The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG
Monday, February 27, 2006
BLOG Break
I've decided to take a break from my BLOG for awhile. I apologize to those of you who look forward to it, especially those who read on a daily basis.
When I'm ready to resume, I'll post a note on ShowBunny and/or some other group.
Until then, I hope you are enjoying your hobby and your best bunnies yet and in the nest box!
Laurie ¶ 10:02 AM 6 comments links to this post
When I'm ready to resume, I'll post a note on ShowBunny and/or some other group.
Until then, I hope you are enjoying your hobby and your best bunnies yet and in the nest box!
Laurie ¶ 10:02 AM 6 comments links to this post
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Chattanooga Show
I almost didn't go to the Chattanooga show, having arrived home Thursday night late after the funeral exhausted. But I have a soft spot in my heart for a new club trying to get established, so off I went on Friday accompanied by my daughter Anna.
The absolute worst part of the show happened before I got there. We could make neither heads nor tails of the directions. We did see a lot of the country, though. And found a Starbucks in a neighboring town. Eventually we found a police officer on the side of the road attending to a wreck or something, and asked directions. We were the second rabbit show car to stop for directions. A third stopped before I left. The police officer indicated that he'd be trying to get out of there fast before more stopped for directions!
After that, the show got much, much better.
I really wanted to write at the show so that I could begin to learn about the other breeds of rabbits. Many thanks to Renee McBrayer and Tim Nix for putting my rabbits on the table for me during the first two shows. I really appreciate it.
I wrote for Briony Barnes and she judged mini rex, polish, Dutch, checkered giants, netherland dwarfs, and Holland lops. What an education that was.
I also want to thank Charles Bryant for going over English angora with me. He gave me my first quiz, showing me a pet that had two DQs. I found one pretty easily and finally stumbled on the other one after he encouraged me to keep looking (I didn't realize how long their tails were supposed to be, so it was hard to tell that so much of it was missing!) I enjoyed looking at the furnishings, seeing the feet up close, and examining the wool.
I've always thought of myself as a one-breed woman. But I think I could really get into those polish. They are really cute. And I'm finding the other breeds fascinating, even though I'm not sure I'd want to raise them.
I have to tell you that lunch was worth the 6-hour drive. They had barbecued pork and beef sandwiches available. I had the pork. Anna had the beef. It was fabulous. I hope they will have a barbecue social dinner before their night show on August 12. Hint, hint. By the way, write that down on your calendar now!
The winning within the Holland lops was spread around among the exhibitors quite well. Lots of people got to tote home trophies. That's always a lot of fun.
My best show was the specialty under Josh Humphries. Boris was BOB, Jo-Jo got a leg, Leo got a leg, and Gypsy, a solid junior doe, was BOS. For a change, my solids were my strength!
In Show B under Carol Hooks, Jo-Jo was BOS. That was apparently the only rabbit of mine that she liked. Oh well. For Show A under Briony Barnes, which was the last show (we went backwards), I didn't take a single class (except broken junior doe, but there was only 1!). Some of my bunnies were close, though.
The only down side to writing all day is that I didn't get much chance to visit. I did stay about 45 minutes longer than I should have, given my long drive home, just chatting,. That's generally my favorite part, anyway.
Charles Bryant made a great suggestion that we should exchange cell phone numbers with people we often see at shows. That way, we can have emergency contact numbers, or let someone know we are lost or whatever. It would be nice to be able to call and say, "I left my jacket, would you please grab it." I think it is an excellent idea. I have numbers for several of my close friends, of course, but I should exchange them with friendly acquaintances, too, especially since I tend to roam a bit further from home than my closest friends do.
I was extremely tired during the trip home last night. But during the last hour, Anna and I amused ourselves quite well. She wanted me to tell her some of her adoption story, so I made up versions of getting her from the zoo, or the stork bringing her. She laughed and laughed and laughed. It was so much fun (of course, I did eventually get around to her real story again). She's such a great traveling buddy and just 9 years old!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 2:04 PM 1 comments links to this post
The absolute worst part of the show happened before I got there. We could make neither heads nor tails of the directions. We did see a lot of the country, though. And found a Starbucks in a neighboring town. Eventually we found a police officer on the side of the road attending to a wreck or something, and asked directions. We were the second rabbit show car to stop for directions. A third stopped before I left. The police officer indicated that he'd be trying to get out of there fast before more stopped for directions!
After that, the show got much, much better.
I really wanted to write at the show so that I could begin to learn about the other breeds of rabbits. Many thanks to Renee McBrayer and Tim Nix for putting my rabbits on the table for me during the first two shows. I really appreciate it.
I wrote for Briony Barnes and she judged mini rex, polish, Dutch, checkered giants, netherland dwarfs, and Holland lops. What an education that was.
I also want to thank Charles Bryant for going over English angora with me. He gave me my first quiz, showing me a pet that had two DQs. I found one pretty easily and finally stumbled on the other one after he encouraged me to keep looking (I didn't realize how long their tails were supposed to be, so it was hard to tell that so much of it was missing!) I enjoyed looking at the furnishings, seeing the feet up close, and examining the wool.
I've always thought of myself as a one-breed woman. But I think I could really get into those polish. They are really cute. And I'm finding the other breeds fascinating, even though I'm not sure I'd want to raise them.
I have to tell you that lunch was worth the 6-hour drive. They had barbecued pork and beef sandwiches available. I had the pork. Anna had the beef. It was fabulous. I hope they will have a barbecue social dinner before their night show on August 12. Hint, hint. By the way, write that down on your calendar now!
The winning within the Holland lops was spread around among the exhibitors quite well. Lots of people got to tote home trophies. That's always a lot of fun.
My best show was the specialty under Josh Humphries. Boris was BOB, Jo-Jo got a leg, Leo got a leg, and Gypsy, a solid junior doe, was BOS. For a change, my solids were my strength!
In Show B under Carol Hooks, Jo-Jo was BOS. That was apparently the only rabbit of mine that she liked. Oh well. For Show A under Briony Barnes, which was the last show (we went backwards), I didn't take a single class (except broken junior doe, but there was only 1!). Some of my bunnies were close, though.
The only down side to writing all day is that I didn't get much chance to visit. I did stay about 45 minutes longer than I should have, given my long drive home, just chatting,. That's generally my favorite part, anyway.
Charles Bryant made a great suggestion that we should exchange cell phone numbers with people we often see at shows. That way, we can have emergency contact numbers, or let someone know we are lost or whatever. It would be nice to be able to call and say, "I left my jacket, would you please grab it." I think it is an excellent idea. I have numbers for several of my close friends, of course, but I should exchange them with friendly acquaintances, too, especially since I tend to roam a bit further from home than my closest friends do.
I was extremely tired during the trip home last night. But during the last hour, Anna and I amused ourselves quite well. She wanted me to tell her some of her adoption story, so I made up versions of getting her from the zoo, or the stork bringing her. She laughed and laughed and laughed. It was so much fun (of course, I did eventually get around to her real story again). She's such a great traveling buddy and just 9 years old!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 2:04 PM 1 comments links to this post
Friday, February 24, 2006
A Few Housekeeping Items
Anonymous Comments: Just a reminder that I do not post anonymous comments. Sending the same or similar comments in repeatedly will not increase the chance that your comments will be posted. You must claim responsibility for your comment.
New Comment Policy: Although I will continue to post comments that are in conflict with my opinions and viewpoints, I will not post comments unless I can see the relevance to the issues and ideas discussed in the BLOG.
Clarification: Co-ops are no more required to register their rabbits than any individual exhibitor. However, IF a rabbit is registered, it must be registered under all of the names that it is shown under. Contact ARBA for any further clarification on that matter. I did not mean to imply that co-ops had a higher obligation to register rabbits. I am aware of prominent exhibitors who rarely, if ever, register their Hollands. That is simply their choice.
Thank You: I appreciate all of the thoughts and prayers concerning the death of Andrew's grandmother this week. The funeral was yesterday and I am thoroughly exhausted, both physically and emotionally. There were some hard moments, but there were some very wonderful family moments yesterday as well.
My BLOG IS All About Me: My BLOG is about how I see things and what my opinions are. I grow, develop, and change over time, and I share this journey with you very openly and highly exposed. I ask that if you do not enjoy my BLOGs or at least take away food for thought that you simply choose not to visit. However, I would suggest that we can learn a lot about how we feel about certain issues by seeing what we do not agree with as much or more than those things we do agree with.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 9:10 AM 1 comments links to this post
New Comment Policy: Although I will continue to post comments that are in conflict with my opinions and viewpoints, I will not post comments unless I can see the relevance to the issues and ideas discussed in the BLOG.
Clarification: Co-ops are no more required to register their rabbits than any individual exhibitor. However, IF a rabbit is registered, it must be registered under all of the names that it is shown under. Contact ARBA for any further clarification on that matter. I did not mean to imply that co-ops had a higher obligation to register rabbits. I am aware of prominent exhibitors who rarely, if ever, register their Hollands. That is simply their choice.
Thank You: I appreciate all of the thoughts and prayers concerning the death of Andrew's grandmother this week. The funeral was yesterday and I am thoroughly exhausted, both physically and emotionally. There were some hard moments, but there were some very wonderful family moments yesterday as well.
My BLOG IS All About Me: My BLOG is about how I see things and what my opinions are. I grow, develop, and change over time, and I share this journey with you very openly and highly exposed. I ask that if you do not enjoy my BLOGs or at least take away food for thought that you simply choose not to visit. However, I would suggest that we can learn a lot about how we feel about certain issues by seeing what we do not agree with as much or more than those things we do agree with.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 9:10 AM 1 comments links to this post
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
More On Co-ops
You may be surprised to learn that I've softened on co-ops even more. Mostly, it is due to those people who shared their stories of their co-ops - how they've enjoyed showing more, how their friendships have grown, how they are more interested in their hobby than they were before, and so forth. I can really support those motivations for co-oping.
I would like to see the HLRSC form a committee on co-ops, though. The purpose of the committee would be to facilitate the forming and amiable dissolution of co-ops. They would neither encourage nor discourage members to form co-ops - just make co-oping a better experience for all.
Let me explain. I was aware of a co-op that formed but didn't seem to understand the ARBA rules for rabbit ownership. They reported that they had asked the HLRSC what they needed to do and were satisfied that they need only advise the HLRSC sweeps secretary of their decision. But ARBA rules always apply first and ARBA requires a rabbit to be owned by every person whose name it is being shown under.
Also, there have been co-ops that have ended badly. There is disagreement over who owns which rabbit, who owes money to whom, items not returned, and so forth.
And again, co-ops are faced with decisions they did not anticipate when they first formed. Co-ops can be formed in the excitement of producing better rabbits together, enjoying the company and teamwork, and doing better in the sweeps. Perhaps little or no thought is given to the really hard questions. What if the co-op sells a rabbit jointly, then the new owner has a problem with it. Everything may be fine if the co-op agrees on how to resolve the problem, but what if they do not see things the same way?
