The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG
Friday, September 29, 2006
What's In Those Cages?
I've written before about my plan for cage use, my plans for keeping breeding bucks and does, and related topics, but today, I'm going to evaluate how I'm doing. I usually find that what I think is true is not always supported by the facts. I have a good feel, I think for how I'm using my cages. Will I be surprised at reality?
Before I evaluate what's going on in my barn, I want to say a word about seasons. There are definite seasons in the barn and that will affect the composition of the barn. Right now, we're in the pre-convention, heavy show season. That means that certain rabbits are not being bred that would have been in another season and there are more juniors of showing age than normal. Also, we're already begun the breeding season for Nationals, thanks to an earlier-than-usual show date.
So, one idea is that this evaluation should probably be repeated from time to time to get a picture of the different seasons in the barn as well as evaluate how I am doing over time with my plan.
The first step was taking a census of what I have. I found that not all cages fit neatly into one of my categories. I have 64 holes. Here's how they are currently being used:
Before I evaluate what's going on in my barn, I want to say a word about seasons. There are definite seasons in the barn and that will affect the composition of the barn. Right now, we're in the pre-convention, heavy show season. That means that certain rabbits are not being bred that would have been in another season and there are more juniors of showing age than normal. Also, we're already begun the breeding season for Nationals, thanks to an earlier-than-usual show date.
So, one idea is that this evaluation should probably be repeated from time to time to get a picture of the different seasons in the barn as well as evaluate how I am doing over time with my plan.
The first step was taking a census of what I have. I found that not all cages fit neatly into one of my categories. I have 64 holes. Here's how they are currently being used:
- 13 hold one junior buck each
- 1 has 3 junior does in it (I know, I've got to get them separated soon!)
- 1 holds 1 junior doe and 1 junior fuzzy doe
- 10 hold one junior doe each
- 6 hold grand champion does with kits (total of 25 kits: 12 in nestboxes, 13 older) - three does are bred
- 1 holds one of my two remaining non-show does, she's bred
- 1 holds the other of my two remaining non-show does, she's not bred (and why not? got to remedy that)
- 1 holds a senior doe with four junior legs - her top front teeth are now crooked and I'm debating what to do with her - process her, pet her out, sell her to someone who wants to breed her - I've decided not to keep her, just haven't decided what is the best thing to do
- 1 holds 2 juniors that are going to the processor this weekend (there's one of my cages for the junior does that need separating)
- 1 holds my daughter's Netherland Dwarf, so really, I have just 63 holes
- 3 hold grand champion does that are bred
- 3 hold pre-juniors (a total of 11 bunnies)
- 5 hold grand champion senior does, open for showing at Convention (will be bred October 23)
- 3 hold show does with legs, open for showing, trying to grand
- 1 holds a GC show buck who is sold and waiting to go home with his new stepmom
- 3 hold broken GC herd bucks, one whose offspring I am evaluating so I will know whether I can offer him for sale to BW
- 2 hold broken herd buck potentials, working on granding, have already started breeding - these I expect to take the place of the herd bucks I've sold/am selling
- 2 hold GC solid herd bucks
- 3 hold young GC solid herd buck potentials
- 3 hold young solid her buck potentials that I am working on granding
- That's 100 rabbits, including kits, minus 4 that are leaving for one reason or another, leaving me with 96 rabbits: 25 kits, 11 pre-juniors, 28 juniors, and 32 seniors.
Wow, I hadn't realized that the holes were being used for so many different purposes, but they are. Let me try to sum up, though, and combine some of the data so that we can work with it better. I'll use 63 holes as my total, since one is really Anna's.
- 28 cages are currently being used to hold pre-juniors and juniors that are being grown out. There are a total of 38 rabbits in these cages. A large number of the juniors also double as show stock.
- 11 cages are currently being used for breeding - either for bred does or for dams with litters or does that need to be bred. There are a total of 10 does and 25 kits in these cages.
- 13 cages hold 1 show rabbit each. Eight of these are does that double as breeding stock. Two are being groomed as broken herd bucks. Three are being groomed as solid herd bucks.
- 3 cages hold broken herd bucks. All three also double as show bucks.
- 5 cages hold solid herd bucks, 2 established, 3 young. All also double as show bucks.
- 3 miscellaneous: sold rabbit, rabbits for processing, rabbit to cull
So, let's look at this in terms of percentages, shall we?
- 44% are being used to grow out juniors and pre-juniors.
- 17% are being used for breeding
- 21% are being used for rabbits that are actively being shown right now; does are not being bred
- 13% are being used for herd bucks; these bucks double as show stock
- 5% are being used for miscellaneous purposes
By next month, the percentage of cages allocated to breeding will go up when at least five of the does, and hopefully more (having granded), will switch from show status to breeding status (or back to breeding status, as the case may be).
I can tell from my percentages that I'm sitting pretty with solid bucks right now. My biggest problem is maturity. I'll just have to wait for that. My two mature bucks are LaForge and Boris. My young granded bucks are Leo, Java, and Merlin. The solid bucks I hope to grand in the next few months are MLK, Quincy, Prince William, and Lord.
I'm right on the mark with my broken senior bucks. My goal is to have four. I have Rio, Merlin, Imagination, and Myrrdin. Imagination and Myrrdin are both quite young, but I'm willing to bet on both of them.
A good number of my juniors will turn senior just after Convention. Just before and just after Convention will be a tough time for allocating cage space. I already know I have more that I want to keep than I'll have space for, especially since Nationals pre-juniors will start demanding their own holes by then.
Now, was I surprised? I was definitely surprised to find a brood doe just sitting there. She slipped through the net. I really did know about my senior buck situation, but I really prefer to have my head in the sand and pretend that I can keep them all for the long haul. I know that's not true.
I do keep an eye on my breeding does, so the number I have of each of them does not surprise me.
I have more kits and pre-juniors than I realized. I had been disappointed at my recent production numbers, but I guess they'll do for a start on next winter and spring's juniors.
I found this to be a very good exercise. It will also give me a bench mark for evaluations in the future. That should help me keep my stock moving, keep enough cages for growing out juniors, and always keep me questioning the use of every cage.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
Thursday, September 28, 2006
My Apologies
My apologies go to those of you who visited my BLOG while my "Furious" post was up. Writing on the internet while angry is the cyber equivalent of drunk driving. Someone should have taken my "keys" away from me!
It's not that I'm not angry about the situation; I am. But my more level-headed approach to dealing with people who are self-centered, ethically-challenged, or perpetually thoughtless is to allow them to hang themselves. Generally, they do a good job of it without any help from me.
I've wasted enough time and emotional energy on such people. That's a bad habit I intend to break.
Thank you so much to all of my friends who wrote me supportive emails. You really did help me regain my equilibrium and refocus me on the real reasons I breed and show bunnies. What would I do without you all?
Tomorrow, I promise a rabbit-filled BLOG - something useful.
Laurie ¶ 6:19 PM 0 comments links to this post
It's not that I'm not angry about the situation; I am. But my more level-headed approach to dealing with people who are self-centered, ethically-challenged, or perpetually thoughtless is to allow them to hang themselves. Generally, they do a good job of it without any help from me.
I've wasted enough time and emotional energy on such people. That's a bad habit I intend to break.
Thank you so much to all of my friends who wrote me supportive emails. You really did help me regain my equilibrium and refocus me on the real reasons I breed and show bunnies. What would I do without you all?
Tomorrow, I promise a rabbit-filled BLOG - something useful.
Laurie ¶ 6:19 PM 0 comments links to this post
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Too Attached
There's been an interesting conversation on the internet about whether to register rabbits. My philosophy is simple: if it's good enough to breed, it's good enough to register. I register every senior in my barn because it wouldn't be there by that time if I think is either show or breeding quality.
But one breeder had an interesting objection to registering rabbits. She said that once she'd invested the energy and money into registering a rabbit, it made her more reluctant to part with it. Her statement intrigued me.
Of course, that's not an issue in my barn. Every senior is registered so any time I sell a senior, I sell a registered rabbit. That's an even playing field for me. But that doesn't mean that I can't relate to her point of view. Oh boy, can I!
For me, legs are the golden handcuffs. And grand champion status makes it worse. A grand champion or a rabbit well on its way to being a grand champion is hard for me to part with. Even if she has five dead litters in a row. Even if he still looks like an adorable junior at 12 months. Even if I have ten does of the same variety who are better than she is. And what turmoil I feel if he or she develops a DQ!
Worse yet, consider the rabbit that has placed well at a national level show! Talk about investment! If I spent $1000 to attend Convention and ten of my rabbits have placements that I'm pleased enough with to brag about, that's about $100 per bragging right - I mean rabbit.
I recently sold a gorgeous broken sable point doe that had placed 19th out of a large class of juniors at Convention. When I was honest with myself, I had to admit that I had six grand champion broken does that I liked better than her and a broken sable point out of similar lines that I liked a tad better. That placement at Convention seemed so irreplaceable. It was hard, hard, hard to part with her.
And there are sadder stories yet. I had a rabbit that placed at Nationals but later developed a DQ. I had to pet her out. Can you imagine how hard that was? It was terrible.
A breeder-friend of mine once told me that too often, breeders make their culling choices (or rather, not-to-cull decisions) based on liking the parents, how much they paid for the dam or sire, or because it was the only one left of its line, etc. We can add to this list being registered, being granded, having legs, or placing well at a big show or in a big class, or having a big win.
But there are only three reasons that a rabbit should be in your herd:
But one breeder had an interesting objection to registering rabbits. She said that once she'd invested the energy and money into registering a rabbit, it made her more reluctant to part with it. Her statement intrigued me.
Of course, that's not an issue in my barn. Every senior is registered so any time I sell a senior, I sell a registered rabbit. That's an even playing field for me. But that doesn't mean that I can't relate to her point of view. Oh boy, can I!
For me, legs are the golden handcuffs. And grand champion status makes it worse. A grand champion or a rabbit well on its way to being a grand champion is hard for me to part with. Even if she has five dead litters in a row. Even if he still looks like an adorable junior at 12 months. Even if I have ten does of the same variety who are better than she is. And what turmoil I feel if he or she develops a DQ!
Worse yet, consider the rabbit that has placed well at a national level show! Talk about investment! If I spent $1000 to attend Convention and ten of my rabbits have placements that I'm pleased enough with to brag about, that's about $100 per bragging right - I mean rabbit.
I recently sold a gorgeous broken sable point doe that had placed 19th out of a large class of juniors at Convention. When I was honest with myself, I had to admit that I had six grand champion broken does that I liked better than her and a broken sable point out of similar lines that I liked a tad better. That placement at Convention seemed so irreplaceable. It was hard, hard, hard to part with her.
And there are sadder stories yet. I had a rabbit that placed at Nationals but later developed a DQ. I had to pet her out. Can you imagine how hard that was? It was terrible.
A breeder-friend of mine once told me that too often, breeders make their culling choices (or rather, not-to-cull decisions) based on liking the parents, how much they paid for the dam or sire, or because it was the only one left of its line, etc. We can add to this list being registered, being granded, having legs, or placing well at a big show or in a big class, or having a big win.
But there are only three reasons that a rabbit should be in your herd:
- It is valuable to your breeding program
- It is valuable on the show table
- You are growing it out to see if it will be valuable to your breeding program or on the show table.
[Now that doesn't mean that you won't have other rabbits in your barn. If you decide to retire beloved rabbits there, that's a valid choice. Some rabbits may have become your pets. I have a Netherland Dwarf in my barn that belongs to my daughter. But those rabbits are not part of your herd.]
Take a hard look at your herd. Be totally honest with yourself. Ask yourself for each and every rabbit, why is this rabbit here. If the answer is not #1, #2, or #3 above, what are you going to do about it?
