Proposed Culling Procedure

If you've read my rabbitry resolutions for 2011, you know that I am developing a culling schedule or picking out the best juniors. After consideration, I've put together these steps. I will try them out soon to see if they're satisfying.

4 Weeks

-Pick out obvious DQs

-Remove obvious False Dwarfs

-Remove undesirable colors

-Make note of nicely balanced babies and kits with smooth hindquarters

8-10 Weeks

-Remove other False Dwarfs

-Check for mismatched toenails

-Evaluated width, depth, and roundness

5-6 Months

-Make Final decisions on body and color

-Look for developing block heads

-Try to stick with short ears

8-9 Months

-Evaluate coat (when in condition)

-Evaluate production capabilities

2011 Rabbitry Resolutions

I got the nifty idea from Keep's Rabbitry Blog to come up with some goals and resolutions for the upcoming year.

-Grand a homegrown pair - I've granded rabbits before. I've granded homegrowns, but I've never had a homegrown X a homegrown to breed that were both granded. My hopes are to grand two rabbits who haven't yet qualified, but it still counts if I only get a buck to go with Veyla.

-Keep all records and expense up to date - This one's going to be harder than the first. I have a good record system, it's just all about staying on top of it. I will start fresh with a new spreadsheet for my expenses.

-Develop Tan Pattern Program - I have a pair, sitting, waiting to be bred, but I have not had the space to do it yet. I always push one last doe in front of the pair. Nala is 8 months old and not going to wait much longer to get bred. I hope to get a couple of litters, sell my starter stock, and be breeding Tan Babies into my shaded stock (which is already developed body wise) by next fall.

-Set a culling Standard - My mom would always be in a rush to sell rabbits as soon as they're weaned. She had it in her mind that we can make our final decisions at this tender age. It's finally set in that we need to keep space to grow out 1-2 babies per litter. I hope to figure out a practice that works for me.

We'll check these back in a year!

~Gwen

How do you sell rabbits?

It's a question we get a lot. The answer is different for everybody. Some sell most of the overflow to pet stores. Others sell at shows. Some have connections with the meat market. But, is there a right way to sell rabbits? Here's how we do it.

1. First off, we think it's a good policy to not be desperate to sell an animal. If we are trying to sell a rabbit, we are still very content to hold onto it until we find a suitable home. Often times, desperate people pressure buyers into into taking the rabbit, which can result scaring the customer off.

2. (the following is for show or brood animals only) Our best success with selling is at shows. This is the time we see our fellow breeders who may be looking for new stock. We always take healthy sale rabbits to shows.

3. Once we've settle at the show, We place 'For Sale' signs on the coops and then we move on to our next show chore. There is no need to advertise. Those who are looking to buy will find you.

4. Don't be afraid to go into the faults on the sale animal. Every rabbit has a fault. Share with the prospective owner what judge's have said about the rabbit. If you tell it like it is, then the customer will not be disappointed in the future. This will give you a nice reputation.

5. Price according to the current trend. Is your breed selling? How much should you sell a granded rabbit for? Keep in mind what other breeders are selling for and stick close to that. Never terribly overprice or underprice an animal. If overpriced, it will never sell. If underpriced, you likely won't find a suitable breeder who wants it and you will loose the difference that you could have sold the rabbit for.

Rest in Peace ~ Treasure Valley's Amethyst

Even though it's been nearly two weeks, I think I should about him.

Treasure Valley's Amethyst AKA Bob AKA Dr. House was found dead the morning of July 9th. We have no idea what happened to him. We last saw him happy at around midnight when I fed them. The next morning he was stiff and looked like he'd been gone for quite sometime. He had eaten the apple treat from the night before, but he didn't touch his food or water. (the other rabbits got apples so there was nothing wrong with the fruit)

Common causes we have ruled out:

Heat Stoke - He died between 12 am - 9am it didn't get hotter than 60 degrees overnight

Wool Block - Normal poops and a good appetite indicate likely not a gut problem

Worms - Although he hadn't been wormed, he was of healthy weight and condition. Upon inspection, there were no worms in the feces either.

Enteritis - At least he had no outside signs of any tummy problems

Respiratory Problem - Clear lungs, no weepy eye, snot, or matted paws

It's possible he could have choked when he took a bite of pellets or had a heart attack (maybe he was startled by a the noise of a predator even though our barn is safe) maybe a spider bite. He might have picked something up in Ellensburg. Or maybe there was a symptom I just didn't catch.

Amethyst was my best shaded and my best homegrown buck. He was born in November out of Veyla and Sgt. Pepper. He had two junior legs. We hoped to grand him at his first senior show the day after he died. It's been very saddening to see such a promising, nationals bound rabbit go. Especially with no warning at all.

He will be dearly missed...

Beloved Amethyst

November 2010 - July 2010

Putting fun back into rabbits

With any club, group, or organization, there must be a strong leadership. A strong leadership keeps the group together and moving forward towards a purpose. In fact, an entire community would fall apart without a strong government or leader. But as with any group, a strong leadership can't fix everything...

