The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG
Saturday, December 31, 2005
HLRSC Sweeptstakes
The HLRSC posted its sweepstakes standings a couple of days ago. If you haven't already, drop by and check it out.
I want to point out a few features. First, Zemy and Feld already have as many points as the second place exhitior from all of last year. That is an absolutely amazing feat. They are set to create a record that may stand for all time. Congratulations Chris and Christine!
Although the first two spots are held by the traditionally strong zone 2 (and I shouldn't be glossing over the wonderful accomplishments of Ardis & Tim in their rabbitry), let me point out that zone 9, my own zone, it doing very well! Lukeman & Buchanauer are third for sweeps but first for quality! Congratulations Tracy & Jenna. Kathy Schwartz, another zone 9 exhibitor, is in the top 25. Go Kathy!
I'm in the 6th spot for sweeps, 9th for quality, and tied for 7th in herdsman. That's GC The Nature Trail's May in the BIS list. GC Camelot's Merlin and GC The Nature Trail's Brook made the top lop lists midway down somewhere.
In youth, zone 9 takes the top spot honors with Paige & Kylee Smith of Narrowgate Farm. I understand the girls were screaming in the background when their mom answered my email - they didn't know until I wrote them. I guess they were a little excited. I also see them on the BRIS list.
I think DJ Swan is probably still walking on air from his 4th place spot. I hear he's out in the barn breeding at this very moment!! That'll motivate anyone to keep working at it! I'm wondering if that's Mtn's Narada on the top lop list for DJ.
In 11th place is my good friend Fayth Young and her partner Taylor Brashear. Way to go girls. At 14th is our friend Hannah Hayes and her brother Noah. You are doing our zone proud.
Given that this is a marathan 18-month year, many things can happen before we are through. There's still time to rise to the top, if that's your goal.
Congratulations to all of the people who have had fun showing their rabbits, who have improved their herds this year, who have met new friends, and who have had any number of different kinds of success in the 2005-2006 show year!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 9:11 AM 0 comments links to this post
I want to point out a few features. First, Zemy and Feld already have as many points as the second place exhitior from all of last year. That is an absolutely amazing feat. They are set to create a record that may stand for all time. Congratulations Chris and Christine!
Although the first two spots are held by the traditionally strong zone 2 (and I shouldn't be glossing over the wonderful accomplishments of Ardis & Tim in their rabbitry), let me point out that zone 9, my own zone, it doing very well! Lukeman & Buchanauer are third for sweeps but first for quality! Congratulations Tracy & Jenna. Kathy Schwartz, another zone 9 exhibitor, is in the top 25. Go Kathy!
I'm in the 6th spot for sweeps, 9th for quality, and tied for 7th in herdsman. That's GC The Nature Trail's May in the BIS list. GC Camelot's Merlin and GC The Nature Trail's Brook made the top lop lists midway down somewhere.
In youth, zone 9 takes the top spot honors with Paige & Kylee Smith of Narrowgate Farm. I understand the girls were screaming in the background when their mom answered my email - they didn't know until I wrote them. I guess they were a little excited. I also see them on the BRIS list.
I think DJ Swan is probably still walking on air from his 4th place spot. I hear he's out in the barn breeding at this very moment!! That'll motivate anyone to keep working at it! I'm wondering if that's Mtn's Narada on the top lop list for DJ.
In 11th place is my good friend Fayth Young and her partner Taylor Brashear. Way to go girls. At 14th is our friend Hannah Hayes and her brother Noah. You are doing our zone proud.
Given that this is a marathan 18-month year, many things can happen before we are through. There's still time to rise to the top, if that's your goal.
Congratulations to all of the people who have had fun showing their rabbits, who have improved their herds this year, who have met new friends, and who have had any number of different kinds of success in the 2005-2006 show year!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 9:11 AM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, December 30, 2005
Matching Bucks With Does
I counted 15 does available for breeding yesterday. A few of them had litters around November 19, and they barely qualify, but one is showing definite signs of wanting to be bred and the others are in good shape.
Four of the does I've decided to keep open. Purdy and Hilary have two legs each. Liesl has one leg. I hope to grand them before putting them back into production. LIesl's show career was cut short by a naughty boy next door who stained her coat. So I went ahead and bred her, knowing it could be months until it molted out (there was no cleaning it - it was a mess). Now she's got a new coat and hasn't lost all of her pizzazz to kindling, so I'll give her the opportunity to show before breeding her again.
The fourth doe is May. She still amazes me. She's had 16 viable kits (only 2 or 3 peanuts among 19 kits) since September and she looks like she could go to a show today! I'm going to leave her open until about 10 days before Nationals. Then I'll probably keep her in production after that. She's already had a Convention placement, so there's no need to take her again - better to get babies.
That leaves me with 11 does to make the best matches possible. Here's what I have decided:
Four of the does I've decided to keep open. Purdy and Hilary have two legs each. Liesl has one leg. I hope to grand them before putting them back into production. LIesl's show career was cut short by a naughty boy next door who stained her coat. So I went ahead and bred her, knowing it could be months until it molted out (there was no cleaning it - it was a mess). Now she's got a new coat and hasn't lost all of her pizzazz to kindling, so I'll give her the opportunity to show before breeding her again.
The fourth doe is May. She still amazes me. She's had 16 viable kits (only 2 or 3 peanuts among 19 kits) since September and she looks like she could go to a show today! I'm going to leave her open until about 10 days before Nationals. Then I'll probably keep her in production after that. She's already had a Convention placement, so there's no need to take her again - better to get babies.
That leaves me with 11 does to make the best matches possible. Here's what I have decided:
- The Nature Trail's Nina x The Nature Trail's Q- Nina is a big beautiful brood doe with a gorgeous top line. She's a full sister to Mercedes, so I always keep what's going on with her in mind as I plan their breedings. Nina and Mercedes are a little on the edge of my genetic pool since their mother's side is mostly from lines I no longer work with. But their dad's side goes back to Gibeault's Bonzai as does Camelot's Merlin, so I looked there for a match. Although I think that Nina and Merlin would make nice babies (Nina needs shorter ears and Merlin could use more depth over the hindquarter), I decided to go with his solid son Q. Q is a REW carrier, I think (I'll know more when his latest kit is a few days older). Nina has produced a sable point. So there's some color potential there, too.
- GC The Nature Trail's Mercedes x The Nature Trail's Bear - Rather than looking for a good match for Mercedes, I've really been looking for a good match for Bear. He needs a doe with short, wide shoulders. Everything about Mercedes' body is marvelous. She's not got much of a head - it's cute, but not massive. And what head she had, she lost when she started kindling. Bear has a head, so that's a good match for Mercedes, too. They both have Camelot's Kawa Bunga back there in their pedigrees, so they are not total outcrosses. Bear has 8 junior legs and I hope to get that senior leg this year. He's had several second places, so it's not unreasonable to hope for. If I grand him, then this match could contribute to my project to have rabbits with all granded ancestors.
- The Nature Trail's Spice x GC The Nature Trail's Rio - Spice just had a litter with Q, which was an inbreeding (brother to sister). I believe that has revealed that both carry the REW gene. We'll soon see. Her kits were fostered, so she's available to breed again. Now that I've bred her tightly, I'm ready to try a bit of an outcross. This match, with Rio, is mostly a physical match. Spice could use a more prominent head. Rio could use the smaller size. I do notice that both Spice and Rio have a good bit of Styles in the background, but Gene has such a large barn, I don't know whether they are from compatible lines within his barn or not. We'll see.
- The Nature Trail's Celeste x GC The Nature Trail's LaForge - Celeste is a bit of a big girl with a very full body, but I do see peanuts in her kindling records. She is strong in the chest area, but weaker in the top line. I have paired her with LaForge who has a wonderful top line. The kits may not have as bold a crown as I would like, but you can't always fix everything in one generation. Maybe an ancestor will contribute a bold crown somewhere.
- Saynora's Katee x The Nature Trail's Wizard - I did a midterm rebreeding with Katee, so she may or may not have missed last time. She rarely does that but has once before. We'll see if she accepts breeding. I had paired her with Merlin when she missed over Christmas, feeling somewhat experimental (I know I can breed her to Brendan and expect good things). Katee needs shorter ears and better shoulders. She pretty much can handle everything else without any help. But this time, I've decided to go with Merlin's son Wizard, who was too young to breed last time. It will take Charlies out of the picture since Wizard is solid. But he has the cute ears and nice short body that Katee needs. Now we just need to see if we can get them bred and if Katee matches well with yet another buck. She's easy to breed, but Wizard is a novice.
- Styles Stella x GC Camelot's Merlin - I am going to breed her to Merlin every litter until she no longer produces. The reason? Wizard, May, Purdy, Hilary, Jewel, Morgana, and two cute pre-juniors. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
- GC The Nature Trail's Belle x GC The Nature Trail's Rio - Belle is a fickle girl with three misses and one live baby on her record. I suppose I'll give her two more non-missing chances before I give up on her. She has an amazing body, but needs a head. So, I went directly to the head man himself, Rio, for this one. I am risking both Charlies and perhaps fuzzies with this breeding. I suspect that Belle's dad was a carrier. Rio is definitely a fuzzy carrier. She's half-sister to Mercedes and Nina through their dad. This is mostly a physical match since Rio is primarily Tunes and Styles while Belle is Camelot, Saynora, and Salem. Still, Styles and Camelot often work well together, and perhaps all five will do nicely. If it works, then I may have another start for my all-grand-champion pedigrees.
- The Nature Trail's Triss x The Nature Trail's Mars- This will be Triss' first breeding. She's a product of GC LL Brendan and Saynora's Katee. She has two full brothers and one half-brother in the barn. I selected her full-brother Mars to try first. Besides being nice physical matches for each other and an inbreeding pair, Mars is broken to Triss' solid pattern, giving him the edge over LaForge and Antony. I do love my brokens.
- The Nature Trail's Zsa Zsa x GC LL Brendan - Here's another girl pushing my patience. She's been bred four times, with two misses and two dead litters. I'll tolerate another miss, but another dead litter and she's out of here. Zsa Zsa is another nice body that lacks a head. She goes back to GC Tunes Adrian on her dam's side. And Brendan is out of GC Tunes Adrian (Adrian has something like 55 legs, so he seems like a good one to base a breeding on!) Plus, Brendan has a good head and throws it.
- GC The Nature Trail's Brook x The Nature Trail's Antony - She's breaking my heart. I've never had a rabbit grand so easily, collecting seven legs with several BOS and BOG wins in a very short period of time. She's missed three times and had two dead litters. I guess I have to say this is her last chance, too. Or maybe next to the last chance. Even though I would be happy if she'd just have one live baby with the ugliest Holland on the planet just to get her started, I have paired her with half brother Antony. They share their father, GC LL Brendan. Also, I truly believe that Antony will grand sooner or later. Another all-GC pedigree pairing, perhaps?