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Fantasies
Some 21 years ago, I was in college majoring in psychology. Although most of my upper level courses had relatively few students in it, my Psychology of Human Sexuality course had to be taught in an auditorium in a separate building. The whole Education and Psychology building didn't have a space big enough for it.
This course was part of my major, but most of the students who took the course had unrelated majors. They joked that they were there for the films (the professor said that the attendence for the films was ususally double the class roll). But the joke was on them because it was a very difficult course. There was a little relief offered in the middle of the term in the form of extra credit. If you signed up to be part of a study, you could get extra credit. Sounded good to me.
All you had to do was write down your sexual fantasies. That's it. No biggie. Oh, except that you had to fill out the "anonymous" biodata form and submit it with your fantasies. Now remember that I was a psychology major and knew the graduate students who were working on the study and they knew me. And I was a year or so older than the typical senior - and I was remarried. That's not so typical for a senior. I felt that my biodata would identify me, so I decided not to participate.
Luckily, I made an A anyway, without the extra credit. And now the world will never know what my fantasies were like 21 years ago. That's probably just as well.
My fantasies these days are definite G-rated. I think you will be able to identify with them quite easily.
In my favorite fantasy, my barn is in perfect order. The manure is freshly shoveled. The cages are all freshly washed. There's not a clump of fur or a patch of rust to be seen anywhere. It's about 70 degrees with a light breeze. There are no urine stains on the wall, no spider webs in the corners, no hay spilling on the ground.
The gravel floor is draining perfectly. There is no odor at all, except the sweet smell of orchard grass hay.
All of my bunnies are in perfect fur. Of course there are no health problems - no one not eating well, no kits are fading.
In fact, there are no peanuts, no runts, and not a single false dwarf in any of the litters. The does pulled plenty of fur, but did so judiciously, so they are all in perfect showing condition, too. None of the bucks are showing signs of summer infertility, so when it comes time to rebreed, no problems there either. Of course, in this fantasy, all of the does are ready to rebreed eagerly at any time.
Every rabbit has perfect teeth, bucks have two descended testicles, there's not a split penis in sight. Nails are all there, all match, and are of the perfect color. Not one bunny likes to spray, barber, or bite the ears and noses of neighbors or cagemates. If fact, there's not a DQ in the barn, including does over show weight. There's not even a questionably light tail on a tort.
No crowns are slipped, no light bone, no pinched muzzles. Stray white hairs wouldn't dare to show up on a beautiful black coat. All hindquarteres are full, heads are bold, eyes are large and deep set. Shoulders are broad, short, and deep.
There are no older kits or pre-juniors in the uglies. Each of them comes to the front of the cage to show off their show-worthy heads, ears, and crowns. When they go back to playing, they show off their full hindquarters and beautiful top lines.
The feed can is full of good feed, the hay is free of thorns and dust. It smells good enough for me to eat.
The water system is working perfectly and every rabbit from the age of 4 weeks can use it with ease. None drip. None have a reduced flow of water. None are difficult to depress so even the most timid rabbit can drink without a problem.
My carriers are all cleaned and sanitized, sitting in a neat row, ready to use. All of the nest boxes are likewise cleaned and sanitized and sitting in a neat row.
All of my supplies are on hand, dusted, and unexpired. My supplement works wonders and keeps all of my buns in top shape at all times.
My work table is clean, the carpet unstained. My nest box warmers are clean and in working order. My fans are clean, oiled, and stored for the summer. My heat lamp is dust-free and ready to last another winter without changing the bulb.
The screens to the windows and under the eaves are free from dust and fur. The air flows perfectly through them. There are no insects whatsoever, except for a lovely preying mantis perhaps, or maybe a butterfly. It is a fantasy, after all.
The outside of the barn is immaculate, grass and weeds are under control. In fact, there are herbs growing beside the barn for added beauty and ease of harvesting.
And while I'm at it, all of my entry forms are in, with just the perfect rabbits that can compete and no others.
And let's not forget, I have at least one empty cage.
I'm sure I left things out. A fantasy wouldn't be any good if it were perfectly finished with nothing else to imagine.
Well, I need to head to my real barn now. That's where there's one aisle that has been recently shoveled, another that is okay, and a middle aisle that could use some shoveling before it gets away from me. In my real barn, there is no empty cage and several promising juniors are sharing cages. I have a couple of peanuts that have probably died by now that need to be removed. One of my founts in my new water system doesn't work at all. Four more are dripping. I just finished pressure washing all of the cages and walls, but the first ones look like they are almost ready again!
I can't really complain. I have 19 grand champions, some fantastic mothers, some promising juniors. I have kits in the nest box, kits a month old, and kits due in a few weeks. Life in the barn is actually pretty good. But when it doesn't suit me, I can always visit the barn in my fantasy!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 11:26 AM 0 comments links to this post
This course was part of my major, but most of the students who took the course had unrelated majors. They joked that they were there for the films (the professor said that the attendence for the films was ususally double the class roll). But the joke was on them because it was a very difficult course. There was a little relief offered in the middle of the term in the form of extra credit. If you signed up to be part of a study, you could get extra credit. Sounded good to me.
All you had to do was write down your sexual fantasies. That's it. No biggie. Oh, except that you had to fill out the "anonymous" biodata form and submit it with your fantasies. Now remember that I was a psychology major and knew the graduate students who were working on the study and they knew me. And I was a year or so older than the typical senior - and I was remarried. That's not so typical for a senior. I felt that my biodata would identify me, so I decided not to participate.
Luckily, I made an A anyway, without the extra credit. And now the world will never know what my fantasies were like 21 years ago. That's probably just as well.
My fantasies these days are definite G-rated. I think you will be able to identify with them quite easily.
In my favorite fantasy, my barn is in perfect order. The manure is freshly shoveled. The cages are all freshly washed. There's not a clump of fur or a patch of rust to be seen anywhere. It's about 70 degrees with a light breeze. There are no urine stains on the wall, no spider webs in the corners, no hay spilling on the ground.
The gravel floor is draining perfectly. There is no odor at all, except the sweet smell of orchard grass hay.
All of my bunnies are in perfect fur. Of course there are no health problems - no one not eating well, no kits are fading.
In fact, there are no peanuts, no runts, and not a single false dwarf in any of the litters. The does pulled plenty of fur, but did so judiciously, so they are all in perfect showing condition, too. None of the bucks are showing signs of summer infertility, so when it comes time to rebreed, no problems there either. Of course, in this fantasy, all of the does are ready to rebreed eagerly at any time.
Every rabbit has perfect teeth, bucks have two descended testicles, there's not a split penis in sight. Nails are all there, all match, and are of the perfect color. Not one bunny likes to spray, barber, or bite the ears and noses of neighbors or cagemates. If fact, there's not a DQ in the barn, including does over show weight. There's not even a questionably light tail on a tort.
No crowns are slipped, no light bone, no pinched muzzles. Stray white hairs wouldn't dare to show up on a beautiful black coat. All hindquarteres are full, heads are bold, eyes are large and deep set. Shoulders are broad, short, and deep.
There are no older kits or pre-juniors in the uglies. Each of them comes to the front of the cage to show off their show-worthy heads, ears, and crowns. When they go back to playing, they show off their full hindquarters and beautiful top lines.
The feed can is full of good feed, the hay is free of thorns and dust. It smells good enough for me to eat.
The water system is working perfectly and every rabbit from the age of 4 weeks can use it with ease. None drip. None have a reduced flow of water. None are difficult to depress so even the most timid rabbit can drink without a problem.
My carriers are all cleaned and sanitized, sitting in a neat row, ready to use. All of the nest boxes are likewise cleaned and sanitized and sitting in a neat row.
All of my supplies are on hand, dusted, and unexpired. My supplement works wonders and keeps all of my buns in top shape at all times.
My work table is clean, the carpet unstained. My nest box warmers are clean and in working order. My fans are clean, oiled, and stored for the summer. My heat lamp is dust-free and ready to last another winter without changing the bulb.
The screens to the windows and under the eaves are free from dust and fur. The air flows perfectly through them. There are no insects whatsoever, except for a lovely preying mantis perhaps, or maybe a butterfly. It is a fantasy, after all.
The outside of the barn is immaculate, grass and weeds are under control. In fact, there are herbs growing beside the barn for added beauty and ease of harvesting.
And while I'm at it, all of my entry forms are in, with just the perfect rabbits that can compete and no others.
And let's not forget, I have at least one empty cage.
I'm sure I left things out. A fantasy wouldn't be any good if it were perfectly finished with nothing else to imagine.
Well, I need to head to my real barn now. That's where there's one aisle that has been recently shoveled, another that is okay, and a middle aisle that could use some shoveling before it gets away from me. In my real barn, there is no empty cage and several promising juniors are sharing cages. I have a couple of peanuts that have probably died by now that need to be removed. One of my founts in my new water system doesn't work at all. Four more are dripping. I just finished pressure washing all of the cages and walls, but the first ones look like they are almost ready again!
I can't really complain. I have 19 grand champions, some fantastic mothers, some promising juniors. I have kits in the nest box, kits a month old, and kits due in a few weeks. Life in the barn is actually pretty good. But when it doesn't suit me, I can always visit the barn in my fantasy!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 11:26 AM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, September 25, 2006
Bunny-Full Day
I technically started this day inside the rabbitry. Literally. I didn't finish up with my bunny tasks of the weekend until after midnight last night. We did get the last of the PVC installed. Then the moment of truth arrived. Before we got the pressure adjusted, we had water coming out of the riser at the end of each row. Boy was that a disappointment in the making. But by lowering the pressure, the leaking stopped - at least there. We have two saddles (the part around an individual fount) that are still leaking a bit. I don't think that will be a problem to fix, though.
So, one of my tasks today is to introduce each rabbit to the new system. I've been draining each line, getting fresh water in place, in preparation. I really like these founts very well. With little pressure on the metal stem, they produce plenty of water. But the founts are now in the back of the hole instead of the front, so that will be something new for them to get used to.
My whole herd seems to have suffered a bit of a setback from all of the construction work this weekend in the barn. Some spent the weekend in a carrier because we were working on their cages. Others stayed in the corner while I pressure washed. Hopefully the cool weather will encourage their appetites back and they'll recover soon.
I'll remove crocks from the cages with individual rabbits as I am confident that they are using the new system well. Litters and cagemates always get crocks anyway, though with the plentiful water with the new system, I might be able to forgo crocks for older pairs. That would be great.
I'm still overloaded in the barn. I have several juniors sharing cages that I'd love to get separated. Don't bother writing to offer to relieve the pressure for me. I'm making my mind up about sale rabbits as quickly as I can!
When I wasn't in the barn this weekend (I can't be there when Andrew has the PVC glue open), I was inside working on my entries for Convention. I went back and forth, and back and forth, and back and forth again. I finally decided to enter 19. How many of those I will actually show is anybody's guess. The actual ear numbers weren't that important. What was important was entering the right number in each class. Too many and I waste money; not enough, and I can't show a bunny that blossoms at the last minute.
I also developed a strong sense of panic about Convention this weekend. There's so much to buy, pack, collect, assemble, etc. I feel overwhelmed. Adding to my uneasy feelings is the fact that I'm flying with bunnies for the very first time. I'll be glad when that part is over.
I did send my entries in, registered, return receipt requested. The last two conventions, I've entered online. But for some reason, I had an uneasy feeling about it this time around.
I also sent in my reservation for the Holland Lop banquet. If this is your first Convention and you show Holland Lops, be sure to get a ticket for this banquet and not the ARBA one. We have tons of fun.