Now you may say that none of these situations should be anyone's business except the co-ops. You are entitled to that opinion, of course. But every member can be affected:
I would suggest that a committee on co-ops could develop an application and orientation package of information for co-ops. When breeders applied to be a co-op, they could receive all of the rules with explanations. They would know and sign off on both the rules for forming a co-op (such as jointly registering rabbits) and for the dissolution of one. They would be advised what happens to their individual points they had before the co-op is formed, and what happens to their points if the co-op dissolves in the middle of a sweeps year.
The application would also standardize the way that the sweeps secretary is informed of the co-op and would provide the address that the co-op operates under (and therefore which district the points are applied to, for co-ops that span two or more districts).
The committee could also develop a boilerplate agreement where prospective co-op members could pick the ways they want to operate their co-op. Here are some examples:
I would like to see the HLRSC form a committee on co-ops, though. The purpose of the committee would be to facilitate the forming and amiable dissolution of co-ops. They would neither encourage nor discourage members to form co-ops - just make co-oping a better experience for all.
Let me explain. I was aware of a co-op that formed but didn't seem to understand the ARBA rules for rabbit ownership. They reported that they had asked the HLRSC what they needed to do and were satisfied that they need only advise the HLRSC sweeps secretary of their decision. But ARBA rules always apply first and ARBA requires a rabbit to be owned by every person whose name it is being shown under.
Also, there have been co-ops that have ended badly. There is disagreement over who owns which rabbit, who owes money to whom, items not returned, and so forth.
And again, co-ops are faced with decisions they did not anticipate when they first formed. Co-ops can be formed in the excitement of producing better rabbits together, enjoying the company and teamwork, and doing better in the sweeps. Perhaps little or no thought is given to the really hard questions. What if the co-op sells a rabbit jointly, then the new owner has a problem with it. Everything may be fine if the co-op agrees on how to resolve the problem, but what if they do not see things the same way?
Now you may say that none of these situations should be anyone's business except the co-ops. You are entitled to that opinion, of course. But every member can be affected:
- when a co-op is showing rabbits illegally (not owned by all partners - to me, if the co-op doesn't want to commit to their co-op enough to re-register their rabbits in all names and really be one entity, they are just adding their points together for an unfair advantage),
- when co-op members are out of sorts with each other and their conflict depresses the entire group of exhibitors;
- when a co-op can't arrive at a reasonable solution to a sale gone wrong because there are two people to deal with who disagree, or
- when the hobby loses breeders because of co-ops gone sour.
I would suggest that a committee on co-ops could develop an application and orientation package of information for co-ops. When breeders applied to be a co-op, they could receive all of the rules with explanations. They would know and sign off on both the rules for forming a co-op (such as jointly registering rabbits) and for the dissolution of one. They would be advised what happens to their individual points they had before the co-op is formed, and what happens to their points if the co-op dissolves in the middle of a sweeps year.
The application would also standardize the way that the sweeps secretary is informed of the co-op and would provide the address that the co-op operates under (and therefore which district the points are applied to, for co-ops that span two or more districts).
The committee could also develop a boilerplate agreement where prospective co-op members could pick the ways they want to operate their co-op. Here are some examples:
- Rabbits owned by one member prior to the co-op will/will not revert to the property of that member should the co-op dissolve.
- Rabbits produced by the co-op will have the following prefix ______________.
- Prices for sale rabbits will be determined jointly/by the original owner of the dam/by the original owner of the sire/other ______________________________.
- Co-op members may/may not show at separate shows on the same date.
- Refunds or other adjustments for sales problems will be made only if both members agree/as determined by the prior owner of the dam/as determined by the prior owner of the sire/by the member who negotiated the sale/other__________________________.
- Entry fees will be evenly divided/prorated according to the number of rabbits each member wants to sponsor for a given show/other______________________.
There are many, many more issues that could be listed. These items are for example only and may not be the best examples available. But I hope you get the idea. The real items in the boilerplate would be created by people who have had experience with co-ops and really know where the sticking points are. It would be wonderful if new co-ops could benefit from the collective experiences of those who have experienced co-ops before them.
I would also love to see the application give members the option to agree to arbitration, should they dissolve their co-op and be unable to divide the herd and jointly owned equipment in a mutually satisfactory way. The HLRSC committee could serve as arbiters, hearing both sides and making a decision, which the members would already have agreed to abide by.
A co-op is a lot like a marriage, from what I observe. Partners or groups go into it with excitement and enthusiasm. Probably most have a bumpy time of it at some point. Some co-ops adjust and become very successful. Others hit a snag they cannot overcome and decide to dissolve.
Like marriage, co-ops could probably use some pre-co-op counseling and a pre-nup agreement! I don't know whether the HLRSC would ever consider forming such a committee. Perhaps even without a committee, an application at least could be created that would ensure that those interested in forming a co-op would know all of the rules and procedures involved. No one should get to the end of a co-op and find out the hard way that they cannot continue to build on the points they accumulated before the dissolution.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
How Will I Be Remembered?
Andrew's grandmother died yesterday. She lived a long life and her death was no more unexpected than it could be. She'd been in the hospital and had surgery recently. Andrew is doing fine - he's mostly concerned for his father and his aunts.
The family will be writing her obituary. Her entire life will be condensed into a few paragraphs. For the small town she lived in, she'll get a few more paragraphs. Had she lived in a large city, the writing would be even shorter.
What is written in these paragraphs represents the majority of what she will be remembered for: faithful wife, attentive mother, loved her family, and so forth.
One day, it will be my obituary that is written. What will it say? Loving wife. Definitely. Good mother. I hope. Probably there will be something that says that I loved my children more than I loved my rabbits, but just barely!
There is probably nothing more profound than the summary of a person's life. But there are little obituaries written all throughout life. We sum up stages of our lives, too. Daniel was a placid baby. Lydia was the most inquisitive toddler ever. Anna is a very sweet child.
One day, I will get out of rabbits. Hopefully, it will be just before moving into assisted living! Perhaps it will be sooner. We never know the twists and turns that life will supply. But whenever I do, people will sum up my time as a breeder and exhibitor in a sentence or maybe a few sentences.
What will that summary say? She had great bunnies? I hope. She developed a consistent line. I'm working toward that. She dealt honestly with people. You could depend on her. She was helpful. I hope these are the types of things that people will say about me when I get out.
But for that to happen, I have to be those things now.
We're all writing our own obituaries every day. We're adding the lines that say she was a trusted friend. We're writing the paragraph about the meaningful contributions we made during our time here.
What will your obituary say?
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 11:11 AM 3 comments links to this post
The family will be writing her obituary. Her entire life will be condensed into a few paragraphs. For the small town she lived in, she'll get a few more paragraphs. Had she lived in a large city, the writing would be even shorter.
What is written in these paragraphs represents the majority of what she will be remembered for: faithful wife, attentive mother, loved her family, and so forth.
One day, it will be my obituary that is written. What will it say? Loving wife. Definitely. Good mother. I hope. Probably there will be something that says that I loved my children more than I loved my rabbits, but just barely!
There is probably nothing more profound than the summary of a person's life. But there are little obituaries written all throughout life. We sum up stages of our lives, too. Daniel was a placid baby. Lydia was the most inquisitive toddler ever. Anna is a very sweet child.
One day, I will get out of rabbits. Hopefully, it will be just before moving into assisted living! Perhaps it will be sooner. We never know the twists and turns that life will supply. But whenever I do, people will sum up my time as a breeder and exhibitor in a sentence or maybe a few sentences.
What will that summary say? She had great bunnies? I hope. She developed a consistent line. I'm working toward that. She dealt honestly with people. You could depend on her. She was helpful. I hope these are the types of things that people will say about me when I get out.
But for that to happen, I have to be those things now.
We're all writing our own obituaries every day. We're adding the lines that say she was a trusted friend. We're writing the paragraph about the meaningful contributions we made during our time here.
What will your obituary say?
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 11:11 AM 3 comments links to this post
Monday, February 20, 2006
Brand New Website - You Gotta Visit!
Holland Hollow is a rabbitry in West Virginia owned by Lena Paille and Daniel Martin. Holland Hollow not only boasts Holland lops, but also mini rex, Dan's specialty.
Lena and Dan has started out with some excellent stock and have babies coming up that are adorable.
Their website is celebrating its grand opening today. Stop by and visit. Email Lena and Dan to just say, "Hello." Check out their rabbits and visit trheir website often.
I do have to tell one personal story to tell you about them. They are an engaged couple. Dan had their logo made for Lena's Valentine's Day gift. It shows a Holland and a mini rex kissing inside a heart. You have to visit the site just to see that. It's adorable.
Laurie ¶ 7:21 PM 0 comments links to this post
Lena and Dan has started out with some excellent stock and have babies coming up that are adorable.
Their website is celebrating its grand opening today. Stop by and visit. Email Lena and Dan to just say, "Hello." Check out their rabbits and visit trheir website often.
I do have to tell one personal story to tell you about them. They are an engaged couple. Dan had their logo made for Lena's Valentine's Day gift. It shows a Holland and a mini rex kissing inside a heart. You have to visit the site just to see that. It's adorable.
Laurie ¶ 7:21 PM 0 comments links to this post
Animals Make Us Better People
Yesterday, the pressure reducer for my waterline burst open and soaked a dam and her litter. Andrew found them and brought them inside. I lined up my children, wrapped each rabbit in a towel and handed them out, one by one. My friend Kelvin was here for the rabbit registering event. He took a bunny, too. I watched this forty-something man drying the fuzzy baby off with the towel. He was so tender with it. My children all took their charges to their rooms and brought them back mostly dry after awhile.
That was just a small, non-monumental moment out of life, but it touched me. I loved the way my children were willing to pitch in. I love to see the care that goes into the animals. Or rather, I enjoy and appreciate the wonderful potential in people that caring for animals brings out.
I have read that children and teens who have pets are less likely to use illicit drugs. People who have pets live longer. I've always known intellectually that being involved with animals is a good thing. But now, I'm able to see many of the more subtle effects as well.
A pastor once told me years ago that to learn how to feel for other people, we should first act as though we care for them. That seemed very strange advice at the time. Later, when I studied psychology in college, I learned that people are not comfortable with internal discord- that is, with their feelings and their actions being at odds with each other. They will either change their thoughts and feelings or their actions to bring them in line with each other.
So, when we go through the caretaking acts with our animals, it can help our internal feelings get into line with those of one who cares about others and is willing to reach out and be helpful. I think that if we let them, animals can teach us to be more compassionate, more empathetic, and more loving, even.
Now it's certainly true that some breeders work with animals for years and still manage to be a pain to everyone around them. But we if allow them to, I believe animals can help bring out the very best that we can be.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 11:46 AM 0 comments links to this post
That was just a small, non-monumental moment out of life, but it touched me. I loved the way my children were willing to pitch in. I love to see the care that goes into the animals. Or rather, I enjoy and appreciate the wonderful potential in people that caring for animals brings out.
I have read that children and teens who have pets are less likely to use illicit drugs. People who have pets live longer. I've always known intellectually that being involved with animals is a good thing. But now, I'm able to see many of the more subtle effects as well.
