The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG
Monday, October 31, 2005
An 18-Month Year
We are in an 18-month transitional sweeps year. That was one bit of surprising information I learned at the Holland Lop meeting held at the ARBA National Convention last week. There are at least a couple of reasons for the change to a calendar year:
- The sweeps secretary needs more time to get all of the final points entered and posted in time to allow challenges and error corrections before awards are ordered, and
- The budget for awards has dwindle; skipping one year will help that budget catch back up.
I only have two more shows in 2005, so I was already mentally thinking about the sprint to the end of the year. It turns out we're really just beginning a marathon.
This year will be historic. There are three national shows in this sweeps year. A two-convention sweeps year will give an even bigger advantage to those who travel to Convention, in addition to this Convention being a record-breaking show. Points in all categories will be out the roof!
Another effect of the 18-month year is that coops that formed for just one show year will now have to stick it out for 18 months instead of just 12. While that's no problem for permanent coops, ones that have been operating for years, those that just formed for this year on a trial basis may have just gotten a huge surprise.
If you are not sure what sweepstakes, herdsman, and quality points are, you can find information on the Holland Lop Rabbit Special Club site. Just click "Points Standings" and then "Sweepstakes Rules."
You can find my current and previous year's points on my "Points Standings" page of The Nature Trail Rabbitry website.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 9:52 AM 0 comments links to this post
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Week of Reconciliation
I propose that the week after ARBA National Convention and the week after Nationals be designated as a "Semi-Annual Week of Reconciliation."
National shows are great fun, thrilling, and are wonderful opportunities to learn more about rabbits and our hobby. But they are also tiring and stressful, and provide many opportunities for conflict.
Although it is certainly best to apologize as soon as you know you have offended someone, it's not too late to spend some time thinking about the last week, and now, as you feel more rested and less stressed, to say, "I'm sorry." It's not too late to save a friendship or repair a hurt.
Whether your friends and acquaintances decide to forgive and forget is certainly up to them. But whether you decide to hold onto offenses is totally up to you.
If you have a hard time letting go of minor grievances, try writing them down on a sheet of paper. Say to yourself, even out loud, "I forgive you." Then crumble up the sheet and throw it away.
For bigger problems, you may need to open up communication, even if you think it should be the other person who does so. A real friendship is worth more than the price of a rabbit. And a real friend will make allowances for behavior that is the product of stress and exhaustion. A real friend is worth starting an uncomfortable conversation with.
For the biggest problems, you may have to decide that you will never agree or come to terms. But think hard about what it will take not to let those problems or disagreements take over your thoughts or ruin your beloved hobby. There are people that you can just wish "good luck" to but not keep banging your head against the wall trying to make it work.
I know that I personally lost my temper this past week. I hurt people's feelings unintentionally by being thoughtless. I probably hurt other people without even realizing it. I got too wrapped up in myself. I've said, "I'm sorry," to those I realized I hurt, but I also want to say, "I'm sorry," to any that I offended without realizing.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 11:46 AM 0 comments links to this post
National shows are great fun, thrilling, and are wonderful opportunities to learn more about rabbits and our hobby. But they are also tiring and stressful, and provide many opportunities for conflict.
Although it is certainly best to apologize as soon as you know you have offended someone, it's not too late to spend some time thinking about the last week, and now, as you feel more rested and less stressed, to say, "I'm sorry." It's not too late to save a friendship or repair a hurt.
Whether your friends and acquaintances decide to forgive and forget is certainly up to them. But whether you decide to hold onto offenses is totally up to you.
If you have a hard time letting go of minor grievances, try writing them down on a sheet of paper. Say to yourself, even out loud, "I forgive you." Then crumble up the sheet and throw it away.
For bigger problems, you may need to open up communication, even if you think it should be the other person who does so. A real friendship is worth more than the price of a rabbit. And a real friend will make allowances for behavior that is the product of stress and exhaustion. A real friend is worth starting an uncomfortable conversation with.
For the biggest problems, you may have to decide that you will never agree or come to terms. But think hard about what it will take not to let those problems or disagreements take over your thoughts or ruin your beloved hobby. There are people that you can just wish "good luck" to but not keep banging your head against the wall trying to make it work.
I know that I personally lost my temper this past week. I hurt people's feelings unintentionally by being thoughtless. I probably hurt other people without even realizing it. I got too wrapped up in myself. I've said, "I'm sorry," to those I realized I hurt, but I also want to say, "I'm sorry," to any that I offended without realizing.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 11:46 AM 0 comments links to this post
Saturday, October 29, 2005
ARBA National Convention Show Results
I ran rabbits at Convention, moving from table to table as each needed help, but I tried to settle around the Solid Senior Bucks because I didn't have any to show. That way, I wouldn't get too stressed watching my own bunnies on the table. But a break was called and I noticed that the Broken Senior Buck table was getting near the end. On my way back from break, I saw that Rio was still out of his coop. I thought that maybe he had placed high enough to get a number instead of a NP (no place) and I went over to watch the rest of the BSB class.
But by the time I got there, they were finished and a group was heading off to put the winner in his coop. I caught up with them and asked who won. "We don't know," came the lie, with winks behind my back. Then I asked about the ear number. "Don't remember." More winks. We turned onto the aisle and I was just chatting about not knowing how all of this winner stuff works since I had no experience with it. Then someone at the front announced, "Well, there's a flower on the coop." That's when I realized it actually was Rio - all of my coops had a pink carnation on them so I could find them easily in the long rows of coops.
I was so happy to be surrounded by friends and people who could celebrate with me. I kept thinking that I wished my husband Andrew had been there to see my reaction. I shook all over with excitement. And I giggled periodically for no apparent reason on and off the rest of the day. What a feeling.
Later, when I was feeding hay, I found the "2nd Place" sticker on Trevor's cage card. I couldn't believe it. Actually, I wasn't sure I should believe it. But Cheri Bushee came up to me later to make sure that I knew. It was real afterall.
I was running for the broken senior does and was actually the one who got to put May on the table, as a luck of the draw. She's got a very distinctive coat pattern, so I could easily tell that she was still on the table. When they stopped at 10th place to weigh the rabbits, I was so excited. She had placed. I got too flustered to count the placements and thought she was 8th or 9th, but it turned out she was 7th.
I placed three in the top 10 under three different judges and three more in the top 25:
Rio is all about cheeks, head mass, and bone. His fur came together just in the nick of time. I had thought I would not even take him but took one last look and decided that he was near enough the end of his molt to brush out the remaining dead fur. By the time he was shown, it was looking pretty good. Since I didn't show him at Nationals (and then he was BOSG the day after), I would have hated to make the same mistake twice. Rio is one of my two BIS rabbits.
Trevor was the only junior specifically bred for Convention that turned out as well as I had hoped. But, in this case, one was enough. He was a rebreeding of an earlier litter that had turned out well. I think he's actually better than his older brother Franz. No, Trevor doesn't have a page yet on my website, but I owe him one.
May just had kits in September and is not as nice as she once was, but is still a great doe. Both May and Rio are out of Styles does that I purchased and had shipped up from Florida. May was born in a litter of 4 broken does. Three of them (including Hilary) are show does. The 4th I probably would have shown had she not had 3 sisters even better. All 4 sisters were exactly 3.00 when I had them registered. They are very consistent. I repeated the litter and have another broken doe that is looking very promising. There's also a solid buck this time. He looks good, too. I have repeated the litter for a third time and have two more kits in the nest box right now. Guess which breeding I will be doing next time? Yup. I'm sticking with what works! May is one of my two BIS rabbits. She won a BOS at 3 1/2 months, granded soon after she was senior, got her BIS at 7 months old, had 5 kits at 8 1/2 months old and placed at Convention at nearly 10 months old. What else could I ask for?
I bought Roxie's mother last Convention from Jenny Poprawski. Camelot's Diva had 10 legs from her younger days, but was an older, huge brood doe by then with a thickening on one side of her uterus. I knew I was taking a chance and might be wasting my time, but if she produced even one nice doe, it could be worth it. In fact, I got Roxie and a big beautiful brood doe Piccolo. Both are black like their dam and I LOVE black does. So my gamble paid off in a big way. Sometimes, you just have to take a chance.
Hilary, May's sister, was taken directly out of a cage of kits just weaned. Her comment card said "beautiful doe - molty." Perhaps she needs to take a break from baby-making to show for awhile. I actually think their sister Purdy is better than Hilary, but she was at home with kits. All four of the sisters had live babies the first time and tons of milk. What more could I ask of them? Hilary has earned herself a page, too, just as soon as she's not molty anymore.
Gina is second generation The Nature Trail's on her sire's side (out of The Nature Trail's Geordi, now owned by Kim Roberts) and third generation The Nature Trail's on her dam's side (out of The Nature Trail's Nina - sister to GC The Nature Trail's Mercedes). She was a bit young to bring (not even 4 months old), but I'm thrilled with her placement out of 126 broken junior does. I expect she has some even better days ahead of her. Gina is a broken sable point.
If you are wondering about LaForge, Bear, Ox, LL Brendan, and Camelot's Merlin, they were sitting home in a swirl of flying fur.
I will be working hard to produce worthy bunnies for Holland Lop Nationals in Perry, Georgia, next April. I will also have to work hard to keep my expectations in check as First Place is not likely to happen ever again!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 10:29 AM 0 comments links to this post
But by the time I got there, they were finished and a group was heading off to put the winner in his coop. I caught up with them and asked who won. "We don't know," came the lie, with winks behind my back. Then I asked about the ear number. "Don't remember." More winks. We turned onto the aisle and I was just chatting about not knowing how all of this winner stuff works since I had no experience with it. Then someone at the front announced, "Well, there's a flower on the coop." That's when I realized it actually was Rio - all of my coops had a pink carnation on them so I could find them easily in the long rows of coops.
I was so happy to be surrounded by friends and people who could celebrate with me. I kept thinking that I wished my husband Andrew had been there to see my reaction. I shook all over with excitement. And I giggled periodically for no apparent reason on and off the rest of the day. What a feeling.
Later, when I was feeding hay, I found the "2nd Place" sticker on Trevor's cage card. I couldn't believe it. Actually, I wasn't sure I should believe it. But Cheri Bushee came up to me later to make sure that I knew. It was real afterall.
I was running for the broken senior does and was actually the one who got to put May on the table, as a luck of the draw. She's got a very distinctive coat pattern, so I could easily tell that she was still on the table. When they stopped at 10th place to weigh the rabbits, I was so excited. She had placed. I got too flustered to count the placements and thought she was 8th or 9th, but it turned out she was 7th.
