The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Rabbit Facts
Okay, so you like rabbits. Or maybe you love rabbits like I do. But how much do you know about them? Let's see how well you do with these questions. Don't miss the fun questions at the bottom.
THE QUESTIONS:
Is a rabbit a rodent?
How many teeth do rabbits have?
What are peg teeth?
How many nails do rabbits have?
How many different eye colors are recognized by ARBA?
Which mature earlier, bucks or does?
On the Chinese zodiac, the rabbit is one of the twelve animals associated with a particular year. When is the next year of the rabbit?
Which of the following were born in a year of the rabbit? Albert Einstein, Angelina Joie, Brad Pitt, Bob Hope
Which member(s) of my family were born in the year of the rabbit?
THE ANSWERS:
Is a rabbit a rodent?
THE QUESTIONS:
Is a rabbit a rodent?
How many teeth do rabbits have?
What are peg teeth?
How many nails do rabbits have?
How many different eye colors are recognized by ARBA?
Which mature earlier, bucks or does?
On the Chinese zodiac, the rabbit is one of the twelve animals associated with a particular year. When is the next year of the rabbit?
Which of the following were born in a year of the rabbit? Albert Einstein, Angelina Joie, Brad Pitt, Bob Hope
Which member(s) of my family were born in the year of the rabbit?
THE ANSWERS:
Is a rabbit a rodent?
No, a rabbit is a lagomorph. Rabbits (both European and cottontails), Hares and Pikas are all lagomorphs. I get very annoyed with my vet when he puts "Rodent" on my rabbits' prescriptions.
How many teeth do rabbits have?
28
What are peg teeth?
Teeth behind the incisors. These teeth distinguish rodents from lagomorphs.
How many nails do rabbits have?
18. The back feet have 4 each while the front feet have 5 each. If you didn't know the answer to this one, you need to go clip two more nails on each of your rabbits!
How many different eye colors are recognized by ARBA?
5, Pink (not ruby or red), Marbled, Blue, Blue-Grey and Brown
Which mature earlier, bucks or does?
Does
On the Chinese zodiac, the rabbit is one of the twelve animals associated with a particular year. When is the next year of the rabbit?
2011. Recent Years of the Rabbit were 1999, 1987, 1975 and 1963.
Which of the following were born in a year of the rabbit? Albert Einstein, Angelina Joie, Brad Pitt, Bob Hope
All four.
Which member(s) of my family were born in the year of the rabbit?
My dad, my sister, and my husband, but not me. Thought it was me, didn't you?
How did you do? I hope you had a little fun with this. After all, this is a hobby and we should enjoy it to the fullest!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Sweet Smell of Success
When you are into rabbits, the sweet smell of success is likely to be covered with the acrid smell of urine and manure. What can we do to reduce rabbit odor?
Certainly my rabbits don't smell bad and I'm sure that yours don't either. We'll be talking about how other people can reduce the odor from their rabbits, of course.
We'll mention the obvious for purposes of being thorough. Remove urine and manure frequently. It really is important.
You, I mean they, can spread lime on the ground around outdoor and barn rabbits, and in containers or in trays. The pelletized lime is less dusty and I think healthier to use around rabbits. I like Sweet PDZ much better though. It is also available in pellets.
Feed that contains yucca reduces odor. I really didn't think much of it until we had a pet rabbit return to us when the owner was moving into a "no pets" living arrangement. He was quarantined in the house and the odor was much stronger than what we were use to (think about, I am REALLY use to rabbit smells). But after just three days on a feed with yucca, the odor was dramatically reduced. It was an amazing difference.
You can also put odor-reducing products in your rabbits' drinking water. This choice may be affordable mostly for pet rabbit owners. And since pet rabbits typically live in closer quarters to people, it can be well worth the effort. One such product, Marshall's Small Animal Bi-Odor, is available through my website.
Zeolite is a mineral that naturally absorbs odors. It is safe to add directly to pet bedding and place in trays under your pet rabbit cage. S.A.M Zer-Odor Reducer, also available through my website, is one of the several zeolite-based odor reducers available.
I do not recommend using air fresheners that add fragrance to the air in an attempt to cover up odors. For one thing, roses and poo add up to one funky smell. Rabbits tend to be fairly sensitive to chemicals so I avoid using anything artificial around them. Perfume gives a lot of people headaches and allergy symptoms. I wouldn't want to risk that around my rabbits.
But there are several spray deodorizers that eliminate odors rather than just covering them up. One can be sprayed directly on pets, if needed. Check out S.A.M. Zer-Odor Spray and Odor Eliminator by Petrotech.
My favorite method of eliminating odors of any kind is through the use of an ionizer. I am still looking for the perfect ionizer for my barn. I have two rabbits in the house right now and I am using an air filter with ionizer near them. I've also mentioned before that I want the car ionizer for Christmas.
Ionizers don't just make the air smell better, but they actually eliminate contaminants from the air by joining particles together. Air with a high ion count makes you feel better. Think of how you feel after an electrical storm when you breathe in the fresh air. That air has a high ion count. Or remember the air near a large waterfall. That air has a high ion count, too.
Well, I can tell those other people's rabbits are starting to smell better already.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 7:45 AM 0 comments links to this post
Certainly my rabbits don't smell bad and I'm sure that yours don't either. We'll be talking about how other people can reduce the odor from their rabbits, of course.
We'll mention the obvious for purposes of being thorough. Remove urine and manure frequently. It really is important.
You, I mean they, can spread lime on the ground around outdoor and barn rabbits, and in containers or in trays. The pelletized lime is less dusty and I think healthier to use around rabbits. I like Sweet PDZ much better though. It is also available in pellets.
Feed that contains yucca reduces odor. I really didn't think much of it until we had a pet rabbit return to us when the owner was moving into a "no pets" living arrangement. He was quarantined in the house and the odor was much stronger than what we were use to (think about, I am REALLY use to rabbit smells). But after just three days on a feed with yucca, the odor was dramatically reduced. It was an amazing difference.
You can also put odor-reducing products in your rabbits' drinking water. This choice may be affordable mostly for pet rabbit owners. And since pet rabbits typically live in closer quarters to people, it can be well worth the effort. One such product, Marshall's Small Animal Bi-Odor, is available through my website.
Zeolite is a mineral that naturally absorbs odors. It is safe to add directly to pet bedding and place in trays under your pet rabbit cage. S.A.M Zer-Odor Reducer, also available through my website, is one of the several zeolite-based odor reducers available.
I do not recommend using air fresheners that add fragrance to the air in an attempt to cover up odors. For one thing, roses and poo add up to one funky smell. Rabbits tend to be fairly sensitive to chemicals so I avoid using anything artificial around them. Perfume gives a lot of people headaches and allergy symptoms. I wouldn't want to risk that around my rabbits.
But there are several spray deodorizers that eliminate odors rather than just covering them up. One can be sprayed directly on pets, if needed. Check out S.A.M. Zer-Odor Spray and Odor Eliminator by Petrotech.
My favorite method of eliminating odors of any kind is through the use of an ionizer. I am still looking for the perfect ionizer for my barn. I have two rabbits in the house right now and I am using an air filter with ionizer near them. I've also mentioned before that I want the car ionizer for Christmas.
Ionizers don't just make the air smell better, but they actually eliminate contaminants from the air by joining particles together. Air with a high ion count makes you feel better. Think of how you feel after an electrical storm when you breathe in the fresh air. That air has a high ion count. Or remember the air near a large waterfall. That air has a high ion count, too.
Well, I can tell those other people's rabbits are starting to smell better already.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 7:45 AM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, August 29, 2005
Name That Bun
Yes, I name every rabbit weaned in my barn. Every one of them. And, even though it is a challenge sometimes, I think that it is one of the privileges of being a breeder. I also like being able to issue a complete pedigree that doesn't need to have a name penciled in. Perhaps I have a high need for things to be orderly. Okay, I do.
But I can show some flexibility. I have renamed a bunny or two at the request of a youth breeder. I've sold some pedigreed rabbits as pets and I will always rename thos at the new owner's request. Of course, I don't rename registered rabbits or rabbits that have already had litters.
I also assign names to rabbits I buy when the breeder leaves that up to the purchaser. I register all of my rabbits, and I like to have a name to register them by. I just never could remember which rabbit is XJ9 and which one is OP.
My children are a great source of names. True, Anna always wants to name one Sniffy. But they also come up with some great names. My friend Alison liked to read street signs and such for inspiration. You can find some great names that way. I like to think of art, history, and literature. It is definitely fun to come up with a name that has a past. Valerie Harrell was always great to have a story behind a name.
Although I don't always do this, I love to name litters with themed names. It helps me remember who goes together. I recently named three bucks from a litter Gambler, Casino, and Reno. Bear and Ox have brothers named Koala and Tiger. Most of Rosie's daughters have the word "Rose" in the name. Seven of Dan's offspring, from two litters, have names from The Sound of Music. And I had my Star Trek babies.
Because I like themed names so much, I started my rabbit names page. In fact, it cana be used for naming puppies, kittens, and cavies, too. Unlike alphabetized lists, you can find names for a whole litter in one section. The page actually turned out to be the fourth most popular page on my website (there are about 230 pages on it). I had so much help from people writing in ideas that I could not keep up with it and had to remove my requests for new names and categories!
I still love to hear about cool names. And every now and then, I take a few minutes to brainstorm more names or add a new category.
Happy naming!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 8:01 AM 0 comments links to this post
But I can show some flexibility. I have renamed a bunny or two at the request of a youth breeder. I've sold some pedigreed rabbits as pets and I will always rename thos at the new owner's request. Of course, I don't rename registered rabbits or rabbits that have already had litters.
I also assign names to rabbits I buy when the breeder leaves that up to the purchaser. I register all of my rabbits, and I like to have a name to register them by. I just never could remember which rabbit is XJ9 and which one is OP.
My children are a great source of names. True, Anna always wants to name one Sniffy. But they also come up with some great names. My friend Alison liked to read street signs and such for inspiration. You can find some great names that way. I like to think of art, history, and literature. It is definitely fun to come up with a name that has a past. Valerie Harrell was always great to have a story behind a name.
Sometimes I take inspiration from a letter from the dam and a letter from the sire. Alexander, Alexis, Alex and Alexandra got their "x" from Maximus and their "A" from Abby.
Although I don't always do this, I love to name litters with themed names. It helps me remember who goes together. I recently named three bucks from a litter Gambler, Casino, and Reno. Bear and Ox have brothers named Koala and Tiger. Most of Rosie's daughters have the word "Rose" in the name. Seven of Dan's offspring, from two litters, have names from The Sound of Music. And I had my Star Trek babies.
Because I like themed names so much, I started my rabbit names page. In fact, it cana be used for naming puppies, kittens, and cavies, too. Unlike alphabetized lists, you can find names for a whole litter in one section. The page actually turned out to be the fourth most popular page on my website (there are about 230 pages on it). I had so much help from people writing in ideas that I could not keep up with it and had to remove my requests for new names and categories!
I still love to hear about cool names. And every now and then, I take a few minutes to brainstorm more names or add a new category.
Happy naming!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 8:01 AM 0 comments links to this post
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Pressure To Clean
What took us so long to invest in a pressure washer, I'll never know. But our world, at least as far as cage and carrier cleaning is concerned, changed dramatically for the better when we did.
One thing we did wrong was to fail to read the directions. Specifically, "do not store pressure washer outdoors in freezing weather." We did a better job of storage with our second pressure washer.