A pastor once told me years ago that to learn how to feel for other people, we should first act as though we care for them. That seemed very strange advice at the time. Later, when I studied psychology in college, I learned that people are not comfortable with internal discord- that is, with their feelings and their actions being at odds with each other. They will either change their thoughts and feelings or their actions to bring them in line with each other.
So, when we go through the caretaking acts with our animals, it can help our internal feelings get into line with those of one who cares about others and is willing to reach out and be helpful. I think that if we let them, animals can teach us to be more compassionate, more empathetic, and more loving, even.
Now it's certainly true that some breeders work with animals for years and still manage to be a pain to everyone around them. But we if allow them to, I believe animals can help bring out the very best that we can be.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 11:46 AM 0 comments links to this post
Sunday, February 19, 2006
We're Amazing
I have a newfound respect for rabbit people: breeders, registrars, and judges. Just think about the body of knowledge it takes to be a breeder, exhibitor, registrar or judge. Oh, let's not stop there! Let's add show secretary, superintendent, judging coop builder, show catalog creator, and on and on and on.
And I shudder to think about the volume of work involved!
This newfound respect has come most recently from two places. First, I just become the president of the Sandhills Rabbit Fanciers club. We believe we might be the largest club in North Carolina (I'm just 4 miles from the NC border). We're tackling the job of forming committees: identifying all of the jobs that must be done, and then matching the interests and skills of our members.
The other source of my amazement and respect comes from the decision to study for my registrar's license. Wow! is there a lot to learn. There are nearly four dozen breeds and I've barely got a handle on one of them.
I can tell that both ventures are going to be interesting, frustrating, and full of learning. Well, I like to have a little excitement in my life, so I guess that's all a good thing.
I think that if you are a breeder, exhibitor, show secretary, show superintendent, club member, club officer, district representative, new breed/variety certificate holder, or any of the rest, you should be impressed with yourself, too. Give yourself a pat on the back. You are amazing!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 7:55 AM 0 comments links to this post
And I shudder to think about the volume of work involved!
This newfound respect has come most recently from two places. First, I just become the president of the Sandhills Rabbit Fanciers club. We believe we might be the largest club in North Carolina (I'm just 4 miles from the NC border). We're tackling the job of forming committees: identifying all of the jobs that must be done, and then matching the interests and skills of our members.
The other source of my amazement and respect comes from the decision to study for my registrar's license. Wow! is there a lot to learn. There are nearly four dozen breeds and I've barely got a handle on one of them.
I can tell that both ventures are going to be interesting, frustrating, and full of learning. Well, I like to have a little excitement in my life, so I guess that's all a good thing.
I think that if you are a breeder, exhibitor, show secretary, show superintendent, club member, club officer, district representative, new breed/variety certificate holder, or any of the rest, you should be impressed with yourself, too. Give yourself a pat on the back. You are amazing!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 7:55 AM 0 comments links to this post
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Wandering Babies
Newborn baby rabbits are amazingly mobile. I found one newborn had crawled about 16 feet from the cage when we had our very first litters. I didn't realize that having a ridge around the nest box to keep babies in was important. Boy, is it!
When there is an adequate nest and functional nest box, most newborns are happy to curl up and sleep - if they are warm and if they are fed.
If you have newborns wandering around, check to make sure the nest is adequate. If so, then check the dam. Chances are, she's dry.
It can take 72 hours for milk to come in. And kits can last that long, believe it or not. No, not every kit will last, but most can. It's not optimal, but I've had it happen.
I have fostered kits for a day or so when I've had the spare doe to do so. That works best. Making sure the dam is hydrated helps. Some breeders recommend various herbs and teas. I'm not really up on all of that. I think massaging the teats could help because of the feedback loop involved in milk production. A massage may simulate nursing which triggers milk production.
After the newborn stage, the next time I see kits wandering around is when I change the nest box material at nine or ten days. The new nest is not nearly as comfortable as the old one. That's a time when I often lose a kit when it gets out of the box and gets chilled. I try to watch the kits for awhile after I've changed the nest box material to be sure they settle back down into their refurbished home. I've caught several who landed on the wire and returned them safely to their nests. I recently missed one, though, and wouldn't you know it was black, my favorite.
Babies raised on the shelf are also prone to wandering from the box. You may have your kits on either a 12- or 24-hour schedule. If they were with their dam, she might feed them as soon as they start squirming and indicating that they are hungry. On the shelf, they may become hungry and start wandering around in search of a meal. I like to keep a piece of hardware cloth over the top of nest boxes when I raise babies on the shelf. That way, if my schedule is 30 minutes late according to their tummies, I won't find a baby on the floor.
By two or three weeks, the kits pop out of the nest box and onto the wire, sometimes for good. It amazes me how several litters all over the barn will pick the exact same day to emerge. When the weather is mild, this generally just signals the time to remove the nest box. But when the days are mild and the nights are cold, I want to make sure those kits are able to get back into the nest box as easily as they got out. I like them in the nest box, at least at night, until they are three weeks old, during the winter (two weeks for summer). I pile hay in front of the nest box as a sort of ladder to make sure they are able to climb back in when the temperature starts to drop.
All of this baby rabbit talk makes me want to go breed bunnies. See you later - I'm off to the 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 ¶ 12:33 PM 0 comments links to this post
When there is an adequate nest and functional nest box, most newborns are happy to curl up and sleep - if they are warm and if they are fed.
If you have newborns wandering around, check to make sure the nest is adequate. If so, then check the dam. Chances are, she's dry.
It can take 72 hours for milk to come in. And kits can last that long, believe it or not. No, not every kit will last, but most can. It's not optimal, but I've had it happen.
I have fostered kits for a day or so when I've had the spare doe to do so. That works best. Making sure the dam is hydrated helps. Some breeders recommend various herbs and teas. I'm not really up on all of that. I think massaging the teats could help because of the feedback loop involved in milk production. A massage may simulate nursing which triggers milk production.
After the newborn stage, the next time I see kits wandering around is when I change the nest box material at nine or ten days. The new nest is not nearly as comfortable as the old one. That's a time when I often lose a kit when it gets out of the box and gets chilled. I try to watch the kits for awhile after I've changed the nest box material to be sure they settle back down into their refurbished home. I've caught several who landed on the wire and returned them safely to their nests. I recently missed one, though, and wouldn't you know it was black, my favorite.
Babies raised on the shelf are also prone to wandering from the box. You may have your kits on either a 12- or 24-hour schedule. If they were with their dam, she might feed them as soon as they start squirming and indicating that they are hungry. On the shelf, they may become hungry and start wandering around in search of a meal. I like to keep a piece of hardware cloth over the top of nest boxes when I raise babies on the shelf. That way, if my schedule is 30 minutes late according to their tummies, I won't find a baby on the floor.
By two or three weeks, the kits pop out of the nest box and onto the wire, sometimes for good. It amazes me how several litters all over the barn will pick the exact same day to emerge. When the weather is mild, this generally just signals the time to remove the nest box. But when the days are mild and the nights are cold, I want to make sure those kits are able to get back into the nest box as easily as they got out. I like them in the nest box, at least at night, until they are three weeks old, during the winter (two weeks for summer). I pile hay in front of the nest box as a sort of ladder to make sure they are able to climb back in when the temperature starts to drop.
All of this baby rabbit talk makes me want to go breed bunnies. See you later - I'm off to the 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 ¶ 12:33 PM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, February 17, 2006
The Great Balancing Act
I would like to go to a nice restaurant, have a wonderful steak dinner, great service, and pay $3.50 for it. Wouldn't you? Of course you would. But you wouldn't expect that, would you? Of course not.
I would like to go to a great rabbit show in a wonderful temperature controlled setting, with nationally acclaimed judges, and great prizes and pay $2.50 per rabbit. Wouldn't you? Of course you would. But you wouldn't expect that, would you? Or do you?
I'm a pie-in-the-sky, head-in-the-clouds, why-not sort of gal. I've had unrealistic expectations out of life for the last 44 years. The upside of that is I've never felt limitations in life and have been willing to strive for almost everything and have accomplished much. The down side is that I don't always have a grasp on the true limitations that do exist and I can be disappointed or frustrated when I find out about them the hard way.
I've always functioned best when there is someone in my life who has a firm grasp on reality. I may get frustrated with their seeming inability to see possibilities. At home, that person is my husband Andrew. In my former career, it was my best friend Doug. These days, it's Paul Dvorak who was until recently the treasurer for the club I belong to (he's now club secretary). He has been, and I'm sure will continue to be, the cold slap of reality in my face, to which I have to reply, "Thanks, I needed that!"
Before joining a club and being part of that side of a rabbit show, I had no idea how much it costs to put on a show. Now I've had a reality check in the form of judge costs, airline tickets, motel rooms, supplies, sanction fees, show report software, and all of the rest. It's amazing that any show happens at all with all there is to consider!
Paying judges reminds me a lot of when we used to have a nanny/housekeeper. The cost for hiring her was enormous for our family. But the salary she made was very modest for the work she did. And so it is with judges. The cost to the club and the show is enormous, but judges aren't getting rich off of what they charge.
I think that our club does a marvelous job of balancing all of the different wants and needs of the exhibitors. We work off the cost of our space rental by presenting and staffing a week-long rabbit educational display at the fair. We try to balance our judge list by having some flown in and some local judges, some we have fairly often with some we almost never have in our region. Our members volunteer to build some of our awards, increasing the value we can give on our budget. We try to balance useful awards with the occasional trophies or cash back. You pay less than you would to attend our shows because of a lot of hard work on the part of our members.
We certainly cannot be everything to everyone. That's why it is wonderful to have different types of shows in the same general region. I love mega-shows. I love picnic shows and small laid-back shows. Just about the only thing I do not like is repetitive shows with the same judges within a short span of time.
Clubs are having to raise their prices and it's going to cause some complaining. But before you weigh in on the side of the complainers, take a moment to ask yourself whether you want the club to lower the quality of the show: less variety of judges, less desirable facilities, less desirable awards.
And I have to say that we should all want clubs to make a profit when they put on a show. Yes, a profit. Here's why. If a club breaks even every year, they don't have funds to front the next year's expenses. They don't have any money to take any risks with. They can't obligate themselves to a huge airline ticket to bring in the top judge for your breed. And if they have a bad year (a snow storm, hurricane, conflict in show schedules, for example), the club could simply fold.
I can't end this BLOG without saying once again, if you don't belong to a club, join one. If you belong but aren't active, jump in and contribute. It is very rewarding and can be a lot of fun. And it's a great way to make showing rabbits as good as you want it to be.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 10:55 AM 0 comments links to this post
I would like to go to a great rabbit show in a wonderful temperature controlled setting, with nationally acclaimed judges, and great prizes and pay $2.50 per rabbit. Wouldn't you? Of course you would. But you wouldn't expect that, would you? Or do you?
I'm a pie-in-the-sky, head-in-the-clouds, why-not sort of gal. I've had unrealistic expectations out of life for the last 44 years. The upside of that is I've never felt limitations in life and have been willing to strive for almost everything and have accomplished much. The down side is that I don't always have a grasp on the true limitations that do exist and I can be disappointed or frustrated when I find out about them the hard way.