I placed three in the top 10 under three different judges and three more in the top 25:
- GC The Nature Trail's Rio - First Place - Broken Senior Buck - 111 shown
- The Nature Trail's Trevor - Second Place - Broken Junior Buck - 136 shown
- GC The Nature Trail's May - Seventh Place - Broken Senior Doe - 73 shown
- GC The Nature Trail's Roxie - Eleventh Place - Solid Senior Doe
- The Nature Trail's Hilary - Eighteenth Place - Broken Senior Doe
- The Nature Trail's Gina - Nineteenth Place - Broken Junior Doe
Rio is all about cheeks, head mass, and bone. His fur came together just in the nick of time. I had thought I would not even take him but took one last look and decided that he was near enough the end of his molt to brush out the remaining dead fur. By the time he was shown, it was looking pretty good. Since I didn't show him at Nationals (and then he was BOSG the day after), I would have hated to make the same mistake twice. Rio is one of my two BIS rabbits.
Trevor was the only junior specifically bred for Convention that turned out as well as I had hoped. But, in this case, one was enough. He was a rebreeding of an earlier litter that had turned out well. I think he's actually better than his older brother Franz. No, Trevor doesn't have a page yet on my website, but I owe him one.
May just had kits in September and is not as nice as she once was, but is still a great doe. Both May and Rio are out of Styles does that I purchased and had shipped up from Florida. May was born in a litter of 4 broken does. Three of them (including Hilary) are show does. The 4th I probably would have shown had she not had 3 sisters even better. All 4 sisters were exactly 3.00 when I had them registered. They are very consistent. I repeated the litter and have another broken doe that is looking very promising. There's also a solid buck this time. He looks good, too. I have repeated the litter for a third time and have two more kits in the nest box right now. Guess which breeding I will be doing next time? Yup. I'm sticking with what works! May is one of my two BIS rabbits. She won a BOS at 3 1/2 months, granded soon after she was senior, got her BIS at 7 months old, had 5 kits at 8 1/2 months old and placed at Convention at nearly 10 months old. What else could I ask for?
I bought Roxie's mother last Convention from Jenny Poprawski. Camelot's Diva had 10 legs from her younger days, but was an older, huge brood doe by then with a thickening on one side of her uterus. I knew I was taking a chance and might be wasting my time, but if she produced even one nice doe, it could be worth it. In fact, I got Roxie and a big beautiful brood doe Piccolo. Both are black like their dam and I LOVE black does. So my gamble paid off in a big way. Sometimes, you just have to take a chance.
Hilary, May's sister, was taken directly out of a cage of kits just weaned. Her comment card said "beautiful doe - molty." Perhaps she needs to take a break from baby-making to show for awhile. I actually think their sister Purdy is better than Hilary, but she was at home with kits. All four of the sisters had live babies the first time and tons of milk. What more could I ask of them? Hilary has earned herself a page, too, just as soon as she's not molty anymore.
Gina is second generation The Nature Trail's on her sire's side (out of The Nature Trail's Geordi, now owned by Kim Roberts) and third generation The Nature Trail's on her dam's side (out of The Nature Trail's Nina - sister to GC The Nature Trail's Mercedes). She was a bit young to bring (not even 4 months old), but I'm thrilled with her placement out of 126 broken junior does. I expect she has some even better days ahead of her. Gina is a broken sable point.
If you are wondering about LaForge, Bear, Ox, LL Brendan, and Camelot's Merlin, they were sitting home in a swirl of flying fur.
I will be working hard to produce worthy bunnies for Holland Lop Nationals in Perry, Georgia, next April. I will also have to work hard to keep my expectations in check as First Place is not likely to happen ever again!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 10:29 AM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, October 28, 2005
Hugs
I've just about decided that the real reason I stay in rabbits is the hugs. As exciting as a win is, it's the hugs we share that make the most difference in my life.
I just returned from the ARBA National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was a record-setting convention with 1360 Holland lop entries in open alone. My youth friends tell me there were over 100 entries in most of their classes. My mini-rex friends reported 1800 + open entries.
All told, that adds up to a lot of hugs.
There are hello hugs. Convention is wonderful for seeing people you only get to see once or twice per year, if you are lucky. Sure, we email back and forth, and we participate in some of the same groups on Yahoo! but you can't hug through those.
And of course, some of the hello hugs are also nice-to-meet-you hugs. I got a great hug from Cheri Bushee. It really didn't matter that she only recognized my face and didn't know my name. The hug came first.
There are celebration hugs. When I found out that The Nature Trail's Rio took first place in the broken senior buck class, I was so happy to be surrounded by friends. And I got my hugs. How lonely the win would have been without them. I also got to celebrate with many people who did well this past week. A few of us are not on first-hug basis yet, but many are.
There are second-hand hugs. My friend Susan was not able to make Convention this year, so I got two from her husband Gary. "That one's from Susan," he said.
There are hugs of support. Convention is long. Convention is stressful. Convention is tiring. And things happen during the week. One of my friends lost an elderly family member during Convention. Another witnessed a rabbit in pain from an injury. Feelings were hurt. The hugs of support help us to make it through.
I took too many pre-sold rabbits to Convention (28 rabbits in all - didn't I say after Nationals I wouldn't do that again?), and I was already worn out by the time I got them cooped. A man walked up to me and told me that his wife had sent him over to give me a hug because I looked like I needed one. I looked over his shoulder and saw my friend Lynda, grinning. I had only met him once, before I knew his wife and I didn't recognize him, but what a nice way to get reacquainted.
And then there are good-bye hugs. That's our last chance to tank up until we meet again. They may be sadder hugs - hugs that help us let go of the excitement of the week. Or they may be "one for the road" hugs. I know I came home full of hugs. I'm physically depleted, but emotionally filled up.
If you saw March of the Penguins, you may have been struck as I was by the huddled mass staying close together to weather the storm and keep warm. The birds in the middle of the crowd keep the warmest. But all of the penguins rotate so that each gets to spend some time in the middle of the group.
It is very warm in the middle of a friendly group of Holland breeders. But I hope we never get to enjoying the warmth so much that we forget the ones on the outside looking in, feeling a bit chilly. We each need to spend some time going out to new people, people who have not connected or met others yet, and pull them in to the middle, where they can experience the warmth of this wonderful group of people in the middle of our wonderful hobby.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 4:01 PM 1 comments links to this post
I just returned from the ARBA National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was a record-setting convention with 1360 Holland lop entries in open alone. My youth friends tell me there were over 100 entries in most of their classes. My mini-rex friends reported 1800 + open entries.
All told, that adds up to a lot of hugs.
There are hello hugs. Convention is wonderful for seeing people you only get to see once or twice per year, if you are lucky. Sure, we email back and forth, and we participate in some of the same groups on Yahoo! but you can't hug through those.
And of course, some of the hello hugs are also nice-to-meet-you hugs. I got a great hug from Cheri Bushee. It really didn't matter that she only recognized my face and didn't know my name. The hug came first.
There are celebration hugs. When I found out that The Nature Trail's Rio took first place in the broken senior buck class, I was so happy to be surrounded by friends. And I got my hugs. How lonely the win would have been without them. I also got to celebrate with many people who did well this past week. A few of us are not on first-hug basis yet, but many are.
There are second-hand hugs. My friend Susan was not able to make Convention this year, so I got two from her husband Gary. "That one's from Susan," he said.
There are hugs of support. Convention is long. Convention is stressful. Convention is tiring. And things happen during the week. One of my friends lost an elderly family member during Convention. Another witnessed a rabbit in pain from an injury. Feelings were hurt. The hugs of support help us to make it through.
I took too many pre-sold rabbits to Convention (28 rabbits in all - didn't I say after Nationals I wouldn't do that again?), and I was already worn out by the time I got them cooped. A man walked up to me and told me that his wife had sent him over to give me a hug because I looked like I needed one. I looked over his shoulder and saw my friend Lynda, grinning. I had only met him once, before I knew his wife and I didn't recognize him, but what a nice way to get reacquainted.
And then there are good-bye hugs. That's our last chance to tank up until we meet again. They may be sadder hugs - hugs that help us let go of the excitement of the week. Or they may be "one for the road" hugs. I know I came home full of hugs. I'm physically depleted, but emotionally filled up.
If you saw March of the Penguins, you may have been struck as I was by the huddled mass staying close together to weather the storm and keep warm. The birds in the middle of the crowd keep the warmest. But all of the penguins rotate so that each gets to spend some time in the middle of the group.
It is very warm in the middle of a friendly group of Holland breeders. But I hope we never get to enjoying the warmth so much that we forget the ones on the outside looking in, feeling a bit chilly. We each need to spend some time going out to new people, people who have not connected or met others yet, and pull them in to the middle, where they can experience the warmth of this wonderful group of people in the middle of our wonderful hobby.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 4:01 PM 1 comments links to this post
Thursday, October 20, 2005
BLOG Break
I'll be taking a break from blogging until November 28 while I attend the National ARBA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.
I plan to learn and experience much over the next week and will share it all with you through my BLOGs and pictures when I return.
By the way, my new Precious Pet Rabbits business cards arrived today (see my BLOG from October 12). They look really nice and arrived just in time.
I got a lot of breeding done today - 11 does. It was apparently just the right day. They each bred quickly and I was able to breed each twice (with just a couple of exceptions). I've heard other local breeders say they are also able to breed right now. Last Saturday, it was a totally different story. My friend Lisa and I attempted to breed about a half dozen different does and got not a single one bred.
I've had 21 kits born in the last week or so. These will be my oldest juniors for Holland Lop Nationals. The kits from today's breeding will be juniors of acceptable showing age for HL Nationals as well. I've got my fingers crossed that one or two of them will be good enough to show at a national level. Or at least good enough not to embarrass me!
For those of you headed to Convention, I'll see you soon. For those staying home, talk to you when I get back.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 6:37 PM 0 comments links to this post
I plan to learn and experience much over the next week and will share it all with you through my BLOGs and pictures when I return.
By the way, my new Precious Pet Rabbits business cards arrived today (see my BLOG from October 12). They look really nice and arrived just in time.
I got a lot of breeding done today - 11 does. It was apparently just the right day. They each bred quickly and I was able to breed each twice (with just a couple of exceptions). I've heard other local breeders say they are also able to breed right now. Last Saturday, it was a totally different story. My friend Lisa and I attempted to breed about a half dozen different does and got not a single one bred.