Ours is a variable pressure type so that we don't blow the entire cage or carrier away. It is amazing how much pressure comes out of one of those suckers. Ask Andrew to show you the missing patch of skin on his leg sometimes.
The pressure washer does a great job on cage bottoms; poop is no match for it. It does a creditable job on removing fur; fur puts up more of a fight. We still get some tiny bits that hang on, but nothing to be concerned about.
You may want to try a few different ways of propping or positioning trays when you are cleaning them. You don't want them to go flying around and get dented or chipped.
After removing debris with just water, you can run a mixture of bleach and water through to sanitize (not recommended by the manufacturer, but we do it). Wait 20 minutes and then go back to water to rinse.
Andrew uses the pressure washer on an area of pea gravel so that he doesn't end up in a soggy mess. Twice a year, we unhang every cage in the barn and pressure wash them all. In between, we wash cages as needed. We pressure wash our carriers before every show.
Our pressure washer cost about $169 (actually double that because of the freezing accident). It was worth every penny. I highly recommend that you not wait as long as we did.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 7:48 AM 0 comments links to this post
One thing we did wrong was to fail to read the directions. Specifically, "do not store pressure washer outdoors in freezing weather." We did a better job of storage with our second pressure washer.
Ours is a variable pressure type so that we don't blow the entire cage or carrier away. It is amazing how much pressure comes out of one of those suckers. Ask Andrew to show you the missing patch of skin on his leg sometimes.
The pressure washer does a great job on cage bottoms; poop is no match for it. It does a creditable job on removing fur; fur puts up more of a fight. We still get some tiny bits that hang on, but nothing to be concerned about.
You may want to try a few different ways of propping or positioning trays when you are cleaning them. You don't want them to go flying around and get dented or chipped.
After removing debris with just water, you can run a mixture of bleach and water through to sanitize (not recommended by the manufacturer, but we do it). Wait 20 minutes and then go back to water to rinse.
Andrew uses the pressure washer on an area of pea gravel so that he doesn't end up in a soggy mess. Twice a year, we unhang every cage in the barn and pressure wash them all. In between, we wash cages as needed. We pressure wash our carriers before every show.
Our pressure washer cost about $169 (actually double that because of the freezing accident). It was worth every penny. I highly recommend that you not wait as long as we did.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 7:48 AM 0 comments links to this post
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Water Matters
I use an automatic watering system in my barn, supplemented by crocks. I love the system and I don't think I would consider raising rabbits without it. Watering rabbits is one of my least favorite activities. And letting my rabbits go without water is one of my greatest rabbit fears.
The automatic system was very easy to install. I have mine directly connected to my water line and use a pressure regulator, but you can also put a bucket on top of your cages and use gravity for pressure.
I use a 3/8" system, but you can also choose a 3/16" system.
I don't have to worry if I get up late or am away from home on a hot day that my bunnies will be without water. I don't have to wash water bottles (except travel water bottles). I love it. And I don't have to feel guilty about finding an empty water bottle or tipped over crock that my bunny has been without water.
The down side is that the system freezes sometimes in the winter. Last winter was harsh and it froze about 30 days. The previous winter, it only froze on about a dozen days. On those days, we whip out our crocks and continue on. By the way, we are in USDA zone 7A.
I keep meaning to get a recirculating system with heater to use during the winter, but so far, I haven't gotten around to it. I think it would be lovely to use the direct water line during the temperant periods of the year and the recirculating system during the cold months.
It would also be nice to have the recirculating system, whch uses a bucket above the cages, in case I ever wanted to medicate my whole barn. I use Safeguard for worming now, but I could use Wazine with a bucket-based system. Wazine is tremendously less expensive than Safeguard.
Besides freezing, founts also can go bad and drip, or rabbits can pull founts from their lines. It doesn't really make much difference on my gravel floors, but when I had a dirt floor, it really made a mess. Also, I had to punch holes into the totes that collect manure under my cages. Otherwise, they would occasionally fill to the brim with water from a malfunctioning fount.
I have to use crocks in my emergency overflow cages (I hope to rememdy that permanently after Convention with more regular cages). I prefer them to bottles. And, I use low crocks for young litters, high crocks for older litters. It's not absolutely necessary because I've seen 2 1/2 week old rabbits using the automatic water line, but I don't want six little bunnies waiting in line for a drink on a warm afternoon. (By the way, I use the low crocks with little ones so they don't drown.)
I also use crocks when I want to give my bunnies some probiotic, for example, when they've been stressed. Make sure you wash those crocks frequently. Probiotic makes the crock slimy in a hurry.
Crocks are easy to fill and easier to clean than water bottles. But they can be tipped over and are easily fouled by the rabbits themselves.
I also use water bottles in the barn for medicating a single bunny. I haven't had to use them much, but when I do, I can strap one on and take the water line off very easily.
Of course I use tiny water bottles for traveling. I'm trying to collect double the number of carrier holes I have to take the pressure off when I have two or more weekends back-to-back on the road.
Water bottles are more difficult to fill and clean, but the water stays cleaner. Water bottles can also malfunction and allow all of the water to drip out.
I wash my crocks and water bottles in the dishwasher. Then I run the dishwasher empty before going back to people dishes.
No matter which water system you use, keeping it clean is very important. Monitoring the system is a must. No water system works totally without snafus. And the goal of any watering system you choose is ultlimate a continuous supply of clean, fresh water.
For information on feeding pet rabbits, please visit the section Rabbit Information For Pet Rabbit Care and the article Rabbit Food For Pet Rabbits: What Do Rabbits Eat?
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 8:06 AM 0 comments links to this post
The automatic system was very easy to install. I have mine directly connected to my water line and use a pressure regulator, but you can also put a bucket on top of your cages and use gravity for pressure.
I use a 3/8" system, but you can also choose a 3/16" system.
I don't have to worry if I get up late or am away from home on a hot day that my bunnies will be without water. I don't have to wash water bottles (except travel water bottles). I love it. And I don't have to feel guilty about finding an empty water bottle or tipped over crock that my bunny has been without water.
The down side is that the system freezes sometimes in the winter. Last winter was harsh and it froze about 30 days. The previous winter, it only froze on about a dozen days. On those days, we whip out our crocks and continue on. By the way, we are in USDA zone 7A.
I keep meaning to get a recirculating system with heater to use during the winter, but so far, I haven't gotten around to it. I think it would be lovely to use the direct water line during the temperant periods of the year and the recirculating system during the cold months.
It would also be nice to have the recirculating system, whch uses a bucket above the cages, in case I ever wanted to medicate my whole barn. I use Safeguard for worming now, but I could use Wazine with a bucket-based system. Wazine is tremendously less expensive than Safeguard.
Besides freezing, founts also can go bad and drip, or rabbits can pull founts from their lines. It doesn't really make much difference on my gravel floors, but when I had a dirt floor, it really made a mess. Also, I had to punch holes into the totes that collect manure under my cages. Otherwise, they would occasionally fill to the brim with water from a malfunctioning fount.
I have to use crocks in my emergency overflow cages (I hope to rememdy that permanently after Convention with more regular cages). I prefer them to bottles. And, I use low crocks for young litters, high crocks for older litters. It's not absolutely necessary because I've seen 2 1/2 week old rabbits using the automatic water line, but I don't want six little bunnies waiting in line for a drink on a warm afternoon. (By the way, I use the low crocks with little ones so they don't drown.)
I also use crocks when I want to give my bunnies some probiotic, for example, when they've been stressed. Make sure you wash those crocks frequently. Probiotic makes the crock slimy in a hurry.
Crocks are easy to fill and easier to clean than water bottles. But they can be tipped over and are easily fouled by the rabbits themselves.
I also use water bottles in the barn for medicating a single bunny. I haven't had to use them much, but when I do, I can strap one on and take the water line off very easily.
Of course I use tiny water bottles for traveling. I'm trying to collect double the number of carrier holes I have to take the pressure off when I have two or more weekends back-to-back on the road.
Water bottles are more difficult to fill and clean, but the water stays cleaner. Water bottles can also malfunction and allow all of the water to drip out.
I wash my crocks and water bottles in the dishwasher. Then I run the dishwasher empty before going back to people dishes.
No matter which water system you use, keeping it clean is very important. Monitoring the system is a must. No water system works totally without snafus. And the goal of any watering system you choose is ultlimate a continuous supply of clean, fresh water.
For information on feeding pet rabbits, please visit the section Rabbit Information For Pet Rabbit Care and the article Rabbit Food For Pet Rabbits: What Do Rabbits Eat?
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 8:06 AM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, August 26, 2005
Ready For Fall?
When I went to the barn this morning, something seemed different, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Then it hit me, the fans were off. This morning was the first morning in a very long time that they were off because it had actually gotten cool enough during the night for them to automatically stop. I made a mental note to not let them scare me when they would suddenly turn on, but that didn't really work.
But it did make me think about autumn. The calendar says that fall is 26 days away, but my fall starts September 3, with the first of my fall rabbit shows. Starting then, I'll be showing five out of six weekends in a row, and then have just two weeks to get ready for ARBA Convention.
So this weekend and the coming week are my last chances to get ready for fall at a more leisurely pace. After that, things get hectic. Here are a few things on my to do list:
1. Have the oil changed in the car. If you need to rotate tires or have a tune-up, now is the time.
2. Because I travel often, I keep a case of duplicate grooming items: toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, brush, etc. That way, I don't have to remember to pack my toothbrush at the last minute or unpack the car when I get home late after a show. So now is the time to check to make sure I don't need to refill anyway.
3. I take a plastic container full of rabbit supplies to every show. It has my apron, grooming towel, brush, stain remover, nail scissors, and much more in it. I keep those items in there at all times and have duplicates if I also use them in the barn. That way, I don't have to pack from scratch for each show. This next week, I'll make sure that the aprons are clean, the bottles of stain remover and such are filled and the knick knacks that accumulate in there are cleaned out.
4. I need to make a list of supplies to bring home from ARBA Convention. I plan to buy some wire to build cages. With delivery charges the way the are, I want to capitalize on the opportunity to transport certain things home. Show Bloom will be on my list, too. For large orders and unusual items, you'll need to order them ahead of time.
5. I need to make sure that I've requested catalogs for each show that I plan to go to, if I didn't go last year. Maybe I'll even get around to putting deadlines for entries on my calendar. Nah! That would take away part of the excitement of living on the edge!
6. It is also time to make a list of everything I need to purchase or do before winter. The next time I get a break in my show schedule, it will be Christmas. And then winter will be upon us. It is better to take a few minutes now to think ahead.
But most of all, I plan to spend some time in the yard, time with Andrew, and time with the kids, relaxing at home!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 9:17 PM 0 comments links to this post
But it did make me think about autumn. The calendar says that fall is 26 days away, but my fall starts September 3, with the first of my fall rabbit shows. Starting then, I'll be showing five out of six weekends in a row, and then have just two weeks to get ready for ARBA Convention.
So this weekend and the coming week are my last chances to get ready for fall at a more leisurely pace. After that, things get hectic. Here are a few things on my to do list:
1. Have the oil changed in the car. If you need to rotate tires or have a tune-up, now is the time.
2. Because I travel often, I keep a case of duplicate grooming items: toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, brush, etc. That way, I don't have to remember to pack my toothbrush at the last minute or unpack the car when I get home late after a show. So now is the time to check to make sure I don't need to refill anyway.