No matter how strong, charismatic, trustworthy, or simply-great a leader is, problems will eventually stir up in the mix. Arguments happen, friendships break, grudges are held. A once close community is forced to take sides. Although there comes a point that there are so many unrelated difficulties, that there is no one to blame. No matter how strong, any club will experience these problems to some degree. It's healthy and normal. Without it, problems wouldn't get solved and small difficulties would grow into enormous catastrophes. It's only when the quarrels interfere with the purpose of the group that one needs to reassess the situation.

Lately, local rabbit clubs within Idaho have crossed that line. To prevent more problems, I will not go into specifics of the issues. The examples listed above may or may not reflect the things Idaho's clubs are experiencing.

Although the problem's we are experiencing are being dealt with one at a time, the gossip, scape-goating, and friction-in-general is still going strong. I haven't been involved in these groups for long so I do not know the details of long-time perhaps personal problems the cliques may have. I do know, though, that they are majorly affecting the goal of sharing a love of raising rabbits/cavies to have more fun with our hobby.

My request is that we all step back. What are we here for? Do we want to win? Collect sweepstakes points? Make money? I sure hope not.

There is nothing more great than a close relationship with animals and people who care about them. There is nothing more fun than eating at a restraunt with friends after a long show. There is nothing more fulfilling than watching a pair you sold to a first timer win. Rabbits should be all about sharing the fun with our closest friends.

Producing nice stock, winning state sweeps, or working for Best in Show should not be what comes first. Showing who's superior, gossiping on one's latest fallback, or complaining (again) should not be what come first. What comes first is the enjoyment of our hobby and having fun with it!

Sure, I'm only fourteen. Some people have tried to convince me that this is "adult business only" that "I don't understand" and maybe I don't. But is it wrong to think that if we go back to loving the sport and working together that the business side will mend on its own?

I know that many of the problems are serious and cannot easily be solved, but is it so hard to keep the drama out, and put the fun back into rabbits?

~Gwen

Stopping to smell the Irises

As some of you know, Treasure Valley's Iris past away due to sudden heat stroke. She was a doe that I sold to Lilly, a girl in our 4-H group, along with her sister. It was very unexpected since she past away back in April when it wasn't hotter than 81 in the sun.

This was the first death of a senior from my rabbitry (We have only raised rabbits for three years) I struggled with grieving for a couple of weeks; eventually, I accepted it. About a week ago, wild Irises blossomed in our backyard. Somehow, the Irises got me thinking...

It's hard not to think about the future. Especially when something exciting is going to happen. Who doesn't like to think about their summer plans during the dull school year? Maybe you can't wait to settle down in a house of your own. Or perhaps something as simple as waiting for the weekend.

As rabbit breeders, we can't help but think of the future. Waiting for that big show or those juniors to grow into their coats. It can be hard to not get excited about what's coming up and constantly think about more plans for your rabbits. But when we do that we tend to miss something...

Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in planning for Fall nationals in the spring that we don't stop to enjoy the present. Yes, breeding for convention juniors is important, but are you enjoying yourself while you wait? We rabbit breeders need to stop obsessing over next month's plans. Instead, we should take the stop to love the animals and laugh at their quirky antics. We need to call up a friend a talk about what we're enjoying each day, not what we'll enjoy tomorrow.

~Gwen

Babies~!

Well, Mandy finally had her kits. We are out of town all week so Louise had to watch her. She had 5 healthy kits. I still haven't seen them, but we get home tomorrow.

Wonderful Weekend

Well I'm going to be a lazy but and copy and paste what I wrote in my facebook status for last weekend.

-ROYALTY-
I scored an 84% on Breed ID scoring highest in duchess (Breed name, variety, show class, 4/6 class)
I had an 94% on the exam scoring highest in Duchess
I got a 79% in judging scoring 3rd in Duchess
I and 99% in interview scoring the highest OVERALL in the competition

My downfall was my application which was 1/3 of my overall score which hit me hard. So I placed 1st runner up for Duchess! Danica won *YAY DANICA* :)

I have a lot of work to do for Ellensburg, I need to work on writing and judging lol

-ARBA-
Show A
Nothing great... few BOVs/BOSVs out of a class of 12

Show B
Treasure Valley's Veyla BOB *leg*
Treasure Valley's Amethyst (bob) BOS *leg*
VEYLA WON 2nd Runner up Best in Show!

Show C
Treasure Valley's Veyla BOB *leg*
Higbee's Rudy BOS *leg*

Show D
Treasure Valley's Veyla BOB *leg*
Treasure Valley's Amethyst BOS *leg*
VEYLA, again, WON 2nd RUNNER UP BIS

So I earned six legs :D
Current legs :)
Veyla - 8
Rudy -5
Amethyst (junior) - 2

Freaking awesome!

Thanks to the Higbees for running royalty and letting me beat them in JWs I love you guys!

I loved seeing my friends. I only see you twice a year. We're such a great group! One day we will be the next Washington/Pennsylvania :D congrats to all the winners

King - Wayne Heath
Queen - Jenny Easton
Duchess - Danica Kluth
Duke - Ben Easton
Princess - Riley :)

YAY :P see you in Ellensburg!