I've had 21 kits born in the last week or so. These will be my oldest juniors for Holland Lop Nationals. The kits from today's breeding will be juniors of acceptable showing age for HL Nationals as well. I've got my fingers crossed that one or two of them will be good enough to show at a national level. Or at least good enough not to embarrass me!
For those of you headed to Convention, I'll see you soon. For those staying home, talk to you when I get back.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 6:37 PM 0 comments links to this post
Mean Does
A pregnant doe or a doe that badly wants to be bred can be mean as a rattlesnake.
I've had a few pregnant does charge me, and one or two have bitten me. I do put up with it in pregnant does. I do not put up with that behavior from bucks, though. They don't have the excuse that their hormones are raging (and, by the eay, does can act that way when they really want to be bred, too).
Those same does can be sweeties when they have their babies, though. Katee use to bite and charge, but after a couple of litters, she doesn't even do that when pregnant now. She's a total darling. To meet her now, you'd think I'd been telling tales on her.
Some people take to wearing gloves with pregnant does. I found that the gloves scared them even more. They tend to charge things even more than they charge me. And pregnant does like strangers even less than they like things poking into their cages. Warn any substitute caregivers about cranky does.
I find that it is best just to take more time with a high strung, pregnant doe. Make sure you talk to her and get her attention before you put your hand into her cage. Never surprise her or you could end up the one with the bigger surprise. Move slowly and at her level. If that still doesn't work, then distract her into one corner while you remove her bowl for refilling. Or, remove her from the cage while you do your chores. That cage is now her nest spot and she might not want anyone messing with it for any reason.
If it is any consolation, I have found that does that are mean during pregnancy usually make great moms. They have lots of hormonal activity and that usually means good millk and strong mothering instincts.
I've had a few pregnant does charge me, and one or two have bitten me. I do put up with it in pregnant does. I do not put up with that behavior from bucks, though. They don't have the excuse that their hormones are raging (and, by the eay, does can act that way when they really want to be bred, too).
Those same does can be sweeties when they have their babies, though. Katee use to bite and charge, but after a couple of litters, she doesn't even do that when pregnant now. She's a total darling. To meet her now, you'd think I'd been telling tales on her.
Some people take to wearing gloves with pregnant does. I found that the gloves scared them even more. They tend to charge things even more than they charge me. And pregnant does like strangers even less than they like things poking into their cages. Warn any substitute caregivers about cranky does.
I find that it is best just to take more time with a high strung, pregnant doe. Make sure you talk to her and get her attention before you put your hand into her cage. Never surprise her or you could end up the one with the bigger surprise. Move slowly and at her level. If that still doesn't work, then distract her into one corner while you remove her bowl for refilling. Or, remove her from the cage while you do your chores. That cage is now her nest spot and she might not want anyone messing with it for any reason.
If it is any consolation, I have found that does that are mean during pregnancy usually make great moms. They have lots of hormonal activity and that usually means good millk and strong mothering instincts.
Although I am very lenient with cranky does, they must come around at some point, or they cannot stay in my barn. Temperament is an important ingredient in your breeding program, in my opinion. The trick is to identify which actions are temperament and which are just the temporary effect of raging hormones.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Sanctions
I believe there are a few misconceptions about rabbit show sanctions. Truthfully, I hear little discussion about it. So here goes one.
When you see "sanctioned breeds" on a show catalog, what do you think that means? Do you think those are the only rabbits that can be shown? If the show is an ARBA-sanctioned all-breed show, then those breeds listed are the ones that are sanctioned also by the national specialty club. All breeds are sanctioned by ARBA in an ARBA-sanctioned all-breed show.
If you show a rabbit at an ARBA all-breed sanctioned show, you can earn ARBA legs, whether or not the sponsoring club sanctioned your breed through the national specialty club. Legs are an ARBA thing. Grand champion certificates are issued by ARBA. Best In Show certificates are issued by ARBA.
If you want to participate in the national sweepstakes sponsored by your national specialty club, that's when the breed sanction becomes important. If you want sweepstakes points, or herdsman points, or quality points, you must participate in specialty club sanctioned shows.
Now for your Holland lops, that's generally not a problem. I've never seen an ARBA-sanctioned all-breed show that did not also sanction Hollands with the Holland Lop Rabbit Specialty Club (HLRSC). But many exhibitors show more than one breed. That's when this information becomes important. And, many of us belong to clubs that sponsor shows. That information is also important for show planning.
If you do not see your breed listed as sanctioned for an ARBA-sanctioned all breed show, here are some things you can do:
When you see "sanctioned breeds" on a show catalog, what do you think that means? Do you think those are the only rabbits that can be shown? If the show is an ARBA-sanctioned all-breed show, then those breeds listed are the ones that are sanctioned also by the national specialty club. All breeds are sanctioned by ARBA in an ARBA-sanctioned all-breed show.
If you show a rabbit at an ARBA all-breed sanctioned show, you can earn ARBA legs, whether or not the sponsoring club sanctioned your breed through the national specialty club. Legs are an ARBA thing. Grand champion certificates are issued by ARBA. Best In Show certificates are issued by ARBA.
If you want to participate in the national sweepstakes sponsored by your national specialty club, that's when the breed sanction becomes important. If you want sweepstakes points, or herdsman points, or quality points, you must participate in specialty club sanctioned shows.
Now for your Holland lops, that's generally not a problem. I've never seen an ARBA-sanctioned all-breed show that did not also sanction Hollands with the Holland Lop Rabbit Specialty Club (HLRSC). But many exhibitors show more than one breed. That's when this information becomes important. And, many of us belong to clubs that sponsor shows. That information is also important for show planning.
If you do not see your breed listed as sanctioned for an ARBA-sanctioned all breed show, here are some things you can do:
- If you do not participate in the national sweepstakes or do not think you are ready to be nationally competitive in that breed, just show without the specialty sanction. You can still earn legs (if there are at least two other exhibitors and five rabbits). And, you can still have a chance to compete for the Best In Show award.
- Ask the club to sanction your breed. Sometimes a club is not aware of the interest.
- Talk to others who show your breed and encourage them to show with you. The more interest, the more likely a club is to sanction your breed.
- Offer to pay the sanction fee if there are less than x number of entries. That way, if you can get enough interest up, the club would pay just like they do for the other breeds. But if there's little interest, you are guaranteed to have your breed sanctioned with the national specialty club.
- Offer to pay the sanction fee yourself. Find other breeders to share the cost, if necessary. Get involved early enough that your breed can be advertised in the show catalog.
Regardless of your choice, talk to the sponsoring club early. Not all club sponsors understand the difference in the sanctions and may need a little time to adjust their thinking. And, the show superintendent needs to know about additional breeds to schedule judges' times so that things run smoothly on the day of the show
If you wish to show a rabbit that has a working standard (but is not yet full sanctioned), be sure to talk to the show superintendent and/or show secretary early about these entries as well. And, even though a show does not have to allow other breeds still working on their first presentation, if you talk with the superintendent early and explain your interest, you may even be able to enter those rabbits for an unofficial competition and judge's feedback. Rabbits shown under working standards may not earn legs or compete for the Best Of Show award.
You must bring a copy of the working standard with you. And you should not show varieties with working standards as part of your sanctioned breed entry. For example, if you want to show a broken Netherland Dwarf, do not enter it with your other Netherlands. Mark it as an exhibition-only entry to be shown under a working standard.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
I Don't Like Spiders And Snakes
My good friend Lisa came up on Saturday to visit the rabbitry. While there, I noticed something floating in a crock of water inside the cage of a couple of promising youngsters. Believe it or not, it was a shiny black spider with the distinctive red hourglass design on the bottom. It was obviously dead, but creeped us out nonetheless.
While down in Perry, GA, recently, I heard a breeder say that he found a 7' black snake in one of his cages. It had just devoured a number of kits. That was his last meal.
My friend Linda saw two snakes this summer. One was in the barn. She spread sulfur on the ground around her barn to discourage snakes. I hope that worked for her. I can't stand snakes - even the beneficial ones.
If you can stand the noise of guineas, they will attack snakes (even poisonous ones) and either kill it or annoy it to death. You must have a group of guineas, though, because they work together. We had some, but we cannot stand the "gripe, gripe . . . gripe, gripe . . . gripe, gripe" sound they constantly make. And our dogs never welcomed them to the family, so they were not a good option for us.
I use to think that raccoons were really cute. That is, until I learned that they will reach right into your cage and snatch out your baby rabbits. I knew they ate fish, so I should have figured that they'd eat other meat. I see raccoons in a totally different light now.
My nephew's dog is one of the main reasons we now have a barn. In the beginning, our rabbits were housed in the overhang of the shed. Our dogs and cats did not bother the rabbits at all (I did find my cats curled up sleeping on top of the cages occasionally). But Dixie, a chocolate lab, loved to run under the cages and snap at the rabbits. Since a dog can kill a rabbit without even touching him, we had to fence in the sides of the overhang. But since those mean raccoons could still get it, we decided to build a barn with wire mesh over the windows to prevent any large animal from entering. Of course, I built the barn to house just a few more rabbits than the shed.
We placed rocks around the foundation of the barn and mixed them in with the soil as we back filled around the bottom of our pole construction. We have a gravel floor in the barn. I hoped that would deter animals from digging under. So far, it has.
One warm night we had our windows open and awoke to dogs yapping and a strong odor. They had a skunk trapped against the house. So we tried to shoo the whole group away from the house (especially our bedroom window). So they then trapped it against the side of the barn. Thanks. I figure that if that skunk could have found a way under the barn that night, it would have. But it had no luck. The next morning the skunk was gone, but we had some pretty foul smelling lumber stacked in the overhang of the barn and two really stinky dogs.
One very rainy evening, I got stuck in the barn while water just poured from heaven. When the rain let up a little bit, I opened the door a bit to see if I could dash inside. There sat a large bullfrog. He just sat there with huge pleading eyes. It was if he knew that there was a smorgashboard of flies and other insects in the barn and he was just begging to come in for awhile. I actually considered it, but I wasn't sure if frogs carry diseases damaging to rabbits. And I would hate to step on frog in the barn. So it wasn't his lucky day.
I really do hate spiders, but one insect I really like is the Preying Mantis. Occasionally I see them walking on the screens to the barn window. I think they, and those bugs that look like leaves, are very interesting. And I like to think that the mantis is helping himself to as many other insects as he can get.
I never knew when I got into rabbits that I would have so many encounters with so many other animals as well!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 9:05 AM 0 comments links to this post
While down in Perry, GA, recently, I heard a breeder say that he found a 7' black snake in one of his cages. It had just devoured a number of kits. That was his last meal.
