The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Rabbit Coat Color Genotypes
No, I'm not going to explain the ABC's of rabbit coat color genetics here. You can read about that on my website (www.thenaturetrail.com/AGene, www.thenaturetrail.com/BGene, etc.) But I do want to tell you about a color chart on my website that I think has been hidden for far too long.
I put together onto a single chart 144 rabbit coat color genotypes. This chart use to be hidden in the middle of the C Gene page, but is now on a page by itself where it will hopefully be found and used.
Since each coat color is related to five other colors (colors that different by only the a, b, c, d, or e gene), it took me awhile to figure out a way to organize the information. But I finally developed the chart (www.thenaturetrail.com/Rabit-Coat-Color-Chart) in its current format.
Before I describe how it is organized, I'd like to answer the question, "What's it good for?" I think the chart is good for determining the possible colors of kits in a litter, for one thing. If you look up the genotypes for the parents, you may be able to eliminate some possibilities.
Look up the genotype for tort (aa B- C- D- ee) and for sable point (aa B- cchl- D- ee). If you have a bluish baby in a litter from a tort and a sable point, you know you can eliminate blue (aa B- C- dd E-) and smoke pearl (aa B- cchl dd E-) from consideration because neither parent had a dominant E-gene to pass along to the kit. Blue point (aa B- cchl dd ee) would still be a possibility, though.
Another use for the chart is to help you make a plan for producing a particular color you do not already have. For any color you would like to produce, there are five other colors that are just one gene different. You can use the chart to determine those colors. Then breed two of those five colors together. You may not produce the color you are seeking in the first generation (a lot depends on gene dominance), but if you breed the resulting offspring together, you can generally produce your sought after color.
Now for the organization of the chart. Pull it up on a different screen and take a look at it. You will see a large top block of 48 colors (self colors), a middle block (otter/tan/martens), and a bottom block (agout colors). If you were to print out the chart and cut out those three blocks, you could then stack them on top of each other. The colors on top of each other only vary by the A-gene.
Now if you take a look at any one of those blocks, you will see 8 rows. The first four rows and the second are exactly alike--except for the E-gene.
Now look at the first four rows only. The first two and the last two are exactly the same, except for the B-gene.
The d-gene is the only difference between the first and second rows.
I have printed black family colors in black, chocolate family colors in brown, blue family colors in blue, and lilac familly colors in light purple.
If you follow a row across the columns, you will find colors that only vary by the C-gene.
Color in Hollands can be a ton of fun. Improving the type on colors can be a huge challenge. I hope that the rabbit coat color chart will be of help to you as you pursue your color projects.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com/
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 11:21 PM 0 comments links to this post
I put together onto a single chart 144 rabbit coat color genotypes. This chart use to be hidden in the middle of the C Gene page, but is now on a page by itself where it will hopefully be found and used.
Since each coat color is related to five other colors (colors that different by only the a, b, c, d, or e gene), it took me awhile to figure out a way to organize the information. But I finally developed the chart (www.thenaturetrail.com/Rabit-Coat-Color-Chart) in its current format.
Before I describe how it is organized, I'd like to answer the question, "What's it good for?" I think the chart is good for determining the possible colors of kits in a litter, for one thing. If you look up the genotypes for the parents, you may be able to eliminate some possibilities.
Look up the genotype for tort (aa B- C- D- ee) and for sable point (aa B- cchl- D- ee). If you have a bluish baby in a litter from a tort and a sable point, you know you can eliminate blue (aa B- C- dd E-) and smoke pearl (aa B- cchl dd E-) from consideration because neither parent had a dominant E-gene to pass along to the kit. Blue point (aa B- cchl dd ee) would still be a possibility, though.
Another use for the chart is to help you make a plan for producing a particular color you do not already have. For any color you would like to produce, there are five other colors that are just one gene different. You can use the chart to determine those colors. Then breed two of those five colors together. You may not produce the color you are seeking in the first generation (a lot depends on gene dominance), but if you breed the resulting offspring together, you can generally produce your sought after color.
Now for the organization of the chart. Pull it up on a different screen and take a look at it. You will see a large top block of 48 colors (self colors), a middle block (otter/tan/martens), and a bottom block (agout colors). If you were to print out the chart and cut out those three blocks, you could then stack them on top of each other. The colors on top of each other only vary by the A-gene.
Now if you take a look at any one of those blocks, you will see 8 rows. The first four rows and the second are exactly alike--except for the E-gene.
Now look at the first four rows only. The first two and the last two are exactly the same, except for the B-gene.
The d-gene is the only difference between the first and second rows.
I have printed black family colors in black, chocolate family colors in brown, blue family colors in blue, and lilac familly colors in light purple.
If you follow a row across the columns, you will find colors that only vary by the C-gene.
Color in Hollands can be a ton of fun. Improving the type on colors can be a huge challenge. I hope that the rabbit coat color chart will be of help to you as you pursue your color projects.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com/
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 11:21 PM 0 comments links to this post
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Telltale Signs of a Rabbit Breeder
If you ever meet rabbit breeders outside of a rabbit show, you will know them anyway by the following telltale signs:
1. They don't wear a watch and may have given up rings and anything else a rabbit can catch a nail in.
2. They have arms that are scratched up but don't bother trying to hide them.
3. The last ten entries in their check register are for show entry fees, feed, vet, ARBA, motel, hay, cages, new rabbit purchase, fly ribbons, and food for the family (thought they'd all be "rabbit," didn't you?)
4. They have rabbit fur on them somewhere at all times, whether they know it or not.
5. They read streets signs looking for new rabbit names (yes, Alison, that's you).
6. They calculate the date by number of days until the next rabbit show, or perhaps from kindling dates.
7. They understand "3.08" to be 3 ½ lbs., not "3.5."
8. They have been forbidden by their families to mention rabbits at Christmas, Easter, New Years, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, . . . .
9. They have vehicles that can drive to a favorite feed store--apparently without human contribution.
10. They tend to evaluate every animal they meet according to the standards for their breed. You know: “Nice cat--short ear, poses easily, dense fur, a little weak in the hindquarter.”
Now be honest. How many of these apply to you?
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 9:48 PM 0 comments links to this post
1. They don't wear a watch and may have given up rings and anything else a rabbit can catch a nail in.
2. They have arms that are scratched up but don't bother trying to hide them.
3. The last ten entries in their check register are for show entry fees, feed, vet, ARBA, motel, hay, cages, new rabbit purchase, fly ribbons, and food for the family (thought they'd all be "rabbit," didn't you?)
4. They have rabbit fur on them somewhere at all times, whether they know it or not.
5. They read streets signs looking for new rabbit names (yes, Alison, that's you).
6. They calculate the date by number of days until the next rabbit show, or perhaps from kindling dates.
7. They understand "3.08" to be 3 ½ lbs., not "3.5."
8. They have been forbidden by their families to mention rabbits at Christmas, Easter, New Years, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, . . . .
9. They have vehicles that can drive to a favorite feed store--apparently without human contribution.
10. They tend to evaluate every animal they meet according to the standards for their breed. You know: “Nice cat--short ear, poses easily, dense fur, a little weak in the hindquarter.”
Now be honest. How many of these apply to you?
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 9:48 PM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, July 29, 2005
Most Valued Does
From time to time, I review all of the does in my barn and determine which are the most valuable to me. I have a target goal of keeping twelve solid does and twelve broken does in production.
If I don't have a target, then I risk my rabbitry continuing to grow every time I add cages. Those cages are added to allow me to grow out more juniors for longer periods of time (which I feel is very important to the success of a Holland barn). If I just increase my producing does each time, I will always have to sell my juniors too soon due to lack of cage space. So, I've locked in my rabbitry size at 24 producing does.
So from time to time, I make this list of my does, from most to leave valuable. Usually the first two or three rabbits on the list are easy. Who has been producing my best show bunnies? In the middle of my list, I may have some that I am very hopeful about, but perhaps I haven't grown out their bunnies enough to tell for sure what the quality is. Or maybe I haven't made the best match for them. That's the vague, unknown middle of the list.
Near the bottom of the list are does that haven't produced what I'd hoped. Or perhaps I just can't seem to make a good match for them. And some have failed to produce at all. Or maybe they are almost duplicates of a better rabbit higher on the list.
I also drop does over 2 1/2 years old down the list because of age. They may have otherwise been high on the list, but if I'm going to sell them as proven brood does, they need to be young enough to have some litters for someone else. (Of course, some are so valuable to me that they will never drop down on the list and will retire here .)
And I drop a doe down on the list when her better daughter starts producing live bunnies. I use to drop her down when she had a better daughter, but I learned the hard way to wait until that daughter is actually producing before letting the mother go.
When I'm happy with my list (and I may juggle it several times before I'm done), I look very hard at numbers 13 and down. Those that can produce for someone else are earmarked to be sold (usually after one last litter!) Those that have not produced at all are sold as pets, sold to show-only homes (if appropriate), or raffled without pedigree and with a note that I have not gotten live babies. Sometimes I'll find someone else who wants to give her a go. The very next ltter may be the one, afterall. And that has happened.
By making myself take a hard look at my does every other month or so, I keep my brood does (and producing show does) culled very strictly. I only want to work with the very best animals available to me. And the only way I can do that is to make sure I frequently evaluate my herd.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com/
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 7:15 AM 0 comments links to this post
If I don't have a target, then I risk my rabbitry continuing to grow every time I add cages. Those cages are added to allow me to grow out more juniors for longer periods of time (which I feel is very important to the success of a Holland barn). If I just increase my producing does each time, I will always have to sell my juniors too soon due to lack of cage space. So, I've locked in my rabbitry size at 24 producing does.
So from time to time, I make this list of my does, from most to leave valuable. Usually the first two or three rabbits on the list are easy. Who has been producing my best show bunnies? In the middle of my list, I may have some that I am very hopeful about, but perhaps I haven't grown out their bunnies enough to tell for sure what the quality is. Or maybe I haven't made the best match for them. That's the vague, unknown middle of the list.
Near the bottom of the list are does that haven't produced what I'd hoped. Or perhaps I just can't seem to make a good match for them. And some have failed to produce at all. Or maybe they are almost duplicates of a better rabbit higher on the list.
I also drop does over 2 1/2 years old down the list because of age. They may have otherwise been high on the list, but if I'm going to sell them as proven brood does, they need to be young enough to have some litters for someone else. (Of course, some are so valuable to me that they will never drop down on the list and will retire here .)
And I drop a doe down on the list when her better daughter starts producing live bunnies. I use to drop her down when she had a better daughter, but I learned the hard way to wait until that daughter is actually producing before letting the mother go.
When I'm happy with my list (and I may juggle it several times before I'm done), I look very hard at numbers 13 and down. Those that can produce for someone else are earmarked to be sold (usually after one last litter!) Those that have not produced at all are sold as pets, sold to show-only homes (if appropriate), or raffled without pedigree and with a note that I have not gotten live babies. Sometimes I'll find someone else who wants to give her a go. The very next ltter may be the one, afterall. And that has happened.
By making myself take a hard look at my does every other month or so, I keep my brood does (and producing show does) culled very strictly. I only want to work with the very best animals available to me. And the only way I can do that is to make sure I frequently evaluate my herd.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com/
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 7:15 AM 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Holland Lop Nationals: It's Time!
It's time to start thinking about Holland Lop Nationals. No, not ARBA Convention- it's too late for that. It's time to start thinking about juniors for Nationals.
Take a look at the caledar. Think about how old you want your juniors to be at Nationals (best to select a range, such as 4 1/2 months to 5 3/4 months). Now count back to the date you want them to be born. You will be calculating a beginning date and an ending date. Subtract 31 days from each of those dates and you have your critical dates for breeding for juniors for Holland Lop Nationals.