Have you been wondering what wonderful rabbit I'm donating this time to the auction? Well, I'm not. I just don't have anything worthwhile that I can part with right now. However, I will be donating the design of a 12-page website plus one year of free maintenance at the banquet auction. I plan to create a web page with the details fairly soon. So if you've been putting off getting your own website, this will be a wonderful opportunity to get a very special website and donate money to a good cause at the same time.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 1:30 PM 1 comments links to this post
So, one of my tasks today is to introduce each rabbit to the new system. I've been draining each line, getting fresh water in place, in preparation. I really like these founts very well. With little pressure on the metal stem, they produce plenty of water. But the founts are now in the back of the hole instead of the front, so that will be something new for them to get used to.
My whole herd seems to have suffered a bit of a setback from all of the construction work this weekend in the barn. Some spent the weekend in a carrier because we were working on their cages. Others stayed in the corner while I pressure washed. Hopefully the cool weather will encourage their appetites back and they'll recover soon.
I'll remove crocks from the cages with individual rabbits as I am confident that they are using the new system well. Litters and cagemates always get crocks anyway, though with the plentiful water with the new system, I might be able to forgo crocks for older pairs. That would be great.
I'm still overloaded in the barn. I have several juniors sharing cages that I'd love to get separated. Don't bother writing to offer to relieve the pressure for me. I'm making my mind up about sale rabbits as quickly as I can!
When I wasn't in the barn this weekend (I can't be there when Andrew has the PVC glue open), I was inside working on my entries for Convention. I went back and forth, and back and forth, and back and forth again. I finally decided to enter 19. How many of those I will actually show is anybody's guess. The actual ear numbers weren't that important. What was important was entering the right number in each class. Too many and I waste money; not enough, and I can't show a bunny that blossoms at the last minute.
I also developed a strong sense of panic about Convention this weekend. There's so much to buy, pack, collect, assemble, etc. I feel overwhelmed. Adding to my uneasy feelings is the fact that I'm flying with bunnies for the very first time. I'll be glad when that part is over.
I did send my entries in, registered, return receipt requested. The last two conventions, I've entered online. But for some reason, I had an uneasy feeling about it this time around.
I also sent in my reservation for the Holland Lop banquet. If this is your first Convention and you show Holland Lops, be sure to get a ticket for this banquet and not the ARBA one. We have tons of fun.
Have you been wondering what wonderful rabbit I'm donating this time to the auction? Well, I'm not. I just don't have anything worthwhile that I can part with right now. However, I will be donating the design of a 12-page website plus one year of free maintenance at the banquet auction. I plan to create a web page with the details fairly soon. So if you've been putting off getting your own website, this will be a wonderful opportunity to get a very special website and donate money to a good cause at the same time.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 1:30 PM 1 comments links to this post
Friday, September 22, 2006
Weekend Off
September is a tough month if you show rabbits frequently. There are shows every weekend, at least around here, and there's much temptation. There's a show this coming weekend in Chattanooga, but I just have to show SOME restraint somewhere. So I'm staying home.
Already in September, I've been to McMinnville, TN, Fletcher, NC, Greensboro, NC, and Washington, PA. I will also be visiting Columbia, SC, and, although it's not technically in September, I will be going to a nearby show in Winston-Salem, NC, on October 1. That's six locations in five weekends.
So, what will I do during my weekend off? I'll sleep until noon every day, take rejuvenating strolls in the woods, and catch up with my relatives. NOT.
I have a club constitution to finish drafting. I've got my entries to Convention to finish up, including changing some details on my airline reservations. I need to start a to-do list and a to-pack list for that trip, too.
We have the third aisle in the barn to convert over to the PVC water system and cages to wash. The third aisle itself will get a good pressure wash.
I desperately need to take new pictures for my website, though I know I'll never get to it. I'm showing a number of rabbits right now that aren't on my website. I'd love for everyone to see them. We'll see if I can get to that.
I'm maintaining several websites for different rabbit breeders and I've gotten a number of changes to do and a number of pictures to add this weekend. I'm also starting a new project, the ARBA District 6 website. I'm extremely excited about that.
I still haven't unpacked my suitcase from last weekend. So, I've got a lot of unpacking and repacking of supplies to do as well as aprons to wash.
And then there are those carriers from last weekend still sitting there. Andrew does pressure wash them for me between each show, but I have to take all of the dishes off of them, and he likes it if I remove all of the paper tags for him, too. And, of course, there's the huge pile of rabbit dishes to wash.
I have new babies in the barn, nine of them so far. So, I've got babies to check on and does to rebreed. I hope when I go to the barn this morning, I'll have a few more surprises as well.
So, I guess I'll have to get up early, work late, and get everything back under control before I hit the road again next weekend, and the weekend after that, and the weekend after that . . .
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 9:13 AM 0 comments links to this post
Already in September, I've been to McMinnville, TN, Fletcher, NC, Greensboro, NC, and Washington, PA. I will also be visiting Columbia, SC, and, although it's not technically in September, I will be going to a nearby show in Winston-Salem, NC, on October 1. That's six locations in five weekends.
So, what will I do during my weekend off? I'll sleep until noon every day, take rejuvenating strolls in the woods, and catch up with my relatives. NOT.
I have a club constitution to finish drafting. I've got my entries to Convention to finish up, including changing some details on my airline reservations. I need to start a to-do list and a to-pack list for that trip, too.
We have the third aisle in the barn to convert over to the PVC water system and cages to wash. The third aisle itself will get a good pressure wash.
I desperately need to take new pictures for my website, though I know I'll never get to it. I'm showing a number of rabbits right now that aren't on my website. I'd love for everyone to see them. We'll see if I can get to that.
I'm maintaining several websites for different rabbit breeders and I've gotten a number of changes to do and a number of pictures to add this weekend. I'm also starting a new project, the ARBA District 6 website. I'm extremely excited about that.
I still haven't unpacked my suitcase from last weekend. So, I've got a lot of unpacking and repacking of supplies to do as well as aprons to wash.
And then there are those carriers from last weekend still sitting there. Andrew does pressure wash them for me between each show, but I have to take all of the dishes off of them, and he likes it if I remove all of the paper tags for him, too. And, of course, there's the huge pile of rabbit dishes to wash.
I have new babies in the barn, nine of them so far. So, I've got babies to check on and does to rebreed. I hope when I go to the barn this morning, I'll have a few more surprises as well.
So, I guess I'll have to get up early, work late, and get everything back under control before I hit the road again next weekend, and the weekend after that, and the weekend after that . . .
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 9:13 AM 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, September 21, 2006
The Chase
I've heard a couple of people refer to the "fact" that I'm chasing points this year. Although I do console myself with my points if I don't win anything else, that's not really what I'm after.
As for the sweeps contest, I really think that the herdsman and quality points are better indicators of what's going on in a herd. And of the two, I like the herdsman points better.
I did have one goal this year concerning sweeps points: I wanted to raise my average points per show. You can collect sweeps points by having a lot of third, fourth, and fifth place rabbits, but I wanted to earn more points from first place, and BOB/BOS bonus points. Plus, the national shows can pack a wallop, points-wise, and raise the average. I want to do well there, too, though at the beginning of the sweeps year, I thought that was an impossibility!
Last year, I averaged 211 points per show. This year, my average is 443 points per show. And, depending on how things go in Texas, that average might get a bit of a boost near the end of the sweeps year. So, I'm thinking that I have that goal licked, this time around.
As for quality points (points earned for BOB or BOS), I'm so far in second place that there's no hope for catching up. My only goal there is to have a respectable number of quality points. I wanted to double the number that I had last year (which means triple, actually, because of the funky 18 month "year" we're in). I believe I'm just about at that point now, so any additional quality points will be gravy.
Now we come to my favorite index. I love herdsman points. That's because it reflects what I am working on most. Yes, it's lovely to have a really hot rabbit or even two or three. I'd be happy to have that, certainly. But my personal goal is to have a very, very deep herd. I want quality throughout my rabbitry. With herdsman points, each rabbit can only earn one per sweeps year. Just one. So you must have some depth to your herd to compete in this category.
A rabbitry with few or even one outstanding rabbit can really accumulate quality points, winning BOB week after week. You can spot those rabbitries because they will have fewer herdsman points than you would expect, given their sweeps and quality points.
Now it may be that they have many rabbits of the same gender as their rabbit that wins the most who are high quality and are having their herdsman points sacrificed in a chase for top lop. That's a perfectly good strategy for those who value top lop status the most. But that rabbitry should still be able to collect herdsman points for their rabbits of the opposite gender.
Now it has actually been done in the recent past that a breeder grabbed all three top spots: herdsman, quality, and sweeps. I'm pretty sure she had a top lop, too. That's a delicate balancing act, but apparently, it can be done.
But after all of this talk about sweepstakes, herdsman, and quality points, and a small nod at top lop, we still haven't hit on the measure of my herd that I'm working the hardest on. And that is grand champions. That's my personal contest with me and my herd. I granded 16 last year and I want to beat that this year. I have a good start with 7 grand champions for this year - and the new year just started July 1!
Since I want to produce rabbits with all-grand-champion pedigrees, I figure the best way to do that is work with all grand champion dams and sires. Seems logical to me. I still haven't weaned myself from a few of my non-grand champion does, but I will shortly. I've made the mistake of breeding a young buck with two legs - only to have him die before being granded. But, more and more, my breedings are grand champion to grand champion.
Yes, I am accumulating sweeps, quality, and herdsman points as a result of my project. And I certainly welcome them. But as for chasing points. No, that's not really it. What am I chasing? Legs. And mostly legs for ungranded rabbits.
So what's the difference? If I were after top lop, I'd have kept my best buck in show condition and on the table constantly instead of periodically. Rio, for example, has been on the table lately because I don't have a broken senior buck that I need to grand right now. I will, though, just as soon as Myrddin changes his coat.
If I were after quality points, I'd always show the rabbit that has the best chances of winning, but I don't. Mercedes had an outing because I don't have any broken senior does at the moment who need to be granded. But Padme left the table to make room for several solid senior does I have that are one leg from being grand champions. I think Padme could have pulled down some more quality points for me. But that's not what I'm after.
I'm not saying that my value system is the only one. There are many ways to be successful with your herd. You just need to set the goals that make you happiest. Want to go after Top Lop? Go for it. Want to get enough sweeps points to be in the top ten of your district? the country? of all time? Go for it. Want that gold seal on your pedigrees? Go for it. Want to grand your first home grown rabbit? Go for it.
We're all chasing some goal or dream if we're at all serious about breeding our rabbits. One of the most lovely things about our hobby is that a number of people can compete against each other all weekend and each can go home feeling like a winner. Perhaps one got their first leg on a homegrown junior. Another granded a rabbit. Two or three others got Best of Breeds or Best Opposite Sex. Another had an otter or other rarer color to show very competitively.
And they all go home with smiles on their faces.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 7:24 AM 0 comments links to this post
As for the sweeps contest, I really think that the herdsman and quality points are better indicators of what's going on in a herd. And of the two, I like the herdsman points better.
I did have one goal this year concerning sweeps points: I wanted to raise my average points per show. You can collect sweeps points by having a lot of third, fourth, and fifth place rabbits, but I wanted to earn more points from first place, and BOB/BOS bonus points. Plus, the national shows can pack a wallop, points-wise, and raise the average. I want to do well there, too, though at the beginning of the sweeps year, I thought that was an impossibility!
Last year, I averaged 211 points per show. This year, my average is 443 points per show. And, depending on how things go in Texas, that average might get a bit of a boost near the end of the sweeps year. So, I'm thinking that I have that goal licked, this time around.
As for quality points (points earned for BOB or BOS), I'm so far in second place that there's no hope for catching up. My only goal there is to have a respectable number of quality points. I wanted to double the number that I had last year (which means triple, actually, because of the funky 18 month "year" we're in). I believe I'm just about at that point now, so any additional quality points will be gravy.