My friend Linda saw two snakes this summer. One was in the barn. She spread sulfur on the ground around her barn to discourage snakes. I hope that worked for her. I can't stand snakes - even the beneficial ones.
If you can stand the noise of guineas, they will attack snakes (even poisonous ones) and either kill it or annoy it to death. You must have a group of guineas, though, because they work together. We had some, but we cannot stand the "gripe, gripe . . . gripe, gripe . . . gripe, gripe" sound they constantly make. And our dogs never welcomed them to the family, so they were not a good option for us.
I use to think that raccoons were really cute. That is, until I learned that they will reach right into your cage and snatch out your baby rabbits. I knew they ate fish, so I should have figured that they'd eat other meat. I see raccoons in a totally different light now.
My nephew's dog is one of the main reasons we now have a barn. In the beginning, our rabbits were housed in the overhang of the shed. Our dogs and cats did not bother the rabbits at all (I did find my cats curled up sleeping on top of the cages occasionally). But Dixie, a chocolate lab, loved to run under the cages and snap at the rabbits. Since a dog can kill a rabbit without even touching him, we had to fence in the sides of the overhang. But since those mean raccoons could still get it, we decided to build a barn with wire mesh over the windows to prevent any large animal from entering. Of course, I built the barn to house just a few more rabbits than the shed.
We placed rocks around the foundation of the barn and mixed them in with the soil as we back filled around the bottom of our pole construction. We have a gravel floor in the barn. I hoped that would deter animals from digging under. So far, it has.
One warm night we had our windows open and awoke to dogs yapping and a strong odor. They had a skunk trapped against the house. So we tried to shoo the whole group away from the house (especially our bedroom window). So they then trapped it against the side of the barn. Thanks. I figure that if that skunk could have found a way under the barn that night, it would have. But it had no luck. The next morning the skunk was gone, but we had some pretty foul smelling lumber stacked in the overhang of the barn and two really stinky dogs.
One very rainy evening, I got stuck in the barn while water just poured from heaven. When the rain let up a little bit, I opened the door a bit to see if I could dash inside. There sat a large bullfrog. He just sat there with huge pleading eyes. It was if he knew that there was a smorgashboard of flies and other insects in the barn and he was just begging to come in for awhile. I actually considered it, but I wasn't sure if frogs carry diseases damaging to rabbits. And I would hate to step on frog in the barn. So it wasn't his lucky day.
I really do hate spiders, but one insect I really like is the Preying Mantis. Occasionally I see them walking on the screens to the barn window. I think they, and those bugs that look like leaves, are very interesting. And I like to think that the mantis is helping himself to as many other insects as he can get.
I never knew when I got into rabbits that I would have so many encounters with so many other animals as well!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 9:05 AM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, October 17, 2005
Web Site Enhancement
As I write this post, I am in the process of uploading a major change to my website. In the future, you will find a mini-site map at the bottom of each page. There are two rows of four columns each containing the subpages under the main headings. There may be sub-sub pages under some of those pages as well, but the mini site map should help you get around faster and easier.
I am more than halfway finished changing over the website to the new format. That should be finished by November 1, I hope. After that, I plan to add more articles to my site and to update pictures. I promise. Perhaps the cold weather will help my bunnies with their fur and they will be photo-ready soon.
If there are topics you would like to see addressed on my website or BLOG, please drop me an email at Laurie@thenaturetrail.com/. I'm always open to new ideas.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 10:06 AM 0 comments links to this post
I am more than halfway finished changing over the website to the new format. That should be finished by November 1, I hope. After that, I plan to add more articles to my site and to update pictures. I promise. Perhaps the cold weather will help my bunnies with their fur and they will be photo-ready soon.
If there are topics you would like to see addressed on my website or BLOG, please drop me an email at Laurie@thenaturetrail.com/. I'm always open to new ideas.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 10:06 AM 0 comments links to this post
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Blue Point or Smoke Pearl?
Blue point is a tough color for Holland lops. They are absolutely beautiful rabbits and they are not showable, for some crazy reason. They are part of a quadrangle of colors: sable point, black sable (Siamese Sable), blue point, and blue sable (smoke pearl). All of the other three are showable.
I say that they are a quadrangle because they have three genes the same: aa, B-, cchl-. It's the d and e genes that make the difference.
The two dense colors are sable point and Siamese sable. They are very easy to tell apart. One has a cream body and the other is dark, dark sepia. There's no confusion there.
The two dilutes are the ones that are often confused. A blue point has a pearl body with blue points. A smoke pearl is rich smoke gray on the body that fades to a light pearl. The face is dark. The problem is that both are fairly rare and so few breeders, and probably even fewer judges, have seen enough of them to be confident in their identification.
Back before I understood the genetic difference, I showed several blue points accidentally, having been told they were smoke pearls. Judges will call them light smoke pearls and I even got positive comments on the wonderful color. In fact, they should have been DQ'd.
Let me pass on one huge hint in identifying your blue points. This pointer came to me from Mary Justice of Dwarfs R Us. It wasn't that I didn't already know the information, but she helped crystalize it in my mind. A blue point has recessive "ee" and a smoke pearl has a dominant "E". In order to have a smoke pearl, you MUST have at least one parent with a dominant E gene. That is, you will never get a smoke pearl if both parents are any of the following:
Of course, when there is an "E" parent (black, Siamese sable, smoke pearl, blue, chin, etc.), you are back to having to tell the different yourself. One thing to remember is that the smoke pearl and blue point are almost the reverse of each other. The blue point is pearl on the body and shades to blue. The smoke pearl is smoke gray on the body and face, and shades to pearl.
I personally think that a smoke pearl looks more like a blue than a blue point. The difference there is that a blue is the same color all over. The belly of a smoke pearl should be lighter.
I hope that someone will one day take out a certificate on blue point. It's a gorgeous, gorgeous color. It's a shame not to be able to show them legitimately.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 12:35 AM 0 comments links to this post
I say that they are a quadrangle because they have three genes the same: aa, B-, cchl-. It's the d and e genes that make the difference.
- Sable Point is E- ee,
- Blue Point is dd ee,
- Siamese Sable is D- E-, and
- Smoke Pearl is dd E-.
The two dense colors are sable point and Siamese sable. They are very easy to tell apart. One has a cream body and the other is dark, dark sepia. There's no confusion there.
The two dilutes are the ones that are often confused. A blue point has a pearl body with blue points. A smoke pearl is rich smoke gray on the body that fades to a light pearl. The face is dark. The problem is that both are fairly rare and so few breeders, and probably even fewer judges, have seen enough of them to be confident in their identification.
Back before I understood the genetic difference, I showed several blue points accidentally, having been told they were smoke pearls. Judges will call them light smoke pearls and I even got positive comments on the wonderful color. In fact, they should have been DQ'd.
Let me pass on one huge hint in identifying your blue points. This pointer came to me from Mary Justice of Dwarfs R Us. It wasn't that I didn't already know the information, but she helped crystalize it in my mind. A blue point has recessive "ee" and a smoke pearl has a dominant "E". In order to have a smoke pearl, you MUST have at least one parent with a dominant E gene. That is, you will never get a smoke pearl if both parents are any of the following:
- tort
- blue tort
- sable point
- blue point
- orange
- fawn
- any other "ee" color
Of course, when there is an "E" parent (black, Siamese sable, smoke pearl, blue, chin, etc.), you are back to having to tell the different yourself. One thing to remember is that the smoke pearl and blue point are almost the reverse of each other. The blue point is pearl on the body and shades to blue. The smoke pearl is smoke gray on the body and face, and shades to pearl.
I personally think that a smoke pearl looks more like a blue than a blue point. The difference there is that a blue is the same color all over. The belly of a smoke pearl should be lighter.
I hope that someone will one day take out a certificate on blue point. It's a gorgeous, gorgeous color. It's a shame not to be able to show them legitimately.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 12:35 AM 0 comments links to this post
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Fall Maintenance
It's finally time to put away the fans. Yeah! But before they go into the shed for the winter, they will get a thorough cleaning. I'm determined to figure out which part needs to be oiled or whatever to keep them in optimal condition. I will probably forget about them completely until a hot spring day when I will need them to unfailingly spring into action.
These pleasant fall days are perfect for shoveling and dumping manure. Before long, it will be chilly or downright cold outside. Right now, I can plan next spring's garden and set the manure to doing its thing all winter long.
Immediately after Convention and right after Holland Lop Nationals, my barn has the lowest occupancy rate of the year. And the weather is mild, so that makes it a perfect time to unhang every cage to pressure wash them. I'm really looking forward to that. The pressure washer works so well that I almost feel like I have a brand new barn.
I also need to look ahead to see if my tarps are in good condition from last year. My barn is very open for ventilation during warm water. The rabbits are protected from predators by wire mesh, but the breeze can get to every part of the barn (except that one hot corner). But we live on a windy hilltop and that's much too much cold, rainy wind in the winter, in my opinion. So, I cover these huge windows with tarps on the north side and clear plastic on the south side when the weather gets rough.
Laset year, I promised myself that I would look into a heated, recirculating water system for my automatic watering lines. I guess time is running out to get that set up before freezing weather hits us. There were several days last December even when the lines froze. And December is just about 6 weeks away.
I suppose it's also time to start looking at the show schedule for the winter. Right now, I have my schedule lined up through Christmas. Right after Convention, I need to start figuring out where I will show for January, February, and perhaps March.
I will be finishing up breeding for young juniors at Holland Lop Nationals today. My next breedings can be more experimental in nature since the kits won't be competing at a national level as a junior. That should be a fun time to try some different things. I'll be spending some time thinking about what I want to try next.
Since I breed all winter, I think I should also get out my nest box warmers and make sure they still work. I only use them for singletons or very precious litters (perhaps a litter from a hard-to-breed or older doe). But they do come in handy from time to time.
I'm sure I'll think of a few more things that need to be done this fall. I'll probably think of them on a frozen winter's day with regret that I didn't do them earlier! But I'll have enough to do to keep me busy for awhile.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG/html
¶ 8:52 AM 0 comments links to this post
These pleasant fall days are perfect for shoveling and dumping manure. Before long, it will be chilly or downright cold outside. Right now, I can plan next spring's garden and set the manure to doing its thing all winter long.
Immediately after Convention and right after Holland Lop Nationals, my barn has the lowest occupancy rate of the year. And the weather is mild, so that makes it a perfect time to unhang every cage to pressure wash them. I'm really looking forward to that. The pressure washer works so well that I almost feel like I have a brand new barn.