I've always functioned best when there is someone in my life who has a firm grasp on reality. I may get frustrated with their seeming inability to see possibilities. At home, that person is my husband Andrew. In my former career, it was my best friend Doug. These days, it's Paul Dvorak who was until recently the treasurer for the club I belong to (he's now club secretary). He has been, and I'm sure will continue to be, the cold slap of reality in my face, to which I have to reply, "Thanks, I needed that!"
Before joining a club and being part of that side of a rabbit show, I had no idea how much it costs to put on a show. Now I've had a reality check in the form of judge costs, airline tickets, motel rooms, supplies, sanction fees, show report software, and all of the rest. It's amazing that any show happens at all with all there is to consider!
Paying judges reminds me a lot of when we used to have a nanny/housekeeper. The cost for hiring her was enormous for our family. But the salary she made was very modest for the work she did. And so it is with judges. The cost to the club and the show is enormous, but judges aren't getting rich off of what they charge.
I think that our club does a marvelous job of balancing all of the different wants and needs of the exhibitors. We work off the cost of our space rental by presenting and staffing a week-long rabbit educational display at the fair. We try to balance our judge list by having some flown in and some local judges, some we have fairly often with some we almost never have in our region. Our members volunteer to build some of our awards, increasing the value we can give on our budget. We try to balance useful awards with the occasional trophies or cash back. You pay less than you would to attend our shows because of a lot of hard work on the part of our members.
We certainly cannot be everything to everyone. That's why it is wonderful to have different types of shows in the same general region. I love mega-shows. I love picnic shows and small laid-back shows. Just about the only thing I do not like is repetitive shows with the same judges within a short span of time.
Clubs are having to raise their prices and it's going to cause some complaining. But before you weigh in on the side of the complainers, take a moment to ask yourself whether you want the club to lower the quality of the show: less variety of judges, less desirable facilities, less desirable awards.
And I have to say that we should all want clubs to make a profit when they put on a show. Yes, a profit. Here's why. If a club breaks even every year, they don't have funds to front the next year's expenses. They don't have any money to take any risks with. They can't obligate themselves to a huge airline ticket to bring in the top judge for your breed. And if they have a bad year (a snow storm, hurricane, conflict in show schedules, for example), the club could simply fold.
I can't end this BLOG without saying once again, if you don't belong to a club, join one. If you belong but aren't active, jump in and contribute. It is very rewarding and can be a lot of fun. And it's a great way to make showing rabbits as good as you want it to be.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 10:55 AM 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, February 16, 2006
February 13 BLOG Reposted In Full
I discovered today that only the first paragraph of my February 13 BLOG posted. The entire entry is now available entitled, "A Really Good Conversation."
Laurie ¶ 12:42 PM 0 comments links to this post
Laurie ¶ 12:42 PM 0 comments links to this post
Am I Responsible?
I got a telephone call last evening from the mother of one of my daughter's schoolmates. She had purchased for her children a pair of Holland lops at a fair show about three year ago. The buck was very sick and she was calling for advice.
He had diarrhea and was bony. I asked questions to see how long the rabbit had had loose stool, trying to figure out if it was true diarrhea or unformed cecal matter. Had he been drinking today? She had a difficult time answering the questions. She knew that half his water bottle was empty from the day before. She didn't really know when the diarrhea had started.
I told her what I would do in the situation and passed on some advice from other breeders that I had not yet tried. I hope that he lived until his vet appointment this morning.
By virtue of his having a vet appointment and her report of his feeding schedule, I could tell that she was trying to do the right things for him, but it was also very obvious that her children had lost interest in the rabbits and that they were receiving maintenance level care.
Finally, the mother asked me if I'd be interested in taking the rabbits. I told her that I was not, but gave her some tips on finding a new home for them.
I found out that she had purchased the rabbits from the Dixie Classic Fair from a man. Since I am obviously not a man, I know she didn't buy the rabbits from me, but I have sold two or three pets at that fair. It makes me wonder about the rabbits I've sold as pets. Are "mine" ending up the same way a year or two or three down the road, in the backyard, receiving minimal care, with no one paying special attention to them? She could have as easily said that she bought the rabbits from me.
It's true that I sell a lot fewer pets these days than in the beginning. The best reason is that the quality of rabbits in my herd has gone up and there are fewer pets. But I have also come to terms with processing rabbits that do not have the potential to become really good pets. I take fewer pets to shows, unless I know that I'm taking one for someone in particular. I prefer to sell a few very nice pets to a select few families who do their research, find out about my Hollands, and are willing to travel to my barn to pick out their pet. I sell to these families with confidence that the rabbits are set, living in the lap of luxury.
My conviction is that it is better to humanely put down a rabbit (especially if it can be used for food) than to pet it out to any and every person who is willing to take it Whatever qualms I may have had about that decision are now gone. The phone call yesterday was demonstration, once again, of what I know to be true. Bunnies are too cute for their own good! They sell themselves and foster impulse buying decisions. But the newness and excitement wear off if the owner isn't really committed to the rabbit.
Placing rabbits with really good pet families is one of the joys of breeding rabbits. I feel like a grandmother getting pictures of the grandbabies in my email! I can see the beginnings of love even before the families leave my barn. But for me, that's the only kind of pet sales I'm interested in doing anymore.
Recently on some of the online groups, the point has been made that rabbits are also meat animals and that there is no reason to ever have an overabundance of any meat animal as long as there are people who need to eat. Obviously, there are large groups who take exception to this idea, but I feel that an ethical end beats out of minimal existence every time.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 11:39 AM 1 comments links to this post
He had diarrhea and was bony. I asked questions to see how long the rabbit had had loose stool, trying to figure out if it was true diarrhea or unformed cecal matter. Had he been drinking today? She had a difficult time answering the questions. She knew that half his water bottle was empty from the day before. She didn't really know when the diarrhea had started.
I told her what I would do in the situation and passed on some advice from other breeders that I had not yet tried. I hope that he lived until his vet appointment this morning.
By virtue of his having a vet appointment and her report of his feeding schedule, I could tell that she was trying to do the right things for him, but it was also very obvious that her children had lost interest in the rabbits and that they were receiving maintenance level care.
Finally, the mother asked me if I'd be interested in taking the rabbits. I told her that I was not, but gave her some tips on finding a new home for them.
I found out that she had purchased the rabbits from the Dixie Classic Fair from a man. Since I am obviously not a man, I know she didn't buy the rabbits from me, but I have sold two or three pets at that fair. It makes me wonder about the rabbits I've sold as pets. Are "mine" ending up the same way a year or two or three down the road, in the backyard, receiving minimal care, with no one paying special attention to them? She could have as easily said that she bought the rabbits from me.
It's true that I sell a lot fewer pets these days than in the beginning. The best reason is that the quality of rabbits in my herd has gone up and there are fewer pets. But I have also come to terms with processing rabbits that do not have the potential to become really good pets. I take fewer pets to shows, unless I know that I'm taking one for someone in particular. I prefer to sell a few very nice pets to a select few families who do their research, find out about my Hollands, and are willing to travel to my barn to pick out their pet. I sell to these families with confidence that the rabbits are set, living in the lap of luxury.
My conviction is that it is better to humanely put down a rabbit (especially if it can be used for food) than to pet it out to any and every person who is willing to take it Whatever qualms I may have had about that decision are now gone. The phone call yesterday was demonstration, once again, of what I know to be true. Bunnies are too cute for their own good! They sell themselves and foster impulse buying decisions. But the newness and excitement wear off if the owner isn't really committed to the rabbit.
Placing rabbits with really good pet families is one of the joys of breeding rabbits. I feel like a grandmother getting pictures of the grandbabies in my email! I can see the beginnings of love even before the families leave my barn. But for me, that's the only kind of pet sales I'm interested in doing anymore.
Recently on some of the online groups, the point has been made that rabbits are also meat animals and that there is no reason to ever have an overabundance of any meat animal as long as there are people who need to eat. Obviously, there are large groups who take exception to this idea, but I feel that an ethical end beats out of minimal existence every time.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 11:39 AM 1 comments links to this post
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Transporting Rabbits
I recently transported a number of rabbits to and from a show some distance from my house. For the most part, things went okay. It was pretty hectic, though, and a lot of work. So, I have decided that next year, I will post my guidelines in advance to make things go even better.
I was really caught unprepared. I was very happy to do favors for friends, but I had no idea how many friends I would have needing favors by the time I departed!
In case you are thinking about transporting rabbits during the upcoming Nationals season, I thought I'd share a few of my new rules now - feel free to adopt some yourself:
I was really caught unprepared. I was very happy to do favors for friends, but I had no idea how many friends I would have needing favors by the time I departed!
In case you are thinking about transporting rabbits during the upcoming Nationals season, I thought I'd share a few of my new rules now - feel free to adopt some yourself:
- I will not transport rabbits under the age of 12 weeks
- I reserve the right to refuse any animal with symptoms of any illness or I determine is in poor condition
- I will not handle pedigrees
- I will not collect money
- My fee will be $15 for the first rabbit to and from the same person and $10 for each additional rabbit; rabbits to different people are $15 each (this trip was from VA to PA).
- I will deliver transitional feed; please make sure it is clearly marked
- Sellers should include enough feed for the trip through the end of the show (again, clearly marked)
- All rabbits must be clearly tattooed
- Sellers will be charged for the return trip should the buyer refuse the rabbit or fail to show up
- I may agree to transport rabbits home from a show, but cannot agree to track down the rabbits or sellers, or choose which rabbit to purchase
- Buyers should thoroughly check the rabbit at the time of transfer, especially tattoo, teeth, nails, and genitals
- Both buyers and sellers must agree that I have no liability in the case of injury, illness, theft, or death - I will care for transport rabbits as my own, but much is beyond my control
I really appreciated the folks who came to my barn the very day I arrived home to pick up their rabbits. They were prompt and the delivering portion was hassle-free. I also enjoyed meeting the people to whom I delivered rabbits. And I was happy to do a favor for a very special member of our rabbit community who has done so much for bunnydom in general.
Besides being able to help out folks who needed a helping hand, transporting rabbits turned out to be a good thing because it paid for the gasoline for our trip to Pennsylvania. I suppose for that reason alone, I would consider doing it again. But next time, I'll have a better idea of what I've gotten myself in to!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Rabbit Registration Party
I'm big on registering rabbits. I try to register my rabbits as soon as they turn six months old. My rule is that, if they are good enough to breed, they are good enough to register.
The benefit is, of course, that whenever I grand a rabbit, its registration is already done and I need only send in the legs and fee. And, once the parents' generation is all registered, it is much simpler to fill out the paperwork for the offspring. The registrar who registers my bunnies once remarked that he loved registering my rabbits because it was so easy. Very seldom do we have to complete information for more than the sire and dam.
When folks buy rabbits from me, they get to enjoy the same benefits. I don't have to worry about their registering an offspring before I get the chance to register the parent. They don't have to miss out on getting a red, red & white, or red, white & blue seal on my account. And, they can tell at a glance that the rabbits in the pedigree were DQ-free.