- GC The Nature Trail's Roxie x GC Camelot's Merlin - Aside from Stella and Merlin, this was the easiest match for me. Both Roxie and Merlin are grand champions with two grand champion parents. They are the basis for my best chance at starting my all grand champion pedigrees. Plus, they are physically compatible, with Roxie going back to Camelot on her dam's side. Wouldn't you love to see how Merlin looks in black or broken black? I surely would!
So as you can see, I just slap a couple of rabbits together randomly and see what happens. NOT!
There's a lot of thought that goes into every breeding. I consider inbreeding, out-crossing, and line breeding. I think about previous successes in crosses and match-ups. I think about how I'm breeding their siblings. I look to see if nice bucks are getting left out of the gene pool. I try to minimize Charlies and fuzzies if there are other good choices available, but will not avoid a good match-up because of them. I look at the physical strengths and weaknesses of the individual rabbits involved. I do not consider color, but I do note it because it is fun to see color pop out of a breeding that is primarily done for type.
I hope that this in-depth description was helpful for those of you just getting started or struggling with making breeding matches. I can't say I'm an expert or know everything about it, but I think it's helpful to find out how lots of different people make their breeding decisions and then incorporate the parts you like into your own program.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 11:03 AM 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, December 29, 2005
The True Meaning Of Rabbits
What does being involved in raising and showing rabbits really mean to you and to me? Why do we value it so much and what do we get out of it? Sometimes, we are not aware of our basic motivations or the needs that certain parts of our lives fill. When we know why we do certain things, we can better understand our knee jerk reactions, emotional responses, and, just perhaps, make better decisions.
Learning
It is very true that I am happiest when I am learning new things. I don't like to be totally baffled without a clue to what is going on. But give me a body of knowledge and some things to try out and learn about at my own pace, and I'm in heaven. Obviously, the rabbit hobby was a great choice for me because learning is never-ending. Rabbits are always fascinating. There's always something to learn. The adventure never ends.
Pride
The pride of accomplishment after hard work and overcoming obstacles has got to be one of the best feelings in the world. This true, substantial pride should not be confused with boasting or showing off. Although that can be fun among friends, it's not the same thing as the warm glow of well-earned pride. It's fun to talk about a rabbit's accomplishments and to wave your flags high after some nice placement (or maybe even in anticipation of them). But the feeling of pride deep within yourself, whether anyone else even knows it, is the best of all. It's far better than the hardiest congratulations.
Love
Sure, I know they love the feed I bring more than they love me, but I do get a warm sense of being wanted when my bucks stick their heads way out of their cages towards me. Or when a rabbit would rather crawl up onto my chest than stay on the show table. I can't help but think of love when I see a mother rabbit licking her baby. Or a baby scrambling over obstacles to snuggle in beside his dam.
I also enjoying seeing folks come to my barn to pick out their new pet rabbit. Sometimes it is love at first sight. Other times, I have the distinct feeling when they leave that love is just around the corner. And then there are those emails that are full of expressions of love for their rabbits, who have just settled in so nicely.
Friendship and Fellowship
I moved from metro Atlanta to Ararat, VA. Ararat is so small that our family actually raised the population perceptively. Not being "from around here," I don't have a lot in common with my neighbors (beyond my family, of course). So the rabbit community has become my community and rabbit people have become my neighbors and friends. I have no idea what is going on two doors down from me, but I know when my friends miles away get a new rabbit, or have a baby, or suffer an illness.
I love solitude and quiet (yes, that's why we adopted four children . . .). But from time to time, I want to talk with adults about something fun and enjoyable. I don't know what I would do without my bunny friends. I think that suddenly my secluded life that I enjoy so much up here on my hilltop would become lonely instead.
Power and Influence
There's no doubt that having rabbits as a hobby can give you a sense of power. If nothing else, you have a sense of power over nature. You are deciding which rabbits to breed when. And you contribute hugely to the rabbits that are produced. Of course with my personality type, power over nature is very enticing.
You may also experience a sense of power and influence in the rabbit community. You may be "Somebody." Your opinions may matter to people and you may be a person who causes things to get done or causes things to be done in a certain way. Shows may happen because of you. Or they may run smoothly because of you. What you say and do matters to other people. You have power.
This type of power I shy away from. It's a two-edged sword with lots of responsibility to it. It's the type of power I craved as a young person, got in my career, and then decided that it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. But even so, power that comes to you naturally because you contribute to the good of the organization is one thing. Power that you go after and try to grab for yourself is something else altogether.
I respect more the people who gain their power from service to others rather than people who gain their power from their ability to control and manipulate.
Travel
It used to be that I hated a drive in the car. But now, I really enjoy the time, even with the added odor of a couple dozen bunnies in the back. I'm becoming familiar with highways I never thought I'd ever travel. The boundaries of my life have rolled back. Way back. The idea of making a trip anywhere doesn't seem the least bit unusual. I've visited places and made mental snapshots that I'm sure will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Making Money
I'm not sure that this is the best motivation for being in bunnies (meat, fur, and fiber excepted). But for some people, it does seem to be one of the reasons they raise and show rabbits.
I sold about $7500 worth of rabbits this year. My expenses were approximately $9500. I think that's great. For about $2000 for the year, I've traveled between one and four weekends per month and had a great time. Hobbies cost money. And my bunnies are a hobby. I think if it were purely a business, I would lose the joy of it. Pressure would become too much a part of my hobby.
I suppose I could raise the prices on my rabbits. They generally sell very quickly, which might mean I could get more if I raised the prices and waited a bit longer. But I would feel stressed doing that, so I probably won't. I take pride in feeling that I give value, perhaps above the selling price, for the rabbits I sell. It's not a perfect system, but I try.
And I think that getting good rabbits into the hands of as many people as possible is good for the hobby. When the prices go up too high, some people have to drop out.
Esteem
Most, or more probably all, people like to be respected and admired. Our hobby does provide that opportunity. How many bunny people have your admiration? You probably have a list of folks that you highly regard for their leadership ability, for their hard work, for their dedication, for their willingness to help others and share, for their organizational abilities, for their sweet dispositions, for their technical knowledge, for their artistic flare, for their ability to produce rabbits that fit the standard, and so forth. Yes, opportunities to win the esteem of your fellows abound in bunnies.
True Meaning
The true meaning of rabbits varies from person to person and is, in all likelihood, very complex - perhaps, not completely understood by even that person. It is a mistake, in my view, to think that everyone values their hobby to the same extent or in the same way. We're all different and we all see things uniquely. That's true for virtually every part of life, and it's no less true in rabbits.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 11:27 AM 0 comments links to this post
Learning
It is very true that I am happiest when I am learning new things. I don't like to be totally baffled without a clue to what is going on. But give me a body of knowledge and some things to try out and learn about at my own pace, and I'm in heaven. Obviously, the rabbit hobby was a great choice for me because learning is never-ending. Rabbits are always fascinating. There's always something to learn. The adventure never ends.
Pride
The pride of accomplishment after hard work and overcoming obstacles has got to be one of the best feelings in the world. This true, substantial pride should not be confused with boasting or showing off. Although that can be fun among friends, it's not the same thing as the warm glow of well-earned pride. It's fun to talk about a rabbit's accomplishments and to wave your flags high after some nice placement (or maybe even in anticipation of them). But the feeling of pride deep within yourself, whether anyone else even knows it, is the best of all. It's far better than the hardiest congratulations.
Love
Sure, I know they love the feed I bring more than they love me, but I do get a warm sense of being wanted when my bucks stick their heads way out of their cages towards me. Or when a rabbit would rather crawl up onto my chest than stay on the show table. I can't help but think of love when I see a mother rabbit licking her baby. Or a baby scrambling over obstacles to snuggle in beside his dam.
I also enjoying seeing folks come to my barn to pick out their new pet rabbit. Sometimes it is love at first sight. Other times, I have the distinct feeling when they leave that love is just around the corner. And then there are those emails that are full of expressions of love for their rabbits, who have just settled in so nicely.
Friendship and Fellowship
I moved from metro Atlanta to Ararat, VA. Ararat is so small that our family actually raised the population perceptively. Not being "from around here," I don't have a lot in common with my neighbors (beyond my family, of course). So the rabbit community has become my community and rabbit people have become my neighbors and friends. I have no idea what is going on two doors down from me, but I know when my friends miles away get a new rabbit, or have a baby, or suffer an illness.
I love solitude and quiet (yes, that's why we adopted four children . . .). But from time to time, I want to talk with adults about something fun and enjoyable. I don't know what I would do without my bunny friends. I think that suddenly my secluded life that I enjoy so much up here on my hilltop would become lonely instead.
Power and Influence
There's no doubt that having rabbits as a hobby can give you a sense of power. If nothing else, you have a sense of power over nature. You are deciding which rabbits to breed when. And you contribute hugely to the rabbits that are produced. Of course with my personality type, power over nature is very enticing.
You may also experience a sense of power and influence in the rabbit community. You may be "Somebody." Your opinions may matter to people and you may be a person who causes things to get done or causes things to be done in a certain way. Shows may happen because of you. Or they may run smoothly because of you. What you say and do matters to other people. You have power.
This type of power I shy away from. It's a two-edged sword with lots of responsibility to it. It's the type of power I craved as a young person, got in my career, and then decided that it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. But even so, power that comes to you naturally because you contribute to the good of the organization is one thing. Power that you go after and try to grab for yourself is something else altogether.
I respect more the people who gain their power from service to others rather than people who gain their power from their ability to control and manipulate.
Travel
It used to be that I hated a drive in the car. But now, I really enjoy the time, even with the added odor of a couple dozen bunnies in the back. I'm becoming familiar with highways I never thought I'd ever travel. The boundaries of my life have rolled back. Way back. The idea of making a trip anywhere doesn't seem the least bit unusual. I've visited places and made mental snapshots that I'm sure will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Making Money
I'm not sure that this is the best motivation for being in bunnies (meat, fur, and fiber excepted). But for some people, it does seem to be one of the reasons they raise and show rabbits.
I sold about $7500 worth of rabbits this year. My expenses were approximately $9500. I think that's great. For about $2000 for the year, I've traveled between one and four weekends per month and had a great time. Hobbies cost money. And my bunnies are a hobby. I think if it were purely a business, I would lose the joy of it. Pressure would become too much a part of my hobby.
I suppose I could raise the prices on my rabbits. They generally sell very quickly, which might mean I could get more if I raised the prices and waited a bit longer. But I would feel stressed doing that, so I probably won't. I take pride in feeling that I give value, perhaps above the selling price, for the rabbits I sell. It's not a perfect system, but I try.
And I think that getting good rabbits into the hands of as many people as possible is good for the hobby. When the prices go up too high, some people have to drop out.
Esteem
Most, or more probably all, people like to be respected and admired. Our hobby does provide that opportunity. How many bunny people have your admiration? You probably have a list of folks that you highly regard for their leadership ability, for their hard work, for their dedication, for their willingness to help others and share, for their organizational abilities, for their sweet dispositions, for their technical knowledge, for their artistic flare, for their ability to produce rabbits that fit the standard, and so forth. Yes, opportunities to win the esteem of your fellows abound in bunnies.