I also need to look ahead to see if my tarps are in good condition from last year. My barn is very open for ventilation during warm water. The rabbits are protected from predators by wire mesh, but the breeze can get to every part of the barn (except that one hot corner). But we live on a windy hilltop and that's much too much cold, rainy wind in the winter, in my opinion. So, I cover these huge windows with tarps on the north side and clear plastic on the south side when the weather gets rough.
Laset year, I promised myself that I would look into a heated, recirculating water system for my automatic watering lines. I guess time is running out to get that set up before freezing weather hits us. There were several days last December even when the lines froze. And December is just about 6 weeks away.
I suppose it's also time to start looking at the show schedule for the winter. Right now, I have my schedule lined up through Christmas. Right after Convention, I need to start figuring out where I will show for January, February, and perhaps March.
I will be finishing up breeding for young juniors at Holland Lop Nationals today. My next breedings can be more experimental in nature since the kits won't be competing at a national level as a junior. That should be a fun time to try some different things. I'll be spending some time thinking about what I want to try next.
Since I breed all winter, I think I should also get out my nest box warmers and make sure they still work. I only use them for singletons or very precious litters (perhaps a litter from a hard-to-breed or older doe). But they do come in handy from time to time.
I'm sure I'll think of a few more things that need to be done this fall. I'll probably think of them on a frozen winter's day with regret that I didn't do them earlier! But I'll have enough to do to keep me busy for awhile.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG/html
¶ 8:52 AM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, October 14, 2005
"Web Design" Navigation Updated
If you have tried to view the Web Design section of my website and were unable to retrieve the pages, please try again. The link has been updated.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction ¶ 11:59 AM links to this post
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction ¶ 11:59 AM links to this post
Your Rabbits Are Black Or Chocolate
Every rabbit you have is either black or chocolate. That is, it belongs to either a black family of colors or a chocolate family of colors. There are only two choices and it's one or the other.
When I first started out in rabbits, colors seemed to be pretty random and unrelated. I learned "tort" early on. One of our first rabbits just happened to be a tort. You are probably saying that's a given. But since we bought our first rabbits from Mary Justice, the queen of color, getting a tort was more the exception than the rule there.
[I had never seen a tort rabbit before getting into Hollands. We named our first one Nutmeg. When we went to our first show, one of my younger children exclaimed, "Look, Mom, a whole tray of Nutmegs!"]
But I also got from Mary a broken seal silver marten, a sable point otter (also called sable point marten), a blue-eyed white (BEW) and a Siamese sable in the very first group of rabbits. The BEW and Siamese sable were Netherland dwarfs, so I guess we actually got those from Garrett. They didn't stay long, but long enough to get a litter. In any case, my interest in color was sparked from the absolute beginning.
I bought the genetics portion to Breeders' Assistant, which is the software I use. My kids and I loved to perform trial breedings on the software to see what we might get. After "playing" with the software for hours, having a great time, patterns started to emerge. After entering a few dozen rabbits into the database, including their genotype information, I started to understand a few things about rabbit genetics. Then it was time to hit the books.
I learned even more when I wrote the rabbit genetics section to my website. And final touch to help me bring it all together was figuring out how to show all of the different combinations of the A, B, C, D, and E genes (not including Es and Ej) on one chart. That's when all of the relationships among the colors finally clicked in my head.
One of the stumbling blocks to learning the colors is the common names that are used. Madagascar, Isabella, Siamese sable, smoke pearl, and so forth, are not as descriptive as black tortoiseshell (note that even the light colored torts are actually black tortoiseshell), blue tortoiseshell, black sable, and blue sable. Notice how the relationships are so clear with the latter names than the former - and those are the same four colors in the same order.
So back to the black and chocolate. Black colors cover the vast majority of the Hollands being shown today: tort (ever wondered why I use the full term "black tortoiseshell"?), sable point, orange, chinchilla, blue, and so forth. Yes, blue rabbits are black, too. At least on the black-chocolate gene question. For every color in the black family, you can add the word "blue" or "black" to more fully describe the color.
For every black color, there is a corresponding chocolate color. And lilacs, the dilutes of the chocolates, are chocolates, too, in terms of their bb genes. Check out the chart of 144 rabbit coat colors. You will see that the first line in each couple contains a row of black family colors and the second line in each pair shows the corresponding chocolate family colors.
The chocolate family of Hollands is not as well developed as torts or even the rest of the black family of colors. It's nice to know that, if I should ever get my torts where I want them, there are many other black family colors to work on. And if I am ever satisfied with them, I can start all over again in chocolates.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 9:57 AM 0 comments links to this post
When I first started out in rabbits, colors seemed to be pretty random and unrelated. I learned "tort" early on. One of our first rabbits just happened to be a tort. You are probably saying that's a given. But since we bought our first rabbits from Mary Justice, the queen of color, getting a tort was more the exception than the rule there.
[I had never seen a tort rabbit before getting into Hollands. We named our first one Nutmeg. When we went to our first show, one of my younger children exclaimed, "Look, Mom, a whole tray of Nutmegs!"]
But I also got from Mary a broken seal silver marten, a sable point otter (also called sable point marten), a blue-eyed white (BEW) and a Siamese sable in the very first group of rabbits. The BEW and Siamese sable were Netherland dwarfs, so I guess we actually got those from Garrett. They didn't stay long, but long enough to get a litter. In any case, my interest in color was sparked from the absolute beginning.
I bought the genetics portion to Breeders' Assistant, which is the software I use. My kids and I loved to perform trial breedings on the software to see what we might get. After "playing" with the software for hours, having a great time, patterns started to emerge. After entering a few dozen rabbits into the database, including their genotype information, I started to understand a few things about rabbit genetics. Then it was time to hit the books.
I learned even more when I wrote the rabbit genetics section to my website. And final touch to help me bring it all together was figuring out how to show all of the different combinations of the A, B, C, D, and E genes (not including Es and Ej) on one chart. That's when all of the relationships among the colors finally clicked in my head.
One of the stumbling blocks to learning the colors is the common names that are used. Madagascar, Isabella, Siamese sable, smoke pearl, and so forth, are not as descriptive as black tortoiseshell (note that even the light colored torts are actually black tortoiseshell), blue tortoiseshell, black sable, and blue sable. Notice how the relationships are so clear with the latter names than the former - and those are the same four colors in the same order.
So back to the black and chocolate. Black colors cover the vast majority of the Hollands being shown today: tort (ever wondered why I use the full term "black tortoiseshell"?), sable point, orange, chinchilla, blue, and so forth. Yes, blue rabbits are black, too. At least on the black-chocolate gene question. For every color in the black family, you can add the word "blue" or "black" to more fully describe the color.
For every black color, there is a corresponding chocolate color. And lilacs, the dilutes of the chocolates, are chocolates, too, in terms of their bb genes. Check out the chart of 144 rabbit coat colors. You will see that the first line in each couple contains a row of black family colors and the second line in each pair shows the corresponding chocolate family colors.
The chocolate family of Hollands is not as well developed as torts or even the rest of the black family of colors. It's nice to know that, if I should ever get my torts where I want them, there are many other black family colors to work on. And if I am ever satisfied with them, I can start all over again in chocolates.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 9:57 AM 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, October 13, 2005
An Ethical End
You don't want to read this post. I know because I don't want to write it. When all of your rabbits are healthy and things are going well, we don't want to think there will be a time when we must at least consider putting a rabbit down.
But when your rabbit is injured or very sick is not the time to mull over how you will handle things. It is better to do it when things are going well and you can think about it with a clear head. Then you can be prepared and act decisively if a rabbit needs to have a quick, ethical end.
I am not going to tell you which method to use. I can't do that. I can say that your method should be chosen based on what is best for the rabbit rather than what is best for you. "Out of sight, out of mind," has no place here, in my opinion.
Now that's tough talk from a woman who cannot put down her rabbits. I am a whimp. I know it. I tried with a really sick rabbit that was a clear-cut case. I stood there for 15 minutes until Andrew said he'd do it for me. Then he stood there for 15 minutes until I took back over. After another 15 minutes of standing there, not able to go through with it, we figured we'd have to find another way.
I came across a website from a breeder who is now out of rabbits. The article on euthanasia is still there. There's a place where the paragraphs repeat, but just skip over those and keep reading. It's by Deb Jones of Prarie Winds Rabbitry (PW).
Humane Rabbit Euthanasia
I promise a more cheerful post tomorrow. But it probably won't be nearly as important as the one today.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 10:23 AM 0 comments links to this post
But when your rabbit is injured or very sick is not the time to mull over how you will handle things. It is better to do it when things are going well and you can think about it with a clear head. Then you can be prepared and act decisively if a rabbit needs to have a quick, ethical end.
I am not going to tell you which method to use. I can't do that. I can say that your method should be chosen based on what is best for the rabbit rather than what is best for you. "Out of sight, out of mind," has no place here, in my opinion.
Now that's tough talk from a woman who cannot put down her rabbits. I am a whimp. I know it. I tried with a really sick rabbit that was a clear-cut case. I stood there for 15 minutes until Andrew said he'd do it for me. Then he stood there for 15 minutes until I took back over. After another 15 minutes of standing there, not able to go through with it, we figured we'd have to find another way.
I came across a website from a breeder who is now out of rabbits. The article on euthanasia is still there. There's a place where the paragraphs repeat, but just skip over those and keep reading. It's by Deb Jones of Prarie Winds Rabbitry (PW).
Humane Rabbit Euthanasia
I promise a more cheerful post tomorrow. But it probably won't be nearly as important as the one today.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 10:23 AM 0 comments links to this post
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Business Cards For Your Rabbitry
I just ordered business cards for Precious Pet Rabbits, my pet rabbit care information website. I had one of those "I could've had a V-8" moments. Previously for Precious Pet Rabbits and The Nature Trail Rabbitry, I had been purchasing laser or ink jet business cards and had been printing my own.
Those suckers are expensive. And that doesn't count the laser cartridge or ink jet cartridge. That's even more expensive. But I assumed that I was saving money doing it myself. Wrong-o.
When I searched for business cards on the internet, I found a gajillion of them. But I don't want to give my credit card number to just anyone. So I decided to check out Office Depot, especially since I am an affiliate of theirs. I figured that would be a good place to start.
Creating my business card online was so simple. There are numerous choices, but once you choose a direction, it's a matter of typing in some basic information and checking the preview to see how you like it.