When I first started out, I took my rabbits to shows to register them. But I generally do not show senior bucks at six months of age. They generally aren't ready to be competitive. And I like to breed does right at six months, so, depending on the show schedule, I would have to delay breeding for a week or two. That's no big deal unless I'm trying to breed a group of does together.
So, I talked with my registrar and found out that he's willing to come to my house as long as I have about a dozen rabbits that need to be registered at once. Great! I have that many every three to six months anyway. But I find that those that just missed being old enough to register on one visit may have gone overweight (especially if they've had a litter or two) or developed an injury-related DQ by the next visit, if it's six months between.
So, to solve this problem, I'm going to start throwing rabbit registration parties at my house once a quarter. That way, even if I don't have 12 rabbits to register, surely between my friends and me, we will. We are going to push the furniture aside and roll up the carpet to set up rabbit show-style in our great room. We will help each other fill out and check over the paperwork and look over each other's rabbits, just for fun. So I've suggested to my friends that they bring any rabbit that they want to have registered and any that they want informal peer review of.
Without the pressure of having to get rabbits to the judging table, we will have the time to look at some of our rabbits in-depth and compare opinions. I think it will be not only a fun time for all, but also a learning experience, too.
And of course we will have food. Chocolate. And something for the salty food lovers, too.
I hope that snow doesn't ruin our plans. I don't think I have another open weekend for quite awhile!
Didn't get on the invite list but are willing to drive to my house this weekend (one hour NW of Winston-Salem, NC, two hours from Charlotte, NC, less than 1 hour from Wytheville, VA)? Just email me! There's room for all!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 10:04 AM 1 comments links to this post
The benefit is, of course, that whenever I grand a rabbit, its registration is already done and I need only send in the legs and fee. And, once the parents' generation is all registered, it is much simpler to fill out the paperwork for the offspring. The registrar who registers my bunnies once remarked that he loved registering my rabbits because it was so easy. Very seldom do we have to complete information for more than the sire and dam.
When folks buy rabbits from me, they get to enjoy the same benefits. I don't have to worry about their registering an offspring before I get the chance to register the parent. They don't have to miss out on getting a red, red & white, or red, white & blue seal on my account. And, they can tell at a glance that the rabbits in the pedigree were DQ-free.
When I first started out, I took my rabbits to shows to register them. But I generally do not show senior bucks at six months of age. They generally aren't ready to be competitive. And I like to breed does right at six months, so, depending on the show schedule, I would have to delay breeding for a week or two. That's no big deal unless I'm trying to breed a group of does together.
So, I talked with my registrar and found out that he's willing to come to my house as long as I have about a dozen rabbits that need to be registered at once. Great! I have that many every three to six months anyway. But I find that those that just missed being old enough to register on one visit may have gone overweight (especially if they've had a litter or two) or developed an injury-related DQ by the next visit, if it's six months between.
So, to solve this problem, I'm going to start throwing rabbit registration parties at my house once a quarter. That way, even if I don't have 12 rabbits to register, surely between my friends and me, we will. We are going to push the furniture aside and roll up the carpet to set up rabbit show-style in our great room. We will help each other fill out and check over the paperwork and look over each other's rabbits, just for fun. So I've suggested to my friends that they bring any rabbit that they want to have registered and any that they want informal peer review of.
Without the pressure of having to get rabbits to the judging table, we will have the time to look at some of our rabbits in-depth and compare opinions. I think it will be not only a fun time for all, but also a learning experience, too.
And of course we will have food. Chocolate. And something for the salty food lovers, too.
I hope that snow doesn't ruin our plans. I don't think I have another open weekend for quite awhile!
Didn't get on the invite list but are willing to drive to my house this weekend (one hour NW of Winston-Salem, NC, two hours from Charlotte, NC, less than 1 hour from Wytheville, VA)? Just email me! There's room for all!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 10:04 AM 1 comments links to this post
Monday, February 13, 2006
A Really Good Conversation
"A good conversation is one of life's most pleasurable experiences. In a good conversation all parties carefully attend and respond to one another in a kind of multi-sensory dance where each comes away with a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. As human beings we seek connection and understanding. There is nothing quite like the feeling of having been deeply seen, heard, acknowledged and understood." - Robert L. Lindstrom
Conversation is one of the best ways we have of learning about rabbits, contributing to the rabbit community, exchanging ideas, helping our rabbit culture evolve in positive ways, and strengthening relationships and friendships. You might remember I referred to the really good conversation we had at dinner in Pennsylvania recently. I've been giving it some thought and here are some of the reasons I think the conversation was so very good.
First, almost everyone at the table contributed to the conversation. I won't say that the floor was equally divided, but neither was it dominated by a single individual.
Second, participants listened with respect. Ideas were allowed to be shared without having them slaughtered them moment they were born. Although not every idea gets to live a long, fruitful life, I believe that ideas should be able to survive their infancy, to see how they develop. Sometimes they spark another, even better idea. But they can't do that if they are attacked early on. And the generation of ideas will soon cease altogether if they are not allowed to survive - at least for awhile.
Third, even touchy topics could be discussed because speakers took neither an attacking nor a defensive posture. Speakers who resort to either being offensive or overly defensive will often lose their credibility, regardless of the validity of their viewpoint. By talking about issues rather than discrediting speakers, or going on a counter attack, more ideas can be shared and more hearers will become listeners.
Fourth, the attitude of the conversation was from a position of enjoyment, positive solutions, fun what-ifs, and a mutually supportive atmosphere. Conversations work better when the participants do not feel that they must persuade everyone that their view is correct (especially if it is only their view that is correct!). Issues can be left unresolved. Participants can go away with food for thought. Sometimes, I find that thinking back over a really good conversation is almost as good as the conversation itself.Rabbit shows, club meetings, Judges Conferences, and casual rabbit people get-togethers are all wonderful opportunities for really good conversations about rabbits.
Be willing to contribute and be willing to listen. Talk about issues. Entertain the possibilities. Dream aloud. It's just another way to enjoy our wonderful hobby.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Saluda, SC, Show
The show in Saluda was just simply pleasant. I saw a lot of laughing and having fun. That's what I like to see at a show.
It was worth making the trip to be judged by Paul Kyle. We had him last week for only one class at the PA Convention. Since I only took one rabbit this week that I showed last week, I had pretty much a whole new batch for him to look at anyway. It had been over a year since I'd last had my rabbits judged by Paul - at the last PA Convention. I love to have variety in the judges at a show, especially when they have expertise in Hollands.
In the first show, under Paul Kyle, I had a great show. The Nature Trail's Boris came in second out of 20. Saynora's Katee kept her streak alive by producing The Nature Trail's Leo, BOB. He was 1 day shy of four months old. What a cutie! The Nature Trail's Latifa, another junior almost four months old, took her second class, but this time for a BOSG.
In brokens, The Nature Trail's Franz granded with a BOSG. The Nature Trail's Mars came in second. The Nature Trail's Hilary got her second leg with a BOG/BOS combination. She can't let her sister Purdy out-show her (Purdy was BOG/BOS in Columbia in December). And first timer The Nature Trail's Kimmie took her class of 6.
In the second show, I didn't take a single class and placed few rabbits (15 of 17 placed in the first show with 71 Hollands)! Go figure. I teasingly told Tim Nix that the second show was all his and it turned out to be prophetic. He took most of the classes and I believe all of the specials.
Since it was snowing at home, I spent the night in SC and arrived at home around noon. I must leave again at 3:00 to drive a couple of hours to a rabbit club meeting.
Got to run out to the 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 ¶ 1:33 PM 2 comments links to this post
It was worth making the trip to be judged by Paul Kyle. We had him last week for only one class at the PA Convention. Since I only took one rabbit this week that I showed last week, I had pretty much a whole new batch for him to look at anyway. It had been over a year since I'd last had my rabbits judged by Paul - at the last PA Convention. I love to have variety in the judges at a show, especially when they have expertise in Hollands.
In the first show, under Paul Kyle, I had a great show. The Nature Trail's Boris came in second out of 20. Saynora's Katee kept her streak alive by producing The Nature Trail's Leo, BOB. He was 1 day shy of four months old. What a cutie! The Nature Trail's Latifa, another junior almost four months old, took her second class, but this time for a BOSG.
In brokens, The Nature Trail's Franz granded with a BOSG. The Nature Trail's Mars came in second. The Nature Trail's Hilary got her second leg with a BOG/BOS combination. She can't let her sister Purdy out-show her (Purdy was BOG/BOS in Columbia in December). And first timer The Nature Trail's Kimmie took her class of 6.
In the second show, I didn't take a single class and placed few rabbits (15 of 17 placed in the first show with 71 Hollands)! Go figure. I teasingly told Tim Nix that the second show was all his and it turned out to be prophetic. He took most of the classes and I believe all of the specials.
Since it was snowing at home, I spent the night in SC and arrived at home around noon. I must leave again at 3:00 to drive a couple of hours to a rabbit club meeting.
Got to run out to the 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 ¶ 1:33 PM 2 comments links to this post
Friday, February 10, 2006
The Good Investment
I have two sets of expensive silk underwear. Now, before you misunderstand, let me say that one set has a turtleneck with long sleeves and the other set has a crew neck with long sleeves. You see, those are my long johns. I invested in these long johns over six years ago when my dad and I were building our homes. They are extremely warm, comfortable, durable, and lightweight. I wore one set every other day while the other was in the laundry for two winters straight and they are still going strong today.
Sometimes you pay a lot of money and it is worth it.
Many years ago, before Andrew and I had adopted our first child, we were visited by a self-appointed preacher who claimed to run a program for young women with crisis pregnancies. He told us a well-crafted story of selfless women and worthy homes. Looking back, I'm sure he could have predicted the exact time a tear would roll down my cheek. He left our home with a sizeable "donation," and the expectation that one of those women would choose us to be the family for her baby. We, of course, never heard from him again.
Sometimes you pay a lot of money and it is not worth it.
A few weeks ago, a breeder relatively new to Hollands, wondered out loud if she would not have been better off to purchase one $200-rabbit rather than four $50 rabbits. The answer, of course, is it depends.
We've all seen the standard advice for folks new to breeding Hollands: buy the best trio you can afford. I'm not so sure that's the best advice. When you get started and haven't learned much about the breed or lines or breeders, it is very difficult to spend your money wisely. Would you end up with the long johns or the donation?
When I started in Hollands, I did what you weren't supposed to do. After buying a trio, I bought one rabbit here, two rabbits there, another someplace else and ended up with a collection. I'm not so sure it was a bad thing. I had a lot of basic things to learn about rabbits. Those things could be learned on any rabbits. How to feed, how many rabbits I could comfortably care for, how to build cages, how to breed, how to care for newborn rabbits, how to show, and just plain whether I would like the hobby or not.
And, while I was learning those things, I was also learning about the standard and improving my internal understanding of the Holland lop.
