Monday, November 14, 2005
The Grand Old Dame
I'm facing a bit of a choice. The choice is between my head and my heart. I have (or had) made a logical decision to follow a particular guideline and now that it's about to come into play, my heart is yelling much more loudly.
My guideline is to sell breeding does when they turn three years old. It makes sense. They are still young enough to produce litters for someone else, but they are likely to be less productive in the future than they were in the past. It's a great guideline to follow. Logically speaking, of course.
In general, my barn is very young. I only have four rabbits born before August 2004. But one of those is a wonderful breeding doe who will be three in December.
The reason for the guideline is to force me to keep my breeding stock turning over. If I rest on my laurels and keep breeding the same ones, I'm not progressing in the development of my herd or my own line and I risk waking up one day to a geriatric herd.
But the reason it is a dilemna in this case, is that she's producing such nice bunnies for me. I'm so near the beginning of establishing my own line, couldn't even one or two more nice bunnies with a similar genetic composition make a huge impact on my future herd? I think it might.
But then where I do cut it off? Will I continue to say, just one more litter? I have three daughters who are producing already and another one due soon. I've sold another couple of beautiful daughters to nearby rabbitries. I have a young junior doe that looks promising and two kits in the nest box with her now. Isn't that enough?
But I've finally gotten her figured out! I've finally determined which buck produces the best kits with her. Am I ready to give that up already? She's produced very few pets. The likelihood of getting a keeper from one more litter is high.
I really don't know what I will do. I guess if I keep her, with such a young barn, I'm not likely to raise the average age by much. I suppose if I sell her, I have daughters aplenty to work with. Maybe just one more litter. . .
I was just talking with ARBA Judge Greg West this weekend about the conflict between make rabbitry management decisions with our heads instead of our hearts. In that conversation, I agreed wholeheartedly that we needed to decided with our heads. But it's hard to do.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
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¶ 2:21 PM
My guideline is to sell breeding does when they turn three years old. It makes sense. They are still young enough to produce litters for someone else, but they are likely to be less productive in the future than they were in the past. It's a great guideline to follow. Logically speaking, of course.
In general, my barn is very young. I only have four rabbits born before August 2004. But one of those is a wonderful breeding doe who will be three in December.
The reason for the guideline is to force me to keep my breeding stock turning over. If I rest on my laurels and keep breeding the same ones, I'm not progressing in the development of my herd or my own line and I risk waking up one day to a geriatric herd.
But the reason it is a dilemna in this case, is that she's producing such nice bunnies for me. I'm so near the beginning of establishing my own line, couldn't even one or two more nice bunnies with a similar genetic composition make a huge impact on my future herd? I think it might.
But then where I do cut it off? Will I continue to say, just one more litter? I have three daughters who are producing already and another one due soon. I've sold another couple of beautiful daughters to nearby rabbitries. I have a young junior doe that looks promising and two kits in the nest box with her now. Isn't that enough?
But I've finally gotten her figured out! I've finally determined which buck produces the best kits with her. Am I ready to give that up already? She's produced very few pets. The likelihood of getting a keeper from one more litter is high.
I really don't know what I will do. I guess if I keep her, with such a young barn, I'm not likely to raise the average age by much. I suppose if I sell her, I have daughters aplenty to work with. Maybe just one more litter. . .
I was just talking with ARBA Judge Greg West this weekend about the conflict between make rabbitry management decisions with our heads instead of our hearts. In that conversation, I agreed wholeheartedly that we needed to decided with our heads. But it's hard to do.
Here's a thought: if I breed her before her third birthday and sell her after the litter is born, does that count as following the guideline?
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
Great Gift Ideas
Unique Gifts From Special Places
¶ 2:21 PM
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Laurie...
anytime your done with her..Id LOVE to buy her from you...I know who she is..:)
let me knowww
anytime your done with her..Id LOVE to buy her from you...I know who she is..:)
let me knowww
# posted by 
: 5:24 PM
: 5:24 PM
I say just keep her - you can have a few "special" ones that never leave you! So what if they could still produce for someone else or you don't need any more out of her - just retire her and love her!
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