True Meaning
The true meaning of rabbits varies from person to person and is, in all likelihood, very complex - perhaps, not completely understood by even that person. It is a mistake, in my view, to think that everyone values their hobby to the same extent or in the same way. We're all different and we all see things uniquely. That's true for virtually every part of life, and it's no less true in rabbits.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 11:27 AM 0 comments links to this post
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Linking To My BLOG Posts
Do you have your own website? Ever thought that your visitors would enjoy (or hate) one of my BLOG posts? If so, you can easily link directly to the post and point your visitors right to the perfect spot. (Have the page open in a new window, and they won't even have to leave your website to visit my BLOG).
At the bottom of each BLOG post, you see "Links To This Post." Click on it and then select "Create A Link." The code for that link will be generated automatically. Just insert the code into your website and you are good to go. The code must be inserted into your source code. That's the only thing to remember. And if you need help with that, just let me know.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 2:51 PM 0 comments links to this post
At the bottom of each BLOG post, you see "Links To This Post." Click on it and then select "Create A Link." The code for that link will be generated automatically. Just insert the code into your website and you are good to go. The code must be inserted into your source code. That's the only thing to remember. And if you need help with that, just let me know.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 2:51 PM 0 comments links to this post
Reselling Rabbits
You buy a rabbit, get a few litters from it, and are ready to sell. What are your obligations, if any? How do you price a rabbit purchased from someone else? Does anyone else have rights to your rabbit? There are perhaps a few things to consider.
I believe it is a nice gesture to offer a rabbit back to its original breeder when you are ready to sell. I don't think it is an obligation, however, unless you agreed to when you purchased the rabbit.
[You may wonder why a breeder would want a rabbit back that he or she sold. Possibly, the breeder thought they would get a better one down the road, then the sire or dam died. Maybe the rabbit out of the litter they kept developed an eye spot or was found to have a split penis. Maybe the doe they had hoped would continue the line never produced live babies. Perhaps a breeding plan was developed after the rabbit was sold where the bunny could now play a pivotal part. Or, perhaps the bunny sold developed much better than expected.]
I should note that such agreements should be in writing (or by email). After months or even more than a year or two, it may be difficult to recall verbal agreements. I have sold rabbits with verbal agreements and found the the rabbit was sold to yet another person. I have also apparently forgotten an agreement myself. Luckily the person I bought the rabbit from realized that I had just forgotten and had not done it on purpose.
While it is best to put the agreement in writing to increase your chances of getting the rabbit back one day, it is no guarantee. Rabbits die, people move, folks forget, people keep rabbits for life, and relationships deteriorate. Are you going to take someone to court to get a rabbit back? I don't think so. If it is imperative that you get the rabbit back, just don't sell it.
Some people seem to believe that even though they sell a rabbit, they retain certain rights to the rabbit. Beyond the rabbit's pedigreed name, ear number, and being listed as the original breeder on registration documents, I do not believe that sellers retain rights to their rabbits. Again, exceptions are made for written agreements. But without a written agreement, breeders should not feel that they have the right to approve who you sell a rabbit to, give you grief for breeding the rabbit outside your herd, or anything else you want to do with the rabbit.
After all, you bought the rabbit and didn't rent it.
I believe that problems arise when breeders have different philosophies about rabbits in general. For example, if a breeder operates under the idea that it is a good practice to keep good rabbits out of their competitions' hands, they may feel it a violation to sell a good rabbit to someone in their neighborhood, especially their own breeding. Other breeders feel that allowing access to good stock improves the breed overall, increases interest in Hollands in the region and keeps competition alive and healthy. You can see where buyers and sellers from different schools of thought might experience some friction without a written agreement. To each, their point of view may be "obvious" to everyone. But, of course, it isn't.
Now you've decided who to offer the rabbit to. How do you price it? If the rabbit is essentially the same value as when you bought it, the answer may be simple. Just sell it back at the same price (or lower, if the animal has aged or deteriorated significantly). But what if the rabbit now has some legs on it? What if the doe produced a string of grand champions? What if the rabbit is simply more valuable than what you paid for it?
If the original breeder gave you a break because you were new or because you are a youth or 4-Her, you may want to sell it back at the reduced price. Return courtesy for courtesy. But if it was sold to you at the market value, I believe you have the right to resell it, even to its original breeder, at the new market value.
Here's my reasoning. You purchase many rabbits to establish or improve your line. Many do not work out: some die before producing a replacement, some never have live kits, some fail to develop to the potential that seemed obvious earlier on, and so on.
I'll bet the original breeders are not willing to buy all of those rabbits back at what you paid for them. No, you take your losses and move on.
So when you find a diamond in the rough, when you luck out with a junior that turns out to be terrific, when you find that doe that produces so much better than herself, then don't you have the right to take the gain on that rabbit? You took your losses, didn't you? Should original breeders just be able to sell all of their rabbits are market value, and then just buy back the good ones at the original price? That seems like all of the advantages go to the original breeder.
Have you ever sold a rabbit cheaply to a 4-Her or youth, only to have that person sell it at a higher price to someone else. Did it make you mad? I've thought about that a bit. I suppose if that person is just selling out of bunnies, I would feel like they were making a profit off of my generosity. But more than likely, that youth or 4-Her is taking the benefit that you granted them, cashing it in, and buying another rabbit with the money (or otherwise folding it into their hobby). You wanted to help them, didn't you?
If I want to help out a youth or 4-Her, I need to give the help away freely, and not look to see what they do with it. Otherwise, I may just make myself unhappy. It's just like giving a birthday or Christmas gift. Don't go to the person's house to see if they are displaying, wearing, or using your gift. Just give it away, and don't worry about it any longer.
Buying and selling rabbits can be a tricky part of our hobby. I think that the simplest approaches - buy carefully, be courteous and thoughtful, and really let go when you sell - are the best.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 1:33 PM 0 comments links to this post
I believe it is a nice gesture to offer a rabbit back to its original breeder when you are ready to sell. I don't think it is an obligation, however, unless you agreed to when you purchased the rabbit.
[You may wonder why a breeder would want a rabbit back that he or she sold. Possibly, the breeder thought they would get a better one down the road, then the sire or dam died. Maybe the rabbit out of the litter they kept developed an eye spot or was found to have a split penis. Maybe the doe they had hoped would continue the line never produced live babies. Perhaps a breeding plan was developed after the rabbit was sold where the bunny could now play a pivotal part. Or, perhaps the bunny sold developed much better than expected.]
I should note that such agreements should be in writing (or by email). After months or even more than a year or two, it may be difficult to recall verbal agreements. I have sold rabbits with verbal agreements and found the the rabbit was sold to yet another person. I have also apparently forgotten an agreement myself. Luckily the person I bought the rabbit from realized that I had just forgotten and had not done it on purpose.
While it is best to put the agreement in writing to increase your chances of getting the rabbit back one day, it is no guarantee. Rabbits die, people move, folks forget, people keep rabbits for life, and relationships deteriorate. Are you going to take someone to court to get a rabbit back? I don't think so. If it is imperative that you get the rabbit back, just don't sell it.
Some people seem to believe that even though they sell a rabbit, they retain certain rights to the rabbit. Beyond the rabbit's pedigreed name, ear number, and being listed as the original breeder on registration documents, I do not believe that sellers retain rights to their rabbits. Again, exceptions are made for written agreements. But without a written agreement, breeders should not feel that they have the right to approve who you sell a rabbit to, give you grief for breeding the rabbit outside your herd, or anything else you want to do with the rabbit.
After all, you bought the rabbit and didn't rent it.
I believe that problems arise when breeders have different philosophies about rabbits in general. For example, if a breeder operates under the idea that it is a good practice to keep good rabbits out of their competitions' hands, they may feel it a violation to sell a good rabbit to someone in their neighborhood, especially their own breeding. Other breeders feel that allowing access to good stock improves the breed overall, increases interest in Hollands in the region and keeps competition alive and healthy. You can see where buyers and sellers from different schools of thought might experience some friction without a written agreement. To each, their point of view may be "obvious" to everyone. But, of course, it isn't.
Now you've decided who to offer the rabbit to. How do you price it? If the rabbit is essentially the same value as when you bought it, the answer may be simple. Just sell it back at the same price (or lower, if the animal has aged or deteriorated significantly). But what if the rabbit now has some legs on it? What if the doe produced a string of grand champions? What if the rabbit is simply more valuable than what you paid for it?
If the original breeder gave you a break because you were new or because you are a youth or 4-Her, you may want to sell it back at the reduced price. Return courtesy for courtesy. But if it was sold to you at the market value, I believe you have the right to resell it, even to its original breeder, at the new market value.
Here's my reasoning. You purchase many rabbits to establish or improve your line. Many do not work out: some die before producing a replacement, some never have live kits, some fail to develop to the potential that seemed obvious earlier on, and so on.
I'll bet the original breeders are not willing to buy all of those rabbits back at what you paid for them. No, you take your losses and move on.
So when you find a diamond in the rough, when you luck out with a junior that turns out to be terrific, when you find that doe that produces so much better than herself, then don't you have the right to take the gain on that rabbit? You took your losses, didn't you? Should original breeders just be able to sell all of their rabbits are market value, and then just buy back the good ones at the original price? That seems like all of the advantages go to the original breeder.
Have you ever sold a rabbit cheaply to a 4-Her or youth, only to have that person sell it at a higher price to someone else. Did it make you mad? I've thought about that a bit. I suppose if that person is just selling out of bunnies, I would feel like they were making a profit off of my generosity. But more than likely, that youth or 4-Her is taking the benefit that you granted them, cashing it in, and buying another rabbit with the money (or otherwise folding it into their hobby). You wanted to help them, didn't you?
If I want to help out a youth or 4-Her, I need to give the help away freely, and not look to see what they do with it. Otherwise, I may just make myself unhappy. It's just like giving a birthday or Christmas gift. Don't go to the person's house to see if they are displaying, wearing, or using your gift. Just give it away, and don't worry about it any longer.
Buying and selling rabbits can be a tricky part of our hobby. I think that the simplest approaches - buy carefully, be courteous and thoughtful, and really let go when you sell - are the best.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 1:33 PM 0 comments links to this post
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
New Web Site Samples
Two brand new website samples were posted today.
- Misty Haven - featuring a blue and white dusky forrest background
- Mischa's - featuring a mosaic created from a picture of your rabbit; this design is available in several colors.
Check them out!
Laurie
¶ 6:16 PM 0 comments links to this post
Christmas In The Rabbitry
I made sure that I got what I wanted for Christmas. No, I didn't give my husband a list to fill. We don't give each other Christmas presents. And I didn't hint to my parents or children. Nope. Instead, I bred 12 does who were due on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. That did the trick.
