The very first step, in my point of view, is to know what you are aiming at. You must understand the Holland standard and have internalized your idea of what it is.
Second, you should determine which characteristics you wish to focus on first. There are two considerations:
- There's the way breeding and the Holland body operates. Some parts are easy to fix and easily lost. Other parts are hard to fix and also more resilient in your breeding program. Those are the parts I recommend you establish first: hindquarter, top line, bone, good flesh. The fringe benefit of working on those items is that your rabbits will appeal to meat judges and fancy breed judges alike. A good crown and head mount is often lost on the huge population of meat judges out there.
- Then there's your personal preference. I can't abide long ears and long bone. So I knew I was going to tackle that early on. I just can't be happy producing length, even if it's packaged with heavy bone or nice flesh. Too many of them do well as juniors and young seniors, then disappear from the table.
You pick the appropriate time to evaluate various characteristics. If you are working on lower hindquarter, then you are in luck. You can tell a lot about that by the time your Hollands are weaned and ready to be sold as pets. If it's crown or shoulder width you are working on, it may be a very long wait indeed. Those could be the last things to come in.
The trick is to cull at various ages for various things. Early on, you are looking for disqualifications and basic body structure. You can cull fairly early for the following:
- non-showable color (consider keeping them for brood)
- injuries that detract from the appearance such as large rips in the ear or missing body parts (again, consider keeping them for brood)
- teeth issues
- split penis - make sure you fully expose the shaft and wait several seconds to see if it will flare open
- cow hocks
- very pinched hips
- significantly undercut hindquarters
- significantly sloping hindquarters
- wool
- toenail disqualifications
- broken toes
- significantly low weight (rabbits that fall behind their littermates rarely, if ever, catch up again - it's usually not worth keeping them)
- very light bone
- abnormalities such as missing or extra toes, spine that curves left to right, crooked feet, etc.
During the first culling, you may have suspected that certain rabbits are false dwarfs. By the second look at them - between 3 and 4 1/2 months old, you should definitely be able to determine the status of everything except the most borderline rabbits.
During the second culling, you can look at ear length (compare the ear length to adult rabbits, not to juniors - if the ear would look good on a senior, it's okay - ears develop early). Overall body length can be evaluated, too. Rabbits that look long now will be even longer later. You can often feel a spot over the shoulder that will indicate to you whether the rabbit is likely to sprout a lot of shoulder length later on. If you don't know what that means, just start feeling the tops of the shoulders and then observe what happens later.
Size, flesh, depth over the hindquarter, and fur can be culled for somewhat at this point. Frail Hollands, those narrow throughout, flat over the hindquarter, or with significant fur problems can be culled. Be sure you are looking at an adult coat. Some Hollands have been known to keep a baby coat for months longer than average.
Check for all disqualifications again.
By this point, you are showing or about to show your juniors. Judges' opinions may help you somewhat in your culling. They may find DQs that you overlooked or point out strengths and weaknesses that your barn blindness prevented you from seeing.
But let me add one huge caution - don't believe every word that comes out of a judge's mouth. First of all, judges vary tremendously in their understanding of the Holland standard and their ability to apply it. Second, rabbits have a way of fighting a judge and not showing their best side. Top lines, for example, can look awful or great on the same animal just minutes apart - either because of the rabbit's cooperation or the judge's handling or both. Third, competition has a lot to do with how the rabbit does on a given day. Some days, you can get a leg on a rabbit that should be culled. Other times, a judge is faced with five rabbits that all would normally be able to take a class. I've seen a judge with a class of six, place one of them and then announce that the rest of the class is virtually the same and he would have to split hairs to pick a winner.
So anyway, during this junior phase, you've culled a few more with disqualifications or you keep getting the same comment on your rabbit and you finally have to agree that she does indeed have light bone or he is indeed terribly slipped in the crown.
Now your rabbits turn senior and it's time to go at it again. For does, you have a couple of questions to ask. Should she stay in my herd and, if so, do I breed her or continue to show her? I think most does are in their prime from four to twelve months (as long as they are not bred). A year really is, in my opinion, the outside limit for putting a doe into your breeding program. So, for your girls, this is the moment of truth. It's time to check your goals - intermediate and long term. Does she help you meet these goals?
You may find that you need to sell a better rabbit and keep a worse one. Can you believe I wrote that? Let's say that you have 20 Hollands. Essentially all of them are sloping in the hindquarter but they have gorgeous bone and flesh. You bring in a rabbit from outside with good depth over the hindquarter to breed with your herd. Now you have produced 20 young seniors and it's time to cull. Nineteen of them have gorgeous bone and flesh and sloping hindquarters. One has okay flesh, okay bone, is a bit slipped, but has the great hindquarter you want. You may need to keep her to help you work on your goal.
And, you may want to keep some of those with the same problems as the rest of your herd to breed back to the good hindquarter buck you brought in. Then you might have to shift your culling to the older generation of does and keep the younger works-in-progress.
Okay, let's shift our attention over the boys. It's a different situation for them since they are still a year away from their prime. You know you don't need and don't have room for another dozen bucks in your herd. But how are you supposed to pick now the ones that will be good later?
I don't know. Get out your crystal ball, I guess! That's one way, but I think we can do a little better than that.
Let's think about the things that can be culled for now: bone, overall body length, fur quality, ear length, top line, hindquarter, disqualifications (teeth go bad or testicles never descend - a junior can get away with that), width between the eyes, crown placement, ear substance, chest width, and head mount.
What will change in a year's time? The three biggest things are head size, crown, and shoulder width. Body length will continue to develop, so a young senior that is longish will probably be long in a year.
Sometimes you can get a hint of what the head is going to do . You will see a growth around 6, 12, and 18 months. Then there's a more gradual growth throughout the rest of his career.
Crowns often continue to widen, even up to three years. I've seen four-year olds that still have tight crowns, of course, but I've also had young seniors who look as if they are trying to fly with those ears with lovely crown width by 12 or 18 months. Crown definition may also improve some, but remember, crown placement isn't going to get any better. And sometimes, when the head grows, it makes the crown placement seem worse.
Shoulders can widen, but they also can lengthen, so take that into consideration.
Now that you've culled two of the bucks and you still have ten left, what do you do? Now's the time to get out your goals and determine which will help you the most. Which bucks are just like other bucks you already have - but not really quite as good (taking maturity into account)? Which ones are pushing forward on your goals for your herd? Are there bucks that you want to breed back to their wonderful mothers? Are these bucks complementary to those does?
Although it's tempting to always keep the bucks you feel will do best on the table, take your breeding plan into consideration first.
You will continue to cull your rabbits through their lifetimes. Hopefully, you will cull many because they are replaced by better rabbits from your line. Some does will be culled because they aren't good mothers. Other rabbits are culled because they produce too many disqualifications or you can't find a good match for them in the barn. Sometimes, you may let one go just to help someone else in their barn.
I believe it is better to occasionally let a good one get away than to keep a poor one and make it part of your line. I believe we should keep all of the good ones that help our goals, even if that means keeping all of one litter and none of another. I think it's okay to let a line in your barn die out. I think it's okay to keep two rabbits that are almost identical - as long as they are the same in their positive characteristics.
I also believe that getting a second opinion from someone else is a great idea. We lose our objectivity quite quickly in our barns. We love the parents of a rabbit or spent a lot of money on a line. We want a rabbit to be good, so we see it that way.