Let's work out an example. Nationals will be April 8 & 9, 2006. Let's say that I want my juniors to turn senior the following Wednesday. They would turn six months old on April 12. That means I want them born not before October 12. So I would breed for juniors not before September 11. I've built in a cushion, so I don't have to worry about kits being born on day 29.
If I count forward 6 weeks, I have my cutoff date, somewhere around October 26. And since I'll be at ARBA Convention at that time, I can easily remember that I need to finish up all of my breeding for Nationals juniors by the time I go to Convention.
Now you may be asking why all of this is important to know now. Well, breeding choices I make now will determine when my does will be open during my optimal breeding period of Nationals. Obviously, the earlier I breed for Nationals (but not before my September 11 starting date), the more mature my juniors will be. I'd like for my best-producing does to be open on or soon after September 11. And I certainly wouldn't want to breed a favorite on September 1 and have her tied up!
Any doe I breed right now could be rebred on September 11, assuming that I plan ahead and have enough does to foster litters. And of course as always, rebreeding depends on the condition of my doe, so I would be taking a risk, especially since the heat is likely to take a lot out of her.
I hope to see all of you at Holland Lop Nationals next spring. I belong to the Classy Country Hollanders who are sponsors for the show down in Perry, GA, and am thrilled to involved with putting on a national show. Put it on your calendar now and plan to enjoy some southern hospitality!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com/
www.thenaturetrai.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 11:53 AM 0 comments links to this post
Take a look at the caledar. Think about how old you want your juniors to be at Nationals (best to select a range, such as 4 1/2 months to 5 3/4 months). Now count back to the date you want them to be born. You will be calculating a beginning date and an ending date. Subtract 31 days from each of those dates and you have your critical dates for breeding for juniors for Holland Lop Nationals.
Let's work out an example. Nationals will be April 8 & 9, 2006. Let's say that I want my juniors to turn senior the following Wednesday. They would turn six months old on April 12. That means I want them born not before October 12. So I would breed for juniors not before September 11. I've built in a cushion, so I don't have to worry about kits being born on day 29.
If I count forward 6 weeks, I have my cutoff date, somewhere around October 26. And since I'll be at ARBA Convention at that time, I can easily remember that I need to finish up all of my breeding for Nationals juniors by the time I go to Convention.
Now you may be asking why all of this is important to know now. Well, breeding choices I make now will determine when my does will be open during my optimal breeding period of Nationals. Obviously, the earlier I breed for Nationals (but not before my September 11 starting date), the more mature my juniors will be. I'd like for my best-producing does to be open on or soon after September 11. And I certainly wouldn't want to breed a favorite on September 1 and have her tied up!
Any doe I breed right now could be rebred on September 11, assuming that I plan ahead and have enough does to foster litters. And of course as always, rebreeding depends on the condition of my doe, so I would be taking a risk, especially since the heat is likely to take a lot out of her.
I hope to see all of you at Holland Lop Nationals next spring. I belong to the Classy Country Hollanders who are sponsors for the show down in Perry, GA, and am thrilled to involved with putting on a national show. Put it on your calendar now and plan to enjoy some southern hospitality!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com/
www.thenaturetrai.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 11:53 AM 0 comments links to this post
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Size DOES Matter
I'm going to preface everything I say in this article by stating upfront that Holland lops hide lots of surprises in their genetic code. Just about anything can and will happen just when you don't expect it, but we can still talk about trends and expectations that can serve us well more often than not. So, if you try out some of these ideas--just like they say in the car commercial--your actual results may vary.
Size does matter when you are selecting a dam and sire to breed. Holland lops that are around and below 3.00* have a harder time competing. Hollands over 4.00 can be disqualified. I read one claim that the Holland lop weight that wins the most is 3.08. And you probably have a target weight that you prefer.
One way to increase your chances of producing rabbits at your target weight is to breed two true dwarfs of that weight together. You will get some variation, but you will likely get some true dwarf rabbits of the same approximate weight. Or you can breed a true dwarf that is a few ounces above your ideal with one a few ounces below. You can get good results that way, too.
(Let me pause here and say that if you need to brush up on the true dwarf/false dwarf issue, you might like to take a look at www.thenaturetrail.com/Dwarfs.)
But how often do you have two rabbits that are already exactly the weight you are looking for that are complementary in other ways? And you want to be able to use false dwarfs in your breeding program, don't you? I do.
Now some folks just avoid using false dwarfs altogether and others only use false dwarf does. But I like to use the full range of good rabbits available to me, so I've paid attention to the effect of using various combinations of weight, and true and false dwarfs.
Let me tell you the kind of mistake I often made before I finally figured things out. I would have a tiny doe, perhaps 3.00. And I would have a false dwarf buck, 4.02. I wanted to produce 3.08 rabbits, so I would breed them together and expect medium-sized Hollands. It never worked. I ended up with 3.00 true dwarfs and 4.02 false dwarfs.
Finally a light bulb went on in my head. My 4.02 false dwarf buck always threw small true dwarfs because he was a small rabbit himself. But you are already saying that he was over show weight, how is that small?
I have noticed, and you probably have, too, that, within the same lines, the false dwarfs tend to be about 18 oz. heavier than the true dwarfs. So, in a smaller line, for example, the true dwarfs are running 2.14 to 3.04 and the false dwarfs are running 3.15 to 4.02. This is a small line, even though it includes rabbits over show weight.
Then I've had bigger bunnies. They tend to run 3.14 to 4.00 for true dwarfs and 4.08 to 5.00 for false dwarfs. This is a big line, even though it includes bunnies within the show weight limits.
Now this is the important part: that 4.02 false dwarf from the smaller line will throw smaller true dwarfs than the 3.14 true dwarf from the bigger line. Yes, the bigger bunny will throw smaller bunnies and the smaller one will throw the bigger ones.
The secret is realizing that there are two sizes in every line: the true dwarf size and the false dwarf size. So the sire or dam you plan to use in your breeding should not be considered big or small without first considering whether it is a true or false dwarf (obviously tiny bunnies are virtually always true dwarfs and 4.08 bunnies are virtually always false dwarfs--but I've had a 4.05 who was a true dwarf and think I may have a 3.07 who is a false so you must consider every rabbit individually).
The Nature Trail's Mercedes, 13 legs, has a 3.08 dam and a 4.02 false dwarf sire (yes, I have gotten some nice bunnies from false dwarf bucks). The dam comes from a line of larger bunnies; it was the 4.02 sire who brought her weight down to 3.00.
I think that knowing how to use false dwarfs better is extremely helpful. You can generally get a false dwarf from very good lines at a very reasonable price. Plus they may simply be available when show quality rabbits from the lines you desire are not.
Remind me to talk about how to determine if a rabbit is a false dwarf and how to pick out a worthy false dwarf Holland in a future article.
Happy breeding.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://thenaturetrail.com/
http://thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
*read 3.00 as 3 pounds, 4.02 is 4 pounds 2 oz.
¶ 4:52 PM 0 comments links to this post
Size does matter when you are selecting a dam and sire to breed. Holland lops that are around and below 3.00* have a harder time competing. Hollands over 4.00 can be disqualified. I read one claim that the Holland lop weight that wins the most is 3.08. And you probably have a target weight that you prefer.
One way to increase your chances of producing rabbits at your target weight is to breed two true dwarfs of that weight together. You will get some variation, but you will likely get some true dwarf rabbits of the same approximate weight. Or you can breed a true dwarf that is a few ounces above your ideal with one a few ounces below. You can get good results that way, too.
(Let me pause here and say that if you need to brush up on the true dwarf/false dwarf issue, you might like to take a look at www.thenaturetrail.com/Dwarfs.)
But how often do you have two rabbits that are already exactly the weight you are looking for that are complementary in other ways? And you want to be able to use false dwarfs in your breeding program, don't you? I do.
Now some folks just avoid using false dwarfs altogether and others only use false dwarf does. But I like to use the full range of good rabbits available to me, so I've paid attention to the effect of using various combinations of weight, and true and false dwarfs.
Let me tell you the kind of mistake I often made before I finally figured things out. I would have a tiny doe, perhaps 3.00. And I would have a false dwarf buck, 4.02. I wanted to produce 3.08 rabbits, so I would breed them together and expect medium-sized Hollands. It never worked. I ended up with 3.00 true dwarfs and 4.02 false dwarfs.
Finally a light bulb went on in my head. My 4.02 false dwarf buck always threw small true dwarfs because he was a small rabbit himself. But you are already saying that he was over show weight, how is that small?
I have noticed, and you probably have, too, that, within the same lines, the false dwarfs tend to be about 18 oz. heavier than the true dwarfs. So, in a smaller line, for example, the true dwarfs are running 2.14 to 3.04 and the false dwarfs are running 3.15 to 4.02. This is a small line, even though it includes rabbits over show weight.
Then I've had bigger bunnies. They tend to run 3.14 to 4.00 for true dwarfs and 4.08 to 5.00 for false dwarfs. This is a big line, even though it includes bunnies within the show weight limits.
Now this is the important part: that 4.02 false dwarf from the smaller line will throw smaller true dwarfs than the 3.14 true dwarf from the bigger line. Yes, the bigger bunny will throw smaller bunnies and the smaller one will throw the bigger ones.
The secret is realizing that there are two sizes in every line: the true dwarf size and the false dwarf size. So the sire or dam you plan to use in your breeding should not be considered big or small without first considering whether it is a true or false dwarf (obviously tiny bunnies are virtually always true dwarfs and 4.08 bunnies are virtually always false dwarfs--but I've had a 4.05 who was a true dwarf and think I may have a 3.07 who is a false so you must consider every rabbit individually).
The Nature Trail's Mercedes, 13 legs, has a 3.08 dam and a 4.02 false dwarf sire (yes, I have gotten some nice bunnies from false dwarf bucks). The dam comes from a line of larger bunnies; it was the 4.02 sire who brought her weight down to 3.00.
I think that knowing how to use false dwarfs better is extremely helpful. You can generally get a false dwarf from very good lines at a very reasonable price. Plus they may simply be available when show quality rabbits from the lines you desire are not.
Remind me to talk about how to determine if a rabbit is a false dwarf and how to pick out a worthy false dwarf Holland in a future article.
Happy breeding.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://thenaturetrail.com/
http://thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
*read 3.00 as 3 pounds, 4.02 is 4 pounds 2 oz.
¶ 4:52 PM 0 comments links to this post
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Heat Wave
Is there anything else on the mind of a rabbit breeder in the south and midwest today besides the current heat wave? Okay, I'm not talking to those of you who have A/C in your barn. In fact, I am working hard on this envy-thing I have going on right now. I hope to be over it by the time the next show rolls around! If the heat breaks as it should, there's a good chance I'll be cured of A/C envy by the weekend, at least temporarily.
I got out to the barn early to turn on the sprinkler stationed on top of the barn and to get the water flowing on a make-shift mister I attached to one of my fans. Also, I turned off the lights in the barn (every degree helps in heat like this). I decided to water first. I normally check every cage first, then feed, then water, then everything else. But water was on my mind.
I got a little bit of a shock by doing things in that order. In one cage, I found the water crock upside down. Now that's not unusual. But when I picked it up, out popped a three-week old kit! I don't know how long he'd been under there--perhaps all night. Had I checked cages as usual, I probably would have been looking all over the barn for that squirt.
After watering and feeding, I checked the temperature--almost 90 degrees and not yet 10:00 a.m. I went into the house and set the timer for one hour. I cancelled my appointments for the day, had breakfast, and then went to the neighborhood store for ice. I was hoping for blocks, but had to settle for crushed.
Just before 11:00 a.m., I checked the rabbits again and placed a bag of ice behind each fan. The temperature was just at 90 degrees in the barn.