I promise to update more!

I'm sorry I haven't posted at all (even though as of now, I have no followers) I have a lot to catch up on; first, the show in March.

March 27, 2010 Ontario, Oregon

Show A

Rudy - 2nd

Safron - 1st

Veyla - 1st

Annabelle - 2nd

Amethyst - BOSV

Show B

Rudy - 2nd

Safron - 1st

Veyla - BOV BOB!

Annabelle - 2nd

Amethyst - 1st

Veyla got her third leg and I granded her!

It was a great show day. The club went out to dinner that evening; it was a blast! I also got Reserve overall showman.

I bred Mandy and Rudy. Mandy Palpated positive and she is due two days after convention.

NEXT SHOW

April 17, 2010 La Grande, Oregon

The places were the same at both shows

Rudy - BOSV, BOS (legged twice)

Safron - 1st

Veyla - BOV BOB (legged twice)

Annabelle -BOV

Amethyst - BOSV

VEYLA WON BEST IN SHOW FOR SHOW B! It was pretty unexpected, but we got it on tape.

Snake River R&CC Show Report :)

Last Saturday was a fun day! Kelsey came the night before and slept over. She only has one showable bunny; a nice little smoke pearl marten buck junior.

We got ready the night before and then slept on the floor in the living room :)

In the morning we packed up the rabbits and headed out the Marsing, which is about a 45 minute drive in the dark O' clock traffic.

I decided to scratch the youth entries since most of my good rabbits were out of condition. And any of you wooly breeders know that an out-of-condition jersey doesn't stand a chance if they aren't in coat.

I entered six rabbits in both open shows. Shayla arrived just before the show A jersies got called up. So she watched and Madison arrived soon after that.

Show A results

~Rudy - Sr. Self Buck - BOG

~Zirconium - Jr. Self Buck - BOG, BOV

~Veyla - Sr. Self Doe - BOG, BOSV

~Amethyst - Jr. Shaded Buck - BOG, BOSV

~Annabelle - Sr. Shaded Doe - BOG, BOV, BOS

~Sgt. Pepper - Broken Tooth DQ

Kelsey's rabbit one BOB and got legged

Then Shayla, Madison, Kelsey, and I went on a breed scavenger hunt where we'd pick a breed and try to find it. I crossed off a couple of workbook lessons. Very productive :)

We sat around for two more hours until show B called the jersies.

Show B Results

~Rudy - Sr. Self Buck - BOG

~Zirconium - Jr. Self Buck - BOG, BOV

~Veyla - Sr. Self Doe - BOG, BOSV

~Amethyst - Jr. Shaded Buck - BOG, BOSV

~Annabelle - Sr. Shaded Doe - 2nd BOG

~Sgt. Pepper - Broken Tooth DQ

Ashes (Kelsey's) - Light toenail DQ (it has some pigment so it depends on the judge =/ hopefully it'll darken)

Then we packed up and headed home. Great day =D

Out next show is in Ontario March 27.

Countdown to springtime shows!

Next saturday is the Snake River R&CC double youth and double open show. I still haven't decided who to enter where here's who I'm taking.

Higbee's Rudy - Self sr. Buck

Higbee's Sgt. Pepper - Tan Pattern sr. Buck

Higbee's Annabelle - Shaded sr. Doe

Treasure Valley's Veyla - Self sr. Doe

Treasure Valley's Amethyst - Shaded jr. Buck

Treasure Valley's Moonstone (For Sale) - Self jr. Buck

Treasure Valley's Malachite (For Sale) - Self jr. Buck

I think Veyla and Amethyst are the best at the moment. Though Veyla is finishing a molt, she will hopefully come in condition in time so she can earn a third leg and I can grand her. I want to enter her in all four shows. If she wins BOB in jersey for youth she will have a good chance at placing in BIS since there are only a few breeds competing for youth.

Rudy was looking beautiful last week until he started a molt! I think I will enter him in both open shows but that's it.

I will enter Amethyst in Both open and one youth. Moonstone is entering both youth. I'm only using him to raise the class number. I may enter him in open to raise the class as well.

Sergeant Pepper and Annabelle are going in both open.

Malachite is just coming for the ride :) and to be sold; although I believe we already have a inquiry for him though no deposit yet.

Plans for this spring

As far as shows go here is my show schedule for shows I am attending.

Snake River R&CC Marsing, ID Feb 27

Blue Mountain RBA La Grande, OR Mar 20

Rockin Rabbits Youth Club La Grade, OR Apr 17

Idaho State Convention Rupert, ID May 1,2

All of these are doubles except convention which is a quad.

For breedings:

Treasure Valley's TBA(no name yet) X Higbee's Mandy - early spring

Joint breeding:

Higbee's Sgt. Pepper X Treasure Valley's Poppy

with lilly to start her breeding project.

That's it for now!

Welcome to the Blog!

Welcome to the Treasure Valley Woolies Rabbitry blog. I hope to update this blog a few times each week. As well as reporting shows and news in a less than literate form. I may write articles here and move them to the article section later.