So I sold most of those first rabbits and bought some more related animals, mostly from a particular line. Fortunately for me, that "line" had samples of several different lines in it, so I was able to refine my understanding of what I like to concentrate on in the Holland (can't tackle everything at once) and which lines might produce that Holland.
And I sold rabbits again, refining my foundation based on my new understanding.
Not long after I made my first big change in my rabbitry, I talked with a breeder who has been in showing for almost two decades. He said that everybody sells out of their first group of rabbits and starts over. And some breeders do it two or three times.
I think that, rather than seeing this as a sign of having made an error in the original purchases, it's just the natural order of things.
Sure, some people may fall into really good advice from the beginning. That's great when it happens. But when you first get stared, how do you know who to get advice from?
I used to think that looking at the sweepstakes points was the answer. How can you argue with success? But with more experience, I realize that there are ways to get higher in sweeps that involve volume and frequency, and there are many quality rabbitries that don't show often (perhaps there are few shows in their area) or don't show their best rabbits (showing does put a rabbit at risk) or cannot attend the national shows where thousands of points are earned.
And, I used to think that I could trust the price on a rabbit as an indication of quality. A breeder at Convention was puzzled about why her doe was not selling. She was bargained priced and anyone who got her would know they had gotten their money's worth. I mentioned that sometimes people think price equals quality. So she doubled the price and sold her within the hour.
I have purchased many rabbits for high prices that did not contribute to my barn in any significant way. You may have seen me write before that my best investments have been between $75 and $150. There has been the occasional exception, both higher and lower, but by and large, my herd is built on rabbits from that price range.
I've had a few people ask me lately who I would buy a trio from if I were starting from scratch. There are lots of good choices and I'm not going to name names.
I would go to a person who has been in Hollands for a very long time. That person would have pedigrees full of their rabbitry prefix, with only the occasional outside rabbit (I want a stable gene pool, not randomness). It would be important to me that the person has truly developed a line that reproduces consistently. It would not be enough that the breeder has good rabbits to show, their rabbits would have to also produce good rabbits predictably. After all, I'm not nearly as interested in showing someone else's rabbit as I am in producing my own.
After I had narrowed down my choices, I would collect references. Has that breeder helped others to get started? Were they happy with their rabbits, the information about the rabbits, and the general "customer service?"
Then I would ask for the breeder's help in choosing a well-matched trio. The beauty of a trio is that no one rabbit need be perfect or even showable. The trio would have counter-balancing features - strengths matched against weaknesses. And since this breeder would have been working with these lines for a very long time, he or she would be able to advise me and make a reasonable prediction about how well the rabbits might work together.
You might wait forever for a perfect show rabbit from such a breeder as I have described. But I think that a trio - perhaps with a false dwarf buck and two true dwarf does or vice versa - might become available even sooner because you are asking for a well matched set of parts rabbits.
I hope that you are able to make such a good purchase the very first time. But if you, like me, have started over once or more, don't think that you wasted your time in the beginning. Just consider it your training time so that you can tell the difference between the bad investment and the good one.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 7:54 AM 0 comments links to this post
Sometimes you pay a lot of money and it is worth it.
Many years ago, before Andrew and I had adopted our first child, we were visited by a self-appointed preacher who claimed to run a program for young women with crisis pregnancies. He told us a well-crafted story of selfless women and worthy homes. Looking back, I'm sure he could have predicted the exact time a tear would roll down my cheek. He left our home with a sizeable "donation," and the expectation that one of those women would choose us to be the family for her baby. We, of course, never heard from him again.
Sometimes you pay a lot of money and it is not worth it.
A few weeks ago, a breeder relatively new to Hollands, wondered out loud if she would not have been better off to purchase one $200-rabbit rather than four $50 rabbits. The answer, of course, is it depends.
We've all seen the standard advice for folks new to breeding Hollands: buy the best trio you can afford. I'm not so sure that's the best advice. When you get started and haven't learned much about the breed or lines or breeders, it is very difficult to spend your money wisely. Would you end up with the long johns or the donation?
When I started in Hollands, I did what you weren't supposed to do. After buying a trio, I bought one rabbit here, two rabbits there, another someplace else and ended up with a collection. I'm not so sure it was a bad thing. I had a lot of basic things to learn about rabbits. Those things could be learned on any rabbits. How to feed, how many rabbits I could comfortably care for, how to build cages, how to breed, how to care for newborn rabbits, how to show, and just plain whether I would like the hobby or not.
And, while I was learning those things, I was also learning about the standard and improving my internal understanding of the Holland lop.
So I sold most of those first rabbits and bought some more related animals, mostly from a particular line. Fortunately for me, that "line" had samples of several different lines in it, so I was able to refine my understanding of what I like to concentrate on in the Holland (can't tackle everything at once) and which lines might produce that Holland.
And I sold rabbits again, refining my foundation based on my new understanding.
Not long after I made my first big change in my rabbitry, I talked with a breeder who has been in showing for almost two decades. He said that everybody sells out of their first group of rabbits and starts over. And some breeders do it two or three times.
I think that, rather than seeing this as a sign of having made an error in the original purchases, it's just the natural order of things.
Sure, some people may fall into really good advice from the beginning. That's great when it happens. But when you first get stared, how do you know who to get advice from?
I used to think that looking at the sweepstakes points was the answer. How can you argue with success? But with more experience, I realize that there are ways to get higher in sweeps that involve volume and frequency, and there are many quality rabbitries that don't show often (perhaps there are few shows in their area) or don't show their best rabbits (showing does put a rabbit at risk) or cannot attend the national shows where thousands of points are earned.
And, I used to think that I could trust the price on a rabbit as an indication of quality. A breeder at Convention was puzzled about why her doe was not selling. She was bargained priced and anyone who got her would know they had gotten their money's worth. I mentioned that sometimes people think price equals quality. So she doubled the price and sold her within the hour.
I have purchased many rabbits for high prices that did not contribute to my barn in any significant way. You may have seen me write before that my best investments have been between $75 and $150. There has been the occasional exception, both higher and lower, but by and large, my herd is built on rabbits from that price range.
I've had a few people ask me lately who I would buy a trio from if I were starting from scratch. There are lots of good choices and I'm not going to name names.
I would go to a person who has been in Hollands for a very long time. That person would have pedigrees full of their rabbitry prefix, with only the occasional outside rabbit (I want a stable gene pool, not randomness). It would be important to me that the person has truly developed a line that reproduces consistently. It would not be enough that the breeder has good rabbits to show, their rabbits would have to also produce good rabbits predictably. After all, I'm not nearly as interested in showing someone else's rabbit as I am in producing my own.
After I had narrowed down my choices, I would collect references. Has that breeder helped others to get started? Were they happy with their rabbits, the information about the rabbits, and the general "customer service?"
Then I would ask for the breeder's help in choosing a well-matched trio. The beauty of a trio is that no one rabbit need be perfect or even showable. The trio would have counter-balancing features - strengths matched against weaknesses. And since this breeder would have been working with these lines for a very long time, he or she would be able to advise me and make a reasonable prediction about how well the rabbits might work together.
You might wait forever for a perfect show rabbit from such a breeder as I have described. But I think that a trio - perhaps with a false dwarf buck and two true dwarf does or vice versa - might become available even sooner because you are asking for a well matched set of parts rabbits.
I hope that you are able to make such a good purchase the very first time. But if you, like me, have started over once or more, don't think that you wasted your time in the beginning. Just consider it your training time so that you can tell the difference between the bad investment and the good one.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 7:54 AM 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Finding Your Way
Our favorite family game we call simply, "The Dark Game." The whole family, save one person, piles into the pantry and counts to 50 while the other person hides somewhere in the house. All of the lights are turned off. This game is best played in the winter during a new moon.
After we manage to count to 50 together (with Andrew throwing in random numbers just for fun), we turn off the pantry light and begin our search of the house. Unlike hide and seek, once you find the person who is hiding, you join him or her, just like in the game of sardines.
Sarah, our oldest, is the very best dark game player in our family. We've found her on top of her chest of drawers (having passed within inches of her a dozen times), under the bathroom sink (who would have thought she could even fit in there), and lying across the barstool seats, tucked under the breakfast bar. I saw her checking out the top of the refrigerator the other night and had to forbid her from climbing up there!
So, in order to find Sarah, we all work together. You can hear us calling out into the dark from time to time, "Dad, you still there?" "Did anyone check out the bathroom?" And once someone stops answering questions, we know they have found the hider, so we head off to their last known location.
It is a lot of fun and we always have a big laugh when the last person finds the group all huddled together.
And so it is with rabbit breeding (you were wondering when I was going to get around to them, weren't you?). When you first start out, almost everything is unknown, just like the dark in our game. You can see the rabbits you have, but you may not understand everything you see (and feel). You are not familiar with prominent lines, you didn't get to see the ancestors in action, you have not yet internalized your understanding of the Holland lop standard. And many of the people in your area are at various levels of wondering around in the dark looking for some of the same answers as you.
But when you communicate whatever it is you have found out (I got good results crossing these two lines is as good as she's not hiding in the bathroom), you help all of the breeders in your area find what you are all are looking for. And when breeders tell you, "I already tried that," they save you from searching in the wrong area.
Some people have already found the goal. In the dark game, they are supposed to keep quiet. But sometimes when we are really stumped (usually with Sarah), we have to ask for a hint. So she taps on the floor or wall and we listen carefully.
I can't see playing the dark game without working together to find the person hiding. And if the game goes on too long without finding a hider, it gets very frustrating. If the person hiding just enjoyed no one finding her without being willing to give a clue to the others, she would soon find herself playing alone.
In our household, we all have fun because we are willing to share information, and those who have found what they were looking for are willing to give hints to those still looking. Then we all enjoy everyone's success together.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 9:56 AM 0 comments links to this post
After we manage to count to 50 together (with Andrew throwing in random numbers just for fun), we turn off the pantry light and begin our search of the house. Unlike hide and seek, once you find the person who is hiding, you join him or her, just like in the game of sardines.
Sarah, our oldest, is the very best dark game player in our family. We've found her on top of her chest of drawers (having passed within inches of her a dozen times), under the bathroom sink (who would have thought she could even fit in there), and lying across the barstool seats, tucked under the breakfast bar. I saw her checking out the top of the refrigerator the other night and had to forbid her from climbing up there!
So, in order to find Sarah, we all work together. You can hear us calling out into the dark from time to time, "Dad, you still there?" "Did anyone check out the bathroom?" And once someone stops answering questions, we know they have found the hider, so we head off to their last known location.
It is a lot of fun and we always have a big laugh when the last person finds the group all huddled together.
And so it is with rabbit breeding (you were wondering when I was going to get around to them, weren't you?). When you first start out, almost everything is unknown, just like the dark in our game. You can see the rabbits you have, but you may not understand everything you see (and feel). You are not familiar with prominent lines, you didn't get to see the ancestors in action, you have not yet internalized your understanding of the Holland lop standard. And many of the people in your area are at various levels of wondering around in the dark looking for some of the same answers as you.
But when you communicate whatever it is you have found out (I got good results crossing these two lines is as good as she's not hiding in the bathroom), you help all of the breeders in your area find what you are all are looking for. And when breeders tell you, "I already tried that," they save you from searching in the wrong area.
