The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG
Thursday, January 17, 2008
  Making Any Progress?
It's been a long time since I really looked at my herd to see if I've made any progress. I didn't add a lot of rabbits to my herd last year, but I shouldn't get lazy about keeping track. This time, I've decided to look at grand champions per hundred rabbits. In theory, I'd like to see that I produced more grand champions with each hundred rabbits I've produced. Let's see if it works out that way.

First, I listed all of my homegrown grand champions. Because I number each rabbit that graduates from the nest box (not exactly true, because I stopped the practice during my water/feed problem last summer), I can keep track of the first, second, third, etc. hundred that I produced.

So here are their numbers (each has "NT" before it, of course):

58 - Kirsten

130 - Mercedes
138 - Bear
140 - Ox
175 - Rio
189 - Belle
195 - Brook

220 - Markie
222 - Boris
239 - Roxie
242 - Purdy
243 - May
245 - Hilary
248 - LaForge
280 - Franz
298 - Jo-Jo

345 - Wizard
361 - Lexus

418 - Gypsy
422 - Leo
424 - Java
432 - Sakata*
433 - Panache
434 - Lord
444 - Myrddin (Merlin son)
456 - Quinn
457 - Quincy
463 - Padme
466 - MLK (Merlin son)
474 - Imagination
485 - Francesca (Brendan daughter)

500 - Quinten
504 - Glynis (granded by Kylee & Paige Smith)
523 - Arabica
556 - Lex
559 - Crazy Horse (Merlin son)
577 - Hope
582 - Jocasta
583 - Jamillia
584 - Padawan

625 - Fabrizia
628 - Evita

*bold indicates that both parents were "The Nature Trail's" rabbits.

The highest number in my barn is NT631, so I haven't really finished that hundred.

Boy, was I surprised. The 400's were really good to me, but the 300's were abysmal. So I decided to go back and see what was going on. It makes sense now. That was a time when I sold everything from Dandy's line, no matter how nice it was. I think I was starting to get very picky about what I kept and may have been a little too picky. I see a lot of rabbits that I sold to others that were really nice, in that group. I suppose it was the price of choosing to narrow my line and refocus. I knew I couldn't work with everything and had to let some nice things go.

So, out of my first 100, only one granded (and I didn't even grand her, Dani Cole did!). Here's how the rest went:

These numbers make me think that the tough decisions I made in the 300's did pay off in the 400's. But now I'm wondering what happened in the 500's.

As I look through my records, I see that the 500's were when I bred only The Nature Trail's rabbits and Camelot's Merlin. Also all of my 500's grand champions have grand champion parents. So it was a time of another course correction for me, I guess. I lost the possible production from good brood animals, but I put my all-grand champion project a bit forward. I'm hoping that I produced fewer, but better rabbits in the 500's. If not better on the table, at least more consistent in what they will produce.

The six hundreds will be another interesting group because I have outcrosses with LOV's bucks this go round. They won't fill a whole hundred by themselves, but they'll have an influence on it. It would be lovely if those breedings would increase my number of grand champions, but I'm just considering this first generation as something to work with and not the final product.

The "The Nature Trail's" breedings I have underway and planned are my most exciting breedings ever. Will they produce the grand champions I desire? I hope so. But my past data tells me that this is not a smooth path to success. There are definite ups and downs in breeding rabbits.

I'm ready for an UP, but who knows if my rabbits are.

Laurie

  11:49 AM
Comments:
Also remember that some rabbits take years to grand, and b theory, those in the 400's have had a lot more time than those in the 500's. I guess this point is void if there are no 500 rabbits in the show string.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 5:26 PM
 
I looked back at the 500's again. I found at least one that I knew had granded after I sold her. Several of the late 500's were very promising Hollands who died during my feed and water issue last summer. That might account for some of the dip. I have just one rabbit in my current show string from the 500's. I finally gave up on Rizzo (563). But I know that Kerry will grand someday.

Laurie
# posted by Blogger Laurie Stroupe : 6:00 PM
 
Laurie! You forgot Ballerina NT95 who granded!!
# posted by Anonymous Peter : 11:20 AM
 
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Name: Laurie Stroupe
Location: Ararat, Virginia, United States

I am, if nothing else, a busy woman. But I've filled my life with people, activities, and things I love, so I wouldn't change a thing! My list of favorite things include my husband Andrew, our four children, my Holland lop show rabbits, our long coat Chihuahuas, ballroom dancing, and my cobalt glassware, gifts, and accessories business.

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