Things did start out badly. I lost 6 kits due to a power glitch. My outlet tripped the ground fault device, so I found 6 cold babies in a poorly built nest that should have been warm and toasty from the nest box warmer. They were Bear & Markie babies and I was really looking forward to them.
Two other does had dead litters, but they've previously had live kits, so I don't think they'll have a problem next time. It was just one of those things. But most of the news from there was more upbeat.
Rio & May had 7, with 6 viable kits. Two are solid, one is broken and three are Charlies, of course. I would beat the odds on the Charlies, of course! Well, I love brokens and Charlies insure that there will be brokens. I still have to make it past the fuzzy hurdle though. Rio definitely throws fuzzies and I'm pretty sure that May can (her sire does). Probably the 2 solids and 1 broken are fuzzy!
Of course, I shouldn't complain about not beating the odds with May. She's had 3 litters with only one non-viable kit per litter. May has produced 16 viable kits for me since September!
Natasha had 8 with Boris (inbreeding). Seven survived, but FIVE are peanuts, so there are only 2 viable from the 8. Odds were against me again! But I was able to move May's brokens over to Natasha (gave the peanuts to May), which is good. I think that May can return to the show table if she's not dragged down by nursing. Nursing seems to take more out of a doe than kindling does.
Hilary, May's sister, had 6 with Ox, but 3 are peanuts. The odds were against me AGAIN! Those babies were given to Markie, who has not yet nursed a litter, but is already granded. Hilary needs another leg to grand, so I'd like to try to keep her in show condition at least until she's granded.
Spice had 6 with Q; both are Merlin offspring. It looks like 5 are viable and 1 is a runt (not a peanut). The runt has tiny ears, positioned further back, but the body looks normal. I find that they grow at half speed and usually die around weaning or so. Those babies were fostered to Chica because she had a dead litter and Spice apparently has no milk (or very late milk) this time.
Estella (Stella's daughter with Mtn's Buzz) had 3 with Merlin. Merlin and Stella work so well together (they produced May, Hilary, Purdy, and Wizard), that I decided to see if Estella would work as well with Merlin. All three are brokens, but one is a peanut. I fostered May's 2 solid babies to Estella, whose own babies were very fat the first time I saw them. She's a bit of a nervous mother, but is taking great care of her babies.
That makes 18 babies. I have 2 from earlier this month, so I met my goal of 20 babies per month. It used to be 25, but I have to keep reminding myself that I'm trying to cut down.
It looks like 4 of my does missed (though there may be a late surprise in the barn for me today). I had hoped that Jo-Jo would miss because I regretted breeding her. She has 2 legs now (one she earned after being bred), so I'd love to grand her before having babies takes the polished glow off of her.
Things worked out very well. There was one doe I hoped would miss and she did. There were 3 does that I did not want to nurse a litter, and they are not. I wanted 20 babies for this month and got them.
I think I'm pretty happy with that.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 10:51 AM 0 comments links to this post
Things did start out badly. I lost 6 kits due to a power glitch. My outlet tripped the ground fault device, so I found 6 cold babies in a poorly built nest that should have been warm and toasty from the nest box warmer. They were Bear & Markie babies and I was really looking forward to them.
Two other does had dead litters, but they've previously had live kits, so I don't think they'll have a problem next time. It was just one of those things. But most of the news from there was more upbeat.
Rio & May had 7, with 6 viable kits. Two are solid, one is broken and three are Charlies, of course. I would beat the odds on the Charlies, of course! Well, I love brokens and Charlies insure that there will be brokens. I still have to make it past the fuzzy hurdle though. Rio definitely throws fuzzies and I'm pretty sure that May can (her sire does). Probably the 2 solids and 1 broken are fuzzy!
Of course, I shouldn't complain about not beating the odds with May. She's had 3 litters with only one non-viable kit per litter. May has produced 16 viable kits for me since September!
Natasha had 8 with Boris (inbreeding). Seven survived, but FIVE are peanuts, so there are only 2 viable from the 8. Odds were against me again! But I was able to move May's brokens over to Natasha (gave the peanuts to May), which is good. I think that May can return to the show table if she's not dragged down by nursing. Nursing seems to take more out of a doe than kindling does.
Hilary, May's sister, had 6 with Ox, but 3 are peanuts. The odds were against me AGAIN! Those babies were given to Markie, who has not yet nursed a litter, but is already granded. Hilary needs another leg to grand, so I'd like to try to keep her in show condition at least until she's granded.
Spice had 6 with Q; both are Merlin offspring. It looks like 5 are viable and 1 is a runt (not a peanut). The runt has tiny ears, positioned further back, but the body looks normal. I find that they grow at half speed and usually die around weaning or so. Those babies were fostered to Chica because she had a dead litter and Spice apparently has no milk (or very late milk) this time.
Estella (Stella's daughter with Mtn's Buzz) had 3 with Merlin. Merlin and Stella work so well together (they produced May, Hilary, Purdy, and Wizard), that I decided to see if Estella would work as well with Merlin. All three are brokens, but one is a peanut. I fostered May's 2 solid babies to Estella, whose own babies were very fat the first time I saw them. She's a bit of a nervous mother, but is taking great care of her babies.
That makes 18 babies. I have 2 from earlier this month, so I met my goal of 20 babies per month. It used to be 25, but I have to keep reminding myself that I'm trying to cut down.
It looks like 4 of my does missed (though there may be a late surprise in the barn for me today). I had hoped that Jo-Jo would miss because I regretted breeding her. She has 2 legs now (one she earned after being bred), so I'd love to grand her before having babies takes the polished glow off of her.
Things worked out very well. There was one doe I hoped would miss and she did. There were 3 does that I did not want to nurse a litter, and they are not. I wanted 20 babies for this month and got them.
I think I'm pretty happy with that.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 10:51 AM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, December 16, 2005
Christmas BLOG Break
'Tis the season for family and friends. So I will be taking a break from my BLOG until December 27.
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distiction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Qualtiy Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 10:27 AM 0 comments links to this post
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distiction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Qualtiy Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 10:27 AM 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, December 15, 2005
The Best Time Of The Year
I'm sitting at my computer, still in my pajamas, listening to the freezing rain drip outside. Andrew turned off my alarm this morning (because it was annoying him - somehow it never occurred to him to wake me up). Anyway, after getting to sleep late, it was hard to leave the warmth of a pile of blankets and a little dog curled up by my side. It will be even harder to trudge out into the icy yuck that awaits me on the trek out to the barn.
I know that the water system is still frozen from yesterday. That means more trips back and forth carrying water. That means crocks to unfreeze. That means not wanting to hang around in the barn any longer than I have to.
So, suffice it to say, winter is not the best time of the year to be a rabbit breeder. And hey, it's not even officially winter yet. January and February (and perhaps March) are much worse.
But I hate the heat of July and August, too. I'm not an early riser (unless there is a rabbit show to go to). But I try to beat the heat by spending time in the barn in the morning. When that doesn't work out as planned, it's miserably hot in the barn. Sure, there's no frozen water line to deal with, but there's ice to carry back and forth on the hottest of days and fans to tend to lest the barn catch fire. And there's always the fear of losing a really great rabbit to the heat. There are few shows and the does think it is too hot to breed.
So, suffice it to say, summer is not the best time of the year to be a rabbit breeder.
Then there's fall. The temperature in the barn is delightful. But in early fall, everyone is molting and there's scarcely a rabbit suitable for the show table. Does are missing because bucks went sterile in the August heat. Once the fur settles and Convention is over, then it's time to catch up on all of the chores caused by the flying fur, not to mention those I put off because of the summer heat.
So suffice it to say, fall is not the best time of the year to be a rabbit breeder.
Oh, but spring. Once the nights rise above freezing, then toting water is over for the year. Does are all extra fertile and cooperative, and we have Nationals to look forward to. But the mercurial weather is hard on the rabbits with the chilly nights and the really warm afternoons, so there are sick rabbits to tend to and those heart-wrenching rabbit deaths. And there are all of those chores to do that were delayed because of the winter ice, not to mention the swarm of pet customers who want an Easter bunny.
So suffice it to say, spring is not the best time of the year to be a rabbit breeder.
By my best calculations, there are about two weeks in late fall, before the weather turns freezing, and after the fur has molted, after Convention is over, and when the does are having babies still because it is not winter, and the bucks are producing because they are over summer sterility, and after the chores are caught up - that's when I think it is the best time of the year to be a rabbit breeder.
And that's over for another year.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 10:42 AM 0 comments links to this post
I know that the water system is still frozen from yesterday. That means more trips back and forth carrying water. That means crocks to unfreeze. That means not wanting to hang around in the barn any longer than I have to.
So, suffice it to say, winter is not the best time of the year to be a rabbit breeder. And hey, it's not even officially winter yet. January and February (and perhaps March) are much worse.
But I hate the heat of July and August, too. I'm not an early riser (unless there is a rabbit show to go to). But I try to beat the heat by spending time in the barn in the morning. When that doesn't work out as planned, it's miserably hot in the barn. Sure, there's no frozen water line to deal with, but there's ice to carry back and forth on the hottest of days and fans to tend to lest the barn catch fire. And there's always the fear of losing a really great rabbit to the heat. There are few shows and the does think it is too hot to breed.
So, suffice it to say, summer is not the best time of the year to be a rabbit breeder.
Then there's fall. The temperature in the barn is delightful. But in early fall, everyone is molting and there's scarcely a rabbit suitable for the show table. Does are missing because bucks went sterile in the August heat. Once the fur settles and Convention is over, then it's time to catch up on all of the chores caused by the flying fur, not to mention those I put off because of the summer heat.
So suffice it to say, fall is not the best time of the year to be a rabbit breeder.
Oh, but spring. Once the nights rise above freezing, then toting water is over for the year. Does are all extra fertile and cooperative, and we have Nationals to look forward to. But the mercurial weather is hard on the rabbits with the chilly nights and the really warm afternoons, so there are sick rabbits to tend to and those heart-wrenching rabbit deaths. And there are all of those chores to do that were delayed because of the winter ice, not to mention the swarm of pet customers who want an Easter bunny.
So suffice it to say, spring is not the best time of the year to be a rabbit breeder.
By my best calculations, there are about two weeks in late fall, before the weather turns freezing, and after the fur has molted, after Convention is over, and when the does are having babies still because it is not winter, and the bucks are producing because they are over summer sterility, and after the chores are caught up - that's when I think it is the best time of the year to be a rabbit breeder.
And that's over for another year.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 10:42 AM 0 comments links to this post
New Web Site Sample Available
To replace a sold web site, a new sample is now available for viewing:
It's another with the links down the center. It has a beautiful water mark floral in the background and is lavender and yellow. Take a peek today!
I will be available early next year to begin working on additional web site. Wouldn't a new web site be a great Christmas gift for your rabbit lover?
Complete information concerning the costs, payment schedule, what you need to provide in terms of pictures and information, and so forth, is all listed on my website under the WEB DESIGN link at the top of each page.