But here is the best part. There was no shipping and 1000 cards only cost $13.64 ($12.99 plus tax). You can't buy the blank cards for that!
Now of course, I would love for all of you to go to my Product Resource page and use my link to Office Depot to purchase your business cards. But even if you decide just to type in the url, I think you'll find it's a great deal from a well known company. Just click "custom printing" and then on the next page click "business cards." I chose "value business cards," for $12.99 per box. Then you pick a layout and start typing in your words. Before you know it, it's time to check out.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 5:12 PM 0 comments links to this post
Those suckers are expensive. And that doesn't count the laser cartridge or ink jet cartridge. That's even more expensive. But I assumed that I was saving money doing it myself. Wrong-o.
When I searched for business cards on the internet, I found a gajillion of them. But I don't want to give my credit card number to just anyone. So I decided to check out Office Depot, especially since I am an affiliate of theirs. I figured that would be a good place to start.
Creating my business card online was so simple. There are numerous choices, but once you choose a direction, it's a matter of typing in some basic information and checking the preview to see how you like it.
But here is the best part. There was no shipping and 1000 cards only cost $13.64 ($12.99 plus tax). You can't buy the blank cards for that!
Now of course, I would love for all of you to go to my Product Resource page and use my link to Office Depot to purchase your business cards. But even if you decide just to type in the url, I think you'll find it's a great deal from a well known company. Just click "custom printing" and then on the next page click "business cards." I chose "value business cards," for $12.99 per box. Then you pick a layout and start typing in your words. Before you know it, it's time to check out.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 5:12 PM 0 comments links to this post
Babies For Holland Lop Nationals
My first group of babies for Holland Lop Nationals is due today. I'm going to the barn in a few minutes to see if any have arrived. Boy, is it exciting!
I also have another group due on Saturday and a third group due next Wednesday. I'm going to breed for my very last possible juniors this week and then that will be it. Whatever I get from these breedings will be my juniors for Perry, GA.
I need the excitement and something to look forward to while I'm experiencing the sadness of a herd reduction. I'm selling so many rabbits that I really love and had so many hopes for. But the realities of the size of my barn and the size that I want my hobby to occupy in my life and my long-term plans to tighten my gene pool can no longer be ignored.
I think I need to go play with the babies I have in the nest box right now. I think that could cheer me up a little, too. I have the cutest little kit out of Camelot's Merlin and his daughter The Nature Trail's Purdy. The babies have a 25% chance of being fuzzy and a 25% chance of being Charlie and a 1 in 16 chance of being fuzzy and Charlie. I just got one in the litter and I think it is both Charlie and fuzzy! Wouldn't you know.
Perhaps I should finalize my breeding plans for my last few Nationals breedings. That would probably cheer me up. And I'll need to rethink my plans now that I'm selling some of my breeders.
Breeding rabbits is full of ups and downs. This week is probably one of the biggest downs I've had since losing Bette. But it has more than its share of ups, too, to help me get through it okay.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG/html ¶ 8:57 AM 0 comments links to this post
I also have another group due on Saturday and a third group due next Wednesday. I'm going to breed for my very last possible juniors this week and then that will be it. Whatever I get from these breedings will be my juniors for Perry, GA.
I need the excitement and something to look forward to while I'm experiencing the sadness of a herd reduction. I'm selling so many rabbits that I really love and had so many hopes for. But the realities of the size of my barn and the size that I want my hobby to occupy in my life and my long-term plans to tighten my gene pool can no longer be ignored.
I think I need to go play with the babies I have in the nest box right now. I think that could cheer me up a little, too. I have the cutest little kit out of Camelot's Merlin and his daughter The Nature Trail's Purdy. The babies have a 25% chance of being fuzzy and a 25% chance of being Charlie and a 1 in 16 chance of being fuzzy and Charlie. I just got one in the litter and I think it is both Charlie and fuzzy! Wouldn't you know.
Perhaps I should finalize my breeding plans for my last few Nationals breedings. That would probably cheer me up. And I'll need to rethink my plans now that I'm selling some of my breeders.
Breeding rabbits is full of ups and downs. This week is probably one of the biggest downs I've had since losing Bette. But it has more than its share of ups, too, to help me get through it okay.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG/html ¶ 8:57 AM 0 comments links to this post
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Shopping For Convention
Don't wait for the last minute to pick up those odds and ends for ARBA Convention. Do it now. Here are a few things on my list:
Electrical ties - I plan to zip my risers to the coop in the back and on the sides and then padlock the front for any of my rabbits that are cooped on top. That way, if someone tries to lift the coops to take my rabbit, the riser will come up with it. And they won't be able to clip the electrical ties without opening the door.
Padlocks - I have a couple of sets of padlocks, but I am taking more rabbits this time, so I need to pick up some more tiny padlocks. I think I probably should color code them, so I don't spend all of my time looking for the right key.
Cage markers - I may have enough from last time, but I need to get a count and make sure I know what I'm going to do to make my coops easier to find.
Tote, crate, or other container - I want to get something to put my feed, hay, water, and treats in that will make it easier to go from coop to coop while I'm feeding my rabbits.
Small dustpan and brush - for cleaning my coops. I don't have enough risers for all and even the ones on risers will have to be cleaned at some point.
Snacks - for traveling and for those times when you can't get away from the showroom to grab a meal.
Business cards - it's time to print up a new supply to share with the people I meet at Convention.
Enormous ziploc bags - we'll be stuffing a single vehicle with two families' worth of stuff and I'm going to try to pack some of my things in bags, which I hope will give us more packing options than hard or square containers.
Replacement toiletries and first aid items - after traveling all summer and fall, it's time to take stock and make sure that I have enough of everything for almost a week. I especially want to make sure I have pain reliever because standing all day can really get to the feet, legs, and back.
Sharpie - for writing coop numbers in my rabbits' ears.
I'm sure there are many more things that will pop up between now and the time I pack for ARBA Convention, but at least I'm getting started.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 3:22 PM 0 comments links to this post
Electrical ties - I plan to zip my risers to the coop in the back and on the sides and then padlock the front for any of my rabbits that are cooped on top. That way, if someone tries to lift the coops to take my rabbit, the riser will come up with it. And they won't be able to clip the electrical ties without opening the door.
Padlocks - I have a couple of sets of padlocks, but I am taking more rabbits this time, so I need to pick up some more tiny padlocks. I think I probably should color code them, so I don't spend all of my time looking for the right key.
Cage markers - I may have enough from last time, but I need to get a count and make sure I know what I'm going to do to make my coops easier to find.
Tote, crate, or other container - I want to get something to put my feed, hay, water, and treats in that will make it easier to go from coop to coop while I'm feeding my rabbits.
Small dustpan and brush - for cleaning my coops. I don't have enough risers for all and even the ones on risers will have to be cleaned at some point.
Snacks - for traveling and for those times when you can't get away from the showroom to grab a meal.
Business cards - it's time to print up a new supply to share with the people I meet at Convention.
Enormous ziploc bags - we'll be stuffing a single vehicle with two families' worth of stuff and I'm going to try to pack some of my things in bags, which I hope will give us more packing options than hard or square containers.
Replacement toiletries and first aid items - after traveling all summer and fall, it's time to take stock and make sure that I have enough of everything for almost a week. I especially want to make sure I have pain reliever because standing all day can really get to the feet, legs, and back.
Sharpie - for writing coop numbers in my rabbits' ears.
I'm sure there are many more things that will pop up between now and the time I pack for ARBA Convention, but at least I'm getting started.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 3:22 PM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, October 10, 2005
Hard Advice to Take
This weekend in Georgia, Ray Brewer was one of the judges which meant that Margie was there showing her Hollands. As we chatted, she gave me the advice we've all heard and seen many times: cull, cull, cull.
But it's so hard! Sure, there are some obvious choices. That's not the problem. The problem is when you have so much potential and nice things that are going in so many different directions. How can I give up working on something that is going so well?
Her advice was timely, though. I have been thinking hard about culling hard. So hard that it hurts. I'm already mourning the loss of some of the rabbits I'm thinking about selling. I love many of these rabbits. In the end, I may have to keep two or three just for love's sake. But I know I need to make an intelligent, non-emotional decision on many more.
I suppose the good part is that I'm very clear in my mind about the ones I really do like best. Nine broken does and seven solid does were quickly jotted down on my "keep" list. Four bucks were very easy to select to keep. The rest are just hard to part with.
But I know that I've had my time to dabble in different lines, to see what I like best, to experience good crosses and poor ones. Now is the time for me to fall back a bit, tighten up the gene pool, and then move forward to create a line that produces consistent results. I'm ready for the next step in the evolution of my barn.
But I'm scared. Having lots of different nice bunnies has been my security blanket. If something wasn't working over there, then it was probably working over here. Now my eggs will be - not in one basket - but in far fewer baskets. Yikes!
I've already sent a long list of sale bunnies to my friend Alison, who is getting back into Hollands. I promised her when she got out that I would help her get back in, if she ever decided to. I'm thrilled she will be rejoining us!
After that, I will work my waiting list. But you can be on the lookout for a huge herd reduction sale after that.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 9:35 AM 0 comments links to this post
But it's so hard! Sure, there are some obvious choices. That's not the problem. The problem is when you have so much potential and nice things that are going in so many different directions. How can I give up working on something that is going so well?
Her advice was timely, though. I have been thinking hard about culling hard. So hard that it hurts. I'm already mourning the loss of some of the rabbits I'm thinking about selling. I love many of these rabbits. In the end, I may have to keep two or three just for love's sake. But I know I need to make an intelligent, non-emotional decision on many more.
I suppose the good part is that I'm very clear in my mind about the ones I really do like best. Nine broken does and seven solid does were quickly jotted down on my "keep" list. Four bucks were very easy to select to keep. The rest are just hard to part with.
But I know that I've had my time to dabble in different lines, to see what I like best, to experience good crosses and poor ones. Now is the time for me to fall back a bit, tighten up the gene pool, and then move forward to create a line that produces consistent results. I'm ready for the next step in the evolution of my barn.
But I'm scared. Having lots of different nice bunnies has been my security blanket. If something wasn't working over there, then it was probably working over here. Now my eggs will be - not in one basket - but in far fewer baskets. Yikes!
I've already sent a long list of sale bunnies to my friend Alison, who is getting back into Hollands. I promised her when she got out that I would help her get back in, if she ever decided to. I'm thrilled she will be rejoining us!