We also tend to keep the same things and sell the same things over and over, which doesn't help us with our goals. A friend was picking out a buck at Convention this year. She has a clearly stated goal - to increase mass in her rabbits. She was picking from between an absolutely adorable, but small buck, and a larger, more massive one that was not nearly as cute. She was already cuddling the small one and cooing to him when we reminded her of her goals. It seemed to break her heart to choose the one that could help her over the one that was just like what she already had. I told her that it was a hobby and that she should do what would make her happy. But, if she wanted to improve her herd, she should take the one that could help her.
I really don't have any problem culling hard. Well, unless it's my favorite one. Or, unless that rabbit did well at a national show. Or, if it's sweet. Or, if I paid a lot of money for its parents. Or, if I really thought I did a great job of pairing its parents and anticipated that it would be good. Or, if it has a really cute broken pattern on its face.
Other than that, culling is a piece of cake. Not.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
This is a horrible way to operate. It causes breeders to want to hide problems rather than talk about them. It causes some artificial separation between the acceptable and the unacceptable barns. And it's hypocritical.
To be blunt, there are only three kinds of breeders: ones who admit that they have problems in their barns, ones who are lying about not having problems in their barns, ones who haven't bred that much yet.
Way back when I lived in Atlanta, my good friend Doug and I went to a Catholic church for mass during Lent. It was just a block or so from work and the mass was during lunch. During Holy Communion, we, being Protestants, stayed in the pews as expected.
We later talked about the other people who were supposed to stay in the pews, too - prostitutes, the unrepentant, adulterers, etc. Although we could easily be identified as not qualifying to participate, being Protestant - and we respected their beliefs by not participating in Holy Communion - we wondered aloud how many others were at the table who should have been sitting with us. Those theoretical folks were hiding their problems from the world and thus not being excluded.
Likewise, certain barns may have had the finger pointed at them. But the reality is that any barn that produces any significant number of rabbits sooner or later has to deal with bad teeth, birth defects, illness, unthriftiness, and so forth. Some of the most successful lines in the breed have been labeled as bad teeth carriers (which I believe is because the incidence of bad teeth rises with bigger heads and shorter muzzles).
In a more perfect Holland world, breeders would be able to discuss any problem they have or have had in their barns without fear that their rabbit sales would evaporate. We could talk openly about the things to watch out for in a line and what to cull for, even discuss which lines don't cross well.
To me, it's much more important how we deal with issues that crop up rather than whether or not we have issues in our barns. We all have them, sooner or later. I can't stress that enough. I also believe that there is no such thing as a "clean line." That's saying that there is a line of Hollands that has achieved genetic perfection and I just don't believe it exists.
So, how do I hope things are dealt with? I hope that illness is first and foremost quarantined - from the rest of the breeder's herd and from other herds. I hope that breeders will make the tough decision to euthanize when they should and not breed animals with vulnerability to significant health issues.
For genetic problems, I hope that breeders don't breed in wolf teeth or split penises, but also realize that small teeth problems may not be due to a "bad tooth gene" but rather incompatible head and jaw genes - or not genetic at all. Likewise, eye spots have been associated with e cuniculi infection as well as genetics. Some of these smaller genetic issues have been blown out of proportion, in my opinion, while others have been ignored. When was the last time you heard someone say, "Don't buy from her, she has the narrow shoulder gene in her barn!"
My experience with problems and honesty has been positive. First of all, I believe I practice a due diligence. I evaluate situations and make my best determination. If I need to get a second opinion, I do so. If I need to calculate some statistics, I do so. I only breed and sell rabbits that I believe to be sound. But if there's been any irregularity or suspicion of a problem, I am totally honest with the prospective buyer. They have to make the decision about any risk they want to take. Different breeders have different tolerance levels.
If I make any error, it's probably in being overly cautious and unnecessarily alarming.
Here are a few examples.
I had a nice buck who placed very well at Convention. Then, as a young senior, he was DQ'd for simple malocclusion on one side. Basically, his front teeth had become a bit twisted. After describing the history, I gave him to a breeder with a good grasp on genetics. That buck would not have been a good rabbit for a beginner, in my opinion. But this breeder knows how to evaluate the genetic component, if any, to this problem by looking at the outcomes with his offspring. So far, by the way, he's thrown no teeth problems.
In another case, I had sold a rabbit but had not yet delivered him. In the span of a week, several of his relatives on his father's side were found to have teeth issues. So I gave the information to the buyer and she decided not to purchase the rabbit. I kept him and bred him tightly with his half-sister. After his father had produced about 100 offspring with no further problems, and he had produced no problems himself, I felt I was ready to sell him with a clean teeth-genetics bill of health. If I had sold him quietly at first, which I could have done easily, I would not have been able to live with myself. But after practicing due diligence, I sold him in good faith.
I had a rabbit DQ'd for a skeletal problem. I disagreed with the DQ. I had another breeder look at the rabbit who also disagreed with the call. Finally, I took the rabbit to a rabbit-savvy vet who disagreed with the DQ as well. When I sold the rabbit, I told the buyer about the DQ and what I had done to evaluate the situation. She bought him with no hesitation. Had I just sold him after the DQ and kept my mouth shut, I would have felt terribly guilty. Due diligence is a breath of fresh air for my soul.
On the other hand, I once had a rabbit that was so mean that he'd bite your fingers if you tried to unlatch his cage. We put him down. I felt that there was no way to ethically transfer that rabbit to another person under any circumstances. I could have put him in a raffle and gotten rid of him that way, but that would not have been the right thing to do. In his case, being honest about his problems wasn't really going to help a bit.
Please don't read anything in this post to mean that I am advocating amnesty for people who tote sick rabbits to shows or who do not practice due diligence in evaluating genetic problems. I'm not a proponent of an "anything goes" philosophy. I just want each of us to think a bit about these issues and keep some perspective.
Why should a person who breeds a rabbit who has pulled her teeth - or even one that occasionally throws butting teeth - be ostracized by the rabbit community ("He has bad teeth in his line! Don't buy from him.") while someone who has no problem breeding pin bones, pinched or undercut hips, or long ears skates with no bad reputation at all? Those problems are just as bad or even worse (harder to breed out), yet they are acceptable genetic problems instead of "black list" items.
Does that even make sense?
It is my hope that we as breeders will realize that we're all in this together. We all deal with the same set of problems - genetic and illness-wise. While I'm not advocating breeding any ole problem rabbit, I am encouraging each of us to hesitate pointing the finger.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design ¶ 9:21 AM 1 comments links to this post
First of all, we all have to work within the reality of the area we live in. It doesn't matter if there's a new, wonderful Super Feed III available in Oregon if you live in Florida. Unless your budget allows you to pay for shipping and you can store your feed, you'll have to be content with what is available in your area. Or mill your own.
Feed quality is highly dependent upon the mill that it comes from. Your friends in Colorado may have wonderful results from a brand that your friends in New York hate. So when you are asking around, be sure to find out the mill, so you can compare apples to apples.
Feed companies have three different approaches to creating their feed (at least three that I am aware of):
- fixed formula - that means that they put in to many pounds of ingredient A, such more of ingredient B, and so forth
- fixed analysis - that means they adjust the ingredients a bit here and there to keep the analyses within the limits set for that line of feed
- fixed cost - that means that they adjust the ingredients somewhat according to the prices of the ingredients
Of these three, fixed cost does not benefit the breeder and his or her rabbits at all. That philosophy will give you the greatest variation within a brand and line of feed. I personally would avoid companies who use that approach.