Some people have already found the goal. In the dark game, they are supposed to keep quiet. But sometimes when we are really stumped (usually with Sarah), we have to ask for a hint. So she taps on the floor or wall and we listen carefully.
I can't see playing the dark game without working together to find the person hiding. And if the game goes on too long without finding a hider, it gets very frustrating. If the person hiding just enjoyed no one finding her without being willing to give a clue to the others, she would soon find herself playing alone.
In our household, we all have fun because we are willing to share information, and those who have found what they were looking for are willing to give hints to those still looking. Then we all enjoy everyone's success together.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 9:56 AM 0 comments links to this post
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
The Aftermath
Really good shows are an inspiration. It is impossible to go to such a show and not learn something. You come home with some new perspective. And so it is with the recent PA State Convention.
It used to be that I would come home from such a show and sell 3/4 of my rabbitry, having realized that I was not headed in the right direction. I could "see" things about my rabbits that I just could not see before. Hollands are extremely complicated and, in the beginning, if you learn one part per month, you are doing very well. But at such a show, I might all of a sudden understand three or four parts at once and put that new information right to work.
I'm sorry if I lead you to believe I was selling 3/4 of my herd this time. Not so! I am pleased to say that after this show, I have the feeling that I am on track. I have a couple of rabbits that I showed that I'll be giving more time before showing again, but none are headed out of the door!
One thing I did learn, though, is that this is a show worth specifically breeding for. I did show two juniors who were five months old, Salem and Lando. Two were four months old, and three were just fifteen weeks old. Next year, I'd rather have a half dozen just ready to turn six months old. With the competition at that level, the maturity can make the difference. One of my fifteen-week olds came in second to a bunny ready to turn senior. Next year, I want to be on the opposite side of that situation!
I also learned this weekend to pay more attention to white tails on torts. One judge mentioned that it is a growing problem in Hollands. I'll have to take a look around the barn and take that into consideration when I breed. I've seen rabbits DQ'd for it before, but it just never made much of an impression on me until now.
One concept that I learned before was reinforced for me this past weekend. A friend wanted to know which of two sisters she should keep. They are from a litter we produced together. I got two brothers and she got the sisters. I looked and gave my opinion. Then a friend looked an gave hers. Then we looked again and changed our minds. The judges always put the two girls close together in their placements. And then yet another friend looked and said they were close. The moral of the story is this: when it is that hard to tell, keep both. Forget the notion that you should only keep one from each litter and that you should keep something from every litter. Sometimes it is wise to keep everything from one litter and nothing from others.
The advice I gave was to keep them and breed them. I have too often sold the sister who turned out to be the one that would produce babies. I have my choice in the barn, sitting in an empty cage while her sister is elsewhere, surrounded by babies. I have also looked back on decisions with the benefit of just a month or two of time and seen that the answer would now have been crystal clear. If the decision is too close to call, sit on it.
I plan to breed a group of does today, another in a couple of weeks and then the remainder in early March. I'd love to breed them all right now, but I'm trying to look ahead to when they will have their best shows as juniors. We generally have no shows during August save the first weekend, so there's no sense wasting their best junior days sitting around in the barn.
I do need to breed my auction doe now, though, so that she's free and ready to go to Nationals. And I'll have to breed some foster mothers along with her.
But all of these breedings will be affected by what I learned this weekend about my rabbits. I feel like I got a green light to proceed in this direction. I will be repeating the breeding that produced Navaro, my second place buck, for certain.
The comment section of my BLOG is now open. I intend for it to stay open (though moderated), so if you ever try to make a comment and find that it is set to "members only," just email me and I'll reset the settings again. I inadvertently change the setting when I'm trying to scroll down the page with the roller ball.
I'd love to hear what you learned from the PA State Convention or whichever shows you've been attending lately. Share with us by writing a comment!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 10:55 AM 1 comments links to this post
It used to be that I would come home from such a show and sell 3/4 of my rabbitry, having realized that I was not headed in the right direction. I could "see" things about my rabbits that I just could not see before. Hollands are extremely complicated and, in the beginning, if you learn one part per month, you are doing very well. But at such a show, I might all of a sudden understand three or four parts at once and put that new information right to work.
I'm sorry if I lead you to believe I was selling 3/4 of my herd this time. Not so! I am pleased to say that after this show, I have the feeling that I am on track. I have a couple of rabbits that I showed that I'll be giving more time before showing again, but none are headed out of the door!
One thing I did learn, though, is that this is a show worth specifically breeding for. I did show two juniors who were five months old, Salem and Lando. Two were four months old, and three were just fifteen weeks old. Next year, I'd rather have a half dozen just ready to turn six months old. With the competition at that level, the maturity can make the difference. One of my fifteen-week olds came in second to a bunny ready to turn senior. Next year, I want to be on the opposite side of that situation!
I also learned this weekend to pay more attention to white tails on torts. One judge mentioned that it is a growing problem in Hollands. I'll have to take a look around the barn and take that into consideration when I breed. I've seen rabbits DQ'd for it before, but it just never made much of an impression on me until now.
One concept that I learned before was reinforced for me this past weekend. A friend wanted to know which of two sisters she should keep. They are from a litter we produced together. I got two brothers and she got the sisters. I looked and gave my opinion. Then a friend looked an gave hers. Then we looked again and changed our minds. The judges always put the two girls close together in their placements. And then yet another friend looked and said they were close. The moral of the story is this: when it is that hard to tell, keep both. Forget the notion that you should only keep one from each litter and that you should keep something from every litter. Sometimes it is wise to keep everything from one litter and nothing from others.
The advice I gave was to keep them and breed them. I have too often sold the sister who turned out to be the one that would produce babies. I have my choice in the barn, sitting in an empty cage while her sister is elsewhere, surrounded by babies. I have also looked back on decisions with the benefit of just a month or two of time and seen that the answer would now have been crystal clear. If the decision is too close to call, sit on it.
I plan to breed a group of does today, another in a couple of weeks and then the remainder in early March. I'd love to breed them all right now, but I'm trying to look ahead to when they will have their best shows as juniors. We generally have no shows during August save the first weekend, so there's no sense wasting their best junior days sitting around in the barn.
I do need to breed my auction doe now, though, so that she's free and ready to go to Nationals. And I'll have to breed some foster mothers along with her.
But all of these breedings will be affected by what I learned this weekend about my rabbits. I feel like I got a green light to proceed in this direction. I will be repeating the breeding that produced Navaro, my second place buck, for certain.
The comment section of my BLOG is now open. I intend for it to stay open (though moderated), so if you ever try to make a comment and find that it is set to "members only," just email me and I'll reset the settings again. I inadvertently change the setting when I'm trying to scroll down the page with the roller ball.
I'd love to hear what you learned from the PA State Convention or whichever shows you've been attending lately. Share with us by writing a comment!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 10:55 AM 1 comments links to this post
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Wonderful Weekend
My friend Linda was on time Friday, much to my chagrin. I had gotten behind and we were almost an hour later than we had planned leaving my house. But we got to the showroom by 7:00 p.m., which turned out to be plenty early.
The evening was very busy with setting up. Even at 7:00, the showroom was crowded and we had a difficult time finding enough room for all of our things. I took 40 bunnies (13 to show, the rest were sale bunnies) and Linda had about 6 carriers of her own. Believe it or not, I think we could have fit in more!
Having pre-printed my entry forms and my labels for my comment cards really made a difference in the ease of taking care of entries (each of the four shows is handled individually, so you go through the steps multiple times). The show secretaries really appreciated correct change, an easy-to-read printed entry form, and complete information.
I learned last year (the hard way, of course) that I needed two labels per rabbit per show. I was prepared this time. I have discovered that a 2" x 4" label barely fits in the comment card information area and it gives me the most room to write all that I want to on the label. Just remember to put the ear number in bold, large characters in the top left-hand corner. Writers are laying those cards out on top of each other with just the number showing. If you put it elsewhere, they have to use more table top space to lay out all of those cards.
I delivered some sale rabbits and sold a few new ones, too. You always sell first the ones you weren't sure you wanted to sell at all, of course. Dani arrived later in the evening and got set up. We looked at bunnies. Evaluated bunnies. Gave our opinions on bunnies. Changed our minds multiple times on the ones we liked most and generally just had a bunny good time.
We stayed until almost time for the showroom to close at 11:00 and zoomed over to our hotel, which was just 5 minutes away. We had so much fun talking that we were all wide awake at 1:00 a.m. and made ourselves turn off the light to go to sleep. Huh! we should have just stayed up talking. I was awake more than I was asleep and I only heard deep breathing ONCE during the night. I think that if, at any time, I had said, "You awake?" two women would have responded, "yes."
The next morning came too early. Dani had packed us a tremendous picnic basket for the weekend. She made these really evil sugar and cinnamon things that somehow beg you to eat just one more. It's like being under a spell, I tell you. Resistance was futile!
It was time to go to the madhouse then. This show is huge and it was decisively larger this year than last. The open showroom was as crowded as last year even with the youth having their own room.
The day was crazy with often three Holland judges going at one time. It was wonderful to see the cooperation among the exhibitors as they toted rabbits for each other and kept things going as smoothly as possible. The level of competition was incredible. The judges were all Holland savvy, though I especially appreciate the judging of Todd Naragon, Bruce Ormsby, and Everette Hopper.
It was a long day in constant motion. Somehow I managed to deliver even more bunnies. Then the bunnies I was bringing back for friends started coming in. I brought ten and took ten home.
Evening found us at dinner with the Chesapeake Holland Lop Specialty Club, the sponsor of Sunday's specialty show. It is a delightful club with wonderful members. They did such a great job with the show, which I think might be their first show.
The conversation at dinner was worth the whole trip. If you ever get a chance to chat with our HLRSC District 9 Rep Henry Sabetti, take advantage of it. He's a wonderful person and great conversationalist. I always love talking with him.
Our whole table was fun to talk with. It was enjoyable discussing how things could be handled to give colors a more fighting chance to grand and be competitive while they are developing, for example. I enjoy brainstorming and exchanging ideas and perspectives. We talked about many issues and it was all delightful.
Back at the motel, we got to bed a little earlier and slept a little more. Morning came even earlier, it seemed.
It was deja vu all over again. Three judges and constantly moving rabbits around. The entries were lighter the second day, but there was more pressure to finish early because there was apparently some kind of ball game coming on television that people wanted to watch. I'm not up on all of that stuff personally. Though I hear they have good commercials.
Somehow I managed to steal a few minutes to buy dishes, talk with my Blue Seal rep, enter the raffle (sorry kids, we didn't win the 10 lb. Hershey bar), and watch a couple of lilacs being judged. I also found myself falling in love with Holland Lops all over again. It's a joy to see so many really nice Hollands in one place, especially in the hands of a judge that has a good touch for them. I could be heard to say, "How could anyone not think that Holland lops are the best breed of rabbit!" I'm prejudiced; I know.