Laurie Stroupe
Affordable Web Design from The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
My Favorite Things
I often say that Holland Lops are like fried chicken - everyone has their favorite piece. I definitely have my favorite pieces as well.
Curvature - I love really good curvature on a rabbit. When I started out, I produced so much snipiness and so many concave faces that it was a thrill to produce some of my first examples of good curvature.
I think GC The Nature Trail's Mercedes has nice curvature.
Short, round, thick ears - love 'em. I'll even tolerate a bit of side-to-side narrowness to get those ears. If I have to choose between a wide crown with long, heavy ears or a set of cute, cute ears with a slightly tight crown, those cute ears will win out every time.
I like the ears on GC The Nature Trail's LaForge.
Short, fat bone - stumpy legs just set my heart a thumpin'! And if there is a deep, deep chest on top to get the head up where it's supposed to be, I'm just about in heaven.
I'd love all of my rabbits to have bone like GC Camelot's Merlin. Luckily, he's throwing it well.
Width between the eyes - somehow great width between the eyes gives a Holland a sassy "I'm something special" look. It can certainly make me say, "wow."
GC The Nature Trail's Rio has tremendous width between the eyes.
Beautiful top line - when a rabbit has a beautiful top line and just poses naturally, there's a sort of, "I know I've got it" attitude, understated but substantial. These rabbits don't have to be posed by their owners. They don't have to be adjusted. They just plop their rears down and show off their natural beauty. Good depth over the hindquarter, a beautiful turn with no sloping off, is a must.
I'm not sure I've ever gotten the perfect picture of a top line for my website, but GC The Nature Trail's Brook, Mercedes, and Belle have nice ones.
Cheeks - fat cheeks on a Holland will just make you fall in love.
GC The Nature Trail's May has fat cheeks.
Of course there are other parts I appreciate as well. I like a chunky crown, well placed. I love fur in prime and a smooth hindquarter. I love hind feet that are perfectly parallel and wide apart with matching front feet, wide apart, too. Shoulders are probably my biggest weakness. So it's a joy to have to stretch my hand to wrap about wide, wide shoulders. I'm a sucker for a massive chest.
Now the trick, of course, is getting all of these nice parts into one Holland lop! But the first step is knowing what you are aiming for.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 8:35 AM 0 comments links to this post
Curvature - I love really good curvature on a rabbit. When I started out, I produced so much snipiness and so many concave faces that it was a thrill to produce some of my first examples of good curvature.
I think GC The Nature Trail's Mercedes has nice curvature.
Short, round, thick ears - love 'em. I'll even tolerate a bit of side-to-side narrowness to get those ears. If I have to choose between a wide crown with long, heavy ears or a set of cute, cute ears with a slightly tight crown, those cute ears will win out every time.
I like the ears on GC The Nature Trail's LaForge.
Short, fat bone - stumpy legs just set my heart a thumpin'! And if there is a deep, deep chest on top to get the head up where it's supposed to be, I'm just about in heaven.
I'd love all of my rabbits to have bone like GC Camelot's Merlin. Luckily, he's throwing it well.
Width between the eyes - somehow great width between the eyes gives a Holland a sassy "I'm something special" look. It can certainly make me say, "wow."
GC The Nature Trail's Rio has tremendous width between the eyes.
Beautiful top line - when a rabbit has a beautiful top line and just poses naturally, there's a sort of, "I know I've got it" attitude, understated but substantial. These rabbits don't have to be posed by their owners. They don't have to be adjusted. They just plop their rears down and show off their natural beauty. Good depth over the hindquarter, a beautiful turn with no sloping off, is a must.
I'm not sure I've ever gotten the perfect picture of a top line for my website, but GC The Nature Trail's Brook, Mercedes, and Belle have nice ones.
Cheeks - fat cheeks on a Holland will just make you fall in love.
GC The Nature Trail's May has fat cheeks.
Of course there are other parts I appreciate as well. I like a chunky crown, well placed. I love fur in prime and a smooth hindquarter. I love hind feet that are perfectly parallel and wide apart with matching front feet, wide apart, too. Shoulders are probably my biggest weakness. So it's a joy to have to stretch my hand to wrap about wide, wide shoulders. I'm a sucker for a massive chest.
Now the trick, of course, is getting all of these nice parts into one Holland lop! But the first step is knowing what you are aiming for.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 8:35 AM 0 comments links to this post
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
The 80/20 Rule
I recently heard about a rabbitry with 300 Hollands in it. It blows my mind to think about that many rabbits. If I suddenly inherited 300 Hollands, the first thing I would do is cull down to 60. Of course, I wouldn't be able to do it in a day because I'd need to see what the rabbits could do first. But I would definitely cull down to 60.
Why? Because of the 80/20 rule.
You may be familiar with the 80/20 rule from the workplace. It goes something like this: 80% of your productivity comes from 20% of the workforce. The 80/20 rule seems to apply to almost any situation where the numbers are sufficient to have a trend.
If you belong to a large club, for example, you may notice that 80% of the work is done by a precious few members. I believe that in the barn, 80% of the keepers are produced by 20% of your herd.
Well, beliefs will not suffice, in my opinion, if the facts can be had. So I decided to look at my own herd to see if there is any truth to the 80/20 rule in rabbit production.
Here's what I did. First, I listed every doe I've ever bred. There were 79 of them. Then I noted beside each doe how many keepers they produced for me. I considered a rabbit a keeper if it was ever officially part of my herd - either for showing or breeding - and did not include those who went directly from "waiting to be evaluated" status to being sold or donated.
This is not a perfect system because I kept rabbits from my first breedings that would never make it these days. And, I have a lot of nice does whose offspring are looking promising, but are not old enough to have joined the herd. But, on the other hand, it is a snapshot of how things stand at the moment.
Together, they produced 74 rabbits that were keepers (for at least some period of time, though some now have been sold). Eighty percent of 74 is 59. That number fell in the middle of a particular doe who produced both #59 and #60. If I include her, then 23% of my does produced 81% of my keepers. If I eliminate her, then 21% of my does produced 78% percent of my keepers.
It's not exactly 80/20, but it is darn close. I'll not attempt the same thing with bucks because, even though I've used over 50, there are many bucks that were used once and only several that were used dozens of times. I think that more barns keep their herd bucks culled heavily anyway.
We've all heard the standard advice cull, cull, cull. And I believe it. But this particular way of evaluating the principle really lays it out nicely for me. Sure, if I cull down to the 20% that are producing, I'll lose 20% of my keepers, but I'll also eliminate 80% of feeding, cleaning, and poop removal. Sounds like a winner to me.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 10:29 AM 0 comments links to this post
Why? Because of the 80/20 rule.
You may be familiar with the 80/20 rule from the workplace. It goes something like this: 80% of your productivity comes from 20% of the workforce. The 80/20 rule seems to apply to almost any situation where the numbers are sufficient to have a trend.
If you belong to a large club, for example, you may notice that 80% of the work is done by a precious few members. I believe that in the barn, 80% of the keepers are produced by 20% of your herd.
Well, beliefs will not suffice, in my opinion, if the facts can be had. So I decided to look at my own herd to see if there is any truth to the 80/20 rule in rabbit production.
Here's what I did. First, I listed every doe I've ever bred. There were 79 of them. Then I noted beside each doe how many keepers they produced for me. I considered a rabbit a keeper if it was ever officially part of my herd - either for showing or breeding - and did not include those who went directly from "waiting to be evaluated" status to being sold or donated.
This is not a perfect system because I kept rabbits from my first breedings that would never make it these days. And, I have a lot of nice does whose offspring are looking promising, but are not old enough to have joined the herd. But, on the other hand, it is a snapshot of how things stand at the moment.
Together, they produced 74 rabbits that were keepers (for at least some period of time, though some now have been sold). Eighty percent of 74 is 59. That number fell in the middle of a particular doe who produced both #59 and #60. If I include her, then 23% of my does produced 81% of my keepers. If I eliminate her, then 21% of my does produced 78% percent of my keepers.
It's not exactly 80/20, but it is darn close. I'll not attempt the same thing with bucks because, even though I've used over 50, there are many bucks that were used once and only several that were used dozens of times. I think that more barns keep their herd bucks culled heavily anyway.
We've all heard the standard advice cull, cull, cull. And I believe it. But this particular way of evaluating the principle really lays it out nicely for me. Sure, if I cull down to the 20% that are producing, I'll lose 20% of my keepers, but I'll also eliminate 80% of feeding, cleaning, and poop removal. Sounds like a winner to me.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 10:29 AM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, December 12, 2005
Does That Don't Produce
What do you do with a doe that doesn't produce? It's such a sticky wicket. I'm not sure I have the final answer to this question, but I have been giving it some thought.
First comes the question of when you give up on a doe. It's not unusual for a doe to miss or have a dead litter the first try or two. So those don't count. By the third litter, you are thinking it is a trend, though. That's when I ask myself whether there is an extraordinary reason to keep trying to get babies from a particular doe. For an ordinary quality doe (just a nice one, not a stupendous one), three strikes is generally enough for me.
But I know from experience that some does don't start having live litters until the fifth or even sixth litters. Then, after that, they have litters with no problems. I had one doe that had four live babies on her fifth litter. I was already mentally planning who to breed her to next when I reached in her nest and was shocked to find them all nestled in there perfectly.
Now you may say that I just perpetuated a problem breeding. She had three daughters that I kept track of. Two had live babies on their very first litter. The third daughter had live babies on her fourth attempt (a couple of the attempts were misses). She was a bit more like her mom.
With even an outstanding doe who has had her fourth or fifth attempt with no success, I generally give up, unless the circumstances are extra special. In one case, I had paid a good deal for a doe from a successful breeder no longer in bunnies. I couldn't get a replacement and I couldn't sell her to recoup my investment if she wasn't producing. But after six attempts, I donated her to a 4-h auction as a show-only rabbit and a note about her history. If they ever manage to get a live baby from her, it will be a bonus for them. I finally just took my loss and moved on.
[Note: as the quality in my barn has improved, I can afford to be pickier about mothering skills AND show quality, since I have more of both. A doe that seemed worth the effort in the past would probably not even make the cut today. My goal is to consistently produce rabbits who do well on the table and then make great mothers.]
Now we are back to what to do when you decide to give up, whether it is after 3, 4, 5, 6, or more attempts. I've already mentioned with a show quality rabbit that a show-only home is a possibility. Those are fairly rare, but there are some.
I have sold three does to breeders with the understanding that they pay only if the doe has live babies for them. In two of the three cases, OF COURSE, the does had live babies the very first time!
I do not like to sell does as pets, but if I have a family who is planning to spay, selling the doe as a pet is a possibility.
I have lent a problem doe to a friend. Now this doe had produced in the past, especially right after a move to a new barn, but was having a long dry spell. Our hope was that the change of barn would get her hormones flowing and help her produce. Our plan hasn't worked well in this case, but it could have. If I had lent those other does to friends instead of selling them, 2 out of 3 would have had live babies and I would still own the does. So that's a possibility that might work, especially if you have a friend who has more experience breeding than you do and you are dealing with a doe that doesn't want to breed or doesn't catch.