In preparation for the heat, I brushed the fans very well, especially the vents to the motor. Now is not the time for reduced airflow or, worse, a malfunctioning fan. I also filled up empty plastic jugs and commercial size food cans with water and put them into the freezer. I did not do that soon enough, unfortunately, and they won't be frozen solid today. But they will be pleasant and will probably provide most of the relief the bunnies need.
The cans and jugs will go out when the temperature reaches 93 degrees in the barn. Since I'm checking hourly, I'll know when to take them. I don't want to take them too soon so that they melt before the hottest part of the day.
I will also go down the rows and wet the ears of any rabbit that looks like an old car running with a very rough idle. You know the look--like they are wiggling their noses so hard it shakes their whole bodies.
If I feel like I'm losing the battle, I will put the chosen ones in to carriers and bring them in the house. I don't want to do that if I can help it because they would then have to re-acclimate to hot weather again in a few days. Plus they just don't have much room in a carrier. But better scrunched than dead.
As you can tell, I'm not taking this weather lightly. After losing one of my favorite bunnies last week, I'm not inclined to lose any more without a fight.
I hope all of you win the battle of the heat, too.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Hollland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com/
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG ¶ 9:54 AM 1 comments links to this post
I got out to the barn early to turn on the sprinkler stationed on top of the barn and to get the water flowing on a make-shift mister I attached to one of my fans. Also, I turned off the lights in the barn (every degree helps in heat like this). I decided to water first. I normally check every cage first, then feed, then water, then everything else. But water was on my mind.
I got a little bit of a shock by doing things in that order. In one cage, I found the water crock upside down. Now that's not unusual. But when I picked it up, out popped a three-week old kit! I don't know how long he'd been under there--perhaps all night. Had I checked cages as usual, I probably would have been looking all over the barn for that squirt.
After watering and feeding, I checked the temperature--almost 90 degrees and not yet 10:00 a.m. I went into the house and set the timer for one hour. I cancelled my appointments for the day, had breakfast, and then went to the neighborhood store for ice. I was hoping for blocks, but had to settle for crushed.
Just before 11:00 a.m., I checked the rabbits again and placed a bag of ice behind each fan. The temperature was just at 90 degrees in the barn.
In preparation for the heat, I brushed the fans very well, especially the vents to the motor. Now is not the time for reduced airflow or, worse, a malfunctioning fan. I also filled up empty plastic jugs and commercial size food cans with water and put them into the freezer. I did not do that soon enough, unfortunately, and they won't be frozen solid today. But they will be pleasant and will probably provide most of the relief the bunnies need.
The cans and jugs will go out when the temperature reaches 93 degrees in the barn. Since I'm checking hourly, I'll know when to take them. I don't want to take them too soon so that they melt before the hottest part of the day.
I will also go down the rows and wet the ears of any rabbit that looks like an old car running with a very rough idle. You know the look--like they are wiggling their noses so hard it shakes their whole bodies.
If I feel like I'm losing the battle, I will put the chosen ones in to carriers and bring them in the house. I don't want to do that if I can help it because they would then have to re-acclimate to hot weather again in a few days. Plus they just don't have much room in a carrier. But better scrunched than dead.
As you can tell, I'm not taking this weather lightly. After losing one of my favorite bunnies last week, I'm not inclined to lose any more without a fight.
I hope all of you win the battle of the heat, too.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Hollland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com/
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG ¶ 9:54 AM 1 comments links to this post
Monday, July 25, 2005
Thirty Hours in the Life of a Rabbit Breeder
I recently had a 30-hour period that was so jam-packed, it is worth writing about. But, like any other period of time, there were a few things before the beginning also worth mentioning.
During the week or so before the beginning, I had made various arrangements for the show over the weekend. I had arranged sales or two pet rabbits and two pedigreed bunnies, donation of bunnies to a 4-H group, and for my friend Dani to come to my house and travel down to the show with me. Dani and I also arranged a joint breeding project beforehand.
As usual, Andrew had cleaned my carriers for me. I had washed my travel water bottles, feed dishes, aprons and grooming towels. I evaluated my bunnies, determined who to show and sent in my entries. I checked tattoos and marked several for touch-ups. I printed pedigrees, carrier labels, a list of bunnies to pack, a form to record judge's comments, and directions to the show.
I brought the carriers into the barn, placed fresh puppy pads on the trays, snapped in clean feed dishes, and put the labels in the holders. In the house, I filled the travel water bottles and placed them in the refrigerator for the next day.
My girls picked out their clothes, cleaned out the van, and selected the toys they would tote along. (Yes, I had to bribe them to get them to clean out the van.)
I had the oil changed in the van, my front brakes worked on, and two new tires for the front. I put a lot of bunny miles on that vehicle. And I filled up the tank with gas, so we'd be ready to rolll.
Now remember, all of this happened before the 30 hours I'm reporting here. I have to admit, I started out just a little bit tired.
I woke up on Saturday around 8:00 a.m. Andrew and I went to the barn. I fed and watered the rabbits while Andew put the water bottles into the carriers (I really hate that job for some reason). I was packing 25 rabbits to take to the show. I put the feed in and then Andrew followed up with the hay. He was excused from the barn while I checked out each rabbit (teeth, gender, tattoo,etc.), clipping nails as I went. It takes awhile to load up 25 rabbits that way. Then I filled bags for transitional feed and was ready for the next task.
Andrew had been on a 10-day business trip, arriving home after midnight the previous night, so we had to take the rental car back to town to turn it in. By the time I got back, I just had time to jump into the shower before my friend Dani arrived.
We brought her bunnies into the house (it was too hot for them to stay in the car). We made a simple lunch. Andrew grilled chicken for us (his specialty). After we ate, I brought in Nina and we tried to breed her to Breezy. No go. Luckily, I had planned to go to another show the next weekend and will see Dani again. So we agreed that I could keep Breezy for the week.
I took Dani to the barn and made her ooo and ahhh over my bunnies, one by one. She was gracious and obliged. She must have read the rule that all visitors have to be complimentary of my bunnies, in one of my previous articles!
After that, it was time to pack up. Luckily Andrew had set out the tent (did I mention this was a camping weekend?), my air bed, the cart, carriers, coolers, chairs, and various bags and containers I had lined up. The van was so full that I could barely close the doors.
The next stop was the neighborhood store where I stocked up on ice. The youth were having a camp out and we were bringing supplies to make sno-cones.
The next 2 hours and 40 minutes were spent in the car, driving to Shelby. The Shelby show is one of the closer ones to my house. Dani had already driven over 4 hours, so it was a bit of a trip for her.
Luckily my girls entertained themselves well and then took a long nap. On second thought, I probably regretted that nap later in the night.
Of course, I missed the turn onto hwy 180. I am the queen of turn around. But, otherwise, we made it just fine.
After chatting with Janice Jones a bit, we scoped out a location and began to set up. Then I learned one of Dani's hidden talents: she can find a breeze if there is one. So we moved our stuff and set up for real this time.
Believe it or not, it was time to eat again. The girls got hotdogs. I stayed on my diet and had turkey and fruit. Then it was time to check in, pay fees, and make ear # changes.
My first pet customer arrived and loved the buck I had picked out for them. They were smart about things and knew that personality was the number one quality to look for. All of the Hollands make cute pets, but some just have that little something extra in the personality department.
My second pet customers arrived shortly thereafter. They had picked out their rabbit already and still liked him after seeing him in person. To each I gave transitional feed and advice.
Now remember, all of these things have happened, and the show hasn't even started yet!
I greeted more friends and had things to talk to different people about. Then it was time to get the tattoos touched up. I waited in line, PJ did a great job on the touch-ups, and then I could mark one more thing off the list.
Finally the show started at 8:00 p.m., but Hollands were not on the table. I took a few minutes to relax and talk to some friends who had children showing in youth. Then I heard, "Holland Lop Solid Senior Buck, Final Call." I hadn't heard a thing until that very moment.
So I scurried around and got my bucks on the table. LL Brendan took the first class, so I figured that if nothing else happened, it had been worth the trip.
About halfway through the first show, my friend Lynda, who was buying one bunny and collecting several others for her 4-H group arrived. After Brendan got BOS, we took advantage of the break and went over 7 bunnies and their pedigrees.
Another breeder asked me to take a look at her bunnies, to evaluate which to keep and which to sell. I remember making the same request when I was starting out, so I was happy to lend a hand. I gave her the same advice that was given to me: keep your Hollands until they are a minimum of 4 months old, older is better, before you evaluate them. And if you don't have experience with the line, keep the first litter into adulthood.
The girls wanted to start making sno-cones and I discovered that I had forgotten the most important thing on the trip. No, not a bunny. The sno-cone syrup. Luckily Lisa & Fayth had remembered theirs, so not all was lost.
I remember to give my other sold bunny to her new owner. I almost forgot that one.
The second show began and we were past midnight when it was over. It was worth the late night when both Merlin and May granded.
But the last thing in the world I wanted to do was pitch a tent. I had been up for 17 long hours (and remember, I was tired when the day started) and it was time for bed. But I knew it was important to the girls, who were somehow miraculously awake. So pitch the tent, we did. I got help from a white knight/former Eagle Scout, so the tent was up in less than 20 minutes.
Then I pumped up my bed. Actually, my girls, their friends, and I took turns pumping up my bed and my arms still were wobbly by the time it was done.
I have no idea what time it was, but I'm sure it was near 2:00 a.m. or after by the time I had sat around and talked with the other moms and the girls had played for another hour to hour and a half or so. I crawled onto my bed (after a not-so-satisfying sponge bath in the lady's room) and fell asleep. Miraculously, I slept more than not until 8:00 a.m.
Then I had to get up fairly rapidly and get the bunnies and all of that paraphenalia packed. It was getting hot quickly. The tent came down and the same white knight helped me get it packed up (we actually got it back into it's bag--a minor miracle in itself). By 9:00 a.m., we were on the road home.
The girls were hungry, but we somehow passed the only fast food joint out of town. Lydia wanted to go to Hardees, but we finally settled on the 3rd MacDonalds we saw, which was a mistake, because all of their breakfast meat is pork, and Lydia doesn't eat pork. Sooooooo, we were back to looking for Hardees.
Then we got behind some construction. My eyes were heavy and I resorted to a caffeine pill to help me stay away. We finally got home half past noon. By the time the rabbits were unloaded and settled in, it was nearly 2:00.
I jumped into the shower, grateful for a real bath. And then slipped in my bed, grateful for a real bed, for a well-appreciated nap.
It's just 5 days until the next show. Yeah!!!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 1:48 PM 0 comments links to this post
During the week or so before the beginning, I had made various arrangements for the show over the weekend. I had arranged sales or two pet rabbits and two pedigreed bunnies, donation of bunnies to a 4-H group, and for my friend Dani to come to my house and travel down to the show with me. Dani and I also arranged a joint breeding project beforehand.
As usual, Andrew had cleaned my carriers for me. I had washed my travel water bottles, feed dishes, aprons and grooming towels. I evaluated my bunnies, determined who to show and sent in my entries. I checked tattoos and marked several for touch-ups. I printed pedigrees, carrier labels, a list of bunnies to pack, a form to record judge's comments, and directions to the show.
I brought the carriers into the barn, placed fresh puppy pads on the trays, snapped in clean feed dishes, and put the labels in the holders. In the house, I filled the travel water bottles and placed them in the refrigerator for the next day.
My girls picked out their clothes, cleaned out the van, and selected the toys they would tote along. (Yes, I had to bribe them to get them to clean out the van.)
I had the oil changed in the van, my front brakes worked on, and two new tires for the front. I put a lot of bunny miles on that vehicle. And I filled up the tank with gas, so we'd be ready to rolll.