3. I take a plastic container full of rabbit supplies to every show. It has my apron, grooming towel, brush, stain remover, nail scissors, and much more in it. I keep those items in there at all times and have duplicates if I also use them in the barn. That way, I don't have to pack from scratch for each show. This next week, I'll make sure that the aprons are clean, the bottles of stain remover and such are filled and the knick knacks that accumulate in there are cleaned out.
4. I need to make a list of supplies to bring home from ARBA Convention. I plan to buy some wire to build cages. With delivery charges the way the are, I want to capitalize on the opportunity to transport certain things home. Show Bloom will be on my list, too. For large orders and unusual items, you'll need to order them ahead of time.
5. I need to make sure that I've requested catalogs for each show that I plan to go to, if I didn't go last year. Maybe I'll even get around to putting deadlines for entries on my calendar. Nah! That would take away part of the excitement of living on the edge!
6. It is also time to make a list of everything I need to purchase or do before winter. The next time I get a break in my show schedule, it will be Christmas. And then winter will be upon us. It is better to take a few minutes now to think ahead.
But most of all, I plan to spend some time in the yard, time with Andrew, and time with the kids, relaxing at home!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 9:17 PM 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Rabbit Sales - Buyer Beware
The fall show season is around the corner and ARBA Convention sales are already in full swing. There's so much excitement about rabbits floating in the air. I'm excited. I hope you are.
With all of that excitement, rabbit sales will be brisk for the next couple of months. And sadly, some sales will turn out to be very disappointing. Here are a few things to think about while you shop for new bunnies.
Beware the high pressure sales person. Watch out for breeders who say that you must decide now because another person will snatch the bunny from under your nose. If the rabbit is fairly priced for its quality, the breeder will feel comfortable and confident in allowing you time to think about the purchase and time to get a second opinion on the rabbit.
I have written to people interested in a rabbit to say that I need an answer because there are several people interested in a particular rabbit. Cage space issues and upcoming show/delivery arrangements may add their own pressure to the situation. But the timeframe for a response is reasonable. While you can't expect a breeder to wait an indeterminate amount of time, you should be able to ask for a day or two to think things over. And you should definitely be able to get a judge or other breeder to evaluate the rabbit without the seller standing over you.
(Sales at a show may not allow a lot of time to think, but you should be able to ask for an hour or so and a second opinion. If you think about it all show long and then say "no," the breeder may have lost a unique opportunity to sell the rabbit.)
Another type of sales person I'll call the "Consultant." Do not become too comfortable with a consultant-type sales person. These rabbit sellers provide a lot of assistance and information. They don't use pressure and give you a reasonable amount of time to make up your mind. They answer your questions to the best of their knowledge. You may become so comfortable with them that you forget to conduct a pre-purchase rabbit exam. Or you forget to ask specifically about refund policies and such. Or, you may think that their opinion of a rabbit is gospel. But the Holland lop standard is sufficiently complex that no one person has the corner on the market when it comes to evaluating them.
I've had people tell me that they didn't check the gender or the teeth of the rabbit they bought from me because they trusted my judgment. Although I would never sell a buck as a doe on purpose, I've made that error. So just because a sales person is knowledgeable and/or trustworthy doesn't let you off the hook for being a good buyer.
Beware of buying rabbits over the internet. I know you are laughing at me for that one. First of all, make sure that the photos are clear and show both the side and front of the rabbit. Angled shots can hide faults. But the most important thing is that you should be able to get all of your money back if the rabbit is not as described. Now you should not back out on a deal because you don't have room now in your barn or you've decided to buy something else. That's not dealing in good faith. But if the rabbit is described as having wide shoulders and they are narrow, the seller should cheerfully refund your money. Look for a written policy to that effect.
Don't let yourself become dazzled by the "Big Names" of the breed. All breeders, no matter how successful they are, have better and lesser quality rabbits. It is certainly advisable to look for rabbits to purchase within a fairly narrow gene pool (unless you are ready to outcross for vigor or for a characteristic missing from the gene pool you are working with). But do not pay big bucks for a rabbit unless that rabbit is really worth it. Walking away, shaking the stars from your eyes, and getting an opinion from a breeder you trust is like money in the bank. You can save a bundle.
I would like to make a note about spending big bucks. I have purchased a couple of $300 + bucks that were well worth the money, but the vast majority of the rabbits that produced the rabbits that have been showing well for me this year were priced between $75 and $150. My two favorite rabbits in the barn cost about $75 -$100 each.
Avoid the scam artist. One way to avoid scammers is to deal with people you know or people that you have been referred to by people you trust. When buying from a breeder far away, monitor the breeder's website for a period of time to see how they operate. Ask for references if you are still unsure. The rabbit world is a small place. Word gets around when a breeder doesn't replace rabbits with bad teeth or refuses to give a refund. You can also "Google" a breeder to make sure he or she is actively involved in the ARBA community.
Speaking of references, I would like to develop a reference list. If you have purchased a rabbit from me in the past and would be willing to serve on that list, please contact me by email at Laurie@thenaturetrail.com.
Don't forget to check out youth breeders when you are interested in buying. Especially at Convention, their aisles may be separated from open coops. Follow the same guidelines for youth breeders as with open.
Happy buying! I love the excitement of bringing home a new bunny and all of the potential adds to my barn. Have fun and avoid the pitfalls.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 5:42 PM 1 comments links to this post
With all of that excitement, rabbit sales will be brisk for the next couple of months. And sadly, some sales will turn out to be very disappointing. Here are a few things to think about while you shop for new bunnies.
Beware the high pressure sales person. Watch out for breeders who say that you must decide now because another person will snatch the bunny from under your nose. If the rabbit is fairly priced for its quality, the breeder will feel comfortable and confident in allowing you time to think about the purchase and time to get a second opinion on the rabbit.
I have written to people interested in a rabbit to say that I need an answer because there are several people interested in a particular rabbit. Cage space issues and upcoming show/delivery arrangements may add their own pressure to the situation. But the timeframe for a response is reasonable. While you can't expect a breeder to wait an indeterminate amount of time, you should be able to ask for a day or two to think things over. And you should definitely be able to get a judge or other breeder to evaluate the rabbit without the seller standing over you.
(Sales at a show may not allow a lot of time to think, but you should be able to ask for an hour or so and a second opinion. If you think about it all show long and then say "no," the breeder may have lost a unique opportunity to sell the rabbit.)
Another type of sales person I'll call the "Consultant." Do not become too comfortable with a consultant-type sales person. These rabbit sellers provide a lot of assistance and information. They don't use pressure and give you a reasonable amount of time to make up your mind. They answer your questions to the best of their knowledge. You may become so comfortable with them that you forget to conduct a pre-purchase rabbit exam. Or you forget to ask specifically about refund policies and such. Or, you may think that their opinion of a rabbit is gospel. But the Holland lop standard is sufficiently complex that no one person has the corner on the market when it comes to evaluating them.
I've had people tell me that they didn't check the gender or the teeth of the rabbit they bought from me because they trusted my judgment. Although I would never sell a buck as a doe on purpose, I've made that error. So just because a sales person is knowledgeable and/or trustworthy doesn't let you off the hook for being a good buyer.
Beware of buying rabbits over the internet. I know you are laughing at me for that one. First of all, make sure that the photos are clear and show both the side and front of the rabbit. Angled shots can hide faults. But the most important thing is that you should be able to get all of your money back if the rabbit is not as described. Now you should not back out on a deal because you don't have room now in your barn or you've decided to buy something else. That's not dealing in good faith. But if the rabbit is described as having wide shoulders and they are narrow, the seller should cheerfully refund your money. Look for a written policy to that effect.
Don't let yourself become dazzled by the "Big Names" of the breed. All breeders, no matter how successful they are, have better and lesser quality rabbits. It is certainly advisable to look for rabbits to purchase within a fairly narrow gene pool (unless you are ready to outcross for vigor or for a characteristic missing from the gene pool you are working with). But do not pay big bucks for a rabbit unless that rabbit is really worth it. Walking away, shaking the stars from your eyes, and getting an opinion from a breeder you trust is like money in the bank. You can save a bundle.
I would like to make a note about spending big bucks. I have purchased a couple of $300 + bucks that were well worth the money, but the vast majority of the rabbits that produced the rabbits that have been showing well for me this year were priced between $75 and $150. My two favorite rabbits in the barn cost about $75 -$100 each.
Avoid the scam artist. One way to avoid scammers is to deal with people you know or people that you have been referred to by people you trust. When buying from a breeder far away, monitor the breeder's website for a period of time to see how they operate. Ask for references if you are still unsure. The rabbit world is a small place. Word gets around when a breeder doesn't replace rabbits with bad teeth or refuses to give a refund. You can also "Google" a breeder to make sure he or she is actively involved in the ARBA community.
Speaking of references, I would like to develop a reference list. If you have purchased a rabbit from me in the past and would be willing to serve on that list, please contact me by email at Laurie@thenaturetrail.com.
Don't forget to check out youth breeders when you are interested in buying. Especially at Convention, their aisles may be separated from open coops. Follow the same guidelines for youth breeders as with open.
Happy buying! I love the excitement of bringing home a new bunny and all of the potential adds to my barn. Have fun and avoid the pitfalls.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 5:42 PM 1 comments links to this post
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Holland Lop Rabbit Breeder Index
Have you ever looked at a pedigree for one of your rabbits and wondered, "Who the heck is that breeder?" Perhaps there are just a few initials to give you a hint like "BRV's" or a name like "Sally's." Wouldn't it be nice to have a resource that you could use to look up BRV's or Sally's and find out the name of the rabbitry, the breeder, which state the breeder lives in and whether that breeder is still in Hollands?
I think so.
So I created a Holland Lop Rabbit Breeder Index. Holland lop breeders are listed by stated. Each listing contains the breeder's name, rabbitry name, prefix, and, if appropriate, prefix abbreviation. An asterisk marks breeders no longer in Hollands.
On that page is a search engine link. Once you've found out the rabbitry name, you can search for the breeder's website, if they have one. Or go to www.hlrsc.com to find an email address. Or perhaps you just wanted your curiosity satisfied. Regardless of what you do next, the Holland Lop Breeder's Index will set you on the right path.
But the index is only as good as the information on it. So I need your help. If you are a Holland lop breeder and you are not on the index already, please send me your information. You do not have to have a website to participate. I just need the following information:
Prefix (and prefix abbreviation, if appropriate) - Example: The Nature Trail's or Trail's
Rabbitry Name - Example: The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Breeder or Breeders - Example: Laurie Stroupe [note, if the youth in the household
are the breeders, I need their names, not mom and dad's!]
If you are no longer in Hollands, please note that
I also need information from your Holland lop breeder friends. So get out your email address book and drop them a note encouraging them to add their information (or send it in for them, if you know it already). You can refer them to this BLOG or send them directly to the index so they can see what it is all about.
Finally, I need information for breeders who have gone out of Holland lops, but whose prefixes still show up on pedigrees. If you have the information, please send it to me. Laurie@thenaturetrail.com.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 8:04 AM 0 comments links to this post
I think so.
So I created a Holland Lop Rabbit Breeder Index. Holland lop breeders are listed by stated. Each listing contains the breeder's name, rabbitry name, prefix, and, if appropriate, prefix abbreviation. An asterisk marks breeders no longer in Hollands.
