit is improperly restrained, causing loss of blood, and inability to show the rabbit. It is also possible to cut into a vein in the ear, causing such a great amount of blood loss that the rabbit dies. A rabbit is so small, that the loss of blood is a very major thing, and loss of large amount of blood is usually deadly.
Injuries from tattooing might be acceptable, if the tattoo was a decent form of identification. Unfortunately, the tattoo is a feeble attempt to identify rabbits. Often times, the tattoo is unreadable, or becomes that way after time. A tattoo can be misplaced, by accidentally tattooing on the edge of the rabbits ear, making the tattoo only partially legible, and most likely a DQ. It is also possible, if a vein is hit, that the ink used in the tattoo bleeds out, leaving only holes, which close up after a week or two, leaving no form of identification at all. If a rabbit raiser uses bad ink, it is more likely that the tattoo become illegible. Double clamping also seems to be a difficulty that breeders run into. This is when a tattoo is clamped, then reclamped in a different spot, making the tattoo entirely unreadable. Tattooing on an angle, letting only half of the needles pierce the ear is also possible. And if the actual process of tattooing is successful, it is quite likely that the ear of the rabbit will grow and the tattoo will become spaced out and unreadable.
Tattooing also takes a long period of time to learn how to do, and multiple people are needed to do it. One person has to hold the rabbit so that it does not leap to its death, and another has to do the actual puncture of the It is also quite expensive, in that it is usually around $25 for a tattooer and numbers 1 through 9 and 0. It costs another $25 to get letters A-Z. This is only one digit of each letter and number, and most often a second set is needed to tattoo full numbers and words. (With one set, how would it be possible to do 99 or 100, BOB or SALLY?). The tattoo ink must be purchased separately, and it is recommended that this is replaced every year. (Tranquil Acres Rabbitry) It is also recommended that the cork pad of the tattooer be replaced every year. By this time the cost to tattoo is approximately $85!
Even with all of these negatives, if there were no alternatives to tattooing, it might be worth it, but there is an alternative! A small piece of painless, cheap aluminium can alleviate all of the pain, financial problems, and difficulty of tattooing. It is impossible to injure a rabbit through ringing, and the ring remains readable, even, according to one breeder in Australia who uses rings, on rabbits that were tattooed 7 years ago! (Adams) While the process of tattooing is so difficult it takes multiple people and takes much experience, a non-rabbit owning child could put a ring on alone!
In tattooing, there are often duplicates, especially at larger shows, or in more popular breeds. While in the Holland lop, where the colours vary from rabbit to rabbit, it may be easy to differentiate between duplicates, it may be impossible to tell between duplicates in a class of New Zealand whites! In ringing, there are absolutely no duplicates. Each number is unique to the individual; even rabbits that are rung over a period of 20 years will all have their very own unique number.
All over the world, in Australia, England, Ireland, Germany, and Austria have been successfully using the ring as a form of identification with no trouble. The use of ringing actually dates back far before the birth of the tattoo. Isn’t it time that tattooers gain some sense and convert to a less painful, simpler, easier, and cheaper form of identification?