Now remember, all of this happened before the 30 hours I'm reporting here. I have to admit, I started out just a little bit tired.
I woke up on Saturday around 8:00 a.m. Andrew and I went to the barn. I fed and watered the rabbits while Andew put the water bottles into the carriers (I really hate that job for some reason). I was packing 25 rabbits to take to the show. I put the feed in and then Andrew followed up with the hay. He was excused from the barn while I checked out each rabbit (teeth, gender, tattoo,etc.), clipping nails as I went. It takes awhile to load up 25 rabbits that way. Then I filled bags for transitional feed and was ready for the next task.
Andrew had been on a 10-day business trip, arriving home after midnight the previous night, so we had to take the rental car back to town to turn it in. By the time I got back, I just had time to jump into the shower before my friend Dani arrived.
We brought her bunnies into the house (it was too hot for them to stay in the car). We made a simple lunch. Andrew grilled chicken for us (his specialty). After we ate, I brought in Nina and we tried to breed her to Breezy. No go. Luckily, I had planned to go to another show the next weekend and will see Dani again. So we agreed that I could keep Breezy for the week.
I took Dani to the barn and made her ooo and ahhh over my bunnies, one by one. She was gracious and obliged. She must have read the rule that all visitors have to be complimentary of my bunnies, in one of my previous articles!
After that, it was time to pack up. Luckily Andrew had set out the tent (did I mention this was a camping weekend?), my air bed, the cart, carriers, coolers, chairs, and various bags and containers I had lined up. The van was so full that I could barely close the doors.
The next stop was the neighborhood store where I stocked up on ice. The youth were having a camp out and we were bringing supplies to make sno-cones.
The next 2 hours and 40 minutes were spent in the car, driving to Shelby. The Shelby show is one of the closer ones to my house. Dani had already driven over 4 hours, so it was a bit of a trip for her.
Luckily my girls entertained themselves well and then took a long nap. On second thought, I probably regretted that nap later in the night.
Of course, I missed the turn onto hwy 180. I am the queen of turn around. But, otherwise, we made it just fine.
After chatting with Janice Jones a bit, we scoped out a location and began to set up. Then I learned one of Dani's hidden talents: she can find a breeze if there is one. So we moved our stuff and set up for real this time.
Believe it or not, it was time to eat again. The girls got hotdogs. I stayed on my diet and had turkey and fruit. Then it was time to check in, pay fees, and make ear # changes.
My first pet customer arrived and loved the buck I had picked out for them. They were smart about things and knew that personality was the number one quality to look for. All of the Hollands make cute pets, but some just have that little something extra in the personality department.
My second pet customers arrived shortly thereafter. They had picked out their rabbit already and still liked him after seeing him in person. To each I gave transitional feed and advice.
Now remember, all of these things have happened, and the show hasn't even started yet!
I greeted more friends and had things to talk to different people about. Then it was time to get the tattoos touched up. I waited in line, PJ did a great job on the touch-ups, and then I could mark one more thing off the list.
Finally the show started at 8:00 p.m., but Hollands were not on the table. I took a few minutes to relax and talk to some friends who had children showing in youth. Then I heard, "Holland Lop Solid Senior Buck, Final Call." I hadn't heard a thing until that very moment.
So I scurried around and got my bucks on the table. LL Brendan took the first class, so I figured that if nothing else happened, it had been worth the trip.
About halfway through the first show, my friend Lynda, who was buying one bunny and collecting several others for her 4-H group arrived. After Brendan got BOS, we took advantage of the break and went over 7 bunnies and their pedigrees.
Another breeder asked me to take a look at her bunnies, to evaluate which to keep and which to sell. I remember making the same request when I was starting out, so I was happy to lend a hand. I gave her the same advice that was given to me: keep your Hollands until they are a minimum of 4 months old, older is better, before you evaluate them. And if you don't have experience with the line, keep the first litter into adulthood.
The girls wanted to start making sno-cones and I discovered that I had forgotten the most important thing on the trip. No, not a bunny. The sno-cone syrup. Luckily Lisa & Fayth had remembered theirs, so not all was lost.
I remember to give my other sold bunny to her new owner. I almost forgot that one.
The second show began and we were past midnight when it was over. It was worth the late night when both Merlin and May granded.
But the last thing in the world I wanted to do was pitch a tent. I had been up for 17 long hours (and remember, I was tired when the day started) and it was time for bed. But I knew it was important to the girls, who were somehow miraculously awake. So pitch the tent, we did. I got help from a white knight/former Eagle Scout, so the tent was up in less than 20 minutes.
Then I pumped up my bed. Actually, my girls, their friends, and I took turns pumping up my bed and my arms still were wobbly by the time it was done.
I have no idea what time it was, but I'm sure it was near 2:00 a.m. or after by the time I had sat around and talked with the other moms and the girls had played for another hour to hour and a half or so. I crawled onto my bed (after a not-so-satisfying sponge bath in the lady's room) and fell asleep. Miraculously, I slept more than not until 8:00 a.m.
Then I had to get up fairly rapidly and get the bunnies and all of that paraphenalia packed. It was getting hot quickly. The tent came down and the same white knight helped me get it packed up (we actually got it back into it's bag--a minor miracle in itself). By 9:00 a.m., we were on the road home.
The girls were hungry, but we somehow passed the only fast food joint out of town. Lydia wanted to go to Hardees, but we finally settled on the 3rd MacDonalds we saw, which was a mistake, because all of their breakfast meat is pork, and Lydia doesn't eat pork. Sooooooo, we were back to looking for Hardees.
Then we got behind some construction. My eyes were heavy and I resorted to a caffeine pill to help me stay away. We finally got home half past noon. By the time the rabbits were unloaded and settled in, it was nearly 2:00.
I jumped into the shower, grateful for a real bath. And then slipped in my bed, grateful for a real bed, for a well-appreciated nap.
It's just 5 days until the next show. Yeah!!!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 1:48 PM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, July 22, 2005
Top Ten Things I Hate About Being In Bunnies
Anyone who knows anything about me knows I love my Holland lops. I love going to shows, seeing new babies, spending time in the barn, seeing rabbit friends. But there are a few chioce things I really hate about it. Here's my top ten list:
#10 Those tiny thorns that pop up in hay from time to time that lodge in your skin and are hard to see, let alone get out; oh heck, and those large thorns that you can see and get stuck by anyway
#9 Having to go outside everyday, whether it's 101 or sub-freezing; and the worse the weather, the more often I have to go out there
#8 Having to hear folks who think they are oh-so-original making comments about how good rabbit stew is or about how rabbit just breed themselves
#7 Flies who must think I'm the tastiest part of their food chain
#6 Does I want to breed who have their tailed nailed down so tight, you'd think the were superglued
#5 Best does that have the smallest litters or no litters at all; if doe produces butt ugly babies, she'll have 7 on her first litter, though
#4 Molting seems to occur most frequently just before the shows I look forward to the most and fur condition peaks during the three weeks I don't have shows
#3 Always looking like I just lost a wrestling match with Edward Scissorhands
#2 Rabbit poop is not self-scooping
#1 Getting rabbit fur in my mouth that I can't seem to get out, or worse, getting more rabbit fur in my mouth when I try to get the first rabbit fur out
Glad to get that off my chest! Keep your bunnies cool, your fans brushed, and the flies at bay. I'll be at the Shelby show this weekend, but I'll be back at the keyboard on Monday.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 8:25 AM 1 comments links to this post
#10 Those tiny thorns that pop up in hay from time to time that lodge in your skin and are hard to see, let alone get out; oh heck, and those large thorns that you can see and get stuck by anyway
#9 Having to go outside everyday, whether it's 101 or sub-freezing; and the worse the weather, the more often I have to go out there
#8 Having to hear folks who think they are oh-so-original making comments about how good rabbit stew is or about how rabbit just breed themselves
#7 Flies who must think I'm the tastiest part of their food chain
#6 Does I want to breed who have their tailed nailed down so tight, you'd think the were superglued
#5 Best does that have the smallest litters or no litters at all; if doe produces butt ugly babies, she'll have 7 on her first litter, though
#4 Molting seems to occur most frequently just before the shows I look forward to the most and fur condition peaks during the three weeks I don't have shows
#3 Always looking like I just lost a wrestling match with Edward Scissorhands
#2 Rabbit poop is not self-scooping
#1 Getting rabbit fur in my mouth that I can't seem to get out, or worse, getting more rabbit fur in my mouth when I try to get the first rabbit fur out
Glad to get that off my chest! Keep your bunnies cool, your fans brushed, and the flies at bay. I'll be at the Shelby show this weekend, but I'll be back at the keyboard on Monday.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 8:25 AM 1 comments links to this post
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Surprise, Surprise
I had always heard about surprise litters, but hadn't had much experience with it until recently, that is. Up until now, I've had two litters born on the wire when I was sure the dam did not consent to be bred. (I know, don't take your eyes off them a second--I even give that advice myself!) After those happened, I've made it a policy to give a doe a box 28 days after being with a buck for any reason.
But recently, the surprise litters have been a little more interesting.
I had a combined litter, two does and a buck. One doe and the buck were siblings, solid torts. The other doe was a broken black. They were living in the same cage until about three months of age when the buck started mounting the does. So I reached in and took him off her back and placed him into his own cage. Seems simple enough.
Fast forward a month. My friend Lisa and I were barn looking at juniors. I decided that the buck was nice, but probably not as nice as some I already had and I would sell him. His sister, one of the does in the cage together, was the nicer of the two and I'd keep her.
So a few days later, I showed the rabbit to someone who was interested in buying. To my shock, "he" was a she (now I have to say I'm almost famous for making gender related mistakes--I'm just gifted at doing that). So I checked his sister and she was the he. So I swapped out the bunnies and put the real him in his own cage. Soon after I did, the doe mounted the other doe. What I had mistaken for a buck mounting a doe was really a doe showing dominance over the other doe. At least there was a reason for this mistake! I've put this on my list of things never to assume again.
I had not seen the real "he" mounting the other doe, so I thought nothing more about it.
Fast forward another month. I had sold the broken black doe to a newer breeder in Florida. I got an email that Kendall, the broken black doe, had unexpectantly had kits. Gee whiz! Did it have to happen with a doe I sold? to a new breeder? What luck! I'm just glad that the person is just new to rabbits and has experience breeding other type of animals. That's not a good way to start out.
Now for the really surprising unexpected litter. I got an email from a woman in Canada who bought a doe from me at Nationals. She had been planning to breed a doe in a few days when she walked in to find 5 kits with her. Luckily 3 of the kits made it just fine--which is great for a first litter. The strange part is that she had never been bred, never been with a buck at all.
No, I'm not claiming a miracle. Just a bit of a stretch.
The sire was a determined little fellow in the next cage. Now think about it. I put rabbits together with no wire between them and sometimes they have trouble getting it done. But these two coordinated so that she placed her backside reasonably against the wire. He stretched through, found the spot and bred her. He deserves a medal. And she should be used with any reluctant buck in the barn! She apparently knows how to bring out the best in a buck. Congratulations Tuxedo; you are the man!
Now I know another good use for the 3-inch gap between the cages housing my herd bucks.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 10:51 AM 0 comments links to this post
But recently, the surprise litters have been a little more interesting.
I had a combined litter, two does and a buck. One doe and the buck were siblings, solid torts. The other doe was a broken black. They were living in the same cage until about three months of age when the buck started mounting the does. So I reached in and took him off her back and placed him into his own cage. Seems simple enough.
Fast forward a month. My friend Lisa and I were barn looking at juniors. I decided that the buck was nice, but probably not as nice as some I already had and I would sell him. His sister, one of the does in the cage together, was the nicer of the two and I'd keep her.