On that page is a search engine link. Once you've found out the rabbitry name, you can search for the breeder's website, if they have one. Or go to www.hlrsc.com to find an email address. Or perhaps you just wanted your curiosity satisfied. Regardless of what you do next, the Holland Lop Breeder's Index will set you on the right path.
But the index is only as good as the information on it. So I need your help. If you are a Holland lop breeder and you are not on the index already, please send me your information. You do not have to have a website to participate. I just need the following information:
Prefix (and prefix abbreviation, if appropriate) - Example: The Nature Trail's or Trail's
Rabbitry Name - Example: The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Breeder or Breeders - Example: Laurie Stroupe [note, if the youth in the household
are the breeders, I need their names, not mom and dad's!]
If you are no longer in Hollands, please note that
I also need information from your Holland lop breeder friends. So get out your email address book and drop them a note encouraging them to add their information (or send it in for them, if you know it already). You can refer them to this BLOG or send them directly to the index so they can see what it is all about.
Finally, I need information for breeders who have gone out of Holland lops, but whose prefixes still show up on pedigrees. If you have the information, please send it to me. Laurie@thenaturetrail.com.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 8:04 AM 0 comments links to this post
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Creative Convention Coops
I have a friend (who shall remain nameless) who though that "Best Display" was awarded to the person who decorated their coops at ARBA Convention the best. (In fact though, "Best Display" goes to the person who earns the highest number of regular points--that is, not including BOB or BOS points). I have to admit that "Best Display" did not make sense to me either.
Now it is true that folks do put decorative dodads on their coops, but they are not vying for an award or even attention. They are just trying to avoid walking up and down and up and down aisles and aisles of bunnies, looking for theirs.
Occasionally, at national-level shows, rabbits from one exhibitor are cooped together. I really love that. But more often, rabbits are cooped according to class. Solid senior bucks are cooped with solid senior bucks. So your feeding schedule for your bunnies sounds something like a Chinese menu: one from column A, two from column B, one from column C and so forth. Of course it's row instead of column, but you can tell that it would be easy to spend half of your time looking up and down, high and low, for the few, several, or many bunnies that you bring to show and sell.
That's where the dodads come in. By attaching something special to your coops, you can glance over the coops and find yours in a hurry. You should be a little creative, though. A common object may be used by several exhibitors.
Make sure that the object protrudes away from the cage so that you can see it from down the aisle. You won't save as much time if you still have to stand in front of the coops to see your special something. Also, make sure that it is mounted so that your rabbit (or the neighbor rabbits) cannot nibble your decoration. I used standoff brackets that are meant to hold automatic water lines away from the cage. They are made just for keeping items out of bunny's reach and are perfect for the job.
Make sure that it is non-toxic and not dangerous. The aisles can be tight and items may be shoved out of their original positions, so make sure that it won't hurt a bunny to take a taste.
Use items that all look alike so that you do not have to remember what you are looking for. Having to remember 3 pumpkins, 4 reflectors, and 2 artificial flowers is a lot harder than just looking for 9 miniature straw hats.
I truly hope that ARBA Convention starts cooping by exhibitor rather than class and that you will not ever need this advice. But just in case, it's better to be prepared.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 9:42 PM 0 comments links to this post
Now it is true that folks do put decorative dodads on their coops, but they are not vying for an award or even attention. They are just trying to avoid walking up and down and up and down aisles and aisles of bunnies, looking for theirs.
Occasionally, at national-level shows, rabbits from one exhibitor are cooped together. I really love that. But more often, rabbits are cooped according to class. Solid senior bucks are cooped with solid senior bucks. So your feeding schedule for your bunnies sounds something like a Chinese menu: one from column A, two from column B, one from column C and so forth. Of course it's row instead of column, but you can tell that it would be easy to spend half of your time looking up and down, high and low, for the few, several, or many bunnies that you bring to show and sell.
That's where the dodads come in. By attaching something special to your coops, you can glance over the coops and find yours in a hurry. You should be a little creative, though. A common object may be used by several exhibitors.
Make sure that the object protrudes away from the cage so that you can see it from down the aisle. You won't save as much time if you still have to stand in front of the coops to see your special something. Also, make sure that it is mounted so that your rabbit (or the neighbor rabbits) cannot nibble your decoration. I used standoff brackets that are meant to hold automatic water lines away from the cage. They are made just for keeping items out of bunny's reach and are perfect for the job.
Make sure that it is non-toxic and not dangerous. The aisles can be tight and items may be shoved out of their original positions, so make sure that it won't hurt a bunny to take a taste.
Use items that all look alike so that you do not have to remember what you are looking for. Having to remember 3 pumpkins, 4 reflectors, and 2 artificial flowers is a lot harder than just looking for 9 miniature straw hats.
I truly hope that ARBA Convention starts cooping by exhibitor rather than class and that you will not ever need this advice. But just in case, it's better to be prepared.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 9:42 PM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, August 22, 2005
Nest Boxes
It seems to me that rabbit breeders are very particular about the type of nest boxes they like. Once they find what they like, they look down their noses at other types. I'm probably no different. I got some boxes from another breeder that she just loved. And I hated them. I'm sure she was able to use them well, but they just didn't suit me and my style and my routine.
Regardless of the type you like - metal, wooden with solid bottom, wooden with wire bottom, built-in with liner, or other type - there are several things that are common to all.
First and foremost, nest boxes must be sanitized between uses. That doesn't mean just brushing them out or even spraying them out. They must be either bleached or sanitized with an iodine-based biocide. If my husband Andrew prepares my nest boxes, which is normally the case, he sprays them off and removes any old hay. Then he dips them in one part bleach and five parts water. After twenty minutes or so, he rinses well and then puts them into the sun to dry, if the weather cooperates.
If I do them, I spray them off like he does, but then I saturate them with a diluted iodine based biocide (Povidone or Vanodine). Then I place it in the sun to dry. I'm sensitive to bleach but not iodine.
I once got caught short without a nest box for a doe who needed one. So I took one that wasn't visibly dirty, but used, and placed it with the doe. I thought that it wouldn't hurt "just this one time." Everything seemed to be fine. The kits didn't die from a mysterious illness or anything. But when I took the doe out to see if she was in good enough condition to rebreed, I found a huge lump under one teat (golf ball size). I took her to the vet and he told me it was the worst case of mastitis he'd ever seen. It had to be lanced in two placed. Then I read that mastitis was one of the things that could happen if you don't sanitize your nest boxes. Boy, did I feel terrible. I will never do that again.
The next thing that is important is that the nest box is added to the doe's cage on day 28. I was late one time and didn't get it in until day 30. The doe delivered an hour later. You can just imagine her in her cage with her legs crossed wondering where the heck her pet person is with that box!
The box should be comfortable to the doe. Rabbits can scrunch into much smaller areas than we give them credit for. All the same, different does prefer different things and your nest boxes should accommodate different preferences.
The box should also protect the kits. I like boxes with a shelf above so that the kits can be nestled underneath and protected from the dam's jumping in and out. The kits need to stay close together in a protected part of the nest box.
The nest box should protect hungry kits from wandering out in search of a midnight snack. Our first litters were disasters. We bred two does and had no idea what we were doing. I put a hole in end of a plastic shoe box for a nest box. The doe loved it and climbed right in. She had lots of privacy and was very snug. But when I swept the dining room the next day, I found a kit 16 feet away behind a basket of books! The box should allow the doe to get in and out easily. It should allow older kits the ability to get back in when they are not quite ready to graduate the nest box, but it should keep tiny kits inside.
The nest box should allow urine to flow through and not build up in the nest box. This point is especially important with big litters that need to stay in longer because of cold weather. A lot of urine can build up on a solid bottom in a hurry.
A good nest box, in my opinion, should not overbake babies in the summer or chill them in the winter. I'm sure there are a lot of nifty advantages to using metal nest boxes, but those two issues will probably keep me from ever doing it.
Nest boxes are easy to build and your can build nest boxes (or build kindling boxes) quite easily if you can saw, screw, and hammer. You can make ten boxes or more per sheet of plywood, depending on the size you make.
To read more about using nest boxes, you might want to check out the following webpages:
Rabbit Nest Boxes (Rabbit Kindling Boxes): How to Build Ten Nest Boxes From a
Sheet of Plywood - also contains information on how to use this type of nest box.
Breeding Holland Lops - the main page for a series of webpages on breeding rabbits, contains a page on nest boxes.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 2:10 PM 0 comments links to this post
Regardless of the type you like - metal, wooden with solid bottom, wooden with wire bottom, built-in with liner, or other type - there are several things that are common to all.
First and foremost, nest boxes must be sanitized between uses. That doesn't mean just brushing them out or even spraying them out. They must be either bleached or sanitized with an iodine-based biocide. If my husband Andrew prepares my nest boxes, which is normally the case, he sprays them off and removes any old hay. Then he dips them in one part bleach and five parts water. After twenty minutes or so, he rinses well and then puts them into the sun to dry, if the weather cooperates.
If I do them, I spray them off like he does, but then I saturate them with a diluted iodine based biocide (Povidone or Vanodine). Then I place it in the sun to dry. I'm sensitive to bleach but not iodine.
I once got caught short without a nest box for a doe who needed one. So I took one that wasn't visibly dirty, but used, and placed it with the doe. I thought that it wouldn't hurt "just this one time." Everything seemed to be fine. The kits didn't die from a mysterious illness or anything. But when I took the doe out to see if she was in good enough condition to rebreed, I found a huge lump under one teat (golf ball size). I took her to the vet and he told me it was the worst case of mastitis he'd ever seen. It had to be lanced in two placed. Then I read that mastitis was one of the things that could happen if you don't sanitize your nest boxes. Boy, did I feel terrible. I will never do that again.
The next thing that is important is that the nest box is added to the doe's cage on day 28. I was late one time and didn't get it in until day 30. The doe delivered an hour later. You can just imagine her in her cage with her legs crossed wondering where the heck her pet person is with that box!
The box should be comfortable to the doe. Rabbits can scrunch into much smaller areas than we give them credit for. All the same, different does prefer different things and your nest boxes should accommodate different preferences.
The box should also protect the kits. I like boxes with a shelf above so that the kits can be nestled underneath and protected from the dam's jumping in and out. The kits need to stay close together in a protected part of the nest box.
The nest box should protect hungry kits from wandering out in search of a midnight snack. Our first litters were disasters. We bred two does and had no idea what we were doing. I put a hole in end of a plastic shoe box for a nest box. The doe loved it and climbed right in. She had lots of privacy and was very snug. But when I swept the dining room the next day, I found a kit 16 feet away behind a basket of books! The box should allow the doe to get in and out easily. It should allow older kits the ability to get back in when they are not quite ready to graduate the nest box, but it should keep tiny kits inside.
The nest box should allow urine to flow through and not build up in the nest box. This point is especially important with big litters that need to stay in longer because of cold weather. A lot of urine can build up on a solid bottom in a hurry.
A good nest box, in my opinion, should not overbake babies in the summer or chill them in the winter. I'm sure there are a lot of nifty advantages to using metal nest boxes, but those two issues will probably keep me from ever doing it.
Nest boxes are easy to build and your can build nest boxes (or build kindling boxes) quite easily if you can saw, screw, and hammer. You can make ten boxes or more per sheet of plywood, depending on the size you make.
To read more about using nest boxes, you might want to check out the following webpages:
Rabbit Nest Boxes (Rabbit Kindling Boxes): How to Build Ten Nest Boxes From a
Sheet of Plywood - also contains information on how to use this type of nest box.
Breeding Holland Lops - the main page for a series of webpages on breeding rabbits, contains a page on nest boxes.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 2:10 PM 0 comments links to this post
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Clean Your Fans
If you haven't taken your fans apart and really cleaned them (not just brushed the outside) in the last two or three weeks, take the time to do it now. Andrew just cleaned my four fans and the increased airflow is tremendous. It's easy to overlook the decrease in air because it is so gradual. But one of my fans stopped working on Friday, which was a wake up call for me. It was also a warning to all of us. Clean those fans!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG ¶ 2:38 PM 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 ¶ 2:38 PM 0 comments links to this post
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Hold On
Yesterday I have visitors to my barn. It was very hot and we roasted for the time we were out there. But they selected several nice bunnies that I think they will be happy with. It was a great time for me, too. Looking at your bunnies on your own is difficult. You can really suffer from barn blindness. But when you are showing bunnies to someone else, you really can do a better job of evaluating them. They ask questions and it causes you to look better at certain parts. You have to change your thoughts into words, which helps you really make up your mind about things.
I wonder, if I started talking to myself out loud when I evaluate my juniors, would I do a better job of evaluating them? Having to articulate to my guests really makes me think hard about my rabbits.
That's probably why, more than once, I've gotten rabbits out to sell and decided that I just couldn't do it.
Yesterday was one of those days. I almost changed my mind about a doe that I sold. Probably if it hadn't been to a youth breeder just getting started, I might have changed my mind! But in another case, I did change my mind.
I have a litter that had three solid bucks and a broken tort doe in it. When they were little, I wasn't in love with any of them, but I thought the broken tort doe might have some potential. And so she did. But the bucks were, well, horrible. I thought, there is just no way these guys are going to be anything but pets.
When am I going to learn?
That was not the first time I've thought that and it was not the first time that I was wrong.
Now two of these bucks were stuck back into the corner of my barn. It's really in a tight spot because I have a temporary cage set up so that it just barely allows me to get them out, but with great trouble. So I've just been peeking in at them.
I noticed a couple of weeks ago that one, or was it the other one? was looking not too bad. So I thought maybe one would be a brood instead of a pet.
But that all changed yesterday. When I put them out on the table, the youth's dad immediately liked one of them. But so did I. In fact, I liked both of them so much, I couldn't sell them. They are now young seniors and are definitely going through their first head growth (I can't wait to see them after a year and again after 18 months!) From pet, to brood, to show!
Although I've had some bunnies that always looked nice (The Nature Trail's Rio and The Nature Trail's May come to mind), other rabbits spent a lot of time in the "pet pile." The Nature Trail's LaForge, Geordi, Boris, Bullwinkle and others come to mind (you can see Bullwinkle on Krys Kolivras' site).
So when will I learn? Everyone will tell you that you need patience to raise Holland lops. I accept that intellectually. But I see that I am still in much too much of a hurry to label a rabbit as a pet or has no potential way too early.
My initial goal was to try to keep any rabbit that wasn't an obvious pet (huge bucks with long ears, for example) until they were four months old. I was so proud of myself when I started doing that. And now I find that a number of my bunnies are blooming at six months or older. So that's my new goal: to allocate more space to growng out bunnies and to be more patient with them. We'll see how well I do!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 8:03 AM 0 comments links to this post
I wonder, if I started talking to myself out loud when I evaluate my juniors, would I do a better job of evaluating them? Having to articulate to my guests really makes me think hard about my rabbits.
That's probably why, more than once, I've gotten rabbits out to sell and decided that I just couldn't do it.
Yesterday was one of those days. I almost changed my mind about a doe that I sold. Probably if it hadn't been to a youth breeder just getting started, I might have changed my mind! But in another case, I did change my mind.
I have a litter that had three solid bucks and a broken tort doe in it. When they were little, I wasn't in love with any of them, but I thought the broken tort doe might have some potential. And so she did. But the bucks were, well, horrible. I thought, there is just no way these guys are going to be anything but pets.
When am I going to learn?
That was not the first time I've thought that and it was not the first time that I was wrong.
Now two of these bucks were stuck back into the corner of my barn. It's really in a tight spot because I have a temporary cage set up so that it just barely allows me to get them out, but with great trouble. So I've just been peeking in at them.
I noticed a couple of weeks ago that one, or was it the other one? was looking not too bad. So I thought maybe one would be a brood instead of a pet.
But that all changed yesterday. When I put them out on the table, the youth's dad immediately liked one of them. But so did I. In fact, I liked both of them so much, I couldn't sell them. They are now young seniors and are definitely going through their first head growth (I can't wait to see them after a year and again after 18 months!) From pet, to brood, to show!
Although I've had some bunnies that always looked nice (The Nature Trail's Rio and The Nature Trail's May come to mind), other rabbits spent a lot of time in the "pet pile." The Nature Trail's LaForge, Geordi, Boris, Bullwinkle and others come to mind (you can see Bullwinkle on Krys Kolivras' site).
So when will I learn? Everyone will tell you that you need patience to raise Holland lops. I accept that intellectually. But I see that I am still in much too much of a hurry to label a rabbit as a pet or has no potential way too early.
My initial goal was to try to keep any rabbit that wasn't an obvious pet (huge bucks with long ears, for example) until they were four months old. I was so proud of myself when I started doing that. And now I find that a number of my bunnies are blooming at six months or older. So that's my new goal: to allocate more space to growng out bunnies and to be more patient with them. We'll see how well I do!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 8:03 AM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, August 19, 2005
Head Mount
Head mount sets Holland lops apart from other compact breeds. A good head mount gives our bunnies their majestic, impressive, showy, and yes, even cocky expression. It's no wonder breeders try so hard to get a high head mount on their bunnies. But there are some bad ideas out there, in my opinion, about head mount.
We do not want a high head mount at all costs. I am referring to long bone. I personally would rather have short, thick bone with a slightly lower (but not low) head mount than to have a bunny on stilts. Long, thin bone ruins the massive appearance of a Holland and massiveness relative to actual size is one of the hallmarks of our breed. Check out Camelot's Merlin and see if you agree that he has short, thick bone.
Training is not the answer either. I'm all for getting rabbits use to being handled and teaching them to pose quickly so a judge doesn't miss them at their best. But training rabbits to pull themselves up to their highest possible height is not attractive. Look at the face of one of these overposed rabbits. They have a distinct "can-I-relax-now?" look. Those rabbits are often standing up on their tippy toes, trying to please their pet person's desire for height (remember, our standard calls for front feet resting lightly on the table). And the back feet come forward, trying to assist the look of height, causing or exacerbating the look of being chopped in the hindquarters.
A properly posed rabbit should look relaxed and perhaps alert, but not stressed and contorted into a position not natural for the bunny, in my opinion. See how relaxed The Nature Trail's May is when she poses.
So what, then, is the answer? Obviously, breed and cull for rabbits whose natural head mount is high on the shoulders. It's a matter of where the head attaches to the body. But the read secret, in my mind, is the chest.
If you have short, stumpy front legs, but you want the head to be high, where is that height coming from? I believe it comes from a deep chest. Look at your rabbits from the front. You should see a little bit of short, fat leg, a lot of chest, and a head atop that chest, rising above the level of the shoulders. Take a look at the chest on The Nature Trail's Liesl.
No, I'm not producing my ideal head mount in every rabbit yet. But having a good internal picture of what I am aiming at will help me reach my goals much quicker. And I hope it helps you reach yours, too.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 10:27 AM 0 comments links to this post
We do not want a high head mount at all costs. I am referring to long bone. I personally would rather have short, thick bone with a slightly lower (but not low) head mount than to have a bunny on stilts. Long, thin bone ruins the massive appearance of a Holland and massiveness relative to actual size is one of the hallmarks of our breed. Check out Camelot's Merlin and see if you agree that he has short, thick bone.
Training is not the answer either. I'm all for getting rabbits use to being handled and teaching them to pose quickly so a judge doesn't miss them at their best. But training rabbits to pull themselves up to their highest possible height is not attractive. Look at the face of one of these overposed rabbits. They have a distinct "can-I-relax-now?" look. Those rabbits are often standing up on their tippy toes, trying to please their pet person's desire for height (remember, our standard calls for front feet resting lightly on the table). And the back feet come forward, trying to assist the look of height, causing or exacerbating the look of being chopped in the hindquarters.
A properly posed rabbit should look relaxed and perhaps alert, but not stressed and contorted into a position not natural for the bunny, in my opinion. See how relaxed The Nature Trail's May is when she poses.
So what, then, is the answer? Obviously, breed and cull for rabbits whose natural head mount is high on the shoulders. It's a matter of where the head attaches to the body. But the read secret, in my mind, is the chest.
If you have short, stumpy front legs, but you want the head to be high, where is that height coming from? I believe it comes from a deep chest. Look at your rabbits from the front. You should see a little bit of short, fat leg, a lot of chest, and a head atop that chest, rising above the level of the shoulders. Take a look at the chest on The Nature Trail's Liesl.
No, I'm not producing my ideal head mount in every rabbit yet. But having a good internal picture of what I am aiming at will help me reach my goals much quicker. And I hope it helps you reach yours, too.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 10:27 AM 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, August 18, 2005
The Nature Trail Jungle
If you've seen the picture of my herb garden beside my bunny barn on the "About Us" page of my website, and you have't actually been to my house this summer, you might be under the impression that that's what it looks like now. You would be wrong. That picture was taken when I was first getting into bunnies, back when I thought that I could have two hobbies, before I became totally obsessed with Holland lops.
Now it's a jungle. I blame it on the high temperatures and ample rain we received in July, but it's really because of my active rabbit show schedule and my shift in interest to my bunnies and away from gardening.
But I do like to use the garden when I photograph my bunnies. There's a butterfly bush that makes a good background and the area is fenced to keep our big dogs away.
When I went out today to photograph my sale bunnies that will be posted on August 27th, I had to pull huge weeds down one aisle to get to my spot. It was quite a job, but I was satisfied with the path I'd made, so I went to get the first bunny.
She's a bit tense, shall we say. I made a mental note to mark her as high strung and not for sale to young youth breeders. I put her on the table and she seemed to be doing quite well. Then, LEAP, she was off and running. Now normally that would be no problem, but this time, she lept into "The Nature Trail Jungle."
The garden is almost totally overrun with weeds. And I'm not talking about 6" city weeds. No. I'm talking 4' and 5' country weeds. There is no way I can walk up and down the aisles looking for this bunny in these weeds.
Did I mention my chihuahua was with me? Now I'm positive she wouldn't hurt a bunny, but I wondered if the bunny would know that. But I decided to let the pup stay because she might be able to find my doe or get her to come my way.
Then, while looking around for the bunny, I spy one of our cats. Great. Again, I don't THINK she will bother a rabbit, but I'm not 100% sure. I would put her out, but from previous experience, I know she just climbs the wooden fence and comes right back in.
So, what to do? I decided to start pulling weeds in and near the aisles. I figure that if I get enough of them pulled, I might be able to walk up and down enough to catch my nervous little rabbit.
But she's not the only one who is nervous. You see, last year, when there weren't nearly so many weeds, I was out pulling weeds and rattled a huge hornet's nest. I got a nice big sting on the cheek before I ran for it. So each time I pulled weeds, I checked for hornets.
So let's recap. I have an uptight bun on the ground in my jungle. I have a dog in the fence that I hope will help me. I have a cat that I don't completely trust but am sure I can't get rid of. I'm afraid of hornets and I have 10,000 weeds to pull to get the aisles open enough to walk back and forth and find her. Nice.
Then I hear my chihuahua yipping. Oh no! She's found the rabbit and has her cornered and afraid. So I rush to the other side of the garden. On the way, I spy the cat, who is stalking something and pounces on it. Oh no, the cat has found the rabbit and is toying with her and scaring her to death.
No, the cat has a cricket and the chihuahua squeezed out of the fence and can't get back in. She was calling me to open the gate for her. Neither one has the rabbit. I don't have the rabbit. Now I've got to go back to pulling weeds knowing that, if a chihuahua can squeeze out of the gate, so can the rabbit.
I started on my second row of weeds when I dislodged a rock and a huge black widow came tumbling down near my foot. There's not enough room in this BLOG for me to describe how much I hate them and how creeped out I was. I was so engrossed in making sure the spider didn't get me, that I barely noticed my rabbit creep out of the weeds about two feet from me.
But I shook my mind loose from the spider and turned to her. I talked softly to her and narrowed the distance. When she started to turn, I made my move and scooped her up easily. No photos for her today. I don't think I want to pull weeds on the last row yet.
You know, I really made some progress against those weeds. You can see plants that are supposed to be in the garden all of the way down the center now. And come to think of it, my husband Andrew has been anxious to get the yard back under control. In fact, he was just talking about it the other day. He said no more rabbit cages until the yardwork is done. Pooh.
Saturday is his 40th birthday. I think I'm just going to tell him that I pulled those weeds for a birthday surprise.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 2:05 PM 1 comments links to this post
Now it's a jungle. I blame it on the high temperatures and ample rain we received in July, but it's really because of my active rabbit show schedule and my shift in interest to my bunnies and away from gardening.
But I do like to use the garden when I photograph my bunnies. There's a butterfly bush that makes a good background and the area is fenced to keep our big dogs away.
When I went out today to photograph my sale bunnies that will be posted on August 27th, I had to pull huge weeds down one aisle to get to my spot. It was quite a job, but I was satisfied with the path I'd made, so I went to get the first bunny.
She's a bit tense, shall we say. I made a mental note to mark her as high strung and not for sale to young youth breeders. I put her on the table and she seemed to be doing quite well. Then, LEAP, she was off and running. Now normally that would be no problem, but this time, she lept into "The Nature Trail Jungle."
The garden is almost totally overrun with weeds. And I'm not talking about 6" city weeds. No. I'm talking 4' and 5' country weeds. There is no way I can walk up and down the aisles looking for this bunny in these weeds.
Did I mention my chihuahua was with me? Now I'm positive she wouldn't hurt a bunny, but I wondered if the bunny would know that. But I decided to let the pup stay because she might be able to find my doe or get her to come my way.
Then, while looking around for the bunny, I spy one of our cats. Great. Again, I don't THINK she will bother a rabbit, but I'm not 100% sure. I would put her out, but from previous experience, I know she just climbs the wooden fence and comes right back in.
So, what to do? I decided to start pulling weeds in and near the aisles. I figure that if I get enough of them pulled, I might be able to walk up and down enough to catch my nervous little rabbit.
But she's not the only one who is nervous. You see, last year, when there weren't nearly so many weeds, I was out pulling weeds and rattled a huge hornet's nest. I got a nice big sting on the cheek before I ran for it. So each time I pulled weeds, I checked for hornets.
So let's recap. I have an uptight bun on the ground in my jungle. I have a dog in the fence that I hope will help me. I have a cat that I don't completely trust but am sure I can't get rid of. I'm afraid of hornets and I have 10,000 weeds to pull to get the aisles open enough to walk back and forth and find her. Nice.
Then I hear my chihuahua yipping. Oh no! She's found the rabbit and has her cornered and afraid. So I rush to the other side of the garden. On the way, I spy the cat, who is stalking something and pounces on it. Oh no, the cat has found the rabbit and is toying with her and scaring her to death.
No, the cat has a cricket and the chihuahua squeezed out of the fence and can't get back in. She was calling me to open the gate for her. Neither one has the rabbit. I don't have the rabbit. Now I've got to go back to pulling weeds knowing that, if a chihuahua can squeeze out of the gate, so can the rabbit.
I started on my second row of weeds when I dislodged a rock and a huge black widow came tumbling down near my foot. There's not enough room in this BLOG for me to describe how much I hate them and how creeped out I was. I was so engrossed in making sure the spider didn't get me, that I barely noticed my rabbit creep out of the weeds about two feet from me.
But I shook my mind loose from the spider and turned to her. I talked softly to her and narrowed the distance. When she started to turn, I made my move and scooped her up easily. No photos for her today. I don't think I want to pull weeds on the last row yet.
You know, I really made some progress against those weeds. You can see plants that are supposed to be in the garden all of the way down the center now. And come to think of it, my husband Andrew has been anxious to get the yard back under control. In fact, he was just talking about it the other day. He said no more rabbit cages until the yardwork is done. Pooh.
Saturday is his 40th birthday. I think I'm just going to tell him that I pulled those weeds for a birthday surprise.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 2:05 PM 1 comments links to this post
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Photographing Holland Lops
Whether you want to photograph your Holland lops for your website or you want to make money with rabbits by turning your photos into products to sell, you want to take the very best ones you can. Even if you just want to email them to friends and brag on your furry buddies, you want them to look good.
Now everything I say not to do, I've done. When I started my website, my photos were awful. Some of the old ones are still on my site, in fact, because I no longer have the rabbit and can't take new ones. And they took too long to load. And there were many other things wrong with them. They aren't perfect now, but boy are they an improvement over just a year ago. Here are some of the things I've learned about photographing Hollands:
Posing - Don't photograph unposed rabbits! The improvement in the quality of my rabbit photos is correlated 100% with my improvement in posing my rabbits. No good pose, no good picture. Now sometimes I have a time crunch and need to get a bunny on my for sale page. I don't like that they aren't posed, but it's the best I can do in the time I've got. If a show rabbit, on the other hand, won't pose, I'd rather try him or her later than take pictures.
For the best quality photos, I give my rabbit a few minutes to become comfortable and a little bored with being outside on the table. It's harder to get their attention when they are still checking out the plant behind them. Then I pose them when they are feeling more cooperative. Sometimes nothing I do helps and I just sit down for awhile and let them strike a natural pose. Then I strike while the iron is hot. Those are some of the best pictures.
It would be lovely to have some help taking photos of my rabbits. Oh, if you can just see the poses that don't last long enough to pick up the camera and snap the shot! If you've got help, though, have one person pose and the other take the photos.
Light - It is incredible the dfference in the quality of the photo and the amount of detail that shows up when you have good lighting. And, unless you have some professional lighting at your disposal, outdoor lighting is the very best. I love a bright, but overcast day for taking photos. First, I don't want my rabbits to suffer in the direct sunlight, and second, strong sunlight casts dark shadows. A dim overcast day is not a good option if it looks more like early twilight outside than midday.
DIgital - Don't use film. Digital cameras are the only way to go. You do not need to feel that you are wasting film when you are photographing your rabbits. I have taken over 100 shots in the past to get four shots I really liked. I generally don't have to take as many now, but I do take ample. Just moving over a few inches can really improve a shot.
The advantages of using digital are obvious if you are putting the photos on the web, email, or sending it to have a mug, t-shirt, or greeting card made. There's no practical way around it.
[By the way, I use a Kodak digital camera with camera dock and I love it. I haven't purchased one single battery for my camera since I got it and by putting it on the dock between uses, I never have to wait for it to charge up.]
Angle - Make sure you get down on the rabbit's level to take the photograph. Pictures from above look funky. They just do. And be sure to take several angles while you've got the rabbit posed. When you look at them later, you may find that certain angles make you feel like the rabbit is about to fall off of the table. A slightly different angle with produce a photo with lovely composition that catches your rabbit looking his or her best.
By the way, when photographing rabbits for sale, take one dead-on in the front and one dead-on from the side. Photos taken at a 3/4 angle are beautiful, but you can't evaluate chest width, width between the eyes, crown placement, shoulder, or topline that way. If you want your customers to be satisfied with their purchases, they need to have as much information abou tthe rabbit as they can get before actually seeing it.
Website - If you are going to place the photo on your website, please optimize it. Many people still connect at 56K and slow photo-loading is a rampant problem on rabbit breeder websites. Make sure you crop, sharpen, and resize your photo before you place it into your website. If you just shrink it down once you've placed it on your webpage, it will take the exact same amount of time to load as it did when it was big.
If you do not have software that will allow you to resize your photo (actually in the pixel size, not just in the size you see), then you can go to http://www.irfanview.net/ and get their freeware. I started using it a few weeks ago and like it alot. I haven't optimized all of the photos on my website, but I'm in the process and have already made a lot of improvements to my loading time.
A note about cropping: in the beginning, I cropped my photos to optimize each photo for itself. I ended up with all sorts of odd sizes. If found that it made it harder to make a page look well put together. So I started cropping to the same proportions (not necessarily the same size). That way, I can put together photos taken in February, June, and September and have them look like a matched set rather than odds and ends.
Background - Pay some attention to the background. Now please don't go looking at some of my older pictures. Yes, you can see cars and rabbit cages in the background. I prefer the ones I've shot with mountains or plants or even the shed wall in the background. I don't really like the photos I've seen that have gotten too artsy, though. The rabbit should still be the main focus of the photo and not too many props. The background should complement, not overshadow, the bunny.
Now let's see some beautiful Holland lop photos and show the world how beautiful our bunnies are!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 3:26 PM 0 comments links to this post
Now everything I say not to do, I've done. When I started my website, my photos were awful. Some of the old ones are still on my site, in fact, because I no longer have the rabbit and can't take new ones. And they took too long to load. And there were many other things wrong with them. They aren't perfect now, but boy are they an improvement over just a year ago. Here are some of the things I've learned about photographing Hollands:
Posing - Don't photograph unposed rabbits! The improvement in the quality of my rabbit photos is correlated 100% with my improvement in posing my rabbits. No good pose, no good picture. Now sometimes I have a time crunch and need to get a bunny on my for sale page. I don't like that they aren't posed, but it's the best I can do in the time I've got. If a show rabbit, on the other hand, won't pose, I'd rather try him or her later than take pictures.
For the best quality photos, I give my rabbit a few minutes to become comfortable and a little bored with being outside on the table. It's harder to get their attention when they are still checking out the plant behind them. Then I pose them when they are feeling more cooperative. Sometimes nothing I do helps and I just sit down for awhile and let them strike a natural pose. Then I strike while the iron is hot. Those are some of the best pictures.
It would be lovely to have some help taking photos of my rabbits. Oh, if you can just see the poses that don't last long enough to pick up the camera and snap the shot! If you've got help, though, have one person pose and the other take the photos.
Light - It is incredible the dfference in the quality of the photo and the amount of detail that shows up when you have good lighting. And, unless you have some professional lighting at your disposal, outdoor lighting is the very best. I love a bright, but overcast day for taking photos. First, I don't want my rabbits to suffer in the direct sunlight, and second, strong sunlight casts dark shadows. A dim overcast day is not a good option if it looks more like early twilight outside than midday.
DIgital - Don't use film. Digital cameras are the only way to go. You do not need to feel that you are wasting film when you are photographing your rabbits. I have taken over 100 shots in the past to get four shots I really liked. I generally don't have to take as many now, but I do take ample. Just moving over a few inches can really improve a shot.
The advantages of using digital are obvious if you are putting the photos on the web, email, or sending it to have a mug, t-shirt, or greeting card made. There's no practical way around it.
[By the way, I use a Kodak digital camera with camera dock and I love it. I haven't purchased one single battery for my camera since I got it and by putting it on the dock between uses, I never have to wait for it to charge up.]
Angle - Make sure you get down on the rabbit's level to take the photograph. Pictures from above look funky. They just do. And be sure to take several angles while you've got the rabbit posed. When you look at them later, you may find that certain angles make you feel like the rabbit is about to fall off of the table. A slightly different angle with produce a photo with lovely composition that catches your rabbit looking his or her best.
By the way, when photographing rabbits for sale, take one dead-on in the front and one dead-on from the side. Photos taken at a 3/4 angle are beautiful, but you can't evaluate chest width, width between the eyes, crown placement, shoulder, or topline that way. If you want your customers to be satisfied with their purchases, they need to have as much information abou tthe rabbit as they can get before actually seeing it.
Website - If you are going to place the photo on your website, please optimize it. Many people still connect at 56K and slow photo-loading is a rampant problem on rabbit breeder websites. Make sure you crop, sharpen, and resize your photo before you place it into your website. If you just shrink it down once you've placed it on your webpage, it will take the exact same amount of time to load as it did when it was big.
If you do not have software that will allow you to resize your photo (actually in the pixel size, not just in the size you see), then you can go to http://www.irfanview.net/ and get their freeware. I started using it a few weeks ago and like it alot. I haven't optimized all of the photos on my website, but I'm in the process and have already made a lot of improvements to my loading time.
A note about cropping: in the beginning, I cropped my photos to optimize each photo for itself. I ended up with all sorts of odd sizes. If found that it made it harder to make a page look well put together. So I started cropping to the same proportions (not necessarily the same size). That way, I can put together photos taken in February, June, and September and have them look like a matched set rather than odds and ends.
Background - Pay some attention to the background. Now please don't go looking at some of my older pictures. Yes, you can see cars and rabbit cages in the background. I prefer the ones I've shot with mountains or plants or even the shed wall in the background. I don't really like the photos I've seen that have gotten too artsy, though. The rabbit should still be the main focus of the photo and not too many props. The background should complement, not overshadow, the bunny.
Now let's see some beautiful Holland lop photos and show the world how beautiful our bunnies are!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 3:26 PM 0 comments links to this post
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Feeders
I love J-feeders. With the exception of my emergency overflow cages, all of my rabbits eat from J-feeders. Here are some things I've learned about them.
Lids - If you have hanging cages on one level, lids are not only a waste of money, but they really slow down feeding. Just think about how much time it takes to open and close 60-70 lids, not to mention shifting back and forth between feeding and opening/closing. If you have stacking cages, you can elminate the lids on the top feeders. Lids do protect lower cages from feed contamination by urine and feces. (By the way, I have some J-feeder lids I'll let go for real cheap).
Capacity - I've heard people say they don't like J-feeders because they hold more feed than they need. You don't have to fill it! I just put as much feed as I need in the feeder. Even though it is not filled up, it serves an important purpose. I don't have to open and close 60-70 cages. I take a quick peek to make sure they've eaten their last feed (I discard old feed) and then drop the new feed in. It takes just a few seconds per cage.
Caution: it is not a good idea to put several days' worth of feed in a J-feeder. First, most rabbits should not be free-fed. Second, mold can develop. Third, rabbits may not eat stale feed. Fourth, rabbits may run out of feed before you anticipate and go from feast to famine (which can really upset their systems). And fifth, you need to check on your rabbit and their feed consumption daily anyway.
Litters - When you are feeding litters, you really appreciate the capacity of a J-feeder. I purchased some smaller ones when I first got started in Holland lops. They don't hold enough feed for a large litter. So I move the smaller ones to bucks and dry does. I only wish I had gotten all large ones in the beginning. It would have eliminated a lot of feeding-moving now.
Deep - Sometimes called "wide mouth," deep feeders are the only ones you should use with Holland lops, indeed any lop breed. Their large heads prevent them from eating normally from narrow ones. I saw a Holland DQ'd at a show for having strange wearing of the teeth. Both top and bottom teeth were wearing at a slant. The judge noted that it was probably caused by feeding from a narrow J-feeder. When the owner collected the rabbit, he confirmed that was the case. When large-headed breeds try to eat from narrow feeders, they turn their heads and chew unevenly, causing the slanted teeth.
Type - Don't even bother with solid J-feeders. They can clog up with fines and can hide moldy feed too easily. And I don't like the perforated bottoms either. I have some that I got when I first built my cages. From time to time, one of my rabbits will get a nail caught in them. I fear that one day I will lose a nice show bunny to a missing nail DQ. I'd like to get those replaced as soon as I am able.
Lids - If you have hanging cages on one level, lids are not only a waste of money, but they really slow down feeding. Just think about how much time it takes to open and close 60-70 lids, not to mention shifting back and forth between feeding and opening/closing. If you have stacking cages, you can elminate the lids on the top feeders. Lids do protect lower cages from feed contamination by urine and feces. (By the way, I have some J-feeder lids I'll let go for real cheap).
Capacity - I've heard people say they don't like J-feeders because they hold more feed than they need. You don't have to fill it! I just put as much feed as I need in the feeder. Even though it is not filled up, it serves an important purpose. I don't have to open and close 60-70 cages. I take a quick peek to make sure they've eaten their last feed (I discard old feed) and then drop the new feed in. It takes just a few seconds per cage.
Caution: it is not a good idea to put several days' worth of feed in a J-feeder. First, most rabbits should not be free-fed. Second, mold can develop. Third, rabbits may not eat stale feed. Fourth, rabbits may run out of feed before you anticipate and go from feast to famine (which can really upset their systems). And fifth, you need to check on your rabbit and their feed consumption daily anyway.
Litters - When you are feeding litters, you really appreciate the capacity of a J-feeder. I purchased some smaller ones when I first got started in Holland lops. They don't hold enough feed for a large litter. So I move the smaller ones to bucks and dry does. I only wish I had gotten all large ones in the beginning. It would have eliminated a lot of feeding-moving now.
Deep - Sometimes called "wide mouth," deep feeders are the only ones you should use with Holland lops, indeed any lop breed. Their large heads prevent them from eating normally from narrow ones. I saw a Holland DQ'd at a show for having strange wearing of the teeth. Both top and bottom teeth were wearing at a slant. The judge noted that it was probably caused by feeding from a narrow J-feeder. When the owner collected the rabbit, he confirmed that was the case. When large-headed breeds try to eat from narrow feeders, they turn their heads and chew unevenly, causing the slanted teeth.
Type - Don't even bother with solid J-feeders. They can clog up with fines and can hide moldy feed too easily. And I don't like the perforated bottoms either. I have some that I got when I first built my cages. From time to time, one of my rabbits will get a nail caught in them. I fear that one day I will lose a nice show bunny to a missing nail DQ. I'd like to get those replaced as soon as I am able.
I like the types with the screen on the bottom and back (e.g., Fine-X). Ones with screen only on the bottom would be my second choice. They keep the fines sifted out, which I think it important to your rabbits' respiratory health (and I use Blue Seal Show Hutch Deluxe, which has a lot of fines). And I've never seen one of my rabbits get a nail stuck in the mesh.
Side Benefit - Besides being my favorite type of feeder, J-feeders also give me another metal surface, aside from my card holders, that I can use to place my magnet signs. I use these magnets to keep track of important information in the barn, such as when a doe is due.
I've saved the last benefit for last. There is nothing more adorable than seeing a three-week-old kit sitting on top of a J-feeder eating to its heart's content! Too cute.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
Monday, August 15, 2005
Convention Sale Rabbits
Sale Rabbits Available For Convention Will Be Posted Beginning Saturday, August 27, and Convention Sales Will Close Friday, September 16.
I expect to have a number of nice juniors available. I will also be taking a hard long look at my solid senior does since I am over my limit with them. The only problem is I like them all! I do not anticipate having any senior bucks, unless they are very young seniors. I have a number of promising junior bucks that I will be looking at over the next week and making some decisions about. I seem to have fewer junior does this time around, but there are bound to be a few available as well.
There is an $11 surcharge on all rabbits delivered to Convention (I do not hike up my prices for Convention; I only pass on the cost of cooping them). Rabbits will be entered and scratched, no exceptions. You may remove your rabbit from the Convention showroom between 7:00 a.m. and noon on Thursday, October 27. You must have written permission from the ARBA Convention Grievance Committee to remove rabbits before that time.
I must receive your deposit on or before September 17th (I can accept Paypal and credit cards over the internet). I will be completing my entries on September 18th and must know which rabbits are going and which are staying. I only plan to take presales to Convention.
I cannot meet you before the show to transfer a rabbit to you. If you should not show up for some reason (and there are many legitimate things that could happen), I would have a rabbit with no place to put it. And I'm not sharing my motel room with rabbits all week! Sorry for any inconvenience my policy causes.
Convention really snuck up on me! I will have to get in the barn and make some tough decisions in the next few day and get bunnies photographed for August 27.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 9:47 PM 0 comments links to this post
I expect to have a number of nice juniors available. I will also be taking a hard long look at my solid senior does since I am over my limit with them. The only problem is I like them all! I do not anticipate having any senior bucks, unless they are very young seniors. I have a number of promising junior bucks that I will be looking at over the next week and making some decisions about. I seem to have fewer junior does this time around, but there are bound to be a few available as well.
There is an $11 surcharge on all rabbits delivered to Convention (I do not hike up my prices for Convention; I only pass on the cost of cooping them). Rabbits will be entered and scratched, no exceptions. You may remove your rabbit from the Convention showroom between 7:00 a.m. and noon on Thursday, October 27. You must have written permission from the ARBA Convention Grievance Committee to remove rabbits before that time.
I must receive your deposit on or before September 17th (I can accept Paypal and credit cards over the internet). I will be completing my entries on September 18th and must know which rabbits are going and which are staying. I only plan to take presales to Convention.
I cannot meet you before the show to transfer a rabbit to you. If you should not show up for some reason (and there are many legitimate things that could happen), I would have a rabbit with no place to put it. And I'm not sharing my motel room with rabbits all week! Sorry for any inconvenience my policy causes.
Convention really snuck up on me! I will have to get in the barn and make some tough decisions in the next few day and get bunnies photographed for August 27.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 9:47 PM 0 comments links to this post
Links
I have just finished revamping my links page into an entire links section. Please take a moment to check it out. I have added some very interesting and very useful links and have divided links from different categories into different pages. My favorite is a link to rabbit communication information. Check it out.
Previously, I only listed Holland lop rabbitries on my links page, but now I have created a special page just for rabbitries that raise other breeds. I am looking for rabbitries with websites that are interested in exchanging links. If you have a website that is not already listed on my site and would like to exchange links, please let me know. If you have a friend that has a rabbitry website not listed on my website, please let them know that I am interested in exchanging links.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG ¶ 1:46 PM 0 comments links to this post
Previously, I only listed Holland lop rabbitries on my links page, but now I have created a special page just for rabbitries that raise other breeds. I am looking for rabbitries with websites that are interested in exchanging links. If you have a website that is not already listed on my site and would like to exchange links, please let me know. If you have a friend that has a rabbitry website not listed on my website, please let them know that I am interested in exchanging links.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG ¶ 1:46 PM 0 comments links to this post
Fuzzy Hollands
When Hollands were even newer in this country than they are now (at least compared to some of the older breeds), English Spots were bred with them to bring the broken pattern gene into our breed. A side effect was that the fur was shorter. To counteract that effect, wool varieties (Angoras, French Angoras) were added to the mix. That added the wool gene to our gene pool. The wool gene is recessive, so every now and then, more in some lines than others, those genes line up and produce a fuzzy Holland lop.
A fuzzy Holland lop is not an American Fuzzy Lop. If you use fuzzy Hollands in your American Fuzzy Lop program, you will not be able to register the offspring if the registrar is familiar with Holland breeder prefixes and can identify them. However, you can show fuzzy Holllands entered as American Fuzzy Lops, and you may do very well. The standard and the points distribution is different, so be sure to take that into consideration.
If you are not interested in showing your fuzzies, you can easily sell them as pets. While some folks will look at the fuzzies and see all work, others will fall in love at first sight.
If you sell your fuzzy Hollands as pedigreed rabbits, you should be sure that the pedigree indicates that it is a fuzzy Holland and be clear with the buyer.
Another option is to use the fuzzy in your breeding program. A Holland lop with one wool gene may have longish fur, but others do not. Sometimes you will be completely surprised that a particular bunny throws fuzzies. But most of them do have nice, dense fur, which can be a plus. The best way to use your fuzzy Holland is to breed it to a rabbit you are sure does not carry the wool gene. You will get no fuzzies in that litter, but every kit will be a wool gene carrier.
By the way, I wouldn't bother breeding a fuzzy into my program unless he or she had a lot going for them. It's not worth it just to get the wool gene. The conformation-first rule still applies.
If you misjudge and accidentally breed your fuzzy to a wool gene carrier, you should get 1/2 fuzzies and 1/2 non-fuzzy kits. Mark that rabbit as a carrier. In fact, any rabbit that produces a fuzzy is at least a carrier of the wool gene.
If you breed two fuzzies together, all of the kits will be fuzzy.
If a kit is going to be fuzzy, it is noticeable by three to four weeks and undeniable by five weeks. Often they will be very exciting looking kits with large heads and a massive look. Try not to get too excited when you see that; chances are it's a fuzzy.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG ¶ 1:21 PM 0 comments links to this post
A fuzzy Holland lop is not an American Fuzzy Lop. If you use fuzzy Hollands in your American Fuzzy Lop program, you will not be able to register the offspring if the registrar is familiar with Holland breeder prefixes and can identify them. However, you can show fuzzy Holllands entered as American Fuzzy Lops, and you may do very well. The standard and the points distribution is different, so be sure to take that into consideration.
If you are not interested in showing your fuzzies, you can easily sell them as pets. While some folks will look at the fuzzies and see all work, others will fall in love at first sight.
If you sell your fuzzy Hollands as pedigreed rabbits, you should be sure that the pedigree indicates that it is a fuzzy Holland and be clear with the buyer.
Another option is to use the fuzzy in your breeding program. A Holland lop with one wool gene may have longish fur, but others do not. Sometimes you will be completely surprised that a particular bunny throws fuzzies. But most of them do have nice, dense fur, which can be a plus. The best way to use your fuzzy Holland is to breed it to a rabbit you are sure does not carry the wool gene. You will get no fuzzies in that litter, but every kit will be a wool gene carrier.
By the way, I wouldn't bother breeding a fuzzy into my program unless he or she had a lot going for them. It's not worth it just to get the wool gene. The conformation-first rule still applies.
If you misjudge and accidentally breed your fuzzy to a wool gene carrier, you should get 1/2 fuzzies and 1/2 non-fuzzy kits. Mark that rabbit as a carrier. In fact, any rabbit that produces a fuzzy is at least a carrier of the wool gene.
If you breed two fuzzies together, all of the kits will be fuzzy.
If a kit is going to be fuzzy, it is noticeable by three to four weeks and undeniable by five weeks. Often they will be very exciting looking kits with large heads and a massive look. Try not to get too excited when you see that; chances are it's a fuzzy.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG ¶ 1:21 PM 0 comments links to this post
Pass It On
If you enjoy reading this BLOG, why not pass it on? Let one or two or your bunny friends know about it. Reach out to other breeds, too. Having an audience will encourage me to keep on writing!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrai.com/blog/BLOG ¶ 7:21 AM 0 comments links to this post
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrai.com/blog/BLOG ¶ 7:21 AM 0 comments links to this post
Sunday, August 14, 2005
A Little Something Extra
Most of you already know that the basic diet for a herd of rabbits is clean, fresh water, high quality rabbit pellets and hay. But what about giving that little something extra? That's where breeder opinions vary widely. But since this is my blog, I get to tell you what I do!
Oats - I use to feed a lot more oats than I do now. I had originally started out with the idea of giving each rabbit 1 tsp. of oats mixed with a little bit of black oil sunflower seeds. I mixed 5 lbs. of seeds with 40 lbs. of oats. That seemed to be okay for awhile. I had occasional deaths among my 6 to 12 week old bunnies, but thought nothing of it.
After awhile, I let the rabbits convince me to give them more. They seemed to really enjoy it and they weren't getting fat. But I was having more of those deaths. I still thought it was just the normal loss any rabbitry might have. Finally, I started losing pre-juniors about every other day and I was really frustrated. I decided that too many carbs could be the problem and stopped them cold turkey. The deaths stopped immediately.
Two other breeders were having the same problem with their older kits/pre-juniors a few weeks later. I told them my story and they stopped feeding the oats and the deaths stopped.
My new oat policy is to feed rabbits 3 1/2 months and older exactly 1 tsp. of oats during cold weather. I drop the oats altogether in the summer.
Linatone Oil - Allen Ormond recommended Linatone oil to me when I was doing some research for my fur article. I began giving my show bunnies 3 drops per day. I think that it really helped. I got several compliments on my rabbits' fur at Nationals. I dropped the oil over the summer because I don't want to delay molts so that they happen just before Convention.
Show Bloom - I like Show Bloom better than the other supplement I tried. I think that it has more of the ingredients that make a difference and less of what I'm already feeding my rabbits (alfalfa, oats, etc.) Again, I like the effect I've seen in my rabbits' condition.
Raw Sweet Potato - I use raw sweet potato to add some weight to those small, picky eaters. So far, I haven't found one that didn't love it. One buck use to want me to hold it for him while he nibbled on it. A doe I had would snatch it from my hand and run to the back of the cage with it. It was funny to see her occasionally snatch, but miss, and have to come back and snatch it again.
Juicy Herbs - Parlsey, cilantro, taragon, basil, oregano, lemon balm, raspberry leaves, and others grow in my herb garden (somewhere under the weeds). I use them to spark the appetite of a rabbit that is not eating or not eating well. Juicy herbs are part of my treatment for GI stasis (email me for a copy of a very good article on GI stasis that was forwarded to me by a friend).
Kale - I use the kale just like the herbs. Luckily we've come across a really good kale recipe for humans, so I keep it in the refrigerator more often than I use to . The kids love it and the bunnies love it. Yes, you can email me for the recipe.
Shredded Wheat - I use unsweeted shredded wheat and occasionally Cheerios for rabbits who don't eat heartily while traveling. Shredded wheat travels better than herbs, especially in hot weather. It's rare that a rabbit will refuse shredded wheat.
There are other foods I'd like to try. I understand some people give their rabbits tea. One judge likes to give her rabbits chunks of bananas. She likes the affect it has on rabbit production. Carrot tops are favored over the carrots themselves, according to several different breeders. I wish fresh pineapple were not so expensive, I'd love to be able to feed that for the digestive enzymes it contains.
I'd love to hear about some of the treats you feed your rabbits, too.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com/
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 5:34 PM 0 comments links to this post
Oats - I use to feed a lot more oats than I do now. I had originally started out with the idea of giving each rabbit 1 tsp. of oats mixed with a little bit of black oil sunflower seeds. I mixed 5 lbs. of seeds with 40 lbs. of oats. That seemed to be okay for awhile. I had occasional deaths among my 6 to 12 week old bunnies, but thought nothing of it.
After awhile, I let the rabbits convince me to give them more. They seemed to really enjoy it and they weren't getting fat. But I was having more of those deaths. I still thought it was just the normal loss any rabbitry might have. Finally, I started losing pre-juniors about every other day and I was really frustrated. I decided that too many carbs could be the problem and stopped them cold turkey. The deaths stopped immediately.
Two other breeders were having the same problem with their older kits/pre-juniors a few weeks later. I told them my story and they stopped feeding the oats and the deaths stopped.
My new oat policy is to feed rabbits 3 1/2 months and older exactly 1 tsp. of oats during cold weather. I drop the oats altogether in the summer.
Linatone Oil - Allen Ormond recommended Linatone oil to me when I was doing some research for my fur article. I began giving my show bunnies 3 drops per day. I think that it really helped. I got several compliments on my rabbits' fur at Nationals. I dropped the oil over the summer because I don't want to delay molts so that they happen just before Convention.
Show Bloom - I like Show Bloom better than the other supplement I tried. I think that it has more of the ingredients that make a difference and less of what I'm already feeding my rabbits (alfalfa, oats, etc.) Again, I like the effect I've seen in my rabbits' condition.
Raw Sweet Potato - I use raw sweet potato to add some weight to those small, picky eaters. So far, I haven't found one that didn't love it. One buck use to want me to hold it for him while he nibbled on it. A doe I had would snatch it from my hand and run to the back of the cage with it. It was funny to see her occasionally snatch, but miss, and have to come back and snatch it again.
Juicy Herbs - Parlsey, cilantro, taragon, basil, oregano, lemon balm, raspberry leaves, and others grow in my herb garden (somewhere under the weeds). I use them to spark the appetite of a rabbit that is not eating or not eating well. Juicy herbs are part of my treatment for GI stasis (email me for a copy of a very good article on GI stasis that was forwarded to me by a friend).
Kale - I use the kale just like the herbs. Luckily we've come across a really good kale recipe for humans, so I keep it in the refrigerator more often than I use to . The kids love it and the bunnies love it. Yes, you can email me for the recipe.
Shredded Wheat - I use unsweeted shredded wheat and occasionally Cheerios for rabbits who don't eat heartily while traveling. Shredded wheat travels better than herbs, especially in hot weather. It's rare that a rabbit will refuse shredded wheat.
There are other foods I'd like to try. I understand some people give their rabbits tea. One judge likes to give her rabbits chunks of bananas. She likes the affect it has on rabbit production. Carrot tops are favored over the carrots themselves, according to several different breeders. I wish fresh pineapple were not so expensive, I'd love to be able to feed that for the digestive enzymes it contains.
I'd love to hear about some of the treats you feed your rabbits, too.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
www.thenaturetrail.com/
www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG
¶ 5:34 PM 0 comments links to this post
Is My Yahoo! Your Homepage?
If My Yahoo! is your homepage, you can place The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG right on your homepage with two simple button clicks. In the right-hand column of this blog, you see a My Yahoo! button. Press the button. You will see what the entry will look like on your My Yahoo! page. Then click the button available to add the entry to your homepage. It's that simple!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG ¶ 9:01 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 ¶ 9:01 AM 0 comments links to this post