Now we come to my favorite index. I love herdsman points. That's because it reflects what I am working on most. Yes, it's lovely to have a really hot rabbit or even two or three. I'd be happy to have that, certainly. But my personal goal is to have a very, very deep herd. I want quality throughout my rabbitry. With herdsman points, each rabbit can only earn one per sweeps year. Just one. So you must have some depth to your herd to compete in this category.
A rabbitry with few or even one outstanding rabbit can really accumulate quality points, winning BOB week after week. You can spot those rabbitries because they will have fewer herdsman points than you would expect, given their sweeps and quality points.
Now it may be that they have many rabbits of the same gender as their rabbit that wins the most who are high quality and are having their herdsman points sacrificed in a chase for top lop. That's a perfectly good strategy for those who value top lop status the most. But that rabbitry should still be able to collect herdsman points for their rabbits of the opposite gender.
Now it has actually been done in the recent past that a breeder grabbed all three top spots: herdsman, quality, and sweeps. I'm pretty sure she had a top lop, too. That's a delicate balancing act, but apparently, it can be done.
But after all of this talk about sweepstakes, herdsman, and quality points, and a small nod at top lop, we still haven't hit on the measure of my herd that I'm working the hardest on. And that is grand champions. That's my personal contest with me and my herd. I granded 16 last year and I want to beat that this year. I have a good start with 7 grand champions for this year - and the new year just started July 1!
Since I want to produce rabbits with all-grand-champion pedigrees, I figure the best way to do that is work with all grand champion dams and sires. Seems logical to me. I still haven't weaned myself from a few of my non-grand champion does, but I will shortly. I've made the mistake of breeding a young buck with two legs - only to have him die before being granded. But, more and more, my breedings are grand champion to grand champion.
Yes, I am accumulating sweeps, quality, and herdsman points as a result of my project. And I certainly welcome them. But as for chasing points. No, that's not really it. What am I chasing? Legs. And mostly legs for ungranded rabbits.
So what's the difference? If I were after top lop, I'd have kept my best buck in show condition and on the table constantly instead of periodically. Rio, for example, has been on the table lately because I don't have a broken senior buck that I need to grand right now. I will, though, just as soon as Myrddin changes his coat.
If I were after quality points, I'd always show the rabbit that has the best chances of winning, but I don't. Mercedes had an outing because I don't have any broken senior does at the moment who need to be granded. But Padme left the table to make room for several solid senior does I have that are one leg from being grand champions. I think Padme could have pulled down some more quality points for me. But that's not what I'm after.
I'm not saying that my value system is the only one. There are many ways to be successful with your herd. You just need to set the goals that make you happiest. Want to go after Top Lop? Go for it. Want to get enough sweeps points to be in the top ten of your district? the country? of all time? Go for it. Want that gold seal on your pedigrees? Go for it. Want to grand your first home grown rabbit? Go for it.
We're all chasing some goal or dream if we're at all serious about breeding our rabbits. One of the most lovely things about our hobby is that a number of people can compete against each other all weekend and each can go home feeling like a winner. Perhaps one got their first leg on a homegrown junior. Another granded a rabbit. Two or three others got Best of Breeds or Best Opposite Sex. Another had an otter or other rarer color to show very competitively.
And they all go home with smiles on their faces.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 7:24 AM 0 comments links to this post
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Resource Management at Shows
I once traveled a good distance to go to a show when I probably should have stayed home. The main reason I was willing to make extra effort to get to the show was that there were four good Holland judges at the show. When I arrived, my #4 and #1 choices were listed as judging Hollands. Okay, I thought, this will be worth it.
But alas, time and judges were not managed optimally and we ended up getting my #2 choice for brokens only and a judge that, well, it would be just better to skip what I thought of his judging. I was so disappointed. With three choices of judges with Holland experience, we were matched up with one that was totally out of step with judges known for at least some expertise in Hollands. And I didn't get to show under what I consider to be the best Holland judge there (note: I love showing under my #2 choice, but it hasn't been very long since I last had the opportunity to show under her).
So this is one kind of frustrating show. The judges are there, but they aren't used well. Unfortunately, that show was just one example. It's happened many times.
Here's another type of a frustrating show. The same judges who judged 10 weeks ago are back. It's a total repeat. And, what's more, they'll be back in another 12 weeks to do it all again. So, the judges who love famous rabbit X will pick that rabbit now, last time, and next time. But much more importantly, whatever strengths the judges have, we've already benefited from. And whatever weaknesses those judges have, we continue to lack, in terms of feedback.
I realize that the show superintendent job is a very hard, very thankless job. But I'd like to see more superintendents take into consideration their resources and match them well. I'd like to see more clubs take the variety of the skills of the judges they offer into consideration. Even if a club can't afford to fly in a judge from the other coast, at least offering more variety from among the same-cost judges would be a benefit.
In most cases, it would just take a little conversation with the judges to find out what they specialize in. A little more conversation with exhibitors (not just one exhibitor, please!) would shed a lot more light on the situation. I have absolutely loved the shows where the super has come to the exhibitors as a group to get some feedback. He then put that information into the mix and developed a really good plan.
I realize that the more I learn about Hollands, the pickier I am about which judge's comments I value. I suppose going to national level shows has started to ruin my ability to enjoy a local show (at least rabbit-wise - I still love the people aspect of showing).
So, you might see me wandering farther and farther from home, searching for skilled Holland judges. If you live in my general area and you're up for a road trip, just let me know!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 8:06 AM 0 comments links to this post
But alas, time and judges were not managed optimally and we ended up getting my #2 choice for brokens only and a judge that, well, it would be just better to skip what I thought of his judging. I was so disappointed. With three choices of judges with Holland experience, we were matched up with one that was totally out of step with judges known for at least some expertise in Hollands. And I didn't get to show under what I consider to be the best Holland judge there (note: I love showing under my #2 choice, but it hasn't been very long since I last had the opportunity to show under her).
So this is one kind of frustrating show. The judges are there, but they aren't used well. Unfortunately, that show was just one example. It's happened many times.
Here's another type of a frustrating show. The same judges who judged 10 weeks ago are back. It's a total repeat. And, what's more, they'll be back in another 12 weeks to do it all again. So, the judges who love famous rabbit X will pick that rabbit now, last time, and next time. But much more importantly, whatever strengths the judges have, we've already benefited from. And whatever weaknesses those judges have, we continue to lack, in terms of feedback.
I realize that the show superintendent job is a very hard, very thankless job. But I'd like to see more superintendents take into consideration their resources and match them well. I'd like to see more clubs take the variety of the skills of the judges they offer into consideration. Even if a club can't afford to fly in a judge from the other coast, at least offering more variety from among the same-cost judges would be a benefit.
In most cases, it would just take a little conversation with the judges to find out what they specialize in. A little more conversation with exhibitors (not just one exhibitor, please!) would shed a lot more light on the situation. I have absolutely loved the shows where the super has come to the exhibitors as a group to get some feedback. He then put that information into the mix and developed a really good plan.
I realize that the more I learn about Hollands, the pickier I am about which judge's comments I value. I suppose going to national level shows has started to ruin my ability to enjoy a local show (at least rabbit-wise - I still love the people aspect of showing).
So, you might see me wandering farther and farther from home, searching for skilled Holland judges. If you live in my general area and you're up for a road trip, just let me know!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 8:06 AM 0 comments links to this post
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
When You Register Your Rabbits
In addition to all of the other craziness of the weekend, I was registrar for the Greensboro, NC, show. It was my first opportunity to serve as registrar. I was really, really looking forward to getting a chance to register something besides a Holland lop.
So, my first rabbit arrived. It was a Holland lop - from my barn! Well, at least it was easy to register. He's a tort with two registered parents.
I did get a chance to see some different breeds, though. I was glad for that. I was surprised to see how many rabbits I could not register. Here are some common problems:
So, my first rabbit arrived. It was a Holland lop - from my barn! Well, at least it was easy to register. He's a tort with two registered parents.
I did get a chance to see some different breeds, though. I was glad for that. I was surprised to see how many rabbits I could not register. Here are some common problems:
- No ARBA card
- Out of date ARBA card
- Lack of three full generations on pedigree
- Lack of weights on pedigree (boy, have I been guilty of that one before)
- Weight of rabbit (they must make senior weight)
- Age of rabbit (must be six months old)
An issue also came up with rabbits and youth. That is, if a rabbit is going to be shown by a youth, it must be registered only to youth. You cannot legally register a rabbit to an adult, or even an adult and a youth, and then show that rabbit in open.
If you and your children co-own rabbits, they must be shown in open. In fact, instruction #12 to registrars is as follows:
"INFORM THE OWNER/S OF THE RABBIT THAT IF A RABBIT IS REGISTERED AS BEING OWNED OR CO-OWNED BY AN ADULT, IT MAY NOT COMPETE IN A YOUTH SANCTIONED SHOW."
Yes, it is printed in caps and none of the other instructions are. You may confirm this rule on page 267 of your current Yearbook. I'm guessing that this is a rule that is often overlooked and/or misunderstood, thus the caps.
Really, this requirement is just a restating of Show Rule Section 30 (p. 261) which states that the animal shown must be the bonafide property of the exhibitor and each person's personal name must be shown on the entry. So that means that a rabbit registered to an adult and youth must have both of those names on the entry - and the adult cannot enter the youth show.
So, before you bring your rabbit to be registered, ask yourself whose name(s) it should be registered in. Be sure that you have a current ARBA card for the owner(s). Check the pedigree for three complete generations, including variety and weights (ear numbers are optional).
And bring $4.
Laurie Stroupe
ARBA Registrar
Monday, September 18, 2006
Greensboro, NC, and Washington, PA, Shows
What a weekend! I'm sure I won't recover from this past weekend until at least next weekend!
It was a weekend of contrasts for sure. I experienced some of the best and worst of my rabbit hobby.
The worst parts came on Saturday night from about 8:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. The Greensboro show lasted a couple of hours longer than I had expected. Then Anna and I hit really bad fog in the mountains of West Virginia. The trip lasted what seemed a lifetime. After getting only 4 hours of sleep on Friday night, I ended up with just two hours of sleep in Saturday night. I got to bed at 3:15 a.m. and woke up at 5:15 - and couldn't sleep!
All day Sunday, I was somewhere between being crabby and fainting!
That show also finished a couple of hours later than expected. I did pull into the Tamarack Travel Plaza on the way home and napped for an hour. That put us home at 1:30 a.m. You do not know the sacrifice I am making to be writing this BLOG post instead of taking a nap!!!
The best part of the weekend had to be when Rio was named Best Reserve in Show for show A, and then Best In Show for shows B & C, on Saturday in Greensboro. On Sunday, Rio was second place to a well-known broken senior buck with 80+ legs in the open show, but took the class in the Specialty show and went on to be the Best Opposite Sex.
GC The Nature Trail's Mercedes came out of retirement to show the younger girls how it's done. Mercedes is two years old, has a full-grown grand champion daughter and is a grandmother. She earned her 15th through 18th legs with weekend (I showed her in four of the five shows). Two of the legs were BOS! She still has it. I had stopped showing her before the beginning of this sweeps year, I do believe. So her first BOS win of the weekend was even a herdsman point. Mercedes was my first ever homegrown grand champion.
The Nature Trail's Wizard and The Nature Trail's Quinn will both be getting a "GC" tacked onto the front of their names. Wizard earned his with a BOG, despite not being quite finished with his molt. Quinn won hers with a BOS in the show I scratched Mercedes from. It's time for Quinn to start making babies for Nationals. Wizard will have to cool his jets for a bit because I will be concentrating on granding Quincy and Lord now. Hopefully Quinn's semi-retirement will make room for Suzy Q, usually right on her heels, to grand next.
Several of my juniors started earning legs or added to their totals this weekend:
It was a weekend of contrasts for sure. I experienced some of the best and worst of my rabbit hobby.