So a few days later, I showed the rabbit to someone who was interested in buying. To my shock, "he" was a she (now I have to say I'm almost famous for making gender related mistakes--I'm just gifted at doing that). So I checked his sister and she was the he. So I swapped out the bunnies and put the real him in his own cage. Soon after I did, the doe mounted the other doe. What I had mistaken for a buck mounting a doe was really a doe showing dominance over the other doe. At least there was a reason for this mistake! I've put this on my list of things never to assume again.
I had not seen the real "he" mounting the other doe, so I thought nothing more about it.
Fast forward another month. I had sold the broken black doe to a newer breeder in Florida. I got an email that Kendall, the broken black doe, had unexpectantly had kits. Gee whiz! Did it have to happen with a doe I sold? to a new breeder? What luck! I'm just glad that the person is just new to rabbits and has experience breeding other type of animals. That's not a good way to start out.
Now for the really surprising unexpected litter. I got an email from a woman in Canada who bought a doe from me at Nationals. She had been planning to breed a doe in a few days when she walked in to find 5 kits with her. Luckily 3 of the kits made it just fine--which is great for a first litter. The strange part is that she had never been bred, never been with a buck at all.
No, I'm not claiming a miracle. Just a bit of a stretch.
The sire was a determined little fellow in the next cage. Now think about it. I put rabbits together with no wire between them and sometimes they have trouble getting it done. But these two coordinated so that she placed her backside reasonably against the wire. He stretched through, found the spot and bred her. He deserves a medal. And she should be used with any reluctant buck in the barn! She apparently knows how to bring out the best in a buck. Congratulations Tuxedo; you are the man!
Now I know another good use for the 3-inch gap between the cages housing my herd bucks.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 10:51 AM 0 comments links to this post
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Tips on Buying Really Good Stock
This blog has been moved to http://www.thenaturetrail.com/buy-show-rabbits.htm.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 11:02 AM 0 comments links to this post
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 11:02 AM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, July 18, 2005
Rabbitry Etiquette
I had a visitor to my barn on Saturday. It was a very good visit, in part because she followed very good rabbitry etiquette. Let's see exactly what I mean by that.
First, she made an appointment. Dropping by is a no-no. Furthermore, she made an appointment when both of us would have time to look at a number of rabbits. She had considered the option of coming by on the way to a show, but, even though that would have saved her hours of driving, it would have meant rushing the visit.
She was on time. Being stuck at home waiting for people who do not show is no fun. If you are going to be more than 15 minutes late, you should stop and call. I realize that when you are traveling hours and hours to my barn, schedules can get off. But it is considerate to keep me informed.
Even though the visit lasted for several hours, she did not waste my time. She had asked questions ahead of time about the rabbits available. And she had a pretty good idea of what she was looking for. After you arrive in the rabbitry is not the time to begin thinking about what you are looking for. Of course, you can refine your ideas by what you see there.
She stuck to the topic of rabbits. Certainly a small of amount of polite conversation is just fine. But most breeders I know have full lives and do not have time for long discussions about politics, family situations, problems at work and so forth.
She did not bring problems into my barn. I do not allow my family to bring problems into my barn and I would not appreciate others doing it. My hobby is my time out from the realities of life. It is my happy place.
She did not bring other rabbits into my barn. In fact, she abstained from holding other rabbits just before coming here. If you are making a stop at another rabbitry, that's fine. Just ask for some hand sanitizer to be on the safe side.
She did not smoke in or near my barn.
She talked with her children about rabbitry behavior before they arrived. Children should be coached not to touch rabbits without permission, not to wander around the rabbitry, not to run or make sudden movements, and to keep their voices down.
She brought someone to watch the children. The 3 1/2 hour trip zoomed by for us, but it is a lot longer for children. She brought her babysitter with her, but a spouse, sibling, or friend is also a good idea.
She conducted a thorough pre-purchase evaluation of the rabbits she bought. Both buyer and seller have responsibilities to help make a sale a positive experience. By evaluating the rabbit while she was still in the rabbitry, she was shouldering her part of the responsibility and was able to ask questions on the spot while they could be answered and any concerns resolved before the rabbit left the rabbitry. For more information on conducting a pre-purchase evaluation, see my website (www.thenaturetrail.com/Pre-Purchase-Rabbit-Evaluation).
She brought an acceptable form of payment. After spending hours of the breeder's time is not the moment to ask if an out-of-state check is acceptable.
She brought carriers for her rabbits. Although I can generally scrounge up a box for a pet rabbit, I cannot box up four rabbits for a long trip home.
She took everything with her when she left. Be sure not to leave transitional feed, pedigrees, literature, or personal belongings behind when you leave.
She had nice things to say about my bunnies. Now this last step is absolutely required if you want to come back to my barn. Just kidding. But I don't know a breeder in the world who doesn't like to hear nice things about their rabbits. Afterall, producing better and better bunnies is why we do what we do.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 10:35 AM 1 comments links to this post
First, she made an appointment. Dropping by is a no-no. Furthermore, she made an appointment when both of us would have time to look at a number of rabbits. She had considered the option of coming by on the way to a show, but, even though that would have saved her hours of driving, it would have meant rushing the visit.
She was on time. Being stuck at home waiting for people who do not show is no fun. If you are going to be more than 15 minutes late, you should stop and call. I realize that when you are traveling hours and hours to my barn, schedules can get off. But it is considerate to keep me informed.
Even though the visit lasted for several hours, she did not waste my time. She had asked questions ahead of time about the rabbits available. And she had a pretty good idea of what she was looking for. After you arrive in the rabbitry is not the time to begin thinking about what you are looking for. Of course, you can refine your ideas by what you see there.
She stuck to the topic of rabbits. Certainly a small of amount of polite conversation is just fine. But most breeders I know have full lives and do not have time for long discussions about politics, family situations, problems at work and so forth.
She did not bring problems into my barn. I do not allow my family to bring problems into my barn and I would not appreciate others doing it. My hobby is my time out from the realities of life. It is my happy place.
She did not bring other rabbits into my barn. In fact, she abstained from holding other rabbits just before coming here. If you are making a stop at another rabbitry, that's fine. Just ask for some hand sanitizer to be on the safe side.
She did not smoke in or near my barn.
She talked with her children about rabbitry behavior before they arrived. Children should be coached not to touch rabbits without permission, not to wander around the rabbitry, not to run or make sudden movements, and to keep their voices down.
She brought someone to watch the children. The 3 1/2 hour trip zoomed by for us, but it is a lot longer for children. She brought her babysitter with her, but a spouse, sibling, or friend is also a good idea.
She conducted a thorough pre-purchase evaluation of the rabbits she bought. Both buyer and seller have responsibilities to help make a sale a positive experience. By evaluating the rabbit while she was still in the rabbitry, she was shouldering her part of the responsibility and was able to ask questions on the spot while they could be answered and any concerns resolved before the rabbit left the rabbitry. For more information on conducting a pre-purchase evaluation, see my website (www.thenaturetrail.com/Pre-Purchase-Rabbit-Evaluation).
She brought an acceptable form of payment. After spending hours of the breeder's time is not the moment to ask if an out-of-state check is acceptable.
She brought carriers for her rabbits. Although I can generally scrounge up a box for a pet rabbit, I cannot box up four rabbits for a long trip home.
She took everything with her when she left. Be sure not to leave transitional feed, pedigrees, literature, or personal belongings behind when you leave.
She had nice things to say about my bunnies. Now this last step is absolutely required if you want to come back to my barn. Just kidding. But I don't know a breeder in the world who doesn't like to hear nice things about their rabbits. Afterall, producing better and better bunnies is why we do what we do.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 10:35 AM 1 comments links to this post
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Labels
If you have been to my rabbitry, you know I love labels. Each rabbit over about 3 months old has a label that includes his or her name, parents, variety and gender, ear number and birthday (for more info on my system, see www.thenaturetrail.com/MagnetSystem). And each litter has a label with the sire and dam and date of birth. That's especially important because I foster so many kits (www.thenaturetrail.com/Breeding) and I have to keep track of them.
I like to be able to walk down the aisles of my rabbitry and know what's going on in the 60+ cages of bunnies. For example, I check to see if litters that are 12 days old have their eyes open. In hot weather, a litter of 14 days that keeps getting out of their nest box can have it removed. I'd hate to have to check a calendar or some other record. I want it right there.
I wish I could remember the sire and dam for each of my bunnies off of the top of my head, but I can. So I label.
And I get a little crazy when I get behind on my labels. So today, it was time to update lables.
I started by placing magnetic numbers on my feeders for all of my bred does. I like to see the due date every day so I don't forget to put a nest box in. It would be embarrassing to forget, given how many people check out my nursery page and know when I have a doe due in three days!
Next, I made a list of all of my litters, noting the ones that are combined in a single nest box. I had 9 such litter tags to make today for 10 litters. Trista had a litter of all peanuts, so she is fostering Leigh's and Mercedes. Leighs are tort and Mercedes' is a broken tort, so it's easy to keep them straight. Leigh is fostering Nina's litter because Nina didn't seem to calm down to mothering right away and she had some very small kits that needed feeding right away. And Leigh was begging for babies to feed. All other does have their own. I forgot about Darla. Darn. I gave her one of Katee's. I'll have to make a new tag now!
Now for the big job. I have 45 pre-juniors weaned or just about ready to be weaned, born between April 13 and May 27. It was time to sex them and record their colors, assign them ear numbers, enter them into the data base . . . and make their label.
For this batch I'm using ear numbers NT294 to NT339. I made a chart and filled in the info, leaving the name blank--ear number, blank for name, birthday, color, pattern, gender, sire, and dam. Then I printed it out and it's ready to fill in the names.
That's just about as far as I got today. Now it's time to come up with 45 names. Yes, I do use my rabbit names page (www.thenaturetrail.com/RabbitNames). But I start to feel like I've already used all of my favorites. I've named 14 so far: Godiva, Charm, Estella, Vanity, Jo-Jo, Nugget, Bliss, Kismet, Gambler, Casino, Reno, Pixie, Kokomo, and Bosley. Just 31 to go. Yes, I'm taking suggestions.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 8:11 PM 0 comments links to this post
I like to be able to walk down the aisles of my rabbitry and know what's going on in the 60+ cages of bunnies. For example, I check to see if litters that are 12 days old have their eyes open. In hot weather, a litter of 14 days that keeps getting out of their nest box can have it removed. I'd hate to have to check a calendar or some other record. I want it right there.
I wish I could remember the sire and dam for each of my bunnies off of the top of my head, but I can. So I label.
And I get a little crazy when I get behind on my labels. So today, it was time to update lables.
I started by placing magnetic numbers on my feeders for all of my bred does. I like to see the due date every day so I don't forget to put a nest box in. It would be embarrassing to forget, given how many people check out my nursery page and know when I have a doe due in three days!
Next, I made a list of all of my litters, noting the ones that are combined in a single nest box. I had 9 such litter tags to make today for 10 litters. Trista had a litter of all peanuts, so she is fostering Leigh's and Mercedes. Leighs are tort and Mercedes' is a broken tort, so it's easy to keep them straight. Leigh is fostering Nina's litter because Nina didn't seem to calm down to mothering right away and she had some very small kits that needed feeding right away. And Leigh was begging for babies to feed. All other does have their own. I forgot about Darla. Darn. I gave her one of Katee's. I'll have to make a new tag now!
Now for the big job. I have 45 pre-juniors weaned or just about ready to be weaned, born between April 13 and May 27. It was time to sex them and record their colors, assign them ear numbers, enter them into the data base . . . and make their label.
For this batch I'm using ear numbers NT294 to NT339. I made a chart and filled in the info, leaving the name blank--ear number, blank for name, birthday, color, pattern, gender, sire, and dam. Then I printed it out and it's ready to fill in the names.