Here are a few things I think that should not be done with does that do not produce:
First comes the question of when you give up on a doe. It's not unusual for a doe to miss or have a dead litter the first try or two. So those don't count. By the third litter, you are thinking it is a trend, though. That's when I ask myself whether there is an extraordinary reason to keep trying to get babies from a particular doe. For an ordinary quality doe (just a nice one, not a stupendous one), three strikes is generally enough for me.
But I know from experience that some does don't start having live litters until the fifth or even sixth litters. Then, after that, they have litters with no problems. I had one doe that had four live babies on her fifth litter. I was already mentally planning who to breed her to next when I reached in her nest and was shocked to find them all nestled in there perfectly.
Now you may say that I just perpetuated a problem breeding. She had three daughters that I kept track of. Two had live babies on their very first litter. The third daughter had live babies on her fourth attempt (a couple of the attempts were misses). She was a bit more like her mom.
With even an outstanding doe who has had her fourth or fifth attempt with no success, I generally give up, unless the circumstances are extra special. In one case, I had paid a good deal for a doe from a successful breeder no longer in bunnies. I couldn't get a replacement and I couldn't sell her to recoup my investment if she wasn't producing. But after six attempts, I donated her to a 4-h auction as a show-only rabbit and a note about her history. If they ever manage to get a live baby from her, it will be a bonus for them. I finally just took my loss and moved on.
[Note: as the quality in my barn has improved, I can afford to be pickier about mothering skills AND show quality, since I have more of both. A doe that seemed worth the effort in the past would probably not even make the cut today. My goal is to consistently produce rabbits who do well on the table and then make great mothers.]
Now we are back to what to do when you decide to give up, whether it is after 3, 4, 5, 6, or more attempts. I've already mentioned with a show quality rabbit that a show-only home is a possibility. Those are fairly rare, but there are some.
I have sold three does to breeders with the understanding that they pay only if the doe has live babies for them. In two of the three cases, OF COURSE, the does had live babies the very first time!
I do not like to sell does as pets, but if I have a family who is planning to spay, selling the doe as a pet is a possibility.
I have lent a problem doe to a friend. Now this doe had produced in the past, especially right after a move to a new barn, but was having a long dry spell. Our hope was that the change of barn would get her hormones flowing and help her produce. Our plan hasn't worked well in this case, but it could have. If I had lent those other does to friends instead of selling them, 2 out of 3 would have had live babies and I would still own the does. So that's a possibility that might work, especially if you have a friend who has more experience breeding than you do and you are dealing with a doe that doesn't want to breed or doesn't catch.
Here are a few things I think that should not be done with does that do not produce:
- They should not be sold as proven does if they have only had dead litters
- They should not be sold as unproven does unless you include information about their failed production history
- They should not be placed in the raffle, unless you include a note saying you have not gotten live babies from them
- They should not be petted out without explaining to the new owners the pitfalls of does as pets or the new owners are planning to spay
- They should not be sold to 4-Hers unless the situation is explained clearly.
Processing for human consumption, donation to a raptor center, donation to zoos for food, or putting down the rabbit may not be options you would consider, but for some, those are preferable to passing on a problem to an new owner unaware or feeding a non-producing rabbit for the next 7 to 12 years.
One ARBA judge mentioned that when he first built his herd, he culled very hard for good mothering skills. Now he has very few problems in his herd with mothering ability. As I look back over the times I gave rabbits lots of chances, I'm not sure it was really worth it in the long run. I think in the majority of cases, I would have been better off to cut my losses early.
But I'm still not sure I can do it.
One of my favorite does, GC The Nature Trail's Brook, has had 2 misses and 2 dead litters. She's due again on Christmas Day. Will I get a wonderful Christmas present or have to make a hard decision? We shall see.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 9:51 AM 0 comments links to this post
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Graduation Day
It's amazing to me how kits seem to know when graduation day comes. That is, the day they graduate from the nest box. In summer, that day is at two weeks. For cold weather, it's at three weeks. Yesterday I went to the barn to remove nest boxes only to find kits popping around the cages everywhere. Just the day before, they were all snug in their boxes. Somehow, they just knew it was time to come out.
I love to see kits when they first get out of the box (assuming it's the right time). The first thing they think is "Great, now I can nurse whenever I want to!" But the dam takes the first 15 minutes to establish new rules. Being near mom does not mean another meal anymore.
Some will find a corner to hide in, but others have to explore every inch of their new world. Later, they will huddle together. I often provide an empty oatmeal box or a pile of hay for the first couple of transition days.
Others will find the feed and water dishes right away. I use ceramic cat dishes for tiny kits' first meals. I feel safer with them since kits can keep their nose above water, even if they get totally into the dish. Later, I'll use a full-sized crock in addition to the automatic water system. They can handle it better then and need more water as well.
But the really bold ones will skip the ceramic dishes and go right for the J-feeder, hopping on top with a "this is all mine" attitude. The cutest ones are those who stretch up high and begin drinking from the automatic watering system, just like a big boy or girl.
I think that three weeks old is the most adorable age for kits. Really, there's no cuter rabbit in the world than the round ball of fur with the short little ears poking straight up, binkying around the cage. I also think it is the binkying-est stage of a rabbit's life, too. Three steps, binky, two steps, binky. It's joyful to watch.
Another great thing about three-week-olds is that none of your hopes and dreams for them have been dashed yet. There are no rabbits with ears too long. Fuzzies may even be keeping their secret still. They all seem to have short bodies and curvature. No, hope-dashing is for another day. Today, they are all perfect and adorable.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Care, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 12:09 PM 0 comments links to this post
I love to see kits when they first get out of the box (assuming it's the right time). The first thing they think is "Great, now I can nurse whenever I want to!" But the dam takes the first 15 minutes to establish new rules. Being near mom does not mean another meal anymore.
Some will find a corner to hide in, but others have to explore every inch of their new world. Later, they will huddle together. I often provide an empty oatmeal box or a pile of hay for the first couple of transition days.
Others will find the feed and water dishes right away. I use ceramic cat dishes for tiny kits' first meals. I feel safer with them since kits can keep their nose above water, even if they get totally into the dish. Later, I'll use a full-sized crock in addition to the automatic water system. They can handle it better then and need more water as well.
But the really bold ones will skip the ceramic dishes and go right for the J-feeder, hopping on top with a "this is all mine" attitude. The cutest ones are those who stretch up high and begin drinking from the automatic watering system, just like a big boy or girl.
I think that three weeks old is the most adorable age for kits. Really, there's no cuter rabbit in the world than the round ball of fur with the short little ears poking straight up, binkying around the cage. I also think it is the binkying-est stage of a rabbit's life, too. Three steps, binky, two steps, binky. It's joyful to watch.
Another great thing about three-week-olds is that none of your hopes and dreams for them have been dashed yet. There are no rabbits with ears too long. Fuzzies may even be keeping their secret still. They all seem to have short bodies and curvature. No, hope-dashing is for another day. Today, they are all perfect and adorable.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
"Holland Lops Of Distinction"
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Care, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 12:09 PM 0 comments links to this post
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Bunny Friends
This evening, one of the clubs I belong to is having a Christmas party. I am very much looking forward to spending an enjoyable evening without the pressure of putting rabbits on the table or listening for my breed to be called. Fellowship, friendship, and fun - with food added in - will be the order of the evening.
Andrew is taking the opportunity to spend some rabbit-free time with me and my rabbit chums. Normally, he just gets to hear about what's going on or maybe visit briefly with my friends when they come ot the house to do bunny stuff or spend the night before a show. It will be nice to spend time with him and my hobby at the same time. That's nearly heaven.
And we're leaving the kids at Grandma's (okay, I admit it, that might be the best part).
The party caused me to stop and think about all of the friends I have made over the last three years. It's amazing to count up how many people there are from all across the country that I've enjoyed meeting and getting to know better. There are so many people that I look forward to seeing at shows and club meetings - people that I miss when they are not there. And among the numbers of friendly aquaintances that I enjoy chatting with and have come to care about, I've made a few very good friends as well.
True, there has been a stinker or two to cross my path. You have that in every group of people, everywhere, in every time. And sometimes you find that personalities just don't mesh well with yours and it's best just to go your separate ways. But by and large, rabbit people have enriched my life greatly. And I really appreciate this wonderful dividend from my very special hobby.
Take a moment to think about all of the wonderful people in your life that you would not even know were it not for showing rabbits.
Amazing, isn't it?
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 10:52 AM 0 comments links to this post
Andrew is taking the opportunity to spend some rabbit-free time with me and my rabbit chums. Normally, he just gets to hear about what's going on or maybe visit briefly with my friends when they come ot the house to do bunny stuff or spend the night before a show. It will be nice to spend time with him and my hobby at the same time. That's nearly heaven.
And we're leaving the kids at Grandma's (okay, I admit it, that might be the best part).
The party caused me to stop and think about all of the friends I have made over the last three years. It's amazing to count up how many people there are from all across the country that I've enjoyed meeting and getting to know better. There are so many people that I look forward to seeing at shows and club meetings - people that I miss when they are not there. And among the numbers of friendly aquaintances that I enjoy chatting with and have come to care about, I've made a few very good friends as well.
True, there has been a stinker or two to cross my path. You have that in every group of people, everywhere, in every time. And sometimes you find that personalities just don't mesh well with yours and it's best just to go your separate ways. But by and large, rabbit people have enriched my life greatly. And I really appreciate this wonderful dividend from my very special hobby.
Take a moment to think about all of the wonderful people in your life that you would not even know were it not for showing rabbits.
Amazing, isn't it?
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 10:52 AM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, December 09, 2005
Nest Box Warmers
I have a couple of nest box warmers. I rarely use them, but on occasion, they have come in handy.
A nest box warmer is a metal pad with a protected cord that you place under the nest box. It gets just barely warm. That's a huge difference between a regular heating pad and a nest box warmer. I've never had a heating pad that warmed to such a low temperature. That's very important because babies can be overheated as easily as they can be chilled.
The temperature is so low that it is difficult to feel whether it is working or not. But if you place it under a nest (rather than allow it to heat up in the open), you can feel inside the nest and see that it is warmer. Even an empty nest will feel warm as if there were babies inside.
Obviously, I don't use a nest box warmer with every litter. I will use it during cold weather if I get stuck with a singleton. That rarely happens because I generally breed a number of does together. But, for example, I have just two does due on Saturday and I could conceivably end up with just one and no litter to add it to (my other babies graduate from the nest box on Saturday).
I have also used the box during really cold weather with an especially precious litter. Perhaps the doe is getting older and I know there may not be many more from her. Or maybe the buck has died or been sold, so the litter cannot be repeated. Perhaps the doe is being sold and this is her farewell litter.
