| Flesh Marks Flesh marks, foreign spots, freckles, bruises, injuries, ect. These are all names that I have heard the little black spots that can be found in some Dutch’s noses can be called. The Standard of Perfection states that colored spots that are plainly visible are to be disqualified from competition. However, the judge’s aren’t allowed to look for just a flesh mark, it is to be noticed while they’re checking the teeth. They can not pull at any part of the nose, nor look deep inside it. It must noticeably take away from the appearance of the rabbit. I’ve seen some judges disqualify rabbits for spots, whereas other judges will say that they wouldn’t disqualify that rabbit for the spot. For flesh marks, it’s all in the judge’s opinion for whether it’s a disqualification or not. Now you might be wondering what causes these? Over the years I have heard many different theories on this. Most people say that they’re genetic. Years ago in the Dutch Reporter, put out by the American Dutch Rabbit Club, I remember an article on this. The breeder stated that he bred two rabbits with the spot together and would get no kits with the spots. Yet when he bred two rabbits without the spot the kits will get the spot. At this time I was having problems with these spots and did some test breeding. No matter what I bred together, whether both rabbits did or did not have spots, all my litters would end up with spots. At the time I was raising Blacks, Blue, Grays, and Steels. I had problems with it in all four varieties. A breeder told me that Chocolates also got flesh marks, yet their’s were yellow so they blend in not showing up. He also mentioned that Torts never got spots, as their noses were a darker pink. A judge who use to raise Dutch also told me that they can get the spots from the other kits biting their noses while in the nest box, or by bumping their noses on metal feeders. This lit up a light bulb in my head. At the time a litter that I just had, there were three kits. Two stayed with a doe with a metal feeder.... both getting the spot. The other one was fostered to a doe who had a crock in her cage.... she never got the spot. My next batch of litters I made sure they all had crocks. Not a single one of kits got a flesh mark this time. Now when ever I have litters I make sure that they have crocks in their cage, and rarely have rabbits getting flesh marks. Only 1 out of 20 kits get a flesh spot now. I do not find flesh spots to be genetic, as two of my best breeding animals have the flesh spots and never throw the spot. Another thing I tested out, was breeding Torts to the rabbits with the spots. I found that these rabbits were able to remain in the cages with metal feeders with no problems. Dutch don’t get flesh marks just when their babies though. They can get them when they’re older by being bitten, or bumping their nose on something really hard. The rabbit above received his from getting in a fight with a Netherland Dwarf at a show. I’ve also had older brood animals who didn’t have spots, develop them as they got older in age. This is just my own opinion, everyone has a different opinion. My own is based on what other reputatable breeders and judges have told me, and my own experimenting. |
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| Background courtesy of Pam Nock Copyright © 2004 Double Dutch Rabbitry. All right reserved. |
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