There are benefits to either of the other two. I prefer fixed analysis. I personally believe that the rabbits' bodies process food at a basic level - how much fiber, protein, and micronutrient is in the feed.
There are different types of rabbit feeds. There are low protein versions marketed for pets and 4-H rabbits (I noticed that combo on one feed line's website). I would not recommend those feeds for show rabbits or 4-H, personally. I've seen feeds from 11% to 14.5% protein in those types of pet feeds. Since pets are not breeding, traveling, being exposed to strange rabbits, and are more likely to have more supplements in their diets (aka "treats"), those feeds are probably just fine for them.
When I think of feeds for Hollands, I think of 16% protein first, and then 17% as another possibility. I personally believe that 18% is too high for Hollands. Hollands are a pretty temperamental breed, digestive tract-wise, so too much protein and/or too much carbohydrate can push them over their ability to deal, far too easily for my taste.
I'm also looking for high fiber and low carbohydrates. If you read my BLOG on digestion, you may recall that high protein and carbohydrates stress the system, while probiotics and fiber assists the digestive system. Corn and molasses are two ingredients I keep an eye on. If they have to be in the ingredient list, they have to be very low on the list. Generally, the top five ingredients give you the bulk of any food product. I don't know for certain that that rule of thumb applies to rabbit feed, but I think it probably does.
Most feed is alfalfa-based. There are Timothy hay-based feeds as well. I don't have any available in my area (that I know of), so I haven't needed to research the difference.
There is pelleted feed and extruded feed. Proponents of extruded feed say that more nutrients are available to the animal. Opponents say that cooking the feed during the process is bad for rabbits, who were designed to eat a fresh diet. The extruded feed I use adds back nutrients and probiotics. I'm really on the fence about this issue right now, so I can't weigh in.
You absolutely must take your supplemental feed philosophy into consideration when you select and/or evaluate your feed. I talked to a feed salesperson one day who was telling me about a horse owner. The owner had a complaint about the feed. But when they analyzed the horse's whole diet, they found that the owner had basically supplemented the diet so much it had gotten out of balance.
If you buy a 17% feed (which is on the high end, in my opinion, for Hollands), and then you add 1 tablespoon of grains (which is too much, in my opinion, for Hollands), and then you add Show Bloom, or Sunshine, or Docs or some other 25% protein supplement on top of that, and your rabbits turn out to be poor hay eaters because they have more desirable things to eat, then you throw in a baby carrot, strawberry, or some other relatively high carbohydrate fruit or vegetable, I would not be surprised to find that you lose a lot of babies and juniors to enteritis - and perhaps the occasional adult or two.
Rabbits, who are designed to thrive on a very love quality diet in the wild, just can't handle a diet that is too rich in protein and carbohydrates. And fancy breeds seem to be worse.
So, you've selected your feed from one available in your area. You like the ingredients and the company policy on formulation. You feel that the protein, fiber, and carbohydrate levels complement your supplemental routine (or vice versa). You feed your rabbits the correct amount, having weighed your rabbits and the feed to determine the correct portion size. Things are going along great and then suddenly you have a problem. What should you do?
First of all, check your feed bags and dates. Are there any signs of mold, mildew, or moisture? Open feed should be stored in an airtight container, safe from pests, moisture, direct sunlight, and other contaminants.
Are there any foreign items or strange pieces in the bag? Is the feed fresh (fresher is better, but I like to stay within 90 days of milling even though companies will tell you it's good for 6 months for regular feed and 12 months for extruded feed)? Have you progressed forward with the age of your feed? Or did you get a bag that is two months older than the one before?
Of course, you have been keeping a record of all date codes from every bag of feed you've opened, right? No? Me, neither. It's only when there's a problem that I wish I had been diligent about that. One day, I'm going to get organized and put a clip board on the wall next to the feed can where I can log in feed codes and the date I began using them.
If the feed is fresh, there's no sign of the bag having been compromised, and you see no foreign objects in it, the next thing to do is start using a bag with a different lot number just until you figure things out. If you see strange items mixed in with the feed or it just doesn't look right, contact the feed company and ask them to test your feed.
I remember when a doe of mine got sick. I dissolved pellets and syringe fed them to her - only to find out later that the bag had been recalled and I was essentially force feeding her the very thing that probably made her sick. She died and I felt terrible. When in doubt, switch bags. If it turns out not to be the problem, you can always use it next week.
The next step is simple - ask yourself if it's fall or spring and if there has been very mercurial weather. Spring and fall are both tough on rabbits. Sudden highs and lows stress rabbits no matter what feed they are on. Those are good times to add a probiotic to your rabbits' water supply to help them deal with these stresses. It is simply not unusual for rabbits to get sick and die when the temperatures are ranging 40 or 50 degrees within 24 hours.
Now it's time to get on the telephone or internet or chat with your friends and neighbors at the next rabbit show. What you want to know is this: are others having the same problems and, if so, is it confined to your line of feed from the same mill.
If the answer is yes AND yes, then it's time to contact your feed representative. If the answer is yes and no, then consider this: all feed companies depend on the same types of fields, and Mother Nature's whims, to provide the raw ingredients for their feeds. If there's been a drought, or too much water, or unusual temperatures, or not enough sunshine, all companies deal with the same issues. There could be some variation across feeds that we all just have to deal with.
But maybe everyone is having problems with their rabbits and it has nothing to do with feed. Perhaps there's been a lot of rain and there's just more mold for the rabbits to deal with compared to normal. Perhaps winter is early or summer is hotter than usual.
I also believe that rabbits are tapped into some sort of cosmic pulse that we just can't feel. If I'm having problems with getting does to catch, I'm not surprised to find out that a friend in Nova Scotia is having the same problem. When my friend Linda is getting does to lift for bucks, I'm not surprised to find that mine will do the same thing. Certain months, all does have their babies early or on time. Other months, they all have them on time or late. Sometimes, only the best milking does have milk. Other times, even my worse milker is overfeeding.
It's easier to blame the feed company. They have the ability to pay and make things right. Just remember that sooner or later, that money is always paid for by the people who buy feed - we're where all of the feed company's money comes from. Make sure that it really is their problem.
Sometimes they are in the wrong, of course. If you have eliminated the other possibilities and find that other people on the same brand and line of feed from the same mill are having problems and it's not just happening to everyone, then have them come out and take samples of the feed. Be sure to keep samples for yourself. If they say that there's nothing wrong with the feed and you are convinced that there is a problem, you may need to have the samples evaluated yourself.
If you have to change feeds suddenly due to bad feed or the unavailability of your feed, I suggest adding a probiotic to your rabbits' diet for a few days to help with the transition. Try to delay any other stress-related activities until the transition is complete. Increase your hay allowance if you are not already a daily hay feeder.
If you are changing by choice, be sure to do so gradually to minimize the changes of digestive upsets.
When evaluating your new feed, wait several months before making your judgment. I think that changing feed is like changing shampoos. When you change shampoo, your hair has the benefit of whatever the old shampoo did best and now the benefit of whatever the new shampoo is doing. You will most likely love the results of changing. But over time, you see just what the new one can do, and that may or may not be better.
Likewise, at first you have the benefit of whatever your old feed did best and the benefit of what your new feed does best. Over time, you will see the real results of your new feed program. Also, some problems coincidentally correct themselves when you change feed. The rain stops. The weather evens out. Mother Nature turns a page in her book. You may attribute the change to your new feed and give it more credit than it deserves. Be sure you ask around to see if those who did not chage also saw an end to their "feed" problems.
By the way, some people feed half one brand and half of another. They do this partly to get the average of the two benefit-wise. But they also safeguard against having to make a sudden 100% feed change. If there's a problem at one company, they can go with the other for a while until things are straightened out.
There are so many issues with feed that it's likely to keep your head spinning for years if you are seeking the ideal situation. Measure, observe, record, and analyze your data to help you make the best decisions. Talk to others, both those who feed the same feed and those who feed something different. Take your breed into consideration. LIkewise, take the ebb and flow of the natural world into consideration. And don't let feed worries sap all of the fun of raising rabbits. It is definitely possible to successfully raise rabbits even if you can't obtain the perfect feed.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
I didn't do much to add to the competition, I'm afraid. I showed four solid senior bucks, a solid senior doe, a solid junior doe, Merlin, and three broken junior does. I don't think I've shown Merlin in almost a year. Glad I did - he got his 12th leg.
Java was the only of my own rabbits - again - to earn a leg. He was BOSG under Mike Avesing for his 11th leg. Thank goodness I have Java. He's keeping me going during this current dry spell.
What was really exciting was that my friend Linda Norris granded her first homegrown Holland Lop in style - with two Best of Breeds! Her BOB doe didn't even take the class in the middle show. But she did take it with a different doe. Way to go, Linda.
And, Janice Jones granded her first homegrown Holland - another wonderful milestone. Now, Janice, the pressure is on to get us an updated picture of Master.
Margie Brewer, who won BOS last weekend, upgraded to a Best of Breed in the second show. Also, doing well with a broken junior was Pandora Allen, who won BOS.
I had a great time working with Bruce Ormsby on the youth Netherland Dwarf show. There's a lot to learn about that breed and it's one that I feel all judges should be able to do a credible job with (along with Hollands, Mini Rex, and the commercial type).
I expect my current drought to last for quite some time. My lean breeding in the fall will reach it's long arms into the spring. Maybe things will perk up nearer summer. Until then, I guess I'll have to rely on my senior bucks. My senior girls appear to be back in business, so I don't expect them to spend much time at shows.
After the show, we drove another hour to pick up a new Chihuahua for my son Daniel. We had planned to get a blue and white male, but I could only locate one testicle on him (that registrar training is coming in handy). The breeder decided to sell him a blue fawn and white male - about 4 lbs. I'd estimate. He's adorable. Scamp is quite jealous, but otherwise, things are going well. We'll try to get a picture posted soon.
I hope wherever you were this weekend, you had as much fun as I did.
Laurie
¶ 11:18 AM 1 comments links to this post
That, in itself, may be enough reason to have a website. But looking further, selling rabbits means making space for future breeding, which could help improve your herd faster. If you have sluggish sales, then you must hold up until you have space - or deal with population explosion problems!
For other people, selling their rabbits is a secondary consideration. For them, their website is about sharing their excitement in their hobbies. Their sites scream, "Lookie at what I've got! Isn't this great!" I like to visit those sites. They pump up my own enthusiasm for our hobby.
Websites are also a way to share information. You can share your own path, what you are learning, and what you experience in your rabbitry. Don't ever feel like you have nothing to share. What seems like common information to you could be an eye-opener to others. And those of us highly addicted to rabbits want to read about every litter born, every leg earned, and every strange color born in your barn.
Other websites are extremely artistic. Their main purpose is to showcase photographs or rabbit-related graphics. There are some sites with horrible pictures of rabbits. When you see them, you just hope that the rabbits look better in person. Other sites have pictures of nice rabbits and/or well posed rabbits. Then there are those with lovely rabbits in gorgeous settings in a color coordinated website. You don't even have to love rabbits to enjoy those sites.
I think that there are several things that can hold your website back from accomplishing your goals:
- No one can find your website - make sure that you exchange links with other websites and try to get your site listed with your national specialty club or directories - also make sure that you are linked by a website that has good search engine ratings so that you are picked up by the search engines.
- Your website is difficult to navigate - most rabbitry websites are fewer than 12 pages, so there's no reason to have a complicated navigation system. There are two things you should do, though. Make sure that you can get to any page from any page without having to backtrack to the main page, and keep the navigation the same on every page.
- Your pages take too long to load - as much as I may want to see your bunnies, I do not have the time to wait 12 minutes each time the page loads. Most people are still on dial-up, so make sure your site comes up in a reasonable period of time. It's best to keep page loading to 8 seconds. Fifteen seconds is acceptable. Thirty seconds is the absolute outside limit for high graphics, highly desirable pages. If you go beyond that, you should be totally sure that the page is so highly desirable that folks will stick around to see it loaded.
- Your site does not function correctly - you have missing links, pages that are empty (it is better to disable a link than to have people spend time loading a page just to get an "under construction" graphic), pages that don't load correctly, graphics that overlap, or color schemes that make reading your page very difficult or uncomfortable.
- Your website is not organized - this is a hobby and folks will not continue to visit a site that is frustrating or irritating.
There are many other design errors - centering paragraphs of text, having music play automatically, adding slow loading graphics that are not part of your overall design, using entry pages that do nothing, and much more. By knowing what your goals are, organizing your website, and following some basic principles, you can have a rabbitry website that will help you reach your goals.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
- Standard of Perfection (SOP) - The SOP is not just for registrars and judges. Sure, the bulk of it is standards for rabbits and cavies you do not raise, but that one up-to-date standard for your breed is worth the price of the book. However, there's much more in the SOP than just the Holland standard. There's a rabbit glossary, information on admitting new varieties and new breeds to the standard, a list of general disqualifications (if you just read your breed standard, you are only getting half of the story), diagrams of certain faults, photos of teeth problems and eye colors and much more. Some vendors sell the SOP, but you can also purchase it directly from ARBA.
- Tattoo equipment - I hate tattooing. Absolutely hate it. I've tried the clamp, manual pen, and battery pen. I currently have an EZ-Tat. But when I can scrape a few dollars together, I'm going to buy a new battery operated pen. It's sleeker and easier to handle than the EZ-Tat. A friend of mine has one and loves it. You can get more information at the LOV's website where it says Cordless Tattoo.
- Vanodine - I think Vanodine is better than plain iodine, bleach, or anything else I've heard about or tried for general disinfecting. It's better than plain iodine because it has a surfactant in it, making it useful for cleaning and not just flash disinfecting. It's not approved for wound care, but I use it on my boo-boos and the rabbits'. It's safer than bleach for disinfecting around the bunnies. And, though it would seem expensive, once properly diluted, it's not bad at all. I use it all of the time and go through about one $20 bottle per year. I keep a quart spray bottle, properly diluted, on my work table at all times. I also travel with a smaller version.
- Grooming Supplies - Nail scissors, slicker brush, flea comb, and peroxide: those four things can do just about everything you need to do to a rabbit. I just use the cheap cat nail scissors from Wal-mart, though I'm always looking for a better pair. The metal slicker brush is my number one grooming tool, but I use the flea comb for long, tangled undercoats and for getting dried matter out of the fur. Peroxide is great for food stains.
- Anti-Static Spray - Sure, it's a grooming aid, too, but it deserves it's own mention. I was a little wary about using it in the beginning - I'm such a rule follower and I was afraid it was a foreign substance. But when I was at the Judge's Academy, I asked Glen Carr about it and was told it was okay to use. It really doesn't do anything that water won't do, it's just that it lasts longer. It's especially helpful on longish fur and during the dry winter months. I purchased mine from Pandora Allen of Fox Allen Farms. It's called Winner's Edge.
- Software - I cannot for one minute imagine running my rabbitry without software. Sure, you can write out pedigrees by hand. I know folks with large rabbitries who do that. But that's not for me. I'm glad that I got my software early on so that I didn't have a great deal of information to enter in the beginning. Currently, I have records for 1339 rabbits! Now it's so easy just to click on the parents, enter the name, sex, birthday, and ear number, and I'm well on my way to having a complete record for rabbits born in my rabbitry. Once the rabbit is registered, I add the weight and registration number with the date registered. Hopefully later, I add a grand champion number and keep up with a growing leg count (as if that were automatic!). I also keep track of my breeding and which rabbits are in my herd, waiting to be evaluated for admission to my herd, and for sale (either as pets or pedigreed rabbits). I use Breeder's Assistant, and I love it.
- Scales - Weight is such an important issue in our rabbitries. How many times have you seen someone so excited to show their rabbit, only to have it disqualified because it's overweight?
You may think that you can use just scales at shows and that's enough. But it's important to keep an eye on the weight of your breeding does - the ones that may never, ever go to another show. Overweight does can have problems catching or kindling.
If you have a rabbit that seems to be off somehow, it could be very useful to find out that he's lost 6 oz. or that his weight is fine. I know that rabbit scales are expensive, but take the plunge and you'll be glad you did. By the way, if you go to a National show or Convention, you may find the very nice scales on sale for a reasonable price at the end of the show.
I use a kitchen diet scale for weighing kits. It can put your mind at ease if you can be sure your babies are gaining weight. - Your Hands - Some people have highly skilled hands and others do not. But no matter what your skill level, you can improve by using your hands more often. Give your hands, one of your most important tools, as much training as possible. Always pose your rabbits first thing whenever you handle them. Pose first and then clip nails. Pose first and then check genitalia. Pose first and then check to see if the tattoo needs to be retouched.
Also, touch as many Hollands as possible. That advice is given time and time again, but I don't see many people taking advantage of this very important activity, me included. Don't be shy about asking. We all need to touch. We need to feel good examples and poor examples.
We also need to take good care of our hands. Sure, you want to treat scratches and cuts to avoid infection. But you also want to keep your hands protected from calluses and dryness so that you can retain as much of your flexibility and sense of touch as possible.
There are tons of other tools and supplies that we use: cages, watering systems, show tables, carpet samples, photographs, websites, feed, supplements, storage and cleaning tools, rabbit care books, and on and on and on. I could never mention them all, I'm sure.
When I first started, I visited a rabbitry and was amazed at all of the "stuff" involved. I thought that I would never, ever have that much. But by gradually adding items, it's not hard to find yourself surrounded by the very same things!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
Four cards are placed on the table. During a normal turn, each player must place a card before or after a card on the table and state that one thing fits in the next. An atom fits in Vitamin C, for example.
You can change the meaning of the word with each turn. For example, "Atlas" can fit in a doorway if you mean that it is a book of maps. But many things can fit inside Atlas, if it's the man who is holding the world on his shoulders.
Once someone places a fourth card, we have a pickle round. Each player has one chance to trump the largest card. It's amazing what can happen during this round. But what's so much fun is hearing everyone's justifications. A quick thumbs up or down decides whether any ify cards can be played. It's hilarious.
It occurred to me while we were playing and laughing that this is one of those games that's more fun to play than to win. Sure, it's nice to win, but that's not the most important thing. And I doubt that anyone who was playing felt like a loser after the game.
Contrast this type of game to say, oh, professional poker. Yes, I'm sure these pros enjoy the game. But winning is everything. And to lose can be very bitter, not to mention expensive.
Of course, it doesn't have to be that high stakes for losing to be disappointing and to overshadow the joy of just playing.
My Granny was a huge game player. She loved domino games and card games and Yahtzee and just about anything you could play on a table. Her favorite was progressive rummy. She had the ability to play for the love of playing. She never, ever appeared to be upset by losing. Her attitude allowed her to go with the flow if there was a mis-deal or something forgot to call out "Uno" on time. She was delighted with every opportunity to play.
I suppose she started a legacy in our family. My mom is a huge game player, and my sister and I love games. Mom tests out all of the family girlfriends on the game table. If they want to play, they're probably alright! I'd better warn my girls that Grandma will probably test their boyfriends, too!
I love a particular game company - Cranium. They have made a series of games that are much more fun to play than to worry about who wins. We played one of them last night, too: Whonu. There's also Cadoo, Conga, and Whatiff, among others.
The really good thing about these games is that you learn about the people you play with. They are non-threatening. They cause a lot of laughter. And the games don't produce any real losers, though there's always a winner. The most common response upon finishing is, "Let's play it again."
I can't say that I've always attended rabbit shows with the same attitude that my Granny played games. Usually, but not always, and that's a shame. It's something I want to work on. It will take a shift of focus, I think.
Now, I've never taken the professional poker attitude towards rabbits. But I have let myself feel disappointed on occasion. A friend of mine pointed out to me once that I had let the disappointment on the table ruin my fun time at the show. And she was absolutely 100% correct.
I think back to show B last weekend. Sure, I ended up with the BOB, but that happened during the last few seconds of the show. I still had a fantastically wonderful time with my friends before that moment, even though I was obviously not taking as many classes as usual.
That's how I want all shows to be, full of fun and laughter - whether or not I end up with what I refer to as a "party favor." Those party favors would be legs! They're something to take home after having had a good time.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 9:08 AM 0 comments links to this post
I've heard reports from people around the country that folks are mean to them and the reason is simply that they are successful on the table. Is this just human nature?
I was talking to a feed salesman one day. He judges a different species - something a good bit larger than rabbits. He mentioned that when someone starts winning, folks begin treating them differently. He states that they are envious.
I have a friend who used to show horses. Her report was similar. Once she started winning, suddenly people started ignoring her and treating her with disdain. She said that when she was no threat to the winners in the ring, they were friendly to her. It was only after she became a challenge that their real personalities came out.
So is it inevitable? Or does it only happen between certain kinds of people?
Sometimes, competitors become successful by employing questionable practices. Sometimes, they start to guard their stock (or trade secrets or whatever) so much that they lose sight of how they come across to other exhibitors. Sometimes they begin to act as though they are in a different league than the rest. "I'm somebody and you are nobody." Sometimes they start treating people as though they do not matter because their rabbits are not as good. Sometimes they disregard the work and effort of others; only their hard work matters. And sometimes, they show downright bad sportsmanship.
Then, when folks are not longer friendly to them, they decide that they are jealous.
Other times, a perfectly friendly, fair playing person does well in a hobby. Maybe they got a lucky break. Maybe they have the money to give themselves a good start in a breed or species (as if most of us wouldn't do the same if we had the money). Maybe they've just worked quietly and steadily and improved their herd. Pretty soon the dogs are nipping at their heels. "She didn't breed that herself." "He's trying to buy success." "They really lucked up." "Where the heck did she come from? She's nobody!"
So far, it sounds like being successful is doomed to misery. But not necessarily.
There's also the interaction between the perfectly friendly, fair-playing, considerate exhibitor who shares and enjoys the hobby with others and other perfectly friendly, fair-playing, considerate exhibitors who share and enjoy the hobby with others.
These are the folks who can easily be happy for others when they win. These are the folks who would never consider showing a senior as a junior or breaking an ARBA rule on purpose. These are the folks who share information, give of their time, and don't mind selling nice rabbits in their own neighborhoods. These are the folks whose joy is multiplied because they can have a fun, successful show whether it is their own rabbit that wins, whether it is a rabbit they sold, whether it's a rabbit out of their rabbit, or whether it's a rabbit bred and owned by a friend of theirs.
These are the people who are never lonely, whether they are at the top, bottom, or somewhere in between.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 8:56 AM 1 comments links to this post
I have had the very unusual situation that two of the nicest herd bucks I've ever purchased were both tort REW carriers. REW stands for ruby-eyed white. Two REW genes produces a ruby-eyed white rabbit.
I have been asked whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. And, of course, the answer is, "It depends."
Actually, the answer is that it is either a good thing or no thing at all. I can't think of a reason why it would be a bad thing, unless you hate REWs and would consider the REW offspring and descendents in your barn to be automatic culls.
I say that it is nothing because the two REW carriers that I own/owned showed no signs of being REW carriers, which is typical of a full color (C gene) rabbit. One now has over 40 or 45 legs (I've lost track now that I no longer own him) and the other has 11, being shown rarely. Obviously, the c gene didn't hold them back any!
So when is it a good thing? One, in producing properly colored rabbits, and two, in diagnosing confusing colors.
A properly-gened sable point has one sable gene and either a REW or himi gene. I believe there are many seal points out there masquerading as a smutty sable points. Those seal point rabbits would have a genotype of aa B- cchl-cchl D- ee.
Think of it this way, every time you breed two sable points together (or sable point with a blue point), you should get 25% seal points (or blue seal points) on the average. But how many times have you ever heard someone say or list that a rabbit was a seal point?
If you want good sable point color, you have to start with the right genes. That's where your REW carrier comes in handy. If I get a sable point from a tort REW carrier plus any other rabbit, then I know for certain that the rabbit is cchl - c (sable gene/rew gene). Why? Because if the tort/rew-carrier had not given the offspring the REW gene, it would have had to give it the C gene, which would not have allowed the recessive sable gene to express itself.
Certainly there are rufus modifiers that also contribute to a smutty sable point. Good color is never just one simple thing, I'm afraid.
If you want to produce a Siamese sable, then you also have to have a REW or himi gene. Otherwise, you have a seal. It works the same way as the sable point vs. seal point.
I recently got an email from a woman who thought there was an error in a pedigree. The pedigree said that the rabbit was seal. But she felt that it was black. I asked her to check the foot pads and she said they were gray. It certainly sounded black. She said she had listed it as seal because one parent was seal and the other was sable point. She knew that those two rabbits could not produce a black. She's right about that. There's no C gene in that pairing and it is required to produce a black.
So what could be going on? The parent may not have been a seal. How could she test? By breeding a REW to the suspected seal/black. The rew has two c genes, which are recessive to all other c-series genes. If there is one black or blue rabbit in the bunch (or tort or blue tort even), then the rabbit being tested was black. How can I say that with certainty? Because black, blue, tort, and blue tort all require the C gene.
Now if there is a black rabbit, how can I say for certain that it is black and not another confusing seal? The answer is that seal would not be a genetic possibility. It takes two sable genes to make a seal and the REW parent would definitely be contributing a c gene. So anything in this litter that looks black, would be black.
I think that if you are working on colors, REWs are indispensable. And when silver martens become an approved variety of Holland down the road, we will need them to test for the cchd gene - to separate silver martens from sable martens.
So is the REW gene a good thing or a bad thing? I think it is mostly a good thing. Even if you are not working with colors, you may produce some REWs that are highly sellable as utility animals, if nothing else, to those who are working on colors. Plus, it is not impossible to work towards competitive REWs. GC BBF's Coca Cola Bear, a REW, had a successful show career, I do believe. And, he produced the best rabbit that has ever lived in my barn - GC BBF's Yankee Doodle Dandy!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 8:59 AM 0 comments links to this post
The bottom line is this: if you feel the same way, now is the time to write your Holland Lop district director and voice your concern. It takes quite a bit of time to get wording changes presented and approved in time to be part of the next Standard of Perfection.
So, if you want to see a wording change such as "massive relative to the size of the animal" where it says "massive" or if you want an ideal weight restored to our standard, please write your director and say so.
- District 1: Scott Rodriguez showbunraizer@yahoo.com
- District 2: Rachel Roehe Rachel@backyardbunnybarn.com
- District 3: Mark Carson mjsrcarson@huxcomm.net
- District 4: Janet Smith hollandlady1@hotmail.com
- District 5: Lisa Braun ljbraun@yahoo.com
- District 6: Cindy Pail ivypatch@comcast.net
- District 7: Barry Hustins bkdwarf@gwi.net
- District 8: Brenda Dumas dumabroobunnies@yahoo.com
- District 9: Henry Sabetti Henry.Sabetti@verizon.net
Please do not feel that you cannot make a difference. You can. District Directors can rightly ignore one email as just a random opinion. But if they get a number of emails, they should feel compelled to represent that idea to the board.
As they say in the commercials, "call before midnight tonight." Don't put it off. Email your director today. I did. Here's my letter:
Hello Henry,
I have noticed that more and more, it takes a 4.00 Holland to be competitive. At Convention, there were two or three JUNIOR does that weighed 4.00, as I recall. I believe the BOB was a 4.00 rabbit. I know when I took the bsb class at Convention, it was with a 4.00 rabbit. The last BOB I won, was with a 4.00 rabbit.
But we are supposed to be a dwarf breed. I believe we're losing the "massive rabbit in a small package" to just mass. Too often, it takes being 4.00 to compete.
Many times I hear breeders saying that they have this super rabbit - has everything they want in a Holland. But then they add, "but he'll never compete because he's small." Does that even make sense in a dwarf breed? Or, they might say, it will take a special judge to find this rabbit. I would say it would take a well trained judge to do so.
I would like to see the question put before the membership about changing the wording in our standard to "massive for the size of the animal" where it says "massive." As it stands now, some judges are interpreting this to mean, bigger is better as long as it doesn't go over 4.00. I even heard a judge announce that to the exhibitors one time.
It makes no sense to have 4.00 as best and then 4.01 as DQ. It's like saying a 99 is an A but 100 is fail. As we approach a limit, it should be less desirable, not more desirable, in my opinion.
I also feel that the wording change must be accompanied by judge training on the subject for it to be effective. Just as with our legal system where it doesn't so much matter if the law is on the books but rather whether the law is actively enforced, a wording change would only be effective if accompanied by judge training (such as a volunteer from HLRSC presenting at the judges' conference at convention, writing a part of the column for judges in the DR, etc.)
To sum up, I believe we need to re-establish the Holland lop as a massive rabbit in a small package. I believe the wording in the standard should be changed to reflect that idea more strongly, and I feel that the change would have to be accompanied by judge education to be effective.
Thanks for your time in reading my concerns. I hope that you find there is enough support for this idea to present it to the board for consideration.
Sincerely,
Laurie Stroupe
District 9 HLRSC Member
Feel free to lift any ideas from this letter that you wish.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
I bombed in the first show. I think this is the third time I've shown under Jeff Hardin and the third time I've not done well. Oh well. Dems the berries. (What does that mean, anyway?)
I registered some rabbits at lunchtime. As always, it's a lot of work for $2, but I view it as an opportunity to learn. I unfortunately did catch one DQ.
Anna and I showed Silver Foxes. I'm giving all of the juniors to Anna, but I will be selling the seniors I have in a few weeks when the doe weans this litter. I want to watch some silver foxes grow up in my barn and then I'll be done with that breed. I've learned a lot by having them here and by showing a different breed. A breeder from out of our area was there with some nice examples of Silver Foxes and I appreciated getting my hands on them.
The second show of the day is more the type that I enjoy. We were assigned Rusty Westhoff, one of my favorite Holland judges. I believe it was six different exhibitors that earned legs. And I got a little bonus: Java was BOB, earning the first herdsman point of 2007 and the first two quality points. He also hit 10 legs.
Too bad I don't have a crystal ball. I could have saved $98 by just entering Java!
Mocksville is only one hour, fifteen minutes from home, so I enjoyed getting back home early. There's nothing like having a fun show AND getting to bed on time!
Laurie ¶ 8:44 PM 1 comments links to this post
Two recessive fuzzy genes will produce a DQ Holland - a Holland with wool. You can sell the fuzzy Holland quite easily as a pet or sell it to an American Fuzzy Lop breeder who doesn't mind working with fuzzy Hollands. Be sure to be clear that it is a Holland, though, and not an American Fuzzy Lop.
A Holland with one fuzzy gene will often, but not always, have longish fur. I have been, on occasion, shocked to find out that a particular rabbit is a fuzzy gene carrier. They may also have denser fur. So it's not a one-two punch. Instead, it gives a little and takes a little.
I do believe in full disclosure when you know that a rabbit is a fuzzy carrier. Because it is such a non-issue for me, I sometimes forget about it. So, if you are buying a rabbit, it's good to ask whether the rabbit has ever produced a fuzzy. If you are one of the wool-gene-haters, then you should also ask whether either parent is a known fuzzy carriers.
So, why don't I hate the gene? First of all, some of my best rabbits are fuzzy gene carriers: Rio, Merlin, May, and a few others. There was a district 9 Holland with over 40 legs who was a fuzzy carrier. I suspect that some top lops are also fuzzy carriers. If it were truly a horrible, terrible gene, then rabbits could not be successful on the table - repeatedly - with the gene.
Look at our points structure. Fur is 7 points. And those 7 points have to cover "glossy, dense, fine in texture, and even in length." Our Holland fur is supposed to be approximately 1" long. So, if you have a wool gene carrier and got the longish fur, then you lose just a fraction of 7 points. Ooooh, I'm shaking in my boots from fear!
I also looked to see what an impact the fuzzy gene has made on my herd. So far, out of the first 555 kits, I produced 9 fuzzies. Believe me, I've produced far more than 9 butt ugly rabbits. And I'm more worried about reducing the number butt ugly rabbits than the fuzzy ones.
If I pet out or sell all of my fuzzies and only keep fuzzy carriers and non-fuzzy carriers, then the actually percentage of fuzzy production will stay small. Even if I gravitated to fuzzy carriers and every rabbit in my barn was a fuzzy carrier, the percentage (on the average) would never rise above 25%. As it is, I also have quite a few non-fuzzy gene carriers. So my actual percentage is lower.
I do take the fuzzy gene into consideration when breeding. Non-fuzzy gene carriers are a delight because I don't have to worry about who to breed them to. But as you may know, I don't let the fact that two rabbits are fuzzy carriers stop me from breeding them together if it's a great match any more than I would let the fact that two rabbits are brokens stop me from breeding if it's a great match otherwise. Most, if not all Charlies are DQ rabbits, too. It's the same risk.
Of course, with me, I'll end up with three fuzzy Charlies in a litter. Speaking of which, Rio and May's last litter is three brokens - no Charlies. One hurdle down. Now I have to see whether any are fuzzy carriers. I also have two dilutes. So I'll have to see whether either of the dilutes is a broken blue point - another DQ. Why am I willing to risk all of these possible DQ's? Because Padme (Rio x May) is such a fabulous doe. Who wouldn't want another one like her!
Okay, back to wool. Think for a moment of all of the things that Hollands need to improve on: genetic consistency, slipped crowns, narrow shoulders, pinbones, eye spots, split penis, long bodies, long bone, weight, and probably more. These are the things, in my opinion, that we should be aggressively culling (split penis, I believe, comes in both the genetic and non-genetic forms - if it runs in a line, cull).
Wool is probably in the bottom third of things that I care about. Yes, I hope one day to be fine tuning my herd so that the wool gene matters. Once I have conquered crowns, bone, length, etc., then I'll be worrying about such things as whether my herd carries the wool gene. If I ever have two lines of equal quality, one with the wool gene and one without - and I only have time and space to work with one line - then I'll choose the one without the wool gene. But until that happens, I've got other things to work on.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
Well, in a way, those people are just like dominant genes. Genes such as the A gene (agouti gene), B gene (black gene), C gene (full color gene), and D gene (dense gene) are just like these dominating people: they have their way and it doesn't matter what the second gene is.
Now there are other people who are dominating with, oh let's say their spouse and kids, but aren't dominating when they are with their friend or mistress or principal. When they are around their kids, they have their way. But when they go out with a girlfriend, that girlfriend always dominates.
This is an example of how the tan gene works. When the tan gene (as found in otters and martens as well as tans) is paired with the self gene (such as in black, tort, and sable point), it dominates. Self is like the kid in this scenario. But when it is paired with the A gene (as found in chestnut, chinchilla, and opal), the at gene capitulates and allows the A gene - the girlfriend - to dominate.
In life we have people who totally dominate others and those dominated by others as well. But in real life, there are people that are somewhat dominant but let their friends, spouses, and therapists also have a say in their lives. They are influenced by these friends.
And guess what, genes are the same way. If you have a sable point that carries the REW gene (that's a cchl gene and a c gene ), then you can often see evidence of that REW gene in the glow of the eyes. And, we know that the cchl gene will create a seal if there is another cchl to influence it, but that same rabbit would be a Siamese sable with a chm or c gene. These genes show incomplete dominance - that's the term we use for genes that allow recessive genes to have some influence.
The wool gene is another great example of incomplete dominance. Two recessive wool genes gives a rabbit wool. Two dominant wool genes gives a rabbit fur. But one dominant and one recessive gene slightly lengthens the fur giving the rabbit longish fur, compared to what it would have had without the recessive wool gene.
Both the pattern genes and dwarf genes are incompletely dominant. If you have two gene possibilities and three outcomes, that indicates incomplete dominance. With the pattern gene, we have solid, broken, and Charlie. With the dwarf gene, we have normals, true dwarfs, and peanuts.
Studying genetics can become confusing because of all of the terminology involved. And, it's often harder to write something down in words than the thing is in reality. Think of how hard it is to read or write about tying your shoes! But in reality, it's not hard to tie your shoes once you get the hang of it. So don't let genetics turn you off. At a functional level (a user level), it's really not that hard.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 8:36 AM 1 comments links to this post
In keeping with the spirit of New Years resolutions, I'm going to try to prepare better for shows. Sure, I can schlep everything to the show and frantically try to get it all done before I hear "Open, Solid Senior Bucks, Last Call" ringing through the rafters. It's so much better to arrive prepared, check in, and then be able to relax, visit, or maybe even register a couple of rabbits before the calls to the show table begin.
Now, I'm usually very good at scoping out the rabbits I want to show ahead of time. Still, today I will send in my entries and I will need to fine tune that list somewhat. I could just go by paperwork and make a decent guess. Then, when it's time to load up the rabbits, I could fuss about the ones that aren't in as good a shape as I thought or rue the fact that I didn't enter a certain rabbit that has blossomed.
No, the right way to do this is to go to the barn and take out every rabbit I intend to show. I will pose the rabbit and evaluate its overall condition. If it has a chance to compete, then I will give him or her a thorough examination: ears, eyes, teeth, belly, genitals, nails, and spine. If she passes, then she goes on the list.
I will also note whether he has a tattoo and whether the tattoo is really readable. Then I will complain and dread and delay - and then finally give in and tattoo those rabbits. That's my least favorite job.
Now that I have my list of rabbits to show, I'll send in my entry on time (gee, I hope it wasn't a Tuesday entry) and make myself a master list of rabbits that I'm showing. The master list might help with loading rabbits (though I generally go by the carrier labels), but it will definitely help me when I check in so I can easily see whether all of my entries were recorded accurately.
I also print out labels for each carrier. That way, if I'm tied up showing my Silver Fox or am in the restroom or finishing up a rabbit registration, someone else can easily figure out which rabbit needs to go on the table or know where to put the rabbit back in the carrier.
Luckily, I have Andrew's help with my carriers. We spray them out between shows every time. I've got dishes to wash and have ready. I need to check my supply of puppy pads.
On Friday, I will groom each rabbit and clip nails as needed. I will assemble carriers. The trays will be clean; all I need do is spread out a puppy pad. I'll clip in two dishes, one for food and one for water. I'll stuff hay in the hay racks. And I'll put the labels into the carriers according to the show order.
For long trips, I pack extra food and treats. Plus, I take gallons of spring water with me to every show so that my rabbits don't have to get a dose of chlorinated water or well water with a different mineral mix in it.
Aprons are washed. I have Vanodine in my portable spray bottle. I have towels, too. I need to make sure I have a supply of business cards and all of my registration equipment (scale, Standard, pens, forms, carpet).
Next, I need to decide whether I have room for sale rabbits. If so, I need to make sure that I have printed pedigrees for each non-pet. I also will print a form to record my placements. I don't care about points this year, but I will want to record legs and specials. I may even record to 3rd place for my "Recent Show Results" page.
While I'm printing, I'll make sure I have a copy of the show catalog in my book. And I'll print out the directions. I may use Mapquest. If it's not some place I've been before, I may just print out the directions in large print so that I can glance at them when I'm driving, if I don't have a navigator, that is.
Now it's time to think about miscellaneous items: have I promised to bring something for someone? do I want to donate a rabbit to the raffle? do I have other raffle table items? do I need to pack snacks, water, or meals?
On Saturday, I will just put the rabbits into the carrier holes according to the labels. Then, it's just a matter of loading carriers, show table, my rolling crate of supplies, and anything else that's been cued up for the trip.
Like most New Years resolutions, I'm not likely to keep this one perfectly. The tattooing in advance is likely to be the first to go. But I do know from experience that if I do tattoo, examine, and groom in advance, things go much more smoothly at a show. And I'm all for that.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 10:31 AM 0 comments links to this post
The first time I really noticed individuality was with the first doe that I kept from one of my own breedings. Her name was Sterling. She was a large, blue, false dwarf doe, a wonderful mother, and a nest builder extraordinaire!
I generally put the hay into the nest box and have it 90% done. Virtually all of my does start from there and rearrange it to their liking. Not Sterling. She removed every single strand of hay and started over. And, seeing her finished product, it was easy to see why. She was something akin to a basket weaver. She placed each piece of hay exactly, creating a tunnel effect. Each piece of hay was parallel to the next and arched over the top of the perfect hole she was creating. I felt as thought I could trace my finger round and round from the entrance to the back of the hole she made. It was truly a piece of art.
Another personality that stands out is GC The Nature Trail's Roxie. She is a black doe (which you know I love). But what makes her stand out is that she is absolutely crazy friendly. She's friendly when she wants to be bred, she's friendly when she's pregnant, she's friendly when she has kits, and she's friendly between litters. It's hard to put your hand into her cage to do anything, because she expects you to just pay attention to her.
Last month, Roxie had a stuck kit. I was afraid I was going to lose her. And, if I didn't lose her, I was sure she had retained a kit and would be sterile. But, luckily I was wrong. I was probably just feeling some swelling from the traumatic birth. On her due date, January 14, she had three kits. One is a peanut, so I should end up with one black and one tort out of Java. I am so relieved.
I did give her an injection of Pen B to help prevent an infection with the stuck kit. That's my standard practice after any difficult birth.
Another big personality? It comes in a small package. GC Camelot's Merlin is much closer to three pounds than to four, but he projects both a larger body and a huge personality. Merlin is an attention hog. If you don't pay attention, then he'll hum for you. That'll catch you every time. And his cheeks are just too cute to resist.
Rio will catch your attention, too. He's not working for your attention per se, though. No, he'll tolerate a little bit of loving, but he's trying to get extra food. That's what he lives for. I promise that if I filled his j-feeder to the top, he'd be begging the next morning for more. So he's developed his attention-getting skills very well. Being in the double cage with the divider gives him more room to perform. He jumps over back and forth, back and forth. It's so cute! But he's not getting one extra morsel from me.
Another personality that sticks in my mind I almost didn't get a chance to know. He was a pet that I sold as a young junior. When the owner decided to go to college and live in a dorm, she brought him back. He was the perfect pet! He was totally trained and very polite in the house. He showed a lot of curiosity and affection, but never bothered anything he shouldn't. What a clean rabbit, too. So, when I had a potential new owner for him, what did he do? Did he show his nice manners and clean habits? Oh no. Of course not. He sprayed her. Gee whiz.
Personality develops with age. Babies are cute, but their attention spans don't allow them to show a lot of variation. You just have the ones that enjoy being held, those that tolerate it, and those that squirm constantly (or scream like you are pinching them, earning you a dirty look from mom). I like the personalities of older juniors and adults best. That's when they really blossom and become an individual.
I really do love Holland lops. They are a wonderful combination of both beauty and personality.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 9:19 AM 1 comments links to this post
I hope that I will never, ever take a show secretary for granted. It's amazing what it takes just to get a small single open, single youth show put together. Everyone should do it once. It will change the way to you see show secretaries forever!
Granted, I didn't have a decent show program to work with. I thought that DOS was old enough only to exist in museums by now. But that was the only program I had access to. I decided it wasn't worth the time to learn how to use it, especially since I didn't have documentation and got precious little to go on from the one person I know who actually knows how to use the program.
But even with a program, there's so much to do both before and after a show. Ours had a day of show entry, but even so, there was much to prepare in hopes of things going smoothly.
I also have to say that a good writer is a very valuable thing. One small error in recording the placements can take a lot of time to reconcile later. Getting those control sheets filled out correctly - including the name of the judge and writer - makes the show secretary's job so much easier!
One piece of advice - since not all writers are created equal and even good writers can make a mistake once in a while, always check the control sheets, especially if you win a special. I personally have had a couple of placements mixed up. Now I peek at the control sheet at the end of our breed, just to make sure that my rabbits' placements were recorded correctly. It only takes a few seconds. And if an error is found, it can be corrected easily while the judge is still there and the placements are fresh on everyone's minds.
And check your report and your legs when you get them. They may have the wrong ear number or wrong wins listed on them.
I was also amazed at the variety I found in entry forms. Several people did not follow the instructions to complete separate entry forms for each exhibitor. Some forms were missing addresses. I had a very difficult time with "s" and "5" on a number of ear numbers. If you have the ability to print out your entry forms, do so. That can really cut down on the work for the show secretary and the number of errors in reports.
I have to say that it was a good learning experience for me in other ways, too. I had more practice with those wonderful Netherland