It seemed to take twice as long to pack up as it did to load. Oh, maybe that's because Andrew did the packing at my barn. Yes, that could be it. But we managed to get it all back in again. We had a last picnic with Dani. This time she had these evil cookies that make you eat them whether you want to or not.
We then went to Dani's to spend the night. I enjoyed looking at the bunnies in her barn. That ballgame thing was on and Dani's husband seemed to be happy about the way it ended, but not happy that we arrived during the last 7 minutes! There's nothing like feeling like you have to play host and greet people when the best game of the year is wrapping up! Sorry Todd.
I slept very well on Dani's couch. I've been there before, so we are old friends. I know just how I like to arrange the pillows for maximum comfort. But truthfully, by then I could have slept on a bed of nails.
In the morning, Linda and I unpacked the bunnies once more so I could water and feed (I morning feed and Linda evening feeds). By 9:30, we were on the road and headed for Cracker Barrel. After a wonderful breakfast and some shopping for the kids and puppies, we were off again. We arrived at my place just about 3:30.
The house was clean (the bribe for root beer floats, pizza, and playing our favorite family game of sardines in the dark worked, apparently - I'll have to remember that). Andrew had pressure washed all of the cages I had left empty. Folks started arriving within 30 minutes to pick up their rabbits that we had transported. Things couldn't have gone better.
Unfortunately, Linda had another two hour drive home, but she reached it safely.
I'm exhausted and quite satisfied with the weekend. I am really inspired to breed, breed, breed. Seeing such quality really makes you want to improve your barn even more.
It's time to wash the rabbit dishes and the carriers and make a new list of rabbits to show. Almost none of the rabbits from this weekend can go to Saluda on Saturday, they are really out of condition from the long, long trip. But entries need to go in tomorrow!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 9:32 AM 0 comments links to this post
The evening was very busy with setting up. Even at 7:00, the showroom was crowded and we had a difficult time finding enough room for all of our things. I took 40 bunnies (13 to show, the rest were sale bunnies) and Linda had about 6 carriers of her own. Believe it or not, I think we could have fit in more!
Having pre-printed my entry forms and my labels for my comment cards really made a difference in the ease of taking care of entries (each of the four shows is handled individually, so you go through the steps multiple times). The show secretaries really appreciated correct change, an easy-to-read printed entry form, and complete information.
I learned last year (the hard way, of course) that I needed two labels per rabbit per show. I was prepared this time. I have discovered that a 2" x 4" label barely fits in the comment card information area and it gives me the most room to write all that I want to on the label. Just remember to put the ear number in bold, large characters in the top left-hand corner. Writers are laying those cards out on top of each other with just the number showing. If you put it elsewhere, they have to use more table top space to lay out all of those cards.
I delivered some sale rabbits and sold a few new ones, too. You always sell first the ones you weren't sure you wanted to sell at all, of course. Dani arrived later in the evening and got set up. We looked at bunnies. Evaluated bunnies. Gave our opinions on bunnies. Changed our minds multiple times on the ones we liked most and generally just had a bunny good time.
We stayed until almost time for the showroom to close at 11:00 and zoomed over to our hotel, which was just 5 minutes away. We had so much fun talking that we were all wide awake at 1:00 a.m. and made ourselves turn off the light to go to sleep. Huh! we should have just stayed up talking. I was awake more than I was asleep and I only heard deep breathing ONCE during the night. I think that if, at any time, I had said, "You awake?" two women would have responded, "yes."
The next morning came too early. Dani had packed us a tremendous picnic basket for the weekend. She made these really evil sugar and cinnamon things that somehow beg you to eat just one more. It's like being under a spell, I tell you. Resistance was futile!
It was time to go to the madhouse then. This show is huge and it was decisively larger this year than last. The open showroom was as crowded as last year even with the youth having their own room.
The day was crazy with often three Holland judges going at one time. It was wonderful to see the cooperation among the exhibitors as they toted rabbits for each other and kept things going as smoothly as possible. The level of competition was incredible. The judges were all Holland savvy, though I especially appreciate the judging of Todd Naragon, Bruce Ormsby, and Everette Hopper.
It was a long day in constant motion. Somehow I managed to deliver even more bunnies. Then the bunnies I was bringing back for friends started coming in. I brought ten and took ten home.
Evening found us at dinner with the Chesapeake Holland Lop Specialty Club, the sponsor of Sunday's specialty show. It is a delightful club with wonderful members. They did such a great job with the show, which I think might be their first show.
The conversation at dinner was worth the whole trip. If you ever get a chance to chat with our HLRSC District 9 Rep Henry Sabetti, take advantage of it. He's a wonderful person and great conversationalist. I always love talking with him.
Our whole table was fun to talk with. It was enjoyable discussing how things could be handled to give colors a more fighting chance to grand and be competitive while they are developing, for example. I enjoy brainstorming and exchanging ideas and perspectives. We talked about many issues and it was all delightful.
Back at the motel, we got to bed a little earlier and slept a little more. Morning came even earlier, it seemed.
It was deja vu all over again. Three judges and constantly moving rabbits around. The entries were lighter the second day, but there was more pressure to finish early because there was apparently some kind of ball game coming on television that people wanted to watch. I'm not up on all of that stuff personally. Though I hear they have good commercials.
Somehow I managed to steal a few minutes to buy dishes, talk with my Blue Seal rep, enter the raffle (sorry kids, we didn't win the 10 lb. Hershey bar), and watch a couple of lilacs being judged. I also found myself falling in love with Holland Lops all over again. It's a joy to see so many really nice Hollands in one place, especially in the hands of a judge that has a good touch for them. I could be heard to say, "How could anyone not think that Holland lops are the best breed of rabbit!" I'm prejudiced; I know.
It seemed to take twice as long to pack up as it did to load. Oh, maybe that's because Andrew did the packing at my barn. Yes, that could be it. But we managed to get it all back in again. We had a last picnic with Dani. This time she had these evil cookies that make you eat them whether you want to or not.
We then went to Dani's to spend the night. I enjoyed looking at the bunnies in her barn. That ballgame thing was on and Dani's husband seemed to be happy about the way it ended, but not happy that we arrived during the last 7 minutes! There's nothing like feeling like you have to play host and greet people when the best game of the year is wrapping up! Sorry Todd.
I slept very well on Dani's couch. I've been there before, so we are old friends. I know just how I like to arrange the pillows for maximum comfort. But truthfully, by then I could have slept on a bed of nails.
In the morning, Linda and I unpacked the bunnies once more so I could water and feed (I morning feed and Linda evening feeds). By 9:30, we were on the road and headed for Cracker Barrel. After a wonderful breakfast and some shopping for the kids and puppies, we were off again. We arrived at my place just about 3:30.
The house was clean (the bribe for root beer floats, pizza, and playing our favorite family game of sardines in the dark worked, apparently - I'll have to remember that). Andrew had pressure washed all of the cages I had left empty. Folks started arriving within 30 minutes to pick up their rabbits that we had transported. Things couldn't have gone better.
Unfortunately, Linda had another two hour drive home, but she reached it safely.
I'm exhausted and quite satisfied with the weekend. I am really inspired to breed, breed, breed. Seeing such quality really makes you want to improve your barn even more.
It's time to wash the rabbit dishes and the carriers and make a new list of rabbits to show. Almost none of the rabbits from this weekend can go to Saluda on Saturday, they are really out of condition from the long, long trip. But entries need to go in tomorrow!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 9:32 AM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, February 06, 2006
PA State Convention
Long drive . . . little sleep . . . 300 Hollands . . . huge . . . really huge . . . friends . . . great food . . . wonderful conversation . . . sale bunnies . . . lots of judges . . . three tables going at once . . . where are my bunnies . . . snow? . . . hugs . . . huge classes . . . who's who in Holland Lops, east coast . . . which class is up . . . really, really huge . . . lots of people . . . exciting . . . fun . . . exhaustion . . . some sleep . . . long drive . . . more bunny talk . . . home.
I'm too tired to write much tonight, but I want to let you know that I'm home and plan to write tomorrow. It was a tremendous show. I'm not entirely sure how all of my rabbits did in each of the four shows. I got home without some of my comment slips and many of the do not have the class numbers on them.
I do think there were 57 solid senior bucks, 32 solid senior does 55 solid junior bucks, 43 solid junior does, 40-something broken senior bucks (I'm not sure about that one), 22 broken senior does, 24 broken junior bucks, and 33 broken junior does on the first day. There were fewer on the second, but it was still a large show.
My favorite placements were Camelot's Merlin, who took the class once and had a second and a third. That's Merlin's 10th leg, so he's now semi-retired to breeding. Also, under Todd Naragon, my newest little buck The Nature Trail's Navaro came in second out of 55! He's the little guy who got a BOS and "Best Junior" last weekend in Spartanburg.
Jo-Jo had a couple of second places. That was her swan song; time to breed her.
I had quite a few top third placements, which, with the quality of the competition and size of the classes, was enough to make me pleased with the overall quality of my rabbits. Purdy also had a second place.
I took 13 rabbits, was exhitor #13 for one of the specialty shows, and placed a rabbit in the top 5, 13 times. I guess that was my number this past weekend.
Laurie
¶ 6:47 PM 0 comments links to this post
I'm too tired to write much tonight, but I want to let you know that I'm home and plan to write tomorrow. It was a tremendous show. I'm not entirely sure how all of my rabbits did in each of the four shows. I got home without some of my comment slips and many of the do not have the class numbers on them.
I do think there were 57 solid senior bucks, 32 solid senior does 55 solid junior bucks, 43 solid junior does, 40-something broken senior bucks (I'm not sure about that one), 22 broken senior does, 24 broken junior bucks, and 33 broken junior does on the first day. There were fewer on the second, but it was still a large show.
My favorite placements were Camelot's Merlin, who took the class once and had a second and a third. That's Merlin's 10th leg, so he's now semi-retired to breeding. Also, under Todd Naragon, my newest little buck The Nature Trail's Navaro came in second out of 55! He's the little guy who got a BOS and "Best Junior" last weekend in Spartanburg.
Jo-Jo had a couple of second places. That was her swan song; time to breed her.
I had quite a few top third placements, which, with the quality of the competition and size of the classes, was enough to make me pleased with the overall quality of my rabbits. Purdy also had a second place.
I took 13 rabbits, was exhitor #13 for one of the specialty shows, and placed a rabbit in the top 5, 13 times. I guess that was my number this past weekend.
Laurie
¶ 6:47 PM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, February 03, 2006
Holland Lop Nationals Catalog Is Available
Contact Heidi Brashear at roselinebunz@hotmail.com for your catalog for Holland Lop Nationals in Perry, Georgia. Catalogs are $10. General information about the show can be found at http://www.classycountryhollander.com/hl_nationals_2006.htm
I will be in charge of the raffle this year. So start looking around for something delightful to donate. And definitely come by and visit me at the raffle table.
See you there!
Laurie ¶ 8:32 AM 0 comments links to this post
I will be in charge of the raffle this year. So start looking around for something delightful to donate. And definitely come by and visit me at the raffle table.
See you there!
Laurie ¶ 8:32 AM 0 comments links to this post