The worst parts came on Saturday night from about 8:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. The Greensboro show lasted a couple of hours longer than I had expected. Then Anna and I hit really bad fog in the mountains of West Virginia. The trip lasted what seemed a lifetime. After getting only 4 hours of sleep on Friday night, I ended up with just two hours of sleep in Saturday night. I got to bed at 3:15 a.m. and woke up at 5:15 - and couldn't sleep!
All day Sunday, I was somewhere between being crabby and fainting!
That show also finished a couple of hours later than expected. I did pull into the Tamarack Travel Plaza on the way home and napped for an hour. That put us home at 1:30 a.m. You do not know the sacrifice I am making to be writing this BLOG post instead of taking a nap!!!
The best part of the weekend had to be when Rio was named Best Reserve in Show for show A, and then Best In Show for shows B & C, on Saturday in Greensboro. On Sunday, Rio was second place to a well-known broken senior buck with 80+ legs in the open show, but took the class in the Specialty show and went on to be the Best Opposite Sex.
GC The Nature Trail's Mercedes came out of retirement to show the younger girls how it's done. Mercedes is two years old, has a full-grown grand champion daughter and is a grandmother. She earned her 15th through 18th legs with weekend (I showed her in four of the five shows). Two of the legs were BOS! She still has it. I had stopped showing her before the beginning of this sweeps year, I do believe. So her first BOS win of the weekend was even a herdsman point. Mercedes was my first ever homegrown grand champion.
The Nature Trail's Wizard and The Nature Trail's Quinn will both be getting a "GC" tacked onto the front of their names. Wizard earned his with a BOG, despite not being quite finished with his molt. Quinn won hers with a BOS in the show I scratched Mercedes from. It's time for Quinn to start making babies for Nationals. Wizard will have to cool his jets for a bit because I will be concentrating on granding Quincy and Lord now. Hopefully Quinn's semi-retirement will make room for Suzy Q, usually right on her heels, to grand next.
Several of my juniors started earning legs or added to their totals this weekend:
- Demetrius (GC Leo x GC Markie) - 2 legs
- Hunnicutt (Mars x GC Roxie ) - 2 legs
- Glynis (Navaro x GC Hilary) - 2 legs
- McCartney (Navaro x GC Hilary) - added 1 leg for a total of 2 legs
- Sweet Pea (GC LL Brendan x Nina) - added 1 leg for a total of 4 legs
The leg count for the five shows was 20. Rabbits granded: 2. Herdsman points: 1. Quality points: 15. BOBs: 3. BOS: 4. Sweeps points: 2569.
I feel totally worn out. My bunnies all look like bags of bones. It's funny how the rabbits I left at home now look better than the ones I took! Hopefully we'll all recover in the next few days.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
Friday, September 15, 2006
Whose Job?
There are many "jobs" at a rabbit show. I use the term loosely because few people at a rabbit show are actually paid money. We're all there because of our passion for rabbits. Still, we take our jobs seriously and most of us try to do a very good job. Here's what I think of each of the jobs.
Judge - people often think of rabbit judges as being very highly paid. Forget that notion. I don't know anyone who could live on their judging fees. I'm sure it's a nice addition to some family budgets, but if these judges only wanted to supplement family incomes, they could dp other things that are much more lucrative and take a much smaller bite out of their lives. No, judges judge mostly because of their passion. Consider what they make (not what the club spends) and then consider how long they are away from home, wear and tear on their cars, the time they spend in training, miscellaneous expenses like postage, license fees, advertising, their pre-inked stamp evem, buying new SOPs every time they leave one behind, and so forth.
You may be surprised to see me write this, but a judges job is to judge. It is not the judge's job to establish the pace of the show, enforce every ARBA rule, deal with unruliness, or even eject a sick rabbit from the showroom. We often look at them as representatives from ARBA. While that thought is not 100% wrong, we would be better off to think of them as independent, licensed contractors who were hired to do one particular thing.
Note: good judges have many choices about where to judge. Make sure that good judges have a good time at your shows if you want him or her back!
Show Superintendent - this is the person who is responsible for the pace of the show, who ejects sick animals, and deals with the unruly exhibitors. He or she doesn't get one red cent, but gets all of the crap jobs and all of the flack. Too few people remember to thank their superintendent. No, not all supers are created equal. Some are just learning. A few are stuck in their ways. But by and large, rabbit exhibitors owe a lot to show superintendents. And when you find a really good one, value how fortunate that rabbit community is.
Show Secretary - this is the person who does so much work behind closed doors, both before and after the show - that we fail to truly appreciate him or her. Data entry, problem resolution (with records), and the most hectic start to the show of anyone there are the defining features of a show secretary. Too often, because the show secretary is the most salient member of the show management, the show secretary also has problem laid at his or her feet that should go to the show superintendent. Have you hugged your show secretary lately? They deserve it!
Registrar - here's one near and dear to my heart since I will be serving as the registrar at my first show tomorrow. Registrars rake in the money, pulling down $4 for just a few minutes' work, right? Wrong. I personally will have to register about 350 rabbits just to recoup what I have spent so far - and that doesn't take into account the many hours of studying I did. Sure, I decided to go to a costly academy to help me learn more quickly, but every registrar has expenses and has invested a lot of him- or herself into becoming one.
Most judges I know will not register rabbits anymore (every judge is also a registrar). If it were such as sweet deal, they'd all be doing it still. But it's not. It's a lot of work for $2 gross profit minus postage, license, envelopes, and the cost of scales, tattoo ink, special "R" tattoo die, and more (it costs $4 to register, but the form itself cost the registrar $2). You don't have to hug me tomorrow, but realize that I don't get a whole lot out of registering rabbits, other than learning more about them. I know that some people have been frustrated with registrars because they are showing their own bunnies and such. But sometimes it is difficult for a club to even find a registrar to serve at the show. You are not going to find any, I don't think, who will stand by for the whole show just waiting for rabbits to register.
Table Secretaries (Writers) - these folks have one of the biggest impacts on the pace of a show. A writer who is on the ball can really keep things going. He or she can either passively write down what they are told, or they can look ahead, continually keep the judge informed on numbers in each class, letting the judge know when the class is complete, calling for the next class, and so forth. The best table secretaries communicate with the judge and adjust to his or her preferences. Some judges like to have all of the rabbits on the table, even if that means using the holding coops. Others consider the holding coops to be something for the judge's use only. The best writers will simply ask and will take as much pressure off the judge as possible. The more the judge can just judge, the smoother and more quickly things will go.
[Note: I am not a fan of the fast judge - he or she misses too much even though they THINK they are doing a super job. Fast judges often have no clue what they are missing. Neither am I a fan of the slow show. It seems a paradox, but it's not. I like to see the judges taking all of the time they need to evaluate rabbits and not having to spend time waiting for rabbits.]
Exhibitor - surprised to see this one? We as exhibitors have jobs, too. Our responsibilities include trying to make the most accurate entry possible from the beginning. Substitutions happen, but when exhibitors take care, there are fewer changes to be made and the show can start on time.
We have the responsibility of arriving on time at the show and at the table. Sure, sometimes you have two breeds on the table at once and you are allowed to go to the restroom. But some people are perpetually not paying attention.
We have the responsibility to try to play nicely with others and be cooperative. It's also very helpful if we are flexible. That doesn't mean that you have to be a doormat, but at least consider that there's a awful lot going on during a show and not everything can go your way.
Show Committee/Club - those are the invisible people at a show. They may have worked for months before the show, selecting and securing judges and a registrar, finding a great location, planning for awards, securing sanctions, and making myriads of decisions. They set up before you arrive and they clean up after you leave. These are truly the unsung heroes of the show.
I hope you are going to a rabbit show this weekend. I can't think of a better way to spend my time. While you are there, take a few minutes to think about all of the great jobs that people are doing. And thank them, while you're at it.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 9:01 AM 1 comments links to this post
Judge - people often think of rabbit judges as being very highly paid. Forget that notion. I don't know anyone who could live on their judging fees. I'm sure it's a nice addition to some family budgets, but if these judges only wanted to supplement family incomes, they could dp other things that are much more lucrative and take a much smaller bite out of their lives. No, judges judge mostly because of their passion. Consider what they make (not what the club spends) and then consider how long they are away from home, wear and tear on their cars, the time they spend in training, miscellaneous expenses like postage, license fees, advertising, their pre-inked stamp evem, buying new SOPs every time they leave one behind, and so forth.
You may be surprised to see me write this, but a judges job is to judge. It is not the judge's job to establish the pace of the show, enforce every ARBA rule, deal with unruliness, or even eject a sick rabbit from the showroom. We often look at them as representatives from ARBA. While that thought is not 100% wrong, we would be better off to think of them as independent, licensed contractors who were hired to do one particular thing.
Note: good judges have many choices about where to judge. Make sure that good judges have a good time at your shows if you want him or her back!
Show Superintendent - this is the person who is responsible for the pace of the show, who ejects sick animals, and deals with the unruly exhibitors. He or she doesn't get one red cent, but gets all of the crap jobs and all of the flack. Too few people remember to thank their superintendent. No, not all supers are created equal. Some are just learning. A few are stuck in their ways. But by and large, rabbit exhibitors owe a lot to show superintendents. And when you find a really good one, value how fortunate that rabbit community is.
Show Secretary - this is the person who does so much work behind closed doors, both before and after the show - that we fail to truly appreciate him or her. Data entry, problem resolution (with records), and the most hectic start to the show of anyone there are the defining features of a show secretary. Too often, because the show secretary is the most salient member of the show management, the show secretary also has problem laid at his or her feet that should go to the show superintendent. Have you hugged your show secretary lately? They deserve it!
Registrar - here's one near and dear to my heart since I will be serving as the registrar at my first show tomorrow. Registrars rake in the money, pulling down $4 for just a few minutes' work, right? Wrong. I personally will have to register about 350 rabbits just to recoup what I have spent so far - and that doesn't take into account the many hours of studying I did. Sure, I decided to go to a costly academy to help me learn more quickly, but every registrar has expenses and has invested a lot of him- or herself into becoming one.
Most judges I know will not register rabbits anymore (every judge is also a registrar). If it were such as sweet deal, they'd all be doing it still. But it's not. It's a lot of work for $2 gross profit minus postage, license, envelopes, and the cost of scales, tattoo ink, special "R" tattoo die, and more (it costs $4 to register, but the form itself cost the registrar $2). You don't have to hug me tomorrow, but realize that I don't get a whole lot out of registering rabbits, other than learning more about them. I know that some people have been frustrated with registrars because they are showing their own bunnies and such. But sometimes it is difficult for a club to even find a registrar to serve at the show. You are not going to find any, I don't think, who will stand by for the whole show just waiting for rabbits to register.
Table Secretaries (Writers) - these folks have one of the biggest impacts on the pace of a show. A writer who is on the ball can really keep things going. He or she can either passively write down what they are told, or they can look ahead, continually keep the judge informed on numbers in each class, letting the judge know when the class is complete, calling for the next class, and so forth. The best table secretaries communicate with the judge and adjust to his or her preferences. Some judges like to have all of the rabbits on the table, even if that means using the holding coops. Others consider the holding coops to be something for the judge's use only. The best writers will simply ask and will take as much pressure off the judge as possible. The more the judge can just judge, the smoother and more quickly things will go.
[Note: I am not a fan of the fast judge - he or she misses too much even though they THINK they are doing a super job. Fast judges often have no clue what they are missing. Neither am I a fan of the slow show. It seems a paradox, but it's not. I like to see the judges taking all of the time they need to evaluate rabbits and not having to spend time waiting for rabbits.]
Exhibitor - surprised to see this one? We as exhibitors have jobs, too. Our responsibilities include trying to make the most accurate entry possible from the beginning. Substitutions happen, but when exhibitors take care, there are fewer changes to be made and the show can start on time.