I will be putting the warmer under a nest box this morning, unless Piccolo has already had her babies by the time I get out to the barn (she's due tomorrow). I thought a lot about her last night and made the decision to get the nest box warmers out, clean them up, and see if they are still working, just for her. You see, I really like her and the lines behind her, but she's a lousy nest builder. She had taken almost all of the hay out of the box and tried to make up for it with fur, but it was just not adequate. I added more hay, but that ruins the fur lining unless she rearranges everything again. So, I'll put in the warmer. Also, she's had kits on the wire before. I have had a couple of kits like that saved because they snuggled up to the edge of the warmer and were able to last until I found them.
It does not seem that the nest box warmers are all that sturdy. My first only lasted through one litter. But that may have been a fluke.
They cost around $25 each.
I have had many January and February litters outside in an unheated barn with no problem whatsoever and without the bernefit of a nest box warmer. Temperatures in the 20s are common here, while the teens are rarer, but not unheard of. We live on the top of a ridge, so we do get more wind than average. We do cover our barn windows with plastic and tarps, but the eaves all remain open for ventilation.
But on a few occasions, the warmers have really come in handy.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 9:53 AM 0 comments links to this post
A nest box warmer is a metal pad with a protected cord that you place under the nest box. It gets just barely warm. That's a huge difference between a regular heating pad and a nest box warmer. I've never had a heating pad that warmed to such a low temperature. That's very important because babies can be overheated as easily as they can be chilled.
The temperature is so low that it is difficult to feel whether it is working or not. But if you place it under a nest (rather than allow it to heat up in the open), you can feel inside the nest and see that it is warmer. Even an empty nest will feel warm as if there were babies inside.
Obviously, I don't use a nest box warmer with every litter. I will use it during cold weather if I get stuck with a singleton. That rarely happens because I generally breed a number of does together. But, for example, I have just two does due on Saturday and I could conceivably end up with just one and no litter to add it to (my other babies graduate from the nest box on Saturday).
I have also used the box during really cold weather with an especially precious litter. Perhaps the doe is getting older and I know there may not be many more from her. Or maybe the buck has died or been sold, so the litter cannot be repeated. Perhaps the doe is being sold and this is her farewell litter.
I will be putting the warmer under a nest box this morning, unless Piccolo has already had her babies by the time I get out to the barn (she's due tomorrow). I thought a lot about her last night and made the decision to get the nest box warmers out, clean them up, and see if they are still working, just for her. You see, I really like her and the lines behind her, but she's a lousy nest builder. She had taken almost all of the hay out of the box and tried to make up for it with fur, but it was just not adequate. I added more hay, but that ruins the fur lining unless she rearranges everything again. So, I'll put in the warmer. Also, she's had kits on the wire before. I have had a couple of kits like that saved because they snuggled up to the edge of the warmer and were able to last until I found them.
It does not seem that the nest box warmers are all that sturdy. My first only lasted through one litter. But that may have been a fluke.
They cost around $25 each.
I have had many January and February litters outside in an unheated barn with no problem whatsoever and without the bernefit of a nest box warmer. Temperatures in the 20s are common here, while the teens are rarer, but not unheard of. We live on the top of a ridge, so we do get more wind than average. We do cover our barn windows with plastic and tarps, but the eaves all remain open for ventilation.
But on a few occasions, the warmers have really come in handy.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 9:53 AM 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Production Review
For most of this year, beginning in spring sometime, my target number for does was twelve. I wanted to have twelve broken does and twelve solid does producing in my breeding program. My target number of kits was 25 per month. Later in the year, I reduced my target number of does to ten each and my kits to 20 per month. Let's see how well I did (live births, including peanuts):
- January - 31 kits from 19 does -
1.6 kits per doe - February - 27 kits from 12 does -
2.25 kits per doe - March - 44 kits from 29 does -
1.5 kits per doe - April - 38 kits from 19 does -
2.0 kits per doe - May - 25 kits from 16 does -
1.6 kits per doe - June - 9 kits from 10 does -
0.9 kits per doe - July - 43 kits from 18 does -
2.4 kits per doe - August - 49 kits from 21 does -
2.3 kits per doe - September - 10 kits from 11 does -
0.9 kits per doe - October - 28 kits from 16 does -
1.75 kits per doe - November - 23 kits from 11 does -
2.1 kits per doe - December none so far, but 14 does due between Saturday and Christmas Eve
Does that miss and have all dead litters pull the average number of kits per litter way down. If you peek into my nest boxes, you won't see ones and twos, but rather groups of three to six, generally speaking.
The average number of kits per month is almost 30. I think I now see part of the root of my overcrowding problem! Of course, not all of these kits graduated from the nest box, but that's still a lot of bunnies for a small barn.
I also see why I had a hard time putting juniors on the table in October and the early part of November. I really had a gap in my production! And that huge influx of juniors from July kicked in, in mid-November. No wonder I had ten juniors to show this past month. Of course, most of that group turns senior before the next set of shows and I'll be experiencing what my new goal of 20 per month is like.
It appears that I produced 51 kits that will be juniors at Nationals. But in reality, there are only 33, once you subtract peanuts and other nest box losses. Still, that's a pretty nice number. I can hope for three nice bunnies from them to show in Perry - four if I'm really lucky.
I would have expected June to be a more fertile month, but a review of the actual does involved tells me that I had a high percentage of does that have not yet produced a live litter. Those does were mostly repeats that didn't produce in May either.
The July heat did not get to my bucks, but some August heat may have affected them for September litters. By October, things looks back to normal.
I had a very good catch and production rate for my January breedings. That was unexpected.
You may be wondering how I can breed so many does with just 24. First, you may recall that I bought 36 rabbits from Valerie Harrell in February. I initially kept a large number of does and bred them for March babies. Also, I have sold quite a few of my does this year, replacing them with does of my own breeding. So I can breed a doe one month and replace her the next month with another who is then bred. And, for does that I'm just trying to get started, they may be bred for three or more months in a row. Same doe. She's just bringing the averages down!
This next number surprised me. I bred 63 different does this year. It really has been a year for experimenting and trying new things. Luckily, some things have worked well and I've been able to narrow my focus. But to look back over this year's breeding has really opened my eyes to the journey I've taken.
I hope this time next year that I will see fewer animals used in my program for less variability and more predictable results. Of course, by the end of next year, I will have added does to my breeding program that have not even been born yet. So there will always be new does and a rotation of breeding stock. So, maybe if there are 63 different does bred next year, at least they will be from far fewer genetic pools.
Also, by attempting to fill my barn with show does who can produce well, too, I hope that my kits per doe will eventually rise. That will probably be a slow rise over a long period of time. But by keeping tabs on things, I can see if I'm showing an improvement.
I like to run my rabbitry in a logical fashion based on observation and analysis. It's not for everyone. But it seems to work for me.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 10:33 AM 0 comments links to this post
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Why Rabbit Babies Are Better
At one point in my life, I was more obsessed about adopting babies than anything else. I was even more obsessed about that than I am about rabbits now, if you can believe it. I even promised my husband after we adopted our fourth that I would go into therapy before asking for a fifth. But when we adopted Anna, I was suddenly done. My family was complete and I no longer craved a new baby in the family.
While sorting through winter clothes this past week, we found that our "baby," now 8, had outgrown a number of things. Andrew quipped, "We just need to adopt again." Then he laughed out loud from the look on my face. You see, I really am totally done with human babies.
Here are some reasons why rabbits babies are so much better:
While sorting through winter clothes this past week, we found that our "baby," now 8, had outgrown a number of things. Andrew quipped, "We just need to adopt again." Then he laughed out loud from the look on my face. You see, I really am totally done with human babies.
Here are some reasons why rabbits babies are so much better:
- You only have to wait 31 days for rabbit babies
- Rabbit babies come with their own nursemaids
- No diapers
- They are at their cutest in just three weeks
- When they pee on you, it's not nearly so much
- A nest box is cheaper than a crib, cradle, bassinet, or even a stroller
- No career vs. stay-at-home mother decision to make
- You don't have to start a college fund
- Weaning a baby bunny is a lot easier than convincing your toddler that he doesn't need that pacifier anymore
- They don't turn into defiant teenagers (or if they do, there's a quick, permanent solution to it)
I just wonder how many children I would have, if I had discovered rabbits 17 years ago . . .
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 10:57 AM 0 comments links to this post
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Taking Stock Of My Stock
Since I'm on my Christmas break and have a few weeks before showing again, I think it's a great time to take stock of what's going on in my barn and make some plans for the future.
Overview
I have 50 Hollands that I consider to be official members of my herd. In addition to that, I have 26 that are waiting for evaluation. Some many eventually become part of the herd. Others will be sold as pedigreed rabbits and still others may become pets. I just can't tell at this moment. Below that group, I have babies and pre-juniors that have not yet been named and numbered.
Within my herd, I have 25 solids and 25 brokens. No bad. I favor brokens so much, I'm surprised that it is even. I do try to keep my herd balanced, though, so I don't have to be a non-participant in half of the show.
Only four of the rabbits in my barn were born elsewhere. I have two herd bucks and two brood does from other barns. All of the others are "The Nature Trail's." I am on-track for my goal of developing my own line.
I currently have 11 grand champions and another dozen or more that I believe will be granded before their careers are over.
Two rabbits were born in 2002, 1 was born in 2003, 11 were born in 2004, and 36 were born this year. Overall, my herd is very young. I've decided to keep the 2002 doe until she quits producing (and will provide her a good retirement, given all she's done for me). I may need to think hard about selling the buck in the next six months or as soon as I feel comfortable with one of his sons. Otherwise, aging is not a problem in my herd.
Solid Bucks
I have 4 SSB and 7 SJB. Darn that moon breeding thing! Of the 12 juniors I have that will turn senior before the next show, 9 of them are bucks. I am really loaded up with solid junior bucks right now. Five will turn senior before I show again, so I will have 9 solid senior bucks when showing resumes for me in January.
I do have one set of three brothers that are sons to my herd buck GC LL Brendan and half-brothers to Boris and LaForge. I suppose I will have two questions to answer: which is the best brother and is he better than his half brothers Boris and/or LaForge? I'm leaning towards Antony, but Brent is looking good, too. I guess I just decided to sell Brutus.
In the junior group, I also have a GC Camelot's Merlin's son named Q that I think is better than the Merlin son Rugby, that is holding one of my SSB spaces. I have a feeling that I am going to have to let Rugby go in the next few months if Q continues to develop as he appears to be (and Wizard, my favorite, is hot on his heels, too).
I also have a Bear son in the group. I will definitely be holding on to him for awhile. That gives me a solid version of his father. He's shorter in the shoulder, but lacks that beautiful Madagascar color and distinctive broken pattern.
Solid Does
I have 12 solid senior does, which is over my limit of 10. But only 7 are proven, so I don't need to move any out yet. Two have just turned senior, and a couple of them have just had one shot at making babies. And I have one stubborn girl, a grand champion, that I'm giving more than the usual number of chances to.
One of the does who is not proven I may delay in breeding. She's got two legs and I'd like to try to grand her first. Her sister does as well, but I bred her between the first and second leg. I hope she'll be able to go back to the show table later to grand.