After that, I will work my waiting list. But you can be on the lookout for a huge herd reduction sale after that.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 9:35 AM 0 comments links to this post
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Perry, GA, Show
I had a blast in Perry. The fair there is HUGE. Next year, I hope to make it a family mini-vacation. I felt like I was in "Charlotte's Web" in the scenes where the family went to the fair. I took my two younger daughters with me and they had so much fun.
The show was well-run, there were just under 80 Hollands on the table, the competition was good, and we got two judges I'd never had before, including one who raises Hollands herself. I was able to pass out some business cards for Precious Pet Rabbits and I sold two rabbits. Who could ask for more?
Tim Nix was king of Hollands yesterday. He won both BOBs and both BOSs. He's so humble and he wins as well as he loses or vice versa. It's always a pleasure to show with him. But Tim, it's my turn next time, okay?
I did get some wins and earned some legs, which made the trip even more worthwhile. In the first show, under Joy Ekstrom, The Nature Trail's Roxie got her third leg with a BOSG. Time to breed her. The Nature Trail's Nikki, solid junior doe, got a leg. Mercedes got her 14th leg and beat May, to my surprise. I was glad to get Mercedes off of 13 legs (I try not to be superstitious, but . . .). I also had 5 second place rabbits, so I was pleased with my placements.
In the second show, under Jeff Albright, BBF's Yankee Doodle Dandy picked up his 28th leg with a BOV. The Nature Trail's Oracle was first of 18! I liked that win a lot. Oracle is out of Mtn's Jengo (and Mtn's Trista) that I recently sold. I sold Jengo believing that I had replacement sons. It's a relief to see that I was right about that. The Nature Trail's Belle won her third leg. There's another gal who can stay home now. She beat May and Mercedes, who came in second and third.
Now I'm off to tattoo those Convention bunnies like I promised myself I would do.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 11:38 AM 2 comments links to this post
The show was well-run, there were just under 80 Hollands on the table, the competition was good, and we got two judges I'd never had before, including one who raises Hollands herself. I was able to pass out some business cards for Precious Pet Rabbits and I sold two rabbits. Who could ask for more?
Tim Nix was king of Hollands yesterday. He won both BOBs and both BOSs. He's so humble and he wins as well as he loses or vice versa. It's always a pleasure to show with him. But Tim, it's my turn next time, okay?
I did get some wins and earned some legs, which made the trip even more worthwhile. In the first show, under Joy Ekstrom, The Nature Trail's Roxie got her third leg with a BOSG. Time to breed her. The Nature Trail's Nikki, solid junior doe, got a leg. Mercedes got her 14th leg and beat May, to my surprise. I was glad to get Mercedes off of 13 legs (I try not to be superstitious, but . . .). I also had 5 second place rabbits, so I was pleased with my placements.
In the second show, under Jeff Albright, BBF's Yankee Doodle Dandy picked up his 28th leg with a BOV. The Nature Trail's Oracle was first of 18! I liked that win a lot. Oracle is out of Mtn's Jengo (and Mtn's Trista) that I recently sold. I sold Jengo believing that I had replacement sons. It's a relief to see that I was right about that. The Nature Trail's Belle won her third leg. There's another gal who can stay home now. She beat May and Mercedes, who came in second and third.
Now I'm off to tattoo those Convention bunnies like I promised myself I would do.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 11:38 AM 2 comments links to this post
Friday, October 07, 2005
Rabbits ARE Addictive
If you took psychology 101, you may remember the schedules of reinforcement. If you get a reward for doing something, you continue to do it. Once the reward stops, you discontinue the behavior.
But there are different schedules of rewards. Sometimes you get a reward everytime you do something. When the rewards stop, you stop the behavior very quickly. If you put quarters into a soft drink machine and get a soft drink, you'll put quarters in next time you want one. But if you put several quarters in with no drink, you'll quickly stop.
But with a variable schedule of reward, sometimes you get a reward and sometimes you don't. But when you get that reward, it's so desirable that you keep trying for the next one. If you put quarters into a slot machine, you may not get a reward every time. But when you do, it's very exciting. People put lots of quarters into slot machines with no wins, just hoping for the next time. It's very addictive.
And so it is with rabbits. I've gotten emails from people who are discouraged. Perhaps they lost a littter. Perhaps nothing promising has come from their nest boxes in awhile. Perhaps they've had judging inconsistencies that are frustrating. They question why they even do this.
And then one day, they go to the barn, and "find" a very promising youngster. JACKPOT. All is forgotten and suddenly they are ready to go again.
Yup, it's an addiction.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 8:00 AM 1 comments links to this post
But there are different schedules of rewards. Sometimes you get a reward everytime you do something. When the rewards stop, you stop the behavior very quickly. If you put quarters into a soft drink machine and get a soft drink, you'll put quarters in next time you want one. But if you put several quarters in with no drink, you'll quickly stop.
But with a variable schedule of reward, sometimes you get a reward and sometimes you don't. But when you get that reward, it's so desirable that you keep trying for the next one. If you put quarters into a slot machine, you may not get a reward every time. But when you do, it's very exciting. People put lots of quarters into slot machines with no wins, just hoping for the next time. It's very addictive.
And so it is with rabbits. I've gotten emails from people who are discouraged. Perhaps they lost a littter. Perhaps nothing promising has come from their nest boxes in awhile. Perhaps they've had judging inconsistencies that are frustrating. They question why they even do this.
And then one day, they go to the barn, and "find" a very promising youngster. JACKPOT. All is forgotten and suddenly they are ready to go again.
Yup, it's an addiction.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 8:00 AM 1 comments links to this post
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Touch Up Tattoos
If you are going to ARBA Convention, take out your calendar and pick one day in the next three or four to touch up your tattoos. I'm going to do mine Sunday.
Even if you are not going to Convention, you may want to take a moment and perform some periodic tattoo maintenance. The judges in y our future will appreciate it.
I use a non-electric hand tattooer made by Deidre Edder, a Jersey Woolie breeder in Georgia. To me, it's the best bargain on the market. I admit, it took me a long time to get up the nerve to tattoo my first dot, but after that, it got easier in a hurry. It doesn't seem to bother the rabbits, except that they don't like being held still (I just keep a firm grasp on the ear and leave the body free).
Before I got Deidre's tattooer, I had practically been banned from showing in Georgia until I got my tattoos fixed! I haven't had a judge complain about my tattoos since.
I use the permanent india ink that Deidre recommends. While it is important to use fresh tattoo ink, I did hear from one person who has been using the same bottle of india ink for over a decade with no problem.
It is important that you get the permanent variety. Deidre herself once accidentally got a bottle of washable ink and wondered why her tattoos didn't stay.
There are other non-electric hand tattooers available. I saw at least one type available at Convention last year.
I have a clamp set, too, but it can't be used for touch-ups. You would never be able to line up the digits again. But I will probably use the pen-tattooer from Deidre to tattoo any rabbits that have not yet been tattooed.
Remember that all rabbits taken to Convention, whether they are sale rabbits or for show, must be tattooed before they enter the Convention showroom.
You will have a million things to do the last few days before Convention. Touch up your tattoos now.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 6:22 PM 0 comments links to this post
Even if you are not going to Convention, you may want to take a moment and perform some periodic tattoo maintenance. The judges in y our future will appreciate it.
I use a non-electric hand tattooer made by Deidre Edder, a Jersey Woolie breeder in Georgia. To me, it's the best bargain on the market. I admit, it took me a long time to get up the nerve to tattoo my first dot, but after that, it got easier in a hurry. It doesn't seem to bother the rabbits, except that they don't like being held still (I just keep a firm grasp on the ear and leave the body free).
Before I got Deidre's tattooer, I had practically been banned from showing in Georgia until I got my tattoos fixed! I haven't had a judge complain about my tattoos since.
I use the permanent india ink that Deidre recommends. While it is important to use fresh tattoo ink, I did hear from one person who has been using the same bottle of india ink for over a decade with no problem.
It is important that you get the permanent variety. Deidre herself once accidentally got a bottle of washable ink and wondered why her tattoos didn't stay.
There are other non-electric hand tattooers available. I saw at least one type available at Convention last year.
I have a clamp set, too, but it can't be used for touch-ups. You would never be able to line up the digits again. But I will probably use the pen-tattooer from Deidre to tattoo any rabbits that have not yet been tattooed.
Remember that all rabbits taken to Convention, whether they are sale rabbits or for show, must be tattooed before they enter the Convention showroom.
You will have a million things to do the last few days before Convention. Touch up your tattoos now.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 6:22 PM 0 comments links to this post
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Small Holland Lops
I like little Hollands. While I didn't think that having 3.00 as the ideal weight made sense since most 3.00 Hollands aren't that competitive, I would equally hate to think that only 4.00 Hollands have a chance on the table.
Sure I have some that bump the top of the weight limit and I'm not about to toss them out! But I have some equally nice and even better rabbits that are lightweights.
I once read that a 3.08 Holland is the size that wins the most. I can't remember where I picked up that tidbit. I think that's a great size. In fact, between 3.04 and 3.10 is probably my favorite size range for a Holland.
But I love to pick up a 2.14 buck and be shocked that he is so light. In fact, I love to pick up any Holland and find out that it looks more massive than it is. To me, that fits the massive-look-in-a-small-package body we are going after.
It does seem that only certain judges will give a smaller Holland its due. I love to find those judges. They seem to have the ability to judge massiveness compared to the weight of the rabbit rather than just raw massiveness. It's just not as much of a trick for a 4.00 rabbit to look massive as it is for a 3.00 to pull it off. Since we are breeding a dwarf breed and value the small size of our rabbits, I'd love to see more judges and more breeders sharpen their skills at evaluating massiveness in smaller rabbits.
Luckily there are fans of the balanced, well -proportioned smaller rabbit out there. And I'm glad to come across them from time to time.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 10:48 AM 0 comments links to this post
Sure I have some that bump the top of the weight limit and I'm not about to toss them out! But I have some equally nice and even better rabbits that are lightweights.
I once read that a 3.08 Holland is the size that wins the most. I can't remember where I picked up that tidbit. I think that's a great size. In fact, between 3.04 and 3.10 is probably my favorite size range for a Holland.
But I love to pick up a 2.14 buck and be shocked that he is so light. In fact, I love to pick up any Holland and find out that it looks more massive than it is. To me, that fits the massive-look-in-a-small-package body we are going after.
It does seem that only certain judges will give a smaller Holland its due. I love to find those judges. They seem to have the ability to judge massiveness compared to the weight of the rabbit rather than just raw massiveness. It's just not as much of a trick for a 4.00 rabbit to look massive as it is for a 3.00 to pull it off. Since we are breeding a dwarf breed and value the small size of our rabbits, I'd love to see more judges and more breeders sharpen their skills at evaluating massiveness in smaller rabbits.