We have the responsibility of arriving on time at the show and at the table. Sure, sometimes you have two breeds on the table at once and you are allowed to go to the restroom. But some people are perpetually not paying attention.
We have the responsibility to try to play nicely with others and be cooperative. It's also very helpful if we are flexible. That doesn't mean that you have to be a doormat, but at least consider that there's a awful lot going on during a show and not everything can go your way.
Show Committee/Club - those are the invisible people at a show. They may have worked for months before the show, selecting and securing judges and a registrar, finding a great location, planning for awards, securing sanctions, and making myriads of decisions. They set up before you arrive and they clean up after you leave. These are truly the unsung heroes of the show.
I hope you are going to a rabbit show this weekend. I can't think of a better way to spend my time. While you are there, take a few minutes to think about all of the great jobs that people are doing. And thank them, while you're at it.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 9:01 AM 1 comments links to this post
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Unrealistic Expectations
You may recall that I have something in the neighborhood of 30 kits that I bred especially to be juniors at Convention. This is the cutest bunch of juniors yet. I've been waiting for them to mature and now I'm getting them out and handling them. My expectations were high. I'm so disappointed.
First, I was extremely lucky in my true to false dwarf ratio. So I got more potential keepers than I should have to begin with. I had a lot of trouble before Nationals with ear control and it's almost non-existent in this group. So I got my hopes up even further.
But when I look at them closely and feel them, I find this problem here and that problem there. My hopes are dashed and I feel awful about them.
But wait a minute. I am being so unfair to these bunnies. First of all, I know that I have my Nationals-placing bunnies in mind as I look at these guys - the ones that were left after culling. This group is virtually unculled. And honestly, I just remembered that most of those juniors that were successful at Nationals didn't really shape up until the final week or two before the show. And Convention is still six weeks away - a long time in the life of a young bunny.
I know that I already like the juniors better now than I did two weeks ago. So at least they seem to be improving.
Also, we're coming off of summer, so condition and fur are much worse. At Nationals, we were coming off of winter, with the healthy appetites and nice fur that brings. We'll have some cool weather between now and Texas. Appetites are already increasing in the barn. And lots of the molty fur is getting closer to being finished.
But the main way I'm being unfair to my bunnies is in thinking that nearly every junior should be a nationally competitive rabbit. That's very unrealistic. With a crop of 30 well-bred kits, I should expect three to be worthy of showing nationally. If I find four or five that are truly worthy of going to Texas, then I am doing very well indeed.
Oh, now that I've adjusted my expectations, I think I'm rather pleased with my juniors after all.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 7:08 AM 0 comments links to this post
First, I was extremely lucky in my true to false dwarf ratio. So I got more potential keepers than I should have to begin with. I had a lot of trouble before Nationals with ear control and it's almost non-existent in this group. So I got my hopes up even further.
But when I look at them closely and feel them, I find this problem here and that problem there. My hopes are dashed and I feel awful about them.
But wait a minute. I am being so unfair to these bunnies. First of all, I know that I have my Nationals-placing bunnies in mind as I look at these guys - the ones that were left after culling. This group is virtually unculled. And honestly, I just remembered that most of those juniors that were successful at Nationals didn't really shape up until the final week or two before the show. And Convention is still six weeks away - a long time in the life of a young bunny.
I know that I already like the juniors better now than I did two weeks ago. So at least they seem to be improving.
Also, we're coming off of summer, so condition and fur are much worse. At Nationals, we were coming off of winter, with the healthy appetites and nice fur that brings. We'll have some cool weather between now and Texas. Appetites are already increasing in the barn. And lots of the molty fur is getting closer to being finished.
But the main way I'm being unfair to my bunnies is in thinking that nearly every junior should be a nationally competitive rabbit. That's very unrealistic. With a crop of 30 well-bred kits, I should expect three to be worthy of showing nationally. If I find four or five that are truly worthy of going to Texas, then I am doing very well indeed.
Oh, now that I've adjusted my expectations, I think I'm rather pleased with my juniors after all.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 7:08 AM 0 comments links to this post
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Dancing With The Bunnies
One of my favorite TV shows is Dancing With the Stars (are you starting to think that all I ever do is watch TV?). Anna and I have been counting the days. She even paid so much attention to the date and time on the commercials that she noticed for the first time something called "7:00 central." We squeezed in a quick lesson about US time zones.
Anyway, the dancing was great last night, we a few exceptions. It's amazing how these folks start from absolute scratch with no prior training and do so well. Here are a few things that I think makes the difference between the ones that do very well and the ones that will be going home pretty soon:
Anyway, the dancing was great last night, we a few exceptions. It's amazing how these folks start from absolute scratch with no prior training and do so well. Here are a few things that I think makes the difference between the ones that do very well and the ones that will be going home pretty soon:
- The best dancers pull from other life experiences that they've had. The football players talk about agility training and being coached. Actors tend to add drama and use their facial expressions.
- I think that, all things being equal, the dancers with the best mentors have an advantage.
- The caveat to #2 is that they work with and don't fight against their mentors.
- The best put in the time and the hard work. The absolute worst dancer from last year also put in the least amount of time and work.
- The dancers who are open to learning new things have an advantage.
- Enthusiasm and enjoying the dance keeps some dancers on the show weeks longer than equally talented dancers who are pouty, sour, or just aren't having fun.
Hmmmmmmmm. Does any of this relate to rabbits? Of course it does!
#1 I've often felt that people who have experience raising or working with any kind of animal start their rabbit hobby with an advantage. But that's not the only kind of background that can be helpful. I've used my statistical background to help me grasp genetics and to evaluate the progress of my herd. Other people may use their entrepreneurial spirit to help them sell their rabbits or make good deals with other breeders. Still others may use the fact that they've succeeded at their goals before after putting in hard work and suffering setbacks to help them persevere in a hobby that can sometimes be a rollercoaster.
#2 There's no getting around it. People who start this hobby all alone are at a disadvantage to those who get help from someone more knowledgeable. I had help from several people who, I'm sure, are quite relieved that I can now stand on my own two feet!! Sure, there's good information to read and I think that everyone should make a reasonable effort to find out information about our hobby on their own. I personally DO think there is such thing as a stupid question - that is, when the inquirer hasn't tried to locate the answer at all. But many things are hard or impossible to get from books. What color is this? What do I do in this very unique situation? What does this feel like?
I do appreciate it when folks look at all I've written to see if I've covered a topic already before they email me. There's a lot more of you than there is of me! But when a situation is unique or the inquirer has read up on the topic and still has questions, I'm happy to do my best to answer the question or help out. I do prefer emails, though. My time is quite tight around here - what with all of the television watching I do.
#3 In rabbits, I think the need to get along is more general than with dancing because we have to function with more than just one person to be successful in bunnies. But having at least one person that you really click with can make the difference between staying in the hobby or deciding it's not for you.
#4 Enough said.
#5 Once a breeder or a judge closes his or her mind to learning about rabbits, growth and improvement are essentially over. The wisest breeders among us, whether they've been breeding for years or decades, all say that they continue to learn all of the time. I certainly find that to be true and I hope you do, too.
It's actually one of the things that I adore about this hobby. There are many ways to be successful and you never arrive at the end - there's always something else to learn.
#6 I fear an outbreak of a disease or some catastrophe in my barn. I'm sure we all do. But the one thing that can end my hobby just as fast would be to lose the joy of it all. That doesn't mean that there won't be down days and discouraging times. But overall, I still feel the excitement that each new kit brings to my barn. I enjoy the potential, the dreaming, and the planning. I love the shows and fellowship. I love the unconditional affection of my favorite bunnies. I love my time in the barn.
To me, the joy of it all is one of the biggest keys to success.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Something Important
If you've been reading my BLOGs for a while now, you may already know that I have a 30+ year habit of watching All My Children. I was very pleased with the show yesterday, the fifth anniversary of 9/11. They didn't mention it specifically, just a passing "today of all days" comment. But, instead of progressing on any of the major story lines, they had a series of relationship-affirming scenes.
In one scene, a mother and daughter with a turbulent past affirm their love for each other. They promise to be there for each other, even if they are angry or hurt, and no matter what happens. They talke about the daughter's infant son and their love for him and hopes for his future. Yes, I got tears in my eyes.
Three girlfriends declare to each other that they are an "urban tribe," a chosen, extended group that can depend on each other in a crisis. One of the girlfriends cries.
A grandfather and an adult grandson spend some quality time together and actually speak the words that are generally just silently understood, but still good to hear from time to time. Neither cries. They were too manly for that, I suppose.
In another scene, a father and his newly discovered adult son (stolen as an embryo and secretly implanted into the wife of a fertility expert with a god complex - hey, it IS a soap opera) make some progress in getting to know each other. They make their first real connection over a personal habit they share. It was nice, but there was no need for anyone to cry.
Now this is just a guess on my part, but I believe that the soap knew that yesterday would be a very tough day for many people. Even those of us who didn't lose anyone personally have lost a sense of security and have felt our nation change in many ways during the last five years. So they took those feelings into consideration and changed the format to focus on the goodness in the world - love, family, friendship.
We're extremely fortunate, those of us in rabbits, I mean. We have the opportunity to develop a "rabbit breeders' tribe." No, we may not live in the same general area like an urban tribe does. But with our travels far and wide, and now especially with internet connections and news groups, we may have more contact with our bunny family than with members of our own extended families! And I have a heck of a lot more in common with most of my rabbit buddies than I do with some of those relatives, I can assure you.
There are many people in my rabbit tribe. There are a few who are very special, close friends. One of those friends came up beside me at a recent show while I was having a conversation with a new breeder. She didn't say anything, but slipped something into my pocket. Later when I looked, I found a ceramic heart with these words on it: "Close to my heart you'll always be, friends forever, you and me." If that's not better than a Best of Breed, I don't know what is.
There are other people that I look forward to seeing. Some I see a couple of times per month. Others I may visit with just once a year. Some I enjoy great conversations with. Others inspire me or have earned my admiration.
Sure, our tribes are certain to have a few more challenging members. Some of them make life more interesting. Others try our patience and give us opportunities to try to become better people. But, by and large, my rabbit tribe has enriched my life immensely.
To all of the members of my tribe: You mean so much to me. To those I haven't met yet: I'm looking forward to it.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 6:19 AM 0 comments links to this post
In one scene, a mother and daughter with a turbulent past affirm their love for each other. They promise to be there for each other, even if they are angry or hurt, and no matter what happens. They talke about the daughter's infant son and their love for him and hopes for his future. Yes, I got tears in my eyes.
Three girlfriends declare to each other that they are an "urban tribe," a chosen, extended group that can depend on each other in a crisis. One of the girlfriends cries.
A grandfather and an adult grandson spend some quality time together and actually speak the words that are generally just silently understood, but still good to hear from time to time. Neither cries. They were too manly for that, I suppose.
In another scene, a father and his newly discovered adult son (stolen as an embryo and secretly implanted into the wife of a fertility expert with a god complex - hey, it IS a soap opera) make some progress in getting to know each other. They make their first real connection over a personal habit they share. It was nice, but there was no need for anyone to cry.
Now this is just a guess on my part, but I believe that the soap knew that yesterday would be a very tough day for many people. Even those of us who didn't lose anyone personally have lost a sense of security and have felt our nation change in many ways during the last five years. So they took those feelings into consideration and changed the format to focus on the goodness in the world - love, family, friendship.
We're extremely fortunate, those of us in rabbits, I mean. We have the opportunity to develop a "rabbit breeders' tribe." No, we may not live in the same general area like an urban tribe does. But with our travels far and wide, and now especially with internet connections and news groups, we may have more contact with our bunny family than with members of our own extended families! And I have a heck of a lot more in common with most of my rabbit buddies than I do with some of those relatives, I can assure you.
There are many people in my rabbit tribe. There are a few who are very special, close friends. One of those friends came up beside me at a recent show while I was having a conversation with a new breeder. She didn't say anything, but slipped something into my pocket. Later when I looked, I found a ceramic heart with these words on it: "Close to my heart you'll always be, friends forever, you and me." If that's not better than a Best of Breed, I don't know what is.
There are other people that I look forward to seeing. Some I see a couple of times per month. Others I may visit with just once a year. Some I enjoy great conversations with. Others inspire me or have earned my admiration.
Sure, our tribes are certain to have a few more challenging members. Some of them make life more interesting. Others try our patience and give us opportunities to try to become better people. But, by and large, my rabbit tribe has enriched my life immensely.
To all of the members of my tribe: You mean so much to me. To those I haven't met yet: I'm looking forward to it.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 6:19 AM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, September 11, 2006
Convention
If this is your first Convention, you are probably very excited and perhaps a bit overwhelmed. That sounds about right. There's so much you can be doing now that will help things go better when the Convention finally arrives. Here are some of my ideas:
- purchase a small dustpan and brush for cleaning out your coops
- take a small bucket for dumping shavings, old feed, and dirty water
- take zip ties for your coops to indicate to others that you do not want your rabbits handled when you are not around; take locks for overnight
- plan for something to mark your coops with; the Conventions I've attended have cooped by class and not exhibitor, so your bunnies are scattered throughout the aisles
- decide ahead of time which banquet you want to attend - I attend the Holland Lop banquet rather than the ARBA banquet - and get your tickets in advance! (some breeds allow tickets to be purchased at Convention, but the HLRSC has only had advanced sales in the past)
- buy some comfortable shoes - now might be the time to try out some of those gel inserts!
- if you are taking risers, plan for that now - it takes time to make them or order them, and they take up a lot of room when you are packing
- make a shopping list so you don't forget to purchase what you need while you are at Convention
- make a schedule for the last week or two before Convention - otherwise you'll be tattooing, printing pedigrees, doing laundry, pressure washing carriers, gassing up the car, wiring together your coop adornments, buying locks for your coops, looking for your zip ties, writing up directions for your substitute barn manager, and a host of other things all on the last day.
Probably the most important preparation to make is a mental one. Think about what your hopes are for Convention. Try to keep your attitude adjusted. People are tired at Convention. People have worked hard all year and some of those will be disappointed at the results. Some people will be over-competitive and sap the fun out of the situation. But even so, Convention can be tons of fun if you have a positive mindset.
Make it your goal to laugh 1000 times, give 100 genuine compliments, make 10 new friends, and learn 1 very important new thing. If you do, I guarantee you'll have a successful Convention.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Fletcher, NC
The Fletcher show was pretty small. At first, I was disappointed that there were so few exhibitors, but some late entries fleshed out some classes so legs were available after all.
I suppose it was a pretty good show to introduce my Convention juniors to the show table. I was mostly interested in how they compared to each other anyway. I showed twelve rabbits for the very first time. Three of these new juniors did pretty well.
Imagination finished his junior career today. He turns senior on Monday. He went out with a bang winning two Best of Breeds. That gives him six junior legs. Not bad, considering his tenure as a junior was over the slowest time of the show year. Imagination is out of The Nature Trail's Antony and GC The Nature Trail's May. Antony had two legs when I sold him and I had expected him to grand. Unfortunately, I got the news this week that Antony died of an intestinal blockage. So Imagination will have to be the starting point for a new line of grand champions.
Quinn earned two senior legs. She's one of the few ungranded does that I kept in my recent doe housecleaning. I felt sure that I could grand her. She's almost there. One leg was a BOG and the other a BOS. Quinn is a daughter of The Nature Trail's Q and The Nature Trail's Spice.
So, to sum up, the show was very worthwhile. I had a good time, though it was a bit hectic. Wizard got his second leg, despite only be 70% finished with a huge molt. Love that buck. I collected two herdsman, six quality, and nearly 1000 sweeps points. Plus, it was a cash payback show, so I should get about 2/3 of my entry fees back. Not bad.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 7:59 PM 0 comments links to this post
I suppose it was a pretty good show to introduce my Convention juniors to the show table. I was mostly interested in how they compared to each other anyway. I showed twelve rabbits for the very first time. Three of these new juniors did pretty well.
- Edelweiss was BOS in show B. She's a daughter of GC The Nature Trail's Ox and GC The Nature Trail's Brook. I would love to see her turn out to be a strong show bunny.
- Mistofelees took his class in show B and earned a leg his first time out. He's out of GC The Nature Trail's Franz and GC The Nature Trail's Jo-Jo. Here's another chance for me to get a grand champion out of two GC parents. Of course, I'm getting ahead of myself, but it's look at least possible from this vantage point.
- McCartney was BOG for solids, beating out Wizard. He's out of The Nature Trail's Navaro and GC The Nature Trail's Hilary (Wizard, Navaro, and Hilary are all out of GC Camelot's Merlin). Navaro has two legs and now lives with a new family. He came in second today (after BBF's Yankee Doodle Dandy, 40+ legs - that's tough competition for a buck not yet one year old). I think he'll get his third GC leg soon, though. When he does, that will make McCartney eligible for my all-grand-champion pedigree project as well.
Imagination finished his junior career today. He turns senior on Monday. He went out with a bang winning two Best of Breeds. That gives him six junior legs. Not bad, considering his tenure as a junior was over the slowest time of the show year. Imagination is out of The Nature Trail's Antony and GC The Nature Trail's May. Antony had two legs when I sold him and I had expected him to grand. Unfortunately, I got the news this week that Antony died of an intestinal blockage. So Imagination will have to be the starting point for a new line of grand champions.
Quinn earned two senior legs. She's one of the few ungranded does that I kept in my recent doe housecleaning. I felt sure that I could grand her. She's almost there. One leg was a BOG and the other a BOS. Quinn is a daughter of The Nature Trail's Q and The Nature Trail's Spice.
So, to sum up, the show was very worthwhile. I had a good time, though it was a bit hectic. Wizard got his second leg, despite only be 70% finished with a huge molt. Love that buck. I collected two herdsman, six quality, and nearly 1000 sweeps points. Plus, it was a cash payback show, so I should get about 2/3 of my entry fees back. Not bad.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 7:59 PM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, September 08, 2006
Care of Nest Boxes
Our procedure with nest boxes is to spray them off to remove any solid matter, hay, or fur. Then Andrew dunks them in a solution of bleach and water. He leaves them in there about ten minutes to soak them well. After that, he rinses them thoroughly and allows them to dry in the sun, weather permitting.
Our nest boxes are mostly plywood. I have some newer ones made of dimensional lumber. So far, this method has worked very well for us.
But there was a day when I needed a nest box in a hurry. There was no time for dipping and spraying and drying. So I took one that a doe had used. But she had missed, so the box looked clean.
Big mistake.
That was the only time I've ever had a doe to develop mastitis. And my vet said it was the worst case he'd ever seen. Boy, did I feel guilty. She had to be lanced in two places and I had to treat her twice a day by placing medication inside the cavities created. It was awful for both of us.
Now it's true that it could have been a coincidence. I just know that if it ever happens again, it won't be because the nest box was not sanitized in between.
Now if I have an emergency, which happens from time to time, especially when my show schedule is hectic, I may take a clean-looking nest box and spray it with a solution of Vanodine. So far, that has worked well, too.
Besides problems with a dam, who is scraping the nest box each time she jumps in and out, bacteria, fungus, or viruses could infect newborns causing the unexplained loss of the litter. It's just not worth the risk.
Furthermore, a temperamental doe may not like the smell of a previous litter on her nest. Most of my does seem to tolerate the smells of other does pretty well. But there are a few who are very particular.
So, make it a habit of sanitizing your nest boxes between uses. It's a bit of a hassle, but not nearly so much as dealing with an ailing doe or losing litters that need not be lost.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 9:11 AM 0 comments links to this post
Our nest boxes are mostly plywood. I have some newer ones made of dimensional lumber. So far, this method has worked very well for us.
But there was a day when I needed a nest box in a hurry. There was no time for dipping and spraying and drying. So I took one that a doe had used. But she had missed, so the box looked clean.
Big mistake.
That was the only time I've ever had a doe to develop mastitis. And my vet said it was the worst case he'd ever seen. Boy, did I feel guilty. She had to be lanced in two places and I had to treat her twice a day by placing medication inside the cavities created. It was awful for both of us.
Now it's true that it could have been a coincidence. I just know that if it ever happens again, it won't be because the nest box was not sanitized in between.
Now if I have an emergency, which happens from time to time, especially when my show schedule is hectic, I may take a clean-looking nest box and spray it with a solution of Vanodine. So far, that has worked well, too.
Besides problems with a dam, who is scraping the nest box each time she jumps in and out, bacteria, fungus, or viruses could infect newborns causing the unexplained loss of the litter. It's just not worth the risk.
Furthermore, a temperamental doe may not like the smell of a previous litter on her nest. Most of my does seem to tolerate the smells of other does pretty well. But there are a few who are very particular.
So, make it a habit of sanitizing your nest boxes between uses. It's a bit of a hassle, but not nearly so much as dealing with an ailing doe or losing litters that need not be lost.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 9:11 AM 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, September 07, 2006
How To Be Happy With Your New Purchase
It's time for Convention again already - or finally, as the case may be. Whether you are going or not, you may still be planning to take advantage of the abundance of rabbits that will be for sale between now and then. Yes, many people will make poor purchases, get rooked, and so forth. But others will purchase fine rabbits and still be disappointed with them. But that disappointment might be avoidable.
Disappointment is related to expectations. When we purchase a nice rabbit from good stock, we expect to produce nice rabbits, especially when we pair it with our own nice stock. If your line crosses with the line you purchase, you may well get your wish right away (and hopefully not a fluke, but rather something repeatable). But I'm going to guess that's the minority of the time.
First, many new breeders - and some that have been around for quite a while - haven't really developed their own line of rabbits. What's in the rabbitry already is not a tightly woven cloth but rather bits and pieces of nice fabric. These folks will continue their practice of buying nice pieces and throwing them into the mix - and the "mix" really is a mix. I can't see how their rabbitry will progress beyond some lucky breaks.
If you have developed your own line and are purchasing from someone who has a well-developed line, the two may not cross well together - at least at first. Sometimes you can see that the foundations of each line are the same or compatible. Then you can make a good guess. But breeding programs are complicated and few totally replicate each other. Assuming that things will line up correctly off the bat may be unrealistic even in this situation.
So, what to do?
First, if you haven't consolidated your own gene pool, don't purchase new animals. Once you've bred for a few generations, then you can identify the problem you have across your barn. I have a friend who is just at that stage. She's frustrated because she has identified a fault across her barn. I don't think she realizes how far ahead of the game she is. I would guess that many (maybe even most) Holland breeders never progress past the experimentation stage, working with this and that, hoping for a good outcome.
The person who has bred for awhile and starts getting more predictable results, albeit with faults, knows what he or she is looking for and is ready to purchase that piece.
Second, if you don't have a gene pool, that is, you are just getting started, please don't purchase one from one breeder, the next from another, and so on. I have often sold rabbits to people who have a half dozen breeders they are meeting with to pick up rabbits from. Sure, they may be getting rabbits from different people with similar backgrounds. I can only hope so. But my guess is that they will end up with a mishmash that will take a long while to tease out.
So now we've got our breeder who truly does need to purchase a new piece. They've identified the shortcoming in their herd, purchased from someone who has a developed line that is strong in that quality. They buy, breed, and are disappointed with the outcome. What do they do next? Declare that they were sold a poor rabbit. Is that fair or accurate? Maybe, but probably not.
So what am I suggesting?
Be committed to a multi-generational plan. Let's take a characteristic that we can see easily and that involves just one gene as an example. Let's say you have no dilute in your barn and you decide to buy that piece. If you breed the dilute with your rabbits, you will get ZERO dilutes the first generation. Would you declare that the new rabbit was faulty? No, of course not. You would know that you have to breed for a second generation - either back to the purchased rabbit, or siblings to each other - in order to see the change you desire in your herd.
Other characteristics work similarly, though in a more complicated way. Let's say you want to improve shoulder width, crown placement, or lower hindquarter. You purchase that piece, breed it into your herd and don't get the results you want. It doesn't mean that the rabbit didn't work. It just means you are only getting started.
I haven't purchased a new rabbit in quite some time. I'm not ready for a new piece yet. When I am ready, this is what I will do.
I will purchase a buck from a line I suspect will be compatible. It will be a well developed line, meaning the breeder doesn't constantly throw new lines into the mix. I will breed the buck to every doe in my barn (these breedings will be for juniors between Nationals and Convention - I'll stick with tried and true for the big shows!). I will immediately be able to see which does cross well with the buck from the get-go, if any. Then I will breed doe offspring back to the buck, if they are even reasonably compatible. I may breed siblings, if they make a better pair. Since I will definitely be breeding only GC does by then, I will also breed sons back to their dams.
By this point, I will have a very nice gene pool established with the new characteristic. If, by the third generation, I don't like the results, then might be the time to say it didn't work. But I'm willing to bet that, if I made good decisions along the way, I will be pleased with the results by this time.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 7:10 AM 0 comments links to this post
Disappointment is related to expectations. When we purchase a nice rabbit from good stock, we expect to produce nice rabbits, especially when we pair it with our own nice stock. If your line crosses with the line you purchase, you may well get your wish right away (and hopefully not a fluke, but rather something repeatable). But I'm going to guess that's the minority of the time.
First, many new breeders - and some that have been around for quite a while - haven't really developed their own line of rabbits. What's in the rabbitry already is not a tightly woven cloth but rather bits and pieces of nice fabric. These folks will continue their practice of buying nice pieces and throwing them into the mix - and the "mix" really is a mix. I can't see how their rabbitry will progress beyond some lucky breaks.
If you have developed your own line and are purchasing from someone who has a well-developed line, the two may not cross well together - at least at first. Sometimes you can see that the foundations of each line are the same or compatible. Then you can make a good guess. But breeding programs are complicated and few totally replicate each other. Assuming that things will line up correctly off the bat may be unrealistic even in this situation.
So, what to do?
First, if you haven't consolidated your own gene pool, don't purchase new animals. Once you've bred for a few generations, then you can identify the problem you have across your barn. I have a friend who is just at that stage. She's frustrated because she has identified a fault across her barn. I don't think she realizes how far ahead of the game she is. I would guess that many (maybe even most) Holland breeders never progress past the experimentation stage, working with this and that, hoping for a good outcome.
The person who has bred for awhile and starts getting more predictable results, albeit with faults, knows what he or she is looking for and is ready to purchase that piece.
Second, if you don't have a gene pool, that is, you are just getting started, please don't purchase one from one breeder, the next from another, and so on. I have often sold rabbits to people who have a half dozen breeders they are meeting with to pick up rabbits from. Sure, they may be getting rabbits from different people with similar backgrounds. I can only hope so. But my guess is that they will end up with a mishmash that will take a long while to tease out.
So now we've got our breeder who truly does need to purchase a new piece. They've identified the shortcoming in their herd, purchased from someone who has a developed line that is strong in that quality. They buy, breed, and are disappointed with the outcome. What do they do next? Declare that they were sold a poor rabbit. Is that fair or accurate? Maybe, but probably not.
So what am I suggesting?
Be committed to a multi-generational plan. Let's take a characteristic that we can see easily and that involves just one gene as an example. Let's say you have no dilute in your barn and you decide to buy that piece. If you breed the dilute with your rabbits, you will get ZERO dilutes the first generation. Would you declare that the new rabbit was faulty? No, of course not. You would know that you have to breed for a second generation - either back to the purchased rabbit, or siblings to each other - in order to see the change you desire in your herd.
Other characteristics work similarly, though in a more complicated way. Let's say you want to improve shoulder width, crown placement, or lower hindquarter. You purchase that piece, breed it into your herd and don't get the results you want. It doesn't mean that the rabbit didn't work. It just means you are only getting started.
I haven't purchased a new rabbit in quite some time. I'm not ready for a new piece yet. When I am ready, this is what I will do.
I will purchase a buck from a line I suspect will be compatible. It will be a well developed line, meaning the breeder doesn't constantly throw new lines into the mix. I will breed the buck to every doe in my barn (these breedings will be for juniors between Nationals and Convention - I'll stick with tried and true for the big shows!). I will immediately be able to see which does cross well with the buck from the get-go, if any. Then I will breed doe offspring back to the buck, if they are even reasonably compatible. I may breed siblings, if they make a better pair. Since I will definitely be breeding only GC does by then, I will also breed sons back to their dams.
By this point, I will have a very nice gene pool established with the new characteristic. If, by the third generation, I don't like the results, then might be the time to say it didn't work. But I'm willing to bet that, if I made good decisions along the way, I will be pleased with the results by this time.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 7:10 AM 0 comments links to this post
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Convention Entries
It is hard to believe that we are 19 days away from the deadline for Convention entries. I have absolutely no idea of what I am going to take to Convention. I have no idea of what I might sell. I've got a lot of work to do between now and the 25th of September. And if I'm going to sell anything, I've got a lot to do long before then as well.
One thing I know for certain, I will be entering at least one rabbit in each class. I learned the hard way with Rio, if you recall. I hadn't entered a broken junior buck in Holland Lop Nationals. Then he blossomed a couple of weeks before the show. Had I entered any broken junior buck at all, I would have made an ear change.
I did decide to breed Padme (9 Legs) rather than keep her open for Convention. One judge gave me the advice to never let my breeding program suffer because of showing. Since I plan to be here for the long haul, I think I'll follow that advice. Of course, it was easier to do with this doe since her mother placed at Convention after having had a litter of five just a few weeks before. I'm hoping the ability to bounce back after a litter runs in the family and I'll get the best of both worlds.
Rio's weight is good. He was 3.14 this past weekend. He was DQ'd at Nationals for being 4.01, but lost the ounce in time to be 4th place the day after. There is no "day after" at Convention, so I've got to manage that better this time.
I have a number of juniors that I really like the front end on. Their bodies aren't what I like, but I certainly hope that the cooler weather will take care of that. Only time will tell.
I've been spoiled for the last four national-level shows because I've been able to drive. I could take as many rabbits as I could fit into the vehicle I was going in. This time I'm flying and space is definitely limited. It will be interesting to see how that effects my ability to compete and how much my accurate prediction of how a rabbit will show five weeks in the future will come in to play.
I'll also have to fly to Prescott, Arizona, in the spring, but will be able to drive to next year's Convention - yeah!
I know we could all do with a few minutes alone with a working crystal ball as we decide what to take to Convention. I find the process intimidating. Which rabbits will blow coats? Which coats that look awful now will be finished by then? Which juniors will fall apart? Which ones will come together? How do I assure that I am able to show the right rabbits without wasting a lot of money?
I suppose I will just have to accept the fact that I'm likely to make mistakes. I'll have to decide whether I'd rather err on the side of spending too much money or having to leave a rabbit at home I'd like to show.
Luckily, no matter which rabbits I take or how they do on the show table, I know that I will have a great time at Convention. I'm really looking forward to it.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 7:22 AM 0 comments links to this post
One thing I know for certain, I will be entering at least one rabbit in each class. I learned the hard way with Rio, if you recall. I hadn't entered a broken junior buck in Holland Lop Nationals. Then he blossomed a couple of weeks before the show. Had I entered any broken junior buck at all, I would have made an ear change.
I did decide to breed Padme (9 Legs) rather than keep her open for Convention. One judge gave me the advice to never let my breeding program suffer because of showing. Since I plan to be here for the long haul, I think I'll follow that advice. Of course, it was easier to do with this doe since her mother placed at Convention after having had a litter of five just a few weeks before. I'm hoping the ability to bounce back after a litter runs in the family and I'll get the best of both worlds.
Rio's weight is good. He was 3.14 this past weekend. He was DQ'd at Nationals for being 4.01, but lost the ounce in time to be 4th place the day after. There is no "day after" at Convention, so I've got to manage that better this time.
I have a number of juniors that I really like the front end on. Their bodies aren't what I like, but I certainly hope that the cooler weather will take care of that. Only time will tell.
I've been spoiled for the last four national-level shows because I've been able to drive. I could take as many rabbits as I could fit into the vehicle I was going in. This time I'm flying and space is definitely limited. It will be interesting to see how that effects my ability to compete and how much my accurate prediction of how a rabbit will show five weeks in the future will come in to play.
I'll also have to fly to Prescott, Arizona, in the spring, but will be able to drive to next year's Convention - yeah!
I know we could all do with a few minutes alone with a working crystal ball as we decide what to take to Convention. I find the process intimidating. Which rabbits will blow coats? Which coats that look awful now will be finished by then? Which juniors will fall apart? Which ones will come together? How do I assure that I am able to show the right rabbits without wasting a lot of money?
I suppose I will just have to accept the fact that I'm likely to make mistakes. I'll have to decide whether I'd rather err on the side of spending too much money or having to leave a rabbit at home I'd like to show.
Luckily, no matter which rabbits I take or how they do on the show table, I know that I will have a great time at Convention. I'm really looking forward to it.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 7:22 AM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, September 04, 2006
Labor-Intensive Hobby
The kids asked yesterday what we were doing for Labor Day. Andrew and I answered that we were going to work in the barn. We are continuing the Great Barn Cleaning of 2006 and installing the PVC water line. The kids couldn't believe that we were spending a holiday working, especially Labor Day. That's a day when you are not supposed to work, they told us.
It is somewhat of a paradox that we work so hard at our leisure. Now I'm not knocking rest, relaxation, or unscheduled time. We all need some of that. But the truth is that work is good for us. It's not something to be avoided, no matter how many hundred thousand teenagers would disagree with that statement!
On the way to McMinnville this past weekend, I was surfing the radio stations and heard a preacher announce that work was a gift from God. I'll not debate that here, but he then listed all of the many ways that work is good for us. He did have an "idle hands are the Devil's playground" type attitude, but I thought many of his points were quite valid.
We gain a lot of satisfaction from a job well done. We earn a right to be proud of our accomplishments. We totally eliminate boredom with challenging and interesting work. I'm sure you could finish the list yourself with the benefits of work.
"But Daddy works every day already," the kids said (we'll ignore the fact that they don't think I work, for now - it wasn't that long ago that they confessed they used to think that Andrew played computer games all day in his office!) This work is different, we said. Of course, they wanted to know how it was different.
It is somewhat of a paradox that we work so hard at our leisure. Now I'm not knocking rest, relaxation, or unscheduled time. We all need some of that. But the truth is that work is good for us. It's not something to be avoided, no matter how many hundred thousand teenagers would disagree with that statement!
On the way to McMinnville this past weekend, I was surfing the radio stations and heard a preacher announce that work was a gift from God. I'll not debate that here, but he then listed all of the many ways that work is good for us. He did have an "idle hands are the Devil's playground" type attitude, but I thought many of his points were quite valid.
We gain a lot of satisfaction from a job well done. We earn a right to be proud of our accomplishments. We totally eliminate boredom with challenging and interesting work. I'm sure you could finish the list yourself with the benefits of work.
"But Daddy works every day already," the kids said (we'll ignore the fact that they don't think I work, for now - it wasn't that long ago that they confessed they used to think that Andrew played computer games all day in his office!) This work is different, we said. Of course, they wanted to know how it was different.