I have 3 does listed as needing to be registered. And I have 3 does marked for future sales (after their current litters are weaned). I can now work with their daughters. Five of my solid senior does are showable.
Neither of my solid junior does will move up before the next show.
Broken Bucks
I think my brokens are my strength and broken senior buck is my best class. With the exception of Trevor, who is a very young senior, all are proven as well as showable. My biggest question is whether I should keep both Trevor and Franz since they are the exact same breeding and I really like Trevor better. I cannot repeat the breeding, so they may be the heir and the spare.
I do have six broken senior bucks and four more that will turn senior before the next show. My problem is that I like them all. I see some hard choices coming up. Jupiter and Mars are very similar brothers and I like Mars better - they are the same breeding as LaForge. So Jupiter may have to go soon. I hope that if I do sell Jupiter and Franz that their brothers live long, successful lives! An Ox son and a Bear son will be joining the broken senior buck list. I can't tell yet whether they can take their dads' places, but I want to hold on to them for awhile to see.
Two of my broken senior bucks need to be registered.
Broken Does
I have 9 broken senior does, so I'm under my limit of 10. But again, only 7 of them are proven, so I am balanced with the solids. My broken does just happen to include my best producers, which makes me very happy. But it also includes three does that I want to try to continue to show, which limits their baby-making abilities. I do have them all bred now, due Christmas Eve, but I hope to foster their babies, if possible, and get them in shape for the spring shows. I will breed them again just before Nationals.
I have 3 junior does that will turn senior before the next show and one just after. I will probably delay breeding them because I believe I should be able to grand them, given a little time and some luck.
One of my senior does needs to be registered. Seven of my broken senior does are showable.
Future Goals
I want to continue to keep the solids and brokens balanced. I see a need for stronger solid senior bucks. I feel like I'm doing fine in broken senior bucks. I am also well pleased with my broken senior does.
My does are very strong, but I want to increase the number of granded does. This will help me reach a goal I have to produce pedigrees with all granded rabbits.
I need to be rational and let some of the brothers and sisters go. I want to maintain a smaller herd to keep my life in good balance. I can't do that by becoming a collector!
I need to get out to the barn and find out if any of those 26 waiting to be evaluated are ready to join the herd. Otherwise, I won't have many juniors to show come January. I can wait until Christmas to do that, but I need to figure it out well in advance of the next show so I can get them tattooed.
I have a lot of rabbits that I need to photograph for my website.
I should make a practice of evaluating my herd like this semi-annually at least. It will keep my herd in balance and not let problems creep up on me unnoticed. I hope to keep things on track and moving forward. By writing down how things are now, I will be able to tell in six months whether and how things are changing in my barn.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 9:55 AM 0 comments links to this post
Overview
I have 50 Hollands that I consider to be official members of my herd. In addition to that, I have 26 that are waiting for evaluation. Some many eventually become part of the herd. Others will be sold as pedigreed rabbits and still others may become pets. I just can't tell at this moment. Below that group, I have babies and pre-juniors that have not yet been named and numbered.
Within my herd, I have 25 solids and 25 brokens. No bad. I favor brokens so much, I'm surprised that it is even. I do try to keep my herd balanced, though, so I don't have to be a non-participant in half of the show.
Only four of the rabbits in my barn were born elsewhere. I have two herd bucks and two brood does from other barns. All of the others are "The Nature Trail's." I am on-track for my goal of developing my own line.
I currently have 11 grand champions and another dozen or more that I believe will be granded before their careers are over.
Two rabbits were born in 2002, 1 was born in 2003, 11 were born in 2004, and 36 were born this year. Overall, my herd is very young. I've decided to keep the 2002 doe until she quits producing (and will provide her a good retirement, given all she's done for me). I may need to think hard about selling the buck in the next six months or as soon as I feel comfortable with one of his sons. Otherwise, aging is not a problem in my herd.
Solid Bucks
I have 4 SSB and 7 SJB. Darn that moon breeding thing! Of the 12 juniors I have that will turn senior before the next show, 9 of them are bucks. I am really loaded up with solid junior bucks right now. Five will turn senior before I show again, so I will have 9 solid senior bucks when showing resumes for me in January.
I do have one set of three brothers that are sons to my herd buck GC LL Brendan and half-brothers to Boris and LaForge. I suppose I will have two questions to answer: which is the best brother and is he better than his half brothers Boris and/or LaForge? I'm leaning towards Antony, but Brent is looking good, too. I guess I just decided to sell Brutus.
In the junior group, I also have a GC Camelot's Merlin's son named Q that I think is better than the Merlin son Rugby, that is holding one of my SSB spaces. I have a feeling that I am going to have to let Rugby go in the next few months if Q continues to develop as he appears to be (and Wizard, my favorite, is hot on his heels, too).
I also have a Bear son in the group. I will definitely be holding on to him for awhile. That gives me a solid version of his father. He's shorter in the shoulder, but lacks that beautiful Madagascar color and distinctive broken pattern.
Solid Does
I have 12 solid senior does, which is over my limit of 10. But only 7 are proven, so I don't need to move any out yet. Two have just turned senior, and a couple of them have just had one shot at making babies. And I have one stubborn girl, a grand champion, that I'm giving more than the usual number of chances to.
One of the does who is not proven I may delay in breeding. She's got two legs and I'd like to try to grand her first. Her sister does as well, but I bred her between the first and second leg. I hope she'll be able to go back to the show table later to grand.
I have 3 does listed as needing to be registered. And I have 3 does marked for future sales (after their current litters are weaned). I can now work with their daughters. Five of my solid senior does are showable.
Neither of my solid junior does will move up before the next show.
Broken Bucks
I think my brokens are my strength and broken senior buck is my best class. With the exception of Trevor, who is a very young senior, all are proven as well as showable. My biggest question is whether I should keep both Trevor and Franz since they are the exact same breeding and I really like Trevor better. I cannot repeat the breeding, so they may be the heir and the spare.
I do have six broken senior bucks and four more that will turn senior before the next show. My problem is that I like them all. I see some hard choices coming up. Jupiter and Mars are very similar brothers and I like Mars better - they are the same breeding as LaForge. So Jupiter may have to go soon. I hope that if I do sell Jupiter and Franz that their brothers live long, successful lives! An Ox son and a Bear son will be joining the broken senior buck list. I can't tell yet whether they can take their dads' places, but I want to hold on to them for awhile to see.
Two of my broken senior bucks need to be registered.
Broken Does
I have 9 broken senior does, so I'm under my limit of 10. But again, only 7 of them are proven, so I am balanced with the solids. My broken does just happen to include my best producers, which makes me very happy. But it also includes three does that I want to try to continue to show, which limits their baby-making abilities. I do have them all bred now, due Christmas Eve, but I hope to foster their babies, if possible, and get them in shape for the spring shows. I will breed them again just before Nationals.
I have 3 junior does that will turn senior before the next show and one just after. I will probably delay breeding them because I believe I should be able to grand them, given a little time and some luck.
One of my senior does needs to be registered. Seven of my broken senior does are showable.
Future Goals
I want to continue to keep the solids and brokens balanced. I see a need for stronger solid senior bucks. I feel like I'm doing fine in broken senior bucks. I am also well pleased with my broken senior does.
My does are very strong, but I want to increase the number of granded does. This will help me reach a goal I have to produce pedigrees with all granded rabbits.
I need to be rational and let some of the brothers and sisters go. I want to maintain a smaller herd to keep my life in good balance. I can't do that by becoming a collector!
I need to get out to the barn and find out if any of those 26 waiting to be evaluated are ready to join the herd. Otherwise, I won't have many juniors to show come January. I can wait until Christmas to do that, but I need to figure it out well in advance of the next show so I can get them tattooed.
I have a lot of rabbits that I need to photograph for my website.
I should make a practice of evaluating my herd like this semi-annually at least. It will keep my herd in balance and not let problems creep up on me unnoticed. I hope to keep things on track and moving forward. By writing down how things are now, I will be able to tell in six months whether and how things are changing in my barn.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 9:55 AM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, December 05, 2005
First Third
Normally, I would be at the halfway mark of the sweeps year, but of course this time, we're only at the 1/3 mark. It's still a good time for me to stop and take stock of my progress compared to last year, though. Comparing only myself to myself takes most of the variation out of the sweepstakes contest and is more meaningful than comparing different exhibitors to each other.
For the entire year last year (which was my first year to place in the top 100), I had 11,416 sweeps points. Since I only perked up and starting doing well from late January on, my hope was to double that this year and have a whole year of doing well, not just half like last year. I almost made that goal: according to my own reckonings, I have 11,370 so far this year, just 46 points short.
When I get to the end of the sweeps year, I'll have to multiply my points by 2/3 to arrive at a number that I can compare to my previous year. Or, I can just up my goal for the year to 32, 248. I know we have 12 more months in this year, but that seems like a high goal I've set for myself. I just don't know how I'll do in this marathon year. Just like my favorite baseball team, I may have a long skid in there somewhere instead of a hot streak!
My average number of points per show has risen from 211 to 421. That was a number I really wanted to see come up. Of course, the average will likely slide downwards at least until Nationals because it's simply not possible to get 3000 points at a local show. But with both Nationals and another Convention in this sweeps year, there are two more opportunities to plump up the sweeps points (or fall flat, as the case may be). And, I have brought home more than 421 from the last four judgings. So who knows.
I had 24 quality points in all of last year and have 19 so far this year. I'm lagging behind my hopes in this category. I just haven't pulled in the top spot as often as I'd like. But there's still time for a few really good shows to plump up those numbers. Or not!
I am pleased with my herdsman points. Last year
For the entire year last year (which was my first year to place in the top 100), I had 11,416 sweeps points. Since I only perked up and starting doing well from late January on, my hope was to double that this year and have a whole year of doing well, not just half like last year. I almost made that goal: according to my own reckonings, I have 11,370 so far this year, just 46 points short.
When I get to the end of the sweeps year, I'll have to multiply my points by 2/3 to arrive at a number that I can compare to my previous year. Or, I can just up my goal for the year to 32, 248. I know we have 12 more months in this year, but that seems like a high goal I've set for myself. I just don't know how I'll do in this marathon year. Just like my favorite baseball team, I may have a long skid in there somewhere instead of a hot streak!
My average number of points per show has risen from 211 to 421. That was a number I really wanted to see come up. Of course, the average will likely slide downwards at least until Nationals because it's simply not possible to get 3000 points at a local show. But with both Nationals and another Convention in this sweeps year, there are two more opportunities to plump up the sweeps points (or fall flat, as the case may be). And, I have brought home more than 421 from the last four judgings. So who knows.
I had 24 quality points in all of last year and have 19 so far this year. I'm lagging behind my hopes in this category. I just haven't pulled in the top spot as often as I'd like. But there's still time for a few really good shows to plump up those numbers. Or not!
I am pleased with my herdsman points. Last year