Luckily there are fans of the balanced, well -proportioned smaller rabbit out there. And I'm glad to come across them from time to time.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 10:48 AM 0 comments links to this post
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Goals
Having goals lets you know when you have been successful. There are so many different goals you can set in showing rabbits and tons of ways to be successful.
You may make it your goal to grand your first homegrown rabbit. Your goal may be to get 10 legs on a particular bunny. Other goals may involve points or placing at a particular show. Having goals can make showing rabbits more fun. And there's no right or wrong way to set your goals, as long as they reflect good sportsmanship.
Last year my goals included earning 1000 points (I made that and then some), to get my first quality points, to grand my first homegrown rabbit, and then to grand my first homegrown buck.
My goal for this year was to exceed my points from last year by earning more points per show rather than going to more shows. I divide the number of points a breeder earns by the number of shows to get a per-show number. That helps me compare my ranking with other breeders, adjusting for the fact that some show more often than others. So even though I'm #17 in sweepstakes points, I'm actually #50-something on points per show. I want to increase that ranking this year.
I also want to earn more points per rabbit, but I do want to show juniors for comments from time to time and I don't want that goal to keep me from doing that. The bottom line is that I want to earn more points by producing better and better rabbits.
I have goals within my rabbitry that do not have anything to do with the current year's competition. I want to consolodate my gene pool. I want to move out some of my lines (even though they are nice) in order to work with my favorites. I want to get my barn size under control. In short, I need to face some hard culling.
It's a good idea to reassess your goals from time to time to make sure that they are reasonable given your time, financial situation, other obligations, and how much fun you are having with your hobby.
A friend said to me this past weekend that she's glad that points are not part of her goals. It would make her unhappy. It's a great thing that she has made goals that suit her lifestyle and allow her to enjoy her hobby.
Her comment got me to thinking about my goals and my need to reassess. Are working toward my goals making me happy or frustrating me? Do they fit within the framework of my life? Do my goals reflect my beliefs and values?
I'm going to give it some thought. I don't know whether I'll change my goals or not, but it's a good practice, I think, to take a look at them from time to time.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 10:49 AM 0 comments links to this post
You may make it your goal to grand your first homegrown rabbit. Your goal may be to get 10 legs on a particular bunny. Other goals may involve points or placing at a particular show. Having goals can make showing rabbits more fun. And there's no right or wrong way to set your goals, as long as they reflect good sportsmanship.
Last year my goals included earning 1000 points (I made that and then some), to get my first quality points, to grand my first homegrown rabbit, and then to grand my first homegrown buck.
My goal for this year was to exceed my points from last year by earning more points per show rather than going to more shows. I divide the number of points a breeder earns by the number of shows to get a per-show number. That helps me compare my ranking with other breeders, adjusting for the fact that some show more often than others. So even though I'm #17 in sweepstakes points, I'm actually #50-something on points per show. I want to increase that ranking this year.
I also want to earn more points per rabbit, but I do want to show juniors for comments from time to time and I don't want that goal to keep me from doing that. The bottom line is that I want to earn more points by producing better and better rabbits.
I have goals within my rabbitry that do not have anything to do with the current year's competition. I want to consolodate my gene pool. I want to move out some of my lines (even though they are nice) in order to work with my favorites. I want to get my barn size under control. In short, I need to face some hard culling.
It's a good idea to reassess your goals from time to time to make sure that they are reasonable given your time, financial situation, other obligations, and how much fun you are having with your hobby.
A friend said to me this past weekend that she's glad that points are not part of her goals. It would make her unhappy. It's a great thing that she has made goals that suit her lifestyle and allow her to enjoy her hobby.
Her comment got me to thinking about my goals and my need to reassess. Are working toward my goals making me happy or frustrating me? Do they fit within the framework of my life? Do my goals reflect my beliefs and values?
I'm going to give it some thought. I don't know whether I'll change my goals or not, but it's a good practice, I think, to take a look at them from time to time.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
¶ 10:49 AM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, October 03, 2005
Winston-Salem Show
Boy, was it nice to drive less than an hour to a show! It beats the 8 hours I will drive next weekend. And let's not even think about the drive to Indiana later this month.
I let all of my senior bucks rest of this weekend in preparation for next weekend. Watch out, Georgia, here we come! Actually, there's a lot of fur flying in the barn, so I'm still not sure which will be going to Georgia, either.
There's nothing of interest my-rabbit-wise to report. I took a couple of small classes with no legs. I had high hopes that Belle would get a leg, but the broken junior doe, bred and owned by Linda Norris, beat her for the BOSG. The only consolation is that she's out of The Nature Trail's McCoy!
Pandora Allen's black broken senior buck looked incredible. What a huge, round head! He would have been my pick, I'm sure.
Janice Jones enjoyed her first win with a solid senior buck. He was in beautiful condition. Congratulations Janice.
Tracy Lukeman got the BOB and BOS with solid juniors. It's always nice to do so well with juniors. I believe she did very well with her solid juniors at this show last year, too.
Fayth Young was excited to get a BRIS with a homegrown bunny. Congratulations Fayth. Way to go. I'm sure there is much more good news out there, but these are the pieces that drifted my way during the show.
The best part of the show, as always, was seeing friends. I told Mary Justice that I could get use to seeing her every week. But alas, it will be November 12 until we have a chance to visit again.
My kid and I went out to eat after the show with our friends the Youngs and Brashears. I learned two very important lessons:
I let all of my senior bucks rest of this weekend in preparation for next weekend. Watch out, Georgia, here we come! Actually, there's a lot of fur flying in the barn, so I'm still not sure which will be going to Georgia, either.
There's nothing of interest my-rabbit-wise to report. I took a couple of small classes with no legs. I had high hopes that Belle would get a leg, but the broken junior doe, bred and owned by Linda Norris, beat her for the BOSG. The only consolation is that she's out of The Nature Trail's McCoy!
Pandora Allen's black broken senior buck looked incredible. What a huge, round head! He would have been my pick, I'm sure.
Janice Jones enjoyed her first win with a solid senior buck. He was in beautiful condition. Congratulations Janice.
Tracy Lukeman got the BOB and BOS with solid juniors. It's always nice to do so well with juniors. I believe she did very well with her solid juniors at this show last year, too.
Fayth Young was excited to get a BRIS with a homegrown bunny. Congratulations Fayth. Way to go. I'm sure there is much more good news out there, but these are the pieces that drifted my way during the show.
The best part of the show, as always, was seeing friends. I told Mary Justice that I could get use to seeing her every week. But alas, it will be November 12 until we have a chance to visit again.
My kid and I went out to eat after the show with our friends the Youngs and Brashears. I learned two very important lessons:
- When the engine is running and the doors are locked, my remote will NOT unlock the car.
- There is a very nice guy at Pizza Hut who is very good with a hanger.
Hope to see you soon at a show!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html
Saturday, October 01, 2005
What Are You Wearing To ARBA Convention?
If you are going to ARBA Convention, you are probably going to a banquet, whether to the ARBA banquet or to your breed specialty banquet. If that's the case, pick out what you are going to wear now.
If you don't, time will sneak up on you. And just when you are neck deep in pressure cleaning carriers and checking who has blown a coat, you will need to stop and go shopping.
And they won't have what you want at the first 9 stores you visit - or at least not in your size. The tension will mount up and you will panic.
Not that I've ever done that myself . . .
You don't want that, do you? Noooooooooooo. Of course not. So take a minute now and think about it.
While you are at it, make sure you locate your jacket or sweater and other fall clothes. Just because you are experiencing Indian summer where you are, doesn't mean that you won't need long sleeves in Indianapolis.
According to NOAA, the average high for Indianapolis in October is 65.6 degrees and the average low is 43.6. The average temperature is just 54.6. And the average SNOWFALL is 0.4 inches.
Personally, my fall clothes are still in the attic and I'm still wearing shorts every day. I guess it's take to get them out and see what I need for my trip - before I'm neck deep in pressure washing carriers and checking to see who has blown their coats.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 10:46 AM 0 comments links to this post
If you don't, time will sneak up on you. And just when you are neck deep in pressure cleaning carriers and checking who has blown a coat, you will need to stop and go shopping.
And they won't have what you want at the first 9 stores you visit - or at least not in your size. The tension will mount up and you will panic.
Not that I've ever done that myself . . .
You don't want that, do you? Noooooooooooo. Of course not. So take a minute now and think about it.
While you are at it, make sure you locate your jacket or sweater and other fall clothes. Just because you are experiencing Indian summer where you are, doesn't mean that you won't need long sleeves in Indianapolis.
According to NOAA, the average high for Indianapolis in October is 65.6 degrees and the average low is 43.6. The average temperature is just 54.6. And the average SNOWFALL is 0.4 inches.
Personally, my fall clothes are still in the attic and I'm still wearing shorts every day. I guess it's take to get them out and see what I need for my trip - before I'm neck deep in pressure washing carriers and checking to see who has blown their coats.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/blog/BLOG.html ¶ 10:46 AM 0 comments links to this post
Error On The Nature Trail Website Corrected
I recently discovered that I had linked the "breeders" link on the main toolbar to the Holland Lop Breeders' Prefix Index rather than to the sub-home page for breeders.
In the breeders' section, you will find a 20-part section on how to breed rabbits and take care of newborn baby rabbits, a 10-part section on Holland lop fur (applies to any breed, but especially those with roll-back fur), Holland lop FAQs (again, most applies to any breed), coping with rabbit diarrhea, a list of items needed for a well-stocked rabbit barn, how to build rabbit nest boxes, how to build hanging rabbit cages, my magnet system of rabbitry management, a glossary of rabbit terms, and the Holland lop rabbit breeder's prefix index.
I am sorry that those sections have been difficult to get to for the last few weeks.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
In the breeders' section, you will find a 20-part section on how to breed rabbits and take care of newborn baby rabbits, a 10-part section on Holland lop fur (applies to any breed, but especially those with roll-back fur), Holland lop FAQs (again, most applies to any breed), coping with rabbit diarrhea, a list of items needed for a well-stocked rabbit barn, how to build rabbit nest boxes, how to build hanging rabbit cages, my magnet system of rabbitry management, a glossary of rabbit terms, and the Holland lop rabbit breeder's prefix index.
I am sorry that those sections have been difficult to get to for the last few weeks.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry