Hollands weren't sanctioned for the show. I like that because it helps keep the day light-hearted. But it was ARBA-sanctioned, so legs were available.
My first task upon arriving was making sure that my crock pot of soup was plugged in. I brought taco soup for the lunch. For those of you who liked it, here is the recipe (may be halved):
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 3 28-oz. cans of diced tomatoes
- 4 15-oz. cans of pinto beans
- 1 16-oz. bag of frozen corn
- 1 package of taco seasoning - I used the new hot and spicy style
- 2 tsp. of chilli powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder (not garlic salt)
- 1 1/2 tsp. of salt
- 1 tsp. of coarse ground pepper
Brown the ground beef, and add the other ingredients. Fill one of the tomato cans with water and add that, too. Simmer at least a half hour. Flavors really blend better if refrigerated overnight before serving.
After bringing in the soup, I brought in my dessert for the dessert contest. I was definitely outclassed this year (you may recall that I tied for first last year). Andrew and I made Snickerdoodles (mostly Andrew), one of our favorite cookies:
- 2 sticks of butter (not margarine)
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 3/4 cups plain all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. cream of tartar (found in the spice section)
- 1/4. tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
Cream the better with the sugar. Add the eggs. Mix the dry ingredients together and then add to the creamed mixture.
Roll dough into 1" balls. Shake in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes four dozen cookies.
After that, I helped sort comment cards. Sorry, but I forgot to put the Netherland Dwarf groups together - meant to do that at the end! When you enter a rabbit show, make sure you know whether your breed is shown by variety - in which case you need to write down things like black, light gray, or REW - or by group - in which case you need to note broken, agouti, solid, shaded, etc. Netherlands show by both, but need to note the variety.
Hollands were the first to the table. We just had 25. I can't complain since I only brought four myself. Since I've decided to sell Rizzo and two young senior bucks, I only have three homegrown rabbits in my herd that are not granded. I brought them and one of the two bucks I bought at Convention.
It was Janice Jones' day to shine. She had both BOGs with her senior bucks. Her solid was BOB. I showed in three classes, taking the broken senior doe class and BOSG/BOS. It was not a terribly huge win since bucks were mostly shown, but it was the first leg for Kizzy, who recently turned senior. Now all of the rabbits in my herd have at least one leg (not counting sale rabbits, which have 2, 1, and 0). I had really hoped the judge would like Kazia. She just needs one leg to grand. Maybe next time.
I wrote for the Flemish after that and then it was lunch time. We had our soup lunch followed by the dessert contest. You pay $1and sample all of the desserts. Then you vote. Fudge - in four flavors, I think - won this year. What great fun. Yes, I did sample almost all of them. I've been off of my diet for a week. But not, I haven't gained any weight yet. January's coming though . . .
The costume contest was adorable. Anna dressed her Himi Jersey Wooly as Santa. He was adorable. All of the rabbits were cute. I have no idea how Roger Bustle was able to make a choice. They were all winners.
I missed the DQ contest. There had been a judging clinic for youth that morning, too, that I missed. Apparently both were great learning opportunities. There was a good surprise for one contestant, who found out that her rabbit didn't have a DQ after all.
I registered rabbits in the afternoon. Then, before I knew it, the raffle was over, the breeds were finished up and the Best In Show Contests were held. Anna was excited because the judge looked at her Jersey Wooly a number of times. But I guess he must have been the third favorite. Still, it was fun to see her in the running.
There was an NCRBA meeting after the show. It was one of those meetings where a lot got done in a relatively short period of time. Somehow I volunteered to re-make the NCRBA website into a one-page deal that could be updated once a year.
I am also now part of the audit committee for the NCRBA. Paul Dvorak and I have a huge job ahead of us, I think. I really do need to learn the word, "no!" But I don't think it's going to happen.
After packing up in the rain, Anna and I headed over to a Chinese Buffet for our Sandhills Rabbit Fanciers Christmas party. We played a game of gift exchange. I took home the gift I brought. I never take anything that I wouldn't like to have myself. In this case, it was a beautiful metal ladle. You never seem to have the right one when you need it.
It was a long day. I was up at 4:30 a.m. after getting to bed well past midnight. We got home after 10:00 p.m., in the cold and rain. Boy, am I grateful to Andrew for feeding my rabbits for me. All I wanted was a shower and my bed!
Laurie
¶ 10:02 AM 0 comments links to this post
I've already written just about everything I know about rabbits. In fact, no one is more surprised than I am when I find a new topic that I haven't addressed before!
Here are a few of my favorites to give you something to read during the next month:
- The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG: Most Valued Does
- The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG: The Nature Trail Jungle
- The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG: Show Etiquette
- The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG: Rabbitry Websites
- The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG: I'm All Ears
- The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG: Sanctions
- The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG: Blue Point or Smoke Pearl?
- The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG: Competitiveness
- The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG: Maturation
- The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG: Does That Don't Produce
These posts were from 2005. There are plenty of other posts from 2006 and earlier this year. Just use the links on the right side of the BLOG to search for other posts you might enjoy re-reading or reading for the very first time.
Laurie
¶ 9:38 AM 0 comments links to this post
Now you join in the paperwork generation yourself by issuing pedigrees for your offspring!
The best advice I can give those just getting started is to not wait until you have a lot of paperwork to get organized. Do it from the very beginning.
The first thing you need is a pedigree book. Don't scrimp here. I won my favorite pedigree book as an award for a best reserve in show. Besides a ring binder, it has a zipper to close up the book. If you had seen me leaving a trail of legs behind me at the Ohio Mini Convention one year, you would know exactly why I think the zipper is important. Walking along with an unzippered pedigree - upside down - can be a disaster.
You'll want to outfit this book with a couple of business card pages. Then you can collect your friends' cards, cards from feed dealers, and have a place for your membership cards, too. I can't tell you how many people lose their cards or can't put their hands on them when they want to register a rabbit.
I put four folders into my book. One is for show catalogs. One is for my entry forms for the current show I'm attending. One is for directions to the show. One is for forms. I like to try to keep membership forms for the clubs I belong to. I probably need to replenish that one.
Because I show Hollands, I have eight tabs in my book - one for each class. I think I should add a ninth one for rabbits that are for sale or are sold.
In each individual sleeve, I keep my pedigree showing on the front and the rabbit's registration form showing on the back. If the rabbit grands, then I put the GC certificate on top of the registration form. If the rabbit has a Best In Show, then I put that certificate on top of that. Legs go between the forms. If I grand a rabbit, then I keep the photocopy of the legs I sent in, in there as well.
I rarely keep comment cards or ribbons, but I may if they are from Convention or Nationals. I suppose if I had a rabbit that placed well in a huge class, I might keep that, too. Those would go in between with the legs as well.
It may seem that the book is irreplaceable. In a way, it is. But really, everything is replaceable except the ribbons, comment cards, and legs (and I might even be able to get a few of those back from very recent shows).
The reason that it is replaceable is that everything is recorded in my software program. I use Breeders Assistant and love it.
Of course, if I lost my book, I would have to request new pedigrees for the two rabbits not born here. But every bunny else is in my system. And I'd have to send ARBA some money for replacement certificates. But it could be done.
Having said that, you will find that I don't let that book lying around. It stays with me all of the time. If I leave rabbits in the showroom overnight, the book goes with me.
For Convention and Nationals, I make a mini book just with the pedigrees I need for the trip. Otherwise, I take everything with me every time. I never know when someone will have a question about a rabbit I've sold them. Sometimes I decide to sell a rabbit on the spur of the moment (I don't recommend that!). Maybe I need to confirm an ear number. But whatever comes up, I have what I need.
Of course, I do have to keep the book updated. When I add new juniors to my program, usually around 3 1/2 months of age, I put their pedigrees in the book. If I pet them out, then I just remove the pedigree. I've occasionally gotten behind or left one out, but keeping up with it as you go really helps.
I personally prefer to purchase from a person who has the pedigree on hand, who registers their herd, and who keeps good records. It makes me nervous to see pedigrees with weights or varieties missing. I don't really like to conclude a purchase on a rabbit and then be told that the pedigree will have to be sent later (that information should be mentioned upfront).
Keeping up with your paperwork will reduce the stress in your hobby. You won't "owe" people pedigrees. You won't have a ton of fees to send ARBA all at once. You'll develop a good reputation with your customers. You'll never have a mountain of paperwork to catch up on. And you'll always be able to see at a glance exactly what is going on in your rabbitry.
Laurie ¶ 11:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
But I know that our three dogs would be nothing against a pack of dogs gone crazy. And this latest attack proves that dogs can just dig under the walls to get into my rabbitry. I'm not safe. No one is unless their rabbits are literally indoors.
So now I'm thinking about what I can do to protect my bunnies. I'm going to assume that there's no way that I can prevent a group of strong-willed dogs from getting inside the rabbity. Now what?
I think the only answer is a second bottom to my cages. You've heard the story so many times. Legs are ripped off. Feet are eaten. Sure, sometimes the rabbits die of fright or break their backs. I'm not sure what I can do about that. But I can give the rabbits some space from the dogs nipping at them from underneath.
I will use 1 x 2 or larger grid. I'll have to add length to the sides of each cage and then the second bottom. Logistically, that's not difficult to do. Finding the time to do it, especially when you start thinking it won't happen to you, well, that's the hard part.
So the next time you see me at a show, be sure to ask me whether I've put the second bottoms on my cages. For the love of my rabbits, I hope I can answer, "yes."
Laurie ¶ 10:56 AM 0 comments links to this post
First, it is important to never be desperate to sell rabbits. Desperation can lead a seller to do things that they wouldn't do otherwise.
Avoid being desperate to sell rabbits in these ways:
- Search for an outlet for your substandard culls. Find a zoo or other resource that will use the rabbits for animal food. Learn to butch and prepare rabbit for your own table. Find someone else who will ethically butcher the rabbits for human consumption. Beware of outlets that are easy for you but land the rabbit in a potentially bad situation.
- Be picky about which rabbits you keep in your herd to be sold as pets. Honestly assess your potential market. Any rabbit that doesn't have the personality to be a pet should be culled.
- Never think that you are going to pay for your entire hobby with rabbit sales. Very, very few people in this country are able to do that, and generally only after years of hard work. (Some people think they are making a profit, but they are confusing cash flow with profit.) Even fewer make a net profit that can be used to pay other bills on a consistent basis.
- Don't outbreed your ability to house and care for your rabbits. I know I've been guilty of that one in the past! Desperately needing cage space can lead to desperate sales.
The second major consideration is to never, ever pressure anyone to purchase rabbits from you. I have a friend who once was a salesperson. He said that he found that high pressure sales were always the least satisfactory sales. Those people were always the ones to want to return products, complain about the quality, and take up more of your time in the long run.
Some people say that I try to talk them out of buying my rabbits. I feel that they should know what I know about the rabbit. But people still buy them. No rabbit is perfect. Folks will buy a rabbit for the positive qualities it has as long as they feel they can provide the balance for the rabbit's faults in their own herd. To admit a rabbit's fault is not the same thing as killing a sale.
By the way, if the buyer only wants a perfect rabbit, run from that sale. That's nothing but dissatisfaction waiting to happen.
People who purchase rabbits under a high pressure sales situation will also gladly show everyone the rabbit they bought for too much money and tell them where they got it. "Can you believe that I paid $150 for THIS?" I've heard that so many times. I'd much rather hear that people say, "I got this rabbit from Laurie and it was well worth the price."
Never assume that a buyer is under an obligation to purchase from you because they took up your time. You may want to limit the work you will do upfront for a sale before you get a commitment from the buyer. But if you take 40 photographs of the rabbit, send in a pedigree, describe it to the nth degree, answer 20 emails, offer to meet them 100 miles from your house, and so forth, then do so knowing that there's only a chance that the purchaser will buy.
The way to avoid so much upfront work is to have a website and meet folks at shows you are attending anyway. That helps you avoid having to answer the same questions over and over or meet people in a half dozen places. Pass up on sales that are going to require you to turn somersaults or guarantee perfection. You aren't desperate to sell that rabbit to that person anyway, remember?
It should go without saying, but be honest and complete in your descriptions of the rabbit and answer questions frankly. Unfortunately, that's not a uniform practice among breeders.
A relative had an eBay business. When he first started, he'd try to take the most optimal pictures of products he could. But after a while, he found that it was much better to take close-ups of any flaws on the products. He found that people still bought the glassware and China. They were just much happier with the sale.
So you have a rabbit that is narrow, but has an adorable head and crown. Just say so. There's someone out there who has plenty of width but needs that head and crown. If there's not, you are not going to have a satisfying sale anyway.
Sure, sometimes a fault or disqualification will get by the seller and buyer alike. Be clear about your refund policies. Stand by your sales. If you sell a buck and it is disqualified for a split penis two weeks later, you know he had that when you sold him. Sure, get verifications. A split has to be more than half way for an aperture split to be a disqualification. Maybe it's just a large apperture. But if it is verified, offer an exchange or refund.
If giving refunds is a financial challenge to you, then get into the habit of laying aside sale money for a period of time before you spend it. Protecting your reputation is a wise investment. If you think that giving the refund will give you fianancial problems, how will losing future sales affect you financially?
If you accept deposits on rabbits, they should be fully refundable should the rabbit not be found suitable to the buyer upon physical inspection. No one should ever have to lose money based on your photographs and your say alone. What you think is a great shoulder may not be the same thing to the buyer. Rabbits are complicated. There's no way to know a rabbit without touching it.
As a seller, you do have the right not to deal with certain buyers. I remember a person who backed out on a sell saying that she had no cage space. Then she purchased two rabbits she saw for the first time at the very show she was to pick up the rabbits from me. Honestly goes both ways. I don't have to deal with people that I don't think are honest either.
Price rabbits fairly and never, ever take advantage of the ignorance of newcomers. Yes, it is expensive to produce a nice rabbit. And it's harder to produce nice rabbits in dwarf breeds because of smaller litters and peanuts. Exceptional rabbits only come along once in a while. Why would I want to sell an exception rabbit for very little money?
[My personal philosophy is to sell reasonably because I'm not a rabbit seller, I'm a rabbit breeder. I just want to sell what I don't need and get back to breeding. Remember, I'm not going to pay for my hobby with sales anyway. But there are a few rabbits that I'd rather just keep if I can't get a good price on it.]
Every breeder produces many more good rabbits than great rabbits. Parts rabbits. Brood does. These rabbits are worthy of being sold, too. But they shouldn't have a top dollar price tag just because newcomers will assume that everything from a good barn is equally good.
Rabbits sales aren't rocket science. Keep the pressure off of yourself so that you aren't tempted to do desperate things for sales. Treat people like you want to be treated. Remember that this is a hobby. Never press an unfair advantage. Stand by your sales. That's about it.
Laurie
¶ 10:02 AM 0 comments links to this post
First up is a mug shot of our officers and directors. Actually, they all look pretty nice. The only thing that seems to be missing is a woman's face.
If you aren't sure which district you live in, there's a list of the states and areas covered by each district, too.
You can find out who is on each committee on page 4. There are a lot of committees. Who knew there were so many!
Each state or region has one or more represenatives. I'd love to see more on what their duties are. I had been breeding for several years before I even knew we had them. Now that I know we have them, I'd like to know what they are for exactly.
You can find out all kinds of club information - all breed and specialty clubs, plus fairs that sanction their shows, too.
Although the website should be the best place to find out judge and registrar information, there is a list of each in the Yearbook. It's more convenient to carry the Yearbook to a show planning meeting than to bring the internet with you. (Unless you have one of those neat little gizmos.)
I'm listed in the registrar's list as Linda Stroupe, page 34. Yes, that's me, Linda. Folks are always getting me and my best friend Linda Norris confused. This should really help clear things up.
There are plenty of little miscellaneous items in the Yearbook, too. You can find the abbreviations for each breed on page 39. The next big thing is the listing of members. If you are not in there, it's probably because you are only paid up for one year.
There's some great youth information that begins on page 166. If you are interested in royalty, breed identification contests, judging teams or other youth contests, you want to check here.
The breed abbreviations are included again on page 175. I guess this is the list for youth to use. . . .
Page 246 begins the constitution. This is a tough read (from the same folks who wanted me to be brief in my proposal on Convention Sales!) At least read the objectives and skim over the rest. It's good to know where to go to if you need specific information.
Page 262 starts the show rules. These are not as tough to read as they first appear. Every exhibitor should read these from end to end at least once. Ignorance is no excuse. We've all been provided with a copy of the rules.
Registrar rules are on page 270. Rules regarding grand champions are on the next page along with the special Convention Show Rules.
In general, that's about it. It's a handy reference full of good information. Don't just shelve it like I did for the first three years I was a member. Take advantage of it.
Happy reading!
Laurie ¶ 12:23 PM 0 comments links to this post
I enjoyed Allan Ormond's judging and teaching in the first show. I remember hearing his teaching when I was a lot newer. It helped me formulate my own philosophies on breeding. Several breeders told me how much they appreciated Allan's words of advice. Just before I left, I made sure he knew how much we appreciated the extra time he takes to help people improve their herds.
He really liked MLK, who was 3rd out of 16. I like him, too! Jamillia took her class of 17. I think that Lex was second, losing to a beautiful buck bred and shown by Gary & Susan Smith. Kazia took her class for her second leg (yeah!) and Kizzy lost out to another beautiful Gary & Susan Smith rabbit.
The second show was a humbling experience. We had Bob Shaftoe. Apparently, we don't see Hollands alike at all. Well, he did put Jamillia second out of 17, but other than that, I can't say that any of my rabbits did all that well. In fact, Kazia was last place instead of first!
Oh well, it will make the next win all the sweeter knowing that a leg is not automatic in every show.
I scratched my only junior (who turns senior tomorrow) and got out by 3:09. I was delighted to be leaving early since I had a dance last night. I calculated that I would get home an hour before the dance.
And then we got behind a horrible accident. What bad luck. Though, it's much better to be behind a wreck than in one. I'm sure the passengers in the vehicles involved would have much preferred to only be late getting home last evening. I don't see how the driver could have survived from the looks of the vehicle.
I got home just as the dance started and arrived at the dance about 40 minutes late. It turned out that the timing was perfect. Andrew arrived at the dance at the same time. He'd been in Atlanta all week.
So, I got to dance with Andrew, my father, and my former instructor and friend Bill. We had a delightful time. My energy stayed with me until the last dance, and then I crumbled on the steps in a heap. Darn it, I still had rabbits to feed.
It was a long day, but a good one (except for that show B part). When I went to the barn, exhausted and freezing, I still had to pause and look at Lexus and Lex's babies, who are ready to come out of the nest box. They are at that perfect age where there's no flaw, just gorgeous, life-loving bunny, curious and precious. My body was freezing, but my heart was warm.
Laurie ¶ 11:41 AM 0 comments links to this post