That's just about as far as I got today. Now it's time to come up with 45 names. Yes, I do use my rabbit names page (www.thenaturetrail.com/RabbitNames). But I start to feel like I've already used all of my favorites. I've named 14 so far: Godiva, Charm, Estella, Vanity, Jo-Jo, Nugget, Bliss, Kismet, Gambler, Casino, Reno, Pixie, Kokomo, and Bosley. Just 31 to go. Yes, I'm taking suggestions.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 8:11 PM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, July 15, 2005
Juniors
Going through juniors is fun and disappointing and exciting and a lot of work, all at the same time. I look forward to it and avoid it. But I'm always glad when it's done.
I have a number of young juniors right now, so I knew it would take awhile to go through them. But with an uncoming show and having someone to the barn tomorrow to buy bunnies, I couldn't put it off any longer.
Looking at juniors is fun because, well, it's playing with bunnies. Time with my bunnies is my happy time and my barn is my happy place.
Looking at juniors is disappointing, too, because some don't turn out the way you hoped. And, more often, it's not time yet to make a judgment on a number of them. Just when you think you will get a batch of them sorted out, half end up in the "allow to mature and evaluate again" pile.
Looking at juniors is exciting (that's my favorite part) because, no matter how much you have gazed upon these juniors for the last several months, there's always one that surprises you. Today, I was surprised by a little doe out of Mtn's Sandy and Camelot's Merlin. She's a product of an outcross, so I was expecting her to be the first of a multigenerational project. But instead, I found a wonderful full smooth HQ, beautiful head and ear, and substantial shoulders for such a young one.
Looking a juniors is a lot of work. Most of these bunnies haven't been handled extensively yet. There were a few natural posers who sat up like they've been doing it all of their lives. Most got the message after a couple of minutes. And then there was the wild child.
She's a doe out of two very nice bunnies. I have high hopes for her. Or had. She's going to have to learn some table manners before she will ever go to a show.
Her first order of business was to rake me across the jaw. Her second was to jump off of the grooming table. Her third was to jump off the grooming table again and disappear between the containers under my hanging cages.
Oh boy, all I wanted to do this evening was move around 18 buckets of manure playing find the bunny.
She eluded me long enough that I decided to check out some junior bucks while keeping an eye out for her. She teased me by coming out into the aisle a few inches. But she was watching me and darted back between the containers. Finally, she ventured too far. I blocked her passage and finally scooped her up.
I decided that she looked good enough so she didn't have to get on the table again.
All in all, I'm pleased with what I see out there. I've got more solids than I've had in awhile. That's fine because I had almost all brokens for a stretch there. If you are going to the Shelby, NC, show next weekend, you may see a couple of these new ones.
But the best part is I'm done looking at juniors for another month. I can't wait until next time.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com
¶ 7:02 PM 0 comments links to this post
I have a number of young juniors right now, so I knew it would take awhile to go through them. But with an uncoming show and having someone to the barn tomorrow to buy bunnies, I couldn't put it off any longer.
Looking at juniors is fun because, well, it's playing with bunnies. Time with my bunnies is my happy time and my barn is my happy place.
Looking at juniors is disappointing, too, because some don't turn out the way you hoped. And, more often, it's not time yet to make a judgment on a number of them. Just when you think you will get a batch of them sorted out, half end up in the "allow to mature and evaluate again" pile.
Looking at juniors is exciting (that's my favorite part) because, no matter how much you have gazed upon these juniors for the last several months, there's always one that surprises you. Today, I was surprised by a little doe out of Mtn's Sandy and Camelot's Merlin. She's a product of an outcross, so I was expecting her to be the first of a multigenerational project. But instead, I found a wonderful full smooth HQ, beautiful head and ear, and substantial shoulders for such a young one.
Looking a juniors is a lot of work. Most of these bunnies haven't been handled extensively yet. There were a few natural posers who sat up like they've been doing it all of their lives. Most got the message after a couple of minutes. And then there was the wild child.
She's a doe out of two very nice bunnies. I have high hopes for her. Or had. She's going to have to learn some table manners before she will ever go to a show.
Her first order of business was to rake me across the jaw. Her second was to jump off of the grooming table. Her third was to jump off the grooming table again and disappear between the containers under my hanging cages.
Oh boy, all I wanted to do this evening was move around 18 buckets of manure playing find the bunny.
She eluded me long enough that I decided to check out some junior bucks while keeping an eye out for her. She teased me by coming out into the aisle a few inches. But she was watching me and darted back between the containers. Finally, she ventured too far. I blocked her passage and finally scooped her up.
I decided that she looked good enough so she didn't have to get on the table again.
All in all, I'm pleased with what I see out there. I've got more solids than I've had in awhile. That's fine because I had almost all brokens for a stretch there. If you are going to the Shelby, NC, show next weekend, you may see a couple of these new ones.
But the best part is I'm done looking at juniors for another month. I can't wait until next time.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com
¶ 7:02 PM 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Breeding the "Tough Girls"
This morning was cool by July standards, probably in the wake of hurricane Dennis. So I decided to try breeding my tough girls again. I started with a list of about 15 does to breed a week or so ago, and now I'm just down to the obstinate ones.
I started with Cupid whose kits are ten weeks old and still with her. Her vent was red enough, so I thought today would be the day.
But she just laid there like a lump.
I mean a total lump. Nothing Ox or I did made her move a muscle. "Not interested," she seemed to say. So, I decided to give her Ox's cage (let her dream about him tonight) and move Ox to my last empty cage. Maybe with no kits to attend to, she'll be more carefree the next time we try.
So I moved on to the virgins. Both had pinkish white vents, so I didn't even bother. They'll be on the tough girls list awhile longer.
I moved on to Diva. Now Diva is an old broad, probably 5 lbs. She's definitely past her prime. And she has a thickening on one side of her uterus. But she produced the #4 Top Lop of last year for her original breeder Jenny Poprawski. And, in her younger days, she must have been a looker because she has ten legs! She's still got that sassy pose, broad chest, short front legs, and prominent crown. And she's got a dense ruffle or skirt across her backside. Remember that ruffle. It comes into the story later on.
Anyway, her vent was red, so now I'm sure I'll get a doe bred today. Diva is experienced, if nothing else. So I put her in with Merlin. She is cooperative and then enthusiastic. She breaks away from my grasp and chases my boy around, trying to mount him (that is a hysterical site--a 5 lb. doe and a 3.04 buck). Finally, we get it going the right way and nothing. He tries and tries, but nothing. He's huffing and puffing, but there's no satisfying ending for anyone.
So I decided to try another buck. Merlin just has bad aim or something, I'm thinking.
Luckily, Diva has so many good attributes and meshes with my herd so well, there are plenty of suitable bucks. My next pick is Boris. He's young and energetic and took to breeding right away.
Same story. She is into it. Mounts him. He mounts her. He's getting plenty of exercise and . . . nothing.
Ox. Same story. By this time, I'm getting frustrated. I have said before that if a doe wants to mount a buck, you will get her bred that day. It was looking like I'd have to eat my words. I started getting my elbow scratched from reaching into the cage so often, so I decided to table breed. The lucky candidate this time is LaForge. He has a wonderful body and just needs a wider crown. That Diva has. Good match.
On the table, things look like they will go smoothly, but nothing. By this time, I've check to see that she will rise on cue and she does. Now I've decided to comb out the hair around her vent. There are some sticky, pointy hairs. I'm thinking that the bucks are getting poked and are avoiding the area in question.
Now I'm optimistic. I've removed the obstacle. I'm going to get one of these tough girls bred.
No go.
But it's so fluffy and soft now! What's the problem?
So I flip her on the back and look around, hoping for inspiration. She's ready. He's ready. She's into it. He's into it. Then I noticed she was damp about 1 1/2 inches behind her vent. The aim is off.
Remember that ruffle? Being older and overweight? She's saggy, too. Everything's in the way and with all that strechy skin, the vent has slipped further away from the tail.
So I'm desperate now. I grab the fur at the end of the tail. Put her into position and put the tail up towards her head, repositioning the vent about 1 1/2 inches back. I put LaForge into motion.
And, Wham Bam Thank You Mam, she is bred in under 10 seconds flat!
I repeated the procedure about five minutes later and she was bred within 15 seconds.
Things didn't fall into place; I had to stretch them into place!
Finally, I can cross one of the tough girls off my list.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
Ararat, VA
www.thenaturetrail.com
¶ 5:16 PM 2 comments links to this post
I started with Cupid whose kits are ten weeks old and still with her. Her vent was red enough, so I thought today would be the day.
But she just laid there like a lump.
I mean a total lump. Nothing Ox or I did made her move a muscle. "Not interested," she seemed to say. So, I decided to give her Ox's cage (let her dream about him tonight) and move Ox to my last empty cage. Maybe with no kits to attend to, she'll be more carefree the next time we try.
So I moved on to the virgins. Both had pinkish white vents, so I didn't even bother. They'll be on the tough girls list awhile longer.
I moved on to Diva. Now Diva is an old broad, probably 5 lbs. She's definitely past her prime. And she has a thickening on one side of her uterus. But she produced the #4 Top Lop of last year for her original breeder Jenny Poprawski. And, in her younger days, she must have been a looker because she has ten legs! She's still got that sassy pose, broad chest, short front legs, and prominent crown. And she's got a dense ruffle or skirt across her backside. Remember that ruffle. It comes into the story later on.
Anyway, her vent was red, so now I'm sure I'll get a doe bred today. Diva is experienced, if nothing else. So I put her in with Merlin. She is cooperative and then enthusiastic. She breaks away from my grasp and chases my boy around, trying to mount him (that is a hysterical site--a 5 lb. doe and a 3.04 buck). Finally, we get it going the right way and nothing. He tries and tries, but nothing. He's huffing and puffing, but there's no satisfying ending for anyone.
So I decided to try another buck. Merlin just has bad aim or something, I'm thinking.
Luckily, Diva has so many good attributes and meshes with my herd so well, there are plenty of suitable bucks. My next pick is Boris. He's young and energetic and took to breeding right away.
Same story. She is into it. Mounts him. He mounts her. He's getting plenty of exercise and . . . nothing.
Ox. Same story. By this time, I'm getting frustrated. I have said before that if a doe wants to mount a buck, you will get her bred that day. It was looking like I'd have to eat my words. I started getting my elbow scratched from reaching into the cage so often, so I decided to table breed. The lucky candidate this time is LaForge. He has a wonderful body and just needs a wider crown. That Diva has. Good match.
On the table, things look like they will go smoothly, but nothing. By this time, I've check to see that she will rise on cue and she does. Now I've decided to comb out the hair around her vent. There are some sticky, pointy hairs. I'm thinking that the bucks are getting poked and are avoiding the area in question.
Now I'm optimistic. I've removed the obstacle. I'm going to get one of these tough girls bred.
No go.
But it's so fluffy and soft now! What's the problem?
So I flip her on the back and look around, hoping for inspiration. She's ready. He's ready. She's into it. He's into it. Then I noticed she was damp about 1 1/2 inches behind her vent. The aim is off.
Remember that ruffle? Being older and overweight? She's saggy, too. Everything's in the way and with all that strechy skin, the vent has slipped further away from the tail.
So I'm desperate now. I grab the fur at the end of the tail. Put her into position and put the tail up towards her head, repositioning the vent about 1 1/2 inches back. I put LaForge into motion.
And, Wham Bam Thank You Mam, she is bred in under 10 seconds flat!
I repeated the procedure about five minutes later and she was bred within 15 seconds.
Things didn't fall into place; I had to stretch them into place!
Finally, I can cross one of the tough girls off my list.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
Ararat, VA
www.thenaturetrail.com
¶ 5:16 PM 2 comments links to this post
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Joint Breeding Projects
Our friends Lisa and Fayth Young came over today. We looked at bunnies and ate ice cream (our routine), and Lisa picked up rabbit feed. Last time she came over, we did some breeding together. We enjoy our joint breeding projects.
Joint Breeding Projects
Joint breeding projects are a way to have tons of fun with a friend who is also a breeder. You don’t have to make any huge changes—no need to combine rabbitries to have this fun. Just find someone you enjoy spending time with who has a similar philosophy about bunnies—and has the same breed as you.
The benefits are substantial. You have a vested interest in your friend’s bunnies and she or he in yours. You have something to talk about, hope for, and rejoice over together. Anticipating something wonderful together is just, well, fun!
There are risks: miscommunication, hurt feelings, and even loss of friendship. So let’s discuss some ways to do projects together maximizing the benefits and eliminating the pitfalls.
Choose Wisely
Choose your breeding partners wisely. Make sure you have visited your friend’s rabbitry and that his rabbitry management practices are acceptable to you. You do run the risk of introducing disease, especially vent disease, into your herd.
Choose someone who has a similar intensity about our hobby as you. If you are laid back, it may not be wise to partner with someone who is driven. If you are serious about your rabbits, you may be disappointed with a partner who has a casual attitude.
Choose someone you trust. You will rely on your partner to report births and kit development accurately. And you rely on him or her to follow through with their end of the bargain.
Choose someone with a win-win attitude. Only go into a partnership if you believe that each partner has an opportunity to benefit from your arrangement. That’s the only way that you will both be satisfied in the end. Let me stress “opportunity.” You may do ten breedings together and have only one really super kit and only one of you gets it. But each of you should have had a chance with whatever agreement you made.
Agreements
Be clear with each other about your arrangements. It may be better to make your arrangements via email rather than by phone or word. It takes time to have a litter and grow it out and memories fade. Make sure your agreement is in writing. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just something you can both refer back to.
Agreements are flexible and can be made to suit your situation. I think that it’s a good idea to give the breeder with the doe the first pick of the litter because she does more work and takes a bigger risk with her doe. But, if the buck is the more outstanding rabbit of the two, you may decide to have the owner of the buck get first pick.
My friend Alison and I typically agreed to two litters. I would get pick out of the first and she would get the balance of the litter (or vice versa). Then we’d reverse on the second litter. It’s true that one of us may get the better rabbit, but our chances were the same in the beginning.
My friend Dani and I agreed that the owner of the sire would get the best doe. And the owner of the dam would be the best buck. Unfortunately Nina missed, so we’ll have to try that one again sometime. Are you listening, Dani? I can leave Nina open for the Shelby show!
My friend Lisa and I agreed that that the owner of the does gets the pick, but we bred her does to my foundation bucks and vice versa. So we each are getting first picks of some litters and second of others. We have about a half dozen litters between us due in the next few days.
I lent a fabulous, but hard-to-breed grand champion doe to my friend Linda Norris. Our agreement is that she keeps the kits from the litter and then I get my doe back, hopefully ready to breed again (she does well when she first goes to a new barn, so we hope to trick her into thinking my barn is new again). If it all works out, we’ll both get some kits.
So you see, joint projects can take many forms.
The Details
Be sure to discuss who gets the balance of the litter, whether the partner has first choice to buy other kits in the litter, whether the kits are available to sell to the partner’s direct competition, and other details like that. I never limit the showing of rabbits that I sell, but I can understand that a friend might not like to help me breed a bunny that beats her on the table.
Limitations
Just because you engage in joint projects does mean that you should feel that you have to make every rabbit available to your friends. Lisa understands that I won’t let anyone use Bear, Ox, Rio, Boris, or LaForge because I have not yet begun to get bunnies from them for myself. Maybe in a year or two, I will feel differently, but not now.
Also, because you have chosen a few friends to do projects with is no reason to feel that you must extend the offer to others. Personally, I have enough going on right now without engaging in any more joint projects.
Have fun with your joint projects. Keep the win-win attitude going. Remember this is a hobby and should be fun!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
“Holland Lops of Distinction”
Ararat, VA
www.thenaturetrail.com
¶ 3:12 PM 0 comments links to this post
Joint Breeding Projects
Joint breeding projects are a way to have tons of fun with a friend who is also a breeder. You don’t have to make any huge changes—no need to combine rabbitries to have this fun. Just find someone you enjoy spending time with who has a similar philosophy about bunnies—and has the same breed as you.
The benefits are substantial. You have a vested interest in your friend’s bunnies and she or he in yours. You have something to talk about, hope for, and rejoice over together. Anticipating something wonderful together is just, well, fun!
There are risks: miscommunication, hurt feelings, and even loss of friendship. So let’s discuss some ways to do projects together maximizing the benefits and eliminating the pitfalls.
Choose Wisely
Choose your breeding partners wisely. Make sure you have visited your friend’s rabbitry and that his rabbitry management practices are acceptable to you. You do run the risk of introducing disease, especially vent disease, into your herd.
Choose someone who has a similar intensity about our hobby as you. If you are laid back, it may not be wise to partner with someone who is driven. If you are serious about your rabbits, you may be disappointed with a partner who has a casual attitude.
Choose someone you trust. You will rely on your partner to report births and kit development accurately. And you rely on him or her to follow through with their end of the bargain.
Choose someone with a win-win attitude. Only go into a partnership if you believe that each partner has an opportunity to benefit from your arrangement. That’s the only way that you will both be satisfied in the end. Let me stress “opportunity.” You may do ten breedings together and have only one really super kit and only one of you gets it. But each of you should have had a chance with whatever agreement you made.
Agreements
Be clear with each other about your arrangements. It may be better to make your arrangements via email rather than by phone or word. It takes time to have a litter and grow it out and memories fade. Make sure your agreement is in writing. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just something you can both refer back to.
Agreements are flexible and can be made to suit your situation. I think that it’s a good idea to give the breeder with the doe the first pick of the litter because she does more work and takes a bigger risk with her doe. But, if the buck is the more outstanding rabbit of the two, you may decide to have the owner of the buck get first pick.
My friend Alison and I typically agreed to two litters. I would get pick out of the first and she would get the balance of the litter (or vice versa). Then we’d reverse on the second litter. It’s true that one of us may get the better rabbit, but our chances were the same in the beginning.
My friend Dani and I agreed that the owner of the sire would get the best doe. And the owner of the dam would be the best buck. Unfortunately Nina missed, so we’ll have to try that one again sometime. Are you listening, Dani? I can leave Nina open for the Shelby show!
My friend Lisa and I agreed that that the owner of the does gets the pick, but we bred her does to my foundation bucks and vice versa. So we each are getting first picks of some litters and second of others. We have about a half dozen litters between us due in the next few days.
I lent a fabulous, but hard-to-breed grand champion doe to my friend Linda Norris. Our agreement is that she keeps the kits from the litter and then I get my doe back, hopefully ready to breed again (she does well when she first goes to a new barn, so we hope to trick her into thinking my barn is new again). If it all works out, we’ll both get some kits.
So you see, joint projects can take many forms.
The Details
Be sure to discuss who gets the balance of the litter, whether the partner has first choice to buy other kits in the litter, whether the kits are available to sell to the partner’s direct competition, and other details like that. I never limit the showing of rabbits that I sell, but I can understand that a friend might not like to help me breed a bunny that beats her on the table.
Limitations
Just because you engage in joint projects does mean that you should feel that you have to make every rabbit available to your friends. Lisa understands that I won’t let anyone use Bear, Ox, Rio, Boris, or LaForge because I have not yet begun to get bunnies from them for myself. Maybe in a year or two, I will feel differently, but not now.
Also, because you have chosen a few friends to do projects with is no reason to feel that you must extend the offer to others. Personally, I have enough going on right now without engaging in any more joint projects.
Have fun with your joint projects. Keep the win-win attitude going. Remember this is a hobby and should be fun!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
“Holland Lops of Distinction”
Ararat, VA
www.thenaturetrail.com
¶ 3:12 PM 0 comments links to this post
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Summer in the Rabbitry
It may be a toss up as to whether I like being a rabbit breeder less in January/February or in July/August. First, I have to say that a bad day with bunnies is better than a good day doing most anything else. But since summer is upon us, I'm leaning toward saying that I dislike July and August the most.
Summer Heat
The most obvious reason, of course, is the heat. I didn't make it out to the barn today until noon. It was really uncomfortable there. We live just against a mountain range and I know it is cooler here than in many places right now, but it is still hot.
Andrew placed a sprinkler on top of the barn to help cool it. Our cold well water helps take away some of the heat, and the mist through the windows feels good.
I turned the sprinkler on earlier today when it was very hot out. Then we got a tremendous downpour of rain. I mean buckets. I wasn't too happy when Andrew looked out through the pouring rain to see the sprinkler on. So, I dashed through the waterfall and turned it off. I was soaked to the skin.
And the rain stopped completely ten minutes later.
Within twenty minutes, the sky was blue.
I, however, was still wet.
Hot Pocket
My barn is designed with three aisles. The first two, in the main part of the barn, were built with opposing windows. There is a 20" barn fan on each aisle which makes life there livable for the bunnies. The third aisle is in the overhang. It has a fan and just one window, on the north side. I thought it was clever to build a solid wall on the south end of the aisle so that I would have a place to put my feed can out of the sunshine. Yes, I made that decision in the winter.
What I did was create a pocket of very hot air that has no place to escape. So Andrew and I are planning to create a window as soon as we are able, but in the mean time, I had to buy a fourth fan for the barn. As soon as I put it in the barn today, it started to rain very hard (the second time today) and I had to unplug it five minutes later. Of course.
Lord of the Flies
The second reason I like summer least is flies. Biting flies. House flies. Strange tiny flies. Big ugly flies. I hate them.
I've tried lots of things to catch flies in the barn, but nothing works better than using the fly swatter once a day and keeping fresh fly ribbons hung up.
Of course, keeping the manure emptied is the most important thing. I don't have much built up in the bins under my hanging cages right now, so I offered my son $10 to empty them before they got heavy. He passed. So now I have to either do it myself or come back to the table with a better offer. Maybe I can hold out until one of the kids has some pretty bad behavior and needs to work off some consequences . . . .
A Different Fly Tactic
I'm going to be trying something new to me for flies. My long-time breeder friend Linda Norris suggested Sweet PDZ. I bought three 40# bags at Southern States today (Tractor Supply did not have it). It was $9.99 per bag. A young lady who works at Tractor Supply says she uses Sweet PDZ with her horses and it's great. She uses it right in the stall. It is not a pesticide, but it should keep flies reproduction down.
Summer Lovin'
My final reason to dislike July and August is all about breeding. I've had 50 babies born in the last eight weeks. I'm not likely to have half that many in the next. Those does give me that "it's too hot to breed and who wants to be pregnant in August anyway" look. And then, if you do manage to get those does bred, you find out 31 days later that you buck is temporarily infertile from summer heat. It's total frustration.
Yes, I'm already looking forward to the cool breezes, easier breeding and lower fly count of fall.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"\
Ararat, VA
www.thenaturetrail.com
¶ 7:43 PM 2 comments links to this post
Summer Heat
The most obvious reason, of course, is the heat. I didn't make it out to the barn today until noon. It was really uncomfortable there. We live just against a mountain range and I know it is cooler here than in many places right now, but it is still hot.
Andrew placed a sprinkler on top of the barn to help cool it. Our cold well water helps take away some of the heat, and the mist through the windows feels good.
I turned the sprinkler on earlier today when it was very hot out. Then we got a tremendous downpour of rain. I mean buckets. I wasn't too happy when Andrew looked out through the pouring rain to see the sprinkler on. So, I dashed through the waterfall and turned it off. I was soaked to the skin.
And the rain stopped completely ten minutes later.
Within twenty minutes, the sky was blue.
I, however, was still wet.
Hot Pocket
My barn is designed with three aisles. The first two, in the main part of the barn, were built with opposing windows. There is a 20" barn fan on each aisle which makes life there livable for the bunnies. The third aisle is in the overhang. It has a fan and just one window, on the north side. I thought it was clever to build a solid wall on the south end of the aisle so that I would have a place to put my feed can out of the sunshine. Yes, I made that decision in the winter.
What I did was create a pocket of very hot air that has no place to escape. So Andrew and I are planning to create a window as soon as we are able, but in the mean time, I had to buy a fourth fan for the barn. As soon as I put it in the barn today, it started to rain very hard (the second time today) and I had to unplug it five minutes later. Of course.
Lord of the Flies
The second reason I like summer least is flies. Biting flies. House flies. Strange tiny flies. Big ugly flies. I hate them.
I've tried lots of things to catch flies in the barn, but nothing works better than using the fly swatter once a day and keeping fresh fly ribbons hung up.
Of course, keeping the manure emptied is the most important thing. I don't have much built up in the bins under my hanging cages right now, so I offered my son $10 to empty them before they got heavy. He passed. So now I have to either do it myself or come back to the table with a better offer. Maybe I can hold out until one of the kids has some pretty bad behavior and needs to work off some consequences . . . .
A Different Fly Tactic
I'm going to be trying something new to me for flies. My long-time breeder friend Linda Norris suggested Sweet PDZ. I bought three 40# bags at Southern States today (Tractor Supply did not have it). It was $9.99 per bag. A young lady who works at Tractor Supply says she uses Sweet PDZ with her horses and it's great. She uses it right in the stall. It is not a pesticide, but it should keep flies reproduction down.
Summer Lovin'
My final reason to dislike July and August is all about breeding. I've had 50 babies born in the last eight weeks. I'm not likely to have half that many in the next. Those does give me that "it's too hot to breed and who wants to be pregnant in August anyway" look. And then, if you do manage to get those does bred, you find out 31 days later that you buck is temporarily infertile from summer heat. It's total frustration.
Yes, I'm already looking forward to the cool breezes, easier breeding and lower fly count of fall.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"\
Ararat, VA
www.thenaturetrail.com
¶ 7:43 PM 2 comments links to this post
Record-keeping
Several people have asked me, "How do you keep track of it all?" Since I have well over 100 rabbits in my barn, that's a very good question. The truth is, it takes several systems to keep track of everything. We all know to write down kindling dates and that sort of thing (www.thenaturetrail.com/Breeding). And I use my magnet system to tag cages in the barn www.thenaturetrail.com/MagnetSystem).
But this morning, I was going over a file in my word processor simply titled, "A list of rabbits." So I thought I would share with you what my list is and what I use it for.
It really is a list of rabbits in my barn. Rabbits are added to the list once they are about 3 to 4 months old and showing some sort of promise as a show rabbit or breeding stock. There are eight sections to the list, starting with Solid Senior Bucks. The categories are the same as the Holland Lop show classes (www.thenaturetrail.com/showing).
There are three columns: one column numbers the rabbits in each class. Right now I have 5 solid senior bucks, 24 solid senior does, 5 solid junior bucks, 5 solid junior does, 5 broken senior bucks (5 seems to be my number right now!), 14 broken senior does, 1 broken junior buck, and 3 broken junior does. (The balance of the 100+ rabbits in my barn are 4 months old or younger, or haven't been evaluated and added to the list yet).
In the second column, I write the rabbit's name, BBF's Yankee Doodle Dandy, for example. Rabbits that show competitively have an asterisk by their names. Dandy has one of course, as do 22 other rabbits right now. Some of the juniors may earn their asterisks later.
Does who have produced live litters are printed in bold. I aim at keeping 12 solid senior does and 12 broken senior does in my breeding program. But I don't have to count a doe until she's producing. I want 24 producing does in my barn.
In the third column I note which rabbits need to be registered and which need to have their grand champion certificates (or Best In Show certificates) applied for.
I also note rabbits that I plan to sell, perhaps after their next litter or when I feel they have started producing well enough to be sold as a proven doe. Because I have marked my producing does and my show does, I can see how well I am keeping within my 12-does-per-senior-class rule of thumb.
For juniors, I list the date they turn senior. The primary reason is to make sure that I do not show a young senior as a junior. I think that is very important. If you show a senior as a junior, you are stealing from the junior in second place. And you push the 6th place rabbits out of points range. I always want to be aware of when to promote my juniors to the senior list.
There are other miscellaneous notations I may make: "on loan," "find nice retirement home," etc. The system is flexible and I can use it many ways.
I print out the list and place it in the front of my pedigree book for easy reference. I review the list two or three times per month to see where I am, especially when I'm preparing entries for shows.
Once I have collected about 15 rabbits that need to be registered, I invite my registrar to my barn and he registers them there. That's a great bonus because I can register pregnant rabbits and rabbits with litters without having to take them to a show. If you are unfamiliar with registering rabbits, check out www.thenaturetrail.com/granding.
It's a simple system, but it's often the simple things that work best. I'm off to the barn and hope to write about bunnies later today.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
Ararat, VA
www.thenaturetrail.com
¶ 10:55 AM 0 comments links to this post
But this morning, I was going over a file in my word processor simply titled, "A list of rabbits." So I thought I would share with you what my list is and what I use it for.
It really is a list of rabbits in my barn. Rabbits are added to the list once they are about 3 to 4 months old and showing some sort of promise as a show rabbit or breeding stock. There are eight sections to the list, starting with Solid Senior Bucks. The categories are the same as the Holland Lop show classes (www.thenaturetrail.com/showing).
There are three columns: one column numbers the rabbits in each class. Right now I have 5 solid senior bucks, 24 solid senior does, 5 solid junior bucks, 5 solid junior does, 5 broken senior bucks (5 seems to be my number right now!), 14 broken senior does, 1 broken junior buck, and 3 broken junior does. (The balance of the 100+ rabbits in my barn are 4 months old or younger, or haven't been evaluated and added to the list yet).
In the second column, I write the rabbit's name, BBF's Yankee Doodle Dandy, for example. Rabbits that show competitively have an asterisk by their names. Dandy has one of course, as do 22 other rabbits right now. Some of the juniors may earn their asterisks later.
Does who have produced live litters are printed in bold. I aim at keeping 12 solid senior does and 12 broken senior does in my breeding program. But I don't have to count a doe until she's producing. I want 24 producing does in my barn.
In the third column I note which rabbits need to be registered and which need to have their grand champion certificates (or Best In Show certificates) applied for.
I also note rabbits that I plan to sell, perhaps after their next litter or when I feel they have started producing well enough to be sold as a proven doe. Because I have marked my producing does and my show does, I can see how well I am keeping within my 12-does-per-senior-class rule of thumb.
For juniors, I list the date they turn senior. The primary reason is to make sure that I do not show a young senior as a junior. I think that is very important. If you show a senior as a junior, you are stealing from the junior in second place. And you push the 6th place rabbits out of points range. I always want to be aware of when to promote my juniors to the senior list.
There are other miscellaneous notations I may make: "on loan," "find nice retirement home," etc. The system is flexible and I can use it many ways.
I print out the list and place it in the front of my pedigree book for easy reference. I review the list two or three times per month to see where I am, especially when I'm preparing entries for shows.
Once I have collected about 15 rabbits that need to be registered, I invite my registrar to my barn and he registers them there. That's a great bonus because I can register pregnant rabbits and rabbits with litters without having to take them to a show. If you are unfamiliar with registering rabbits, check out www.thenaturetrail.com/granding.
It's a simple system, but it's often the simple things that work best. I'm off to the barn and hope to write about bunnies later today.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
Ararat, VA
www.thenaturetrail.com
¶ 10:55 AM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, July 11, 2005
In the Barn
I have lots of babies in the barn right now. Many were born around July 3 (thankfully before the fireworks scared my poor does). This seems to be a good month for milk. Does seem to go in cycles on their milk production. Some months, almost all of the does have weak milk, except maybe one or two known for good milk production. Other times, all of the does have excellent milk. This is an excellent milk month! I don't know if it's differences in feed at different times of the year, phases of the moon, or some other cycle we cannot detect, but there is an ebb and flow to milk production.
I'm especially happy about this being a good milk time because Katee had 7 live kits (plus 1 stillborn) and she's one who has had late milk in the past. I lost half of her previous two litters and I believe it was due to late milk production. Her babies were born a couple of days ago and were full of milk this morning when I checked on them. She produced such a wonderful litter with LL Brendan last time (7 kits then, too) that I am very excited about this litter. Folks have already started lining up to buy them, but it will be 6 months or more before I let any go and I get first picks! You can see Brook from her last litter with Brendan at www.thenaturetrail.com/Does and LaForge, her brother, at www.thenaturetrail.com/Bucks.
Raqel is gathering up hay early for her next litter, due in a few days (see my Nursery at www.thenaturetrail.com/Nursery for does' due dates and litters). For the third time, I've told myself I would find her a nice retirement home if she misses, and, for the third time, she's come through at the last minute. She's an older doe who produced Saynora's DW Digger, a 45-leg rabbit (legs are wins, not limbs). So I've babied her through this last year. She's had some runts that didn't make it and a brood doe, but only one litter with three viable kits in it. They are about 3 months old now. I'm hoping that I made a good match for her on this, her last litter.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
Ararat, VA
www.thenaturetrail.com ¶ 1:44 PM 2 comments links to this post
I'm especially happy about this being a good milk time because Katee had 7 live kits (plus 1 stillborn) and she's one who has had late milk in the past. I lost half of her previous two litters and I believe it was due to late milk production. Her babies were born a couple of days ago and were full of milk this morning when I checked on them. She produced such a wonderful litter with LL Brendan last time (7 kits then, too) that I am very excited about this litter. Folks have already started lining up to buy them, but it will be 6 months or more before I let any go and I get first picks! You can see Brook from her last litter with Brendan at www.thenaturetrail.com/Does and LaForge, her brother, at www.thenaturetrail.com/Bucks.
Raqel is gathering up hay early for her next litter, due in a few days (see my Nursery at www.thenaturetrail.com/Nursery for does' due dates and litters). For the third time, I've told myself I would find her a nice retirement home if she misses, and, for the third time, she's come through at the last minute. She's an older doe who produced Saynora's DW Digger, a 45-leg rabbit (legs are wins, not limbs). So I've babied her through this last year. She's had some runts that didn't make it and a brood doe, but only one litter with three viable kits in it. They are about 3 months old now. I'm hoping that I made a good match for her on this, her last litter.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
Ararat, VA
www.thenaturetrail.com ¶ 1:44 PM 2 comments links to this post
Welcome
Welcome to my BLOG! This entry is the very first of weekly, if not daily, entries about daily life in The Nature Trail Rabbitry, which produces winning show rabbits - Holland Lops, to be specific. From time to time, I may highlight articles already on my website. I feel there is a tremendous amount of information there that hasn't been found yet by a lot of folks who would be interested in it. I will also post updates to my site so that you will be the first to know about new articles and changes at www.thenaturetrail.com. But mostly, I will report on show results, talk about babies being born, describe which rabbits are blossoming, and tell you about struggles that I'm having with my bunnies.
I will be reviewing all replies to this BLOG, so you can be sure that all you will read here is bunny-related. There's no room here for anything else!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
Ararat, VA
www.thenaturetrail.com
¶ 11:22 AM 0 comments links to this post
I will be reviewing all replies to this BLOG, so you can be sure that all you will read here is bunny-related. There's no room here for anything else!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
Ararat, VA
www.thenaturetrail.com
¶ 11:22 AM 0 comments links to this post
