The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG
Friday, February 29, 2008
It's Time Again To Evaluate
From time to time, you should go through a simple exercise that will help you improve your herd.
List your bucks in order from most valuable to least valuable and then do the same for your does.
We're not talking monetary value, what you paid or what you can sell them for. We're talking about the value of the rabbit to your herd.
If you can't make these lists mentally, then to go the barn and physically arrange your rabbits from best to worst. We're not talking about juniors today or senior bucks that you are waiting to see how they mature. We're talking about breeding and showing bucks and does.
Think carefully about the size of barn you want to maintain. If you have more bucks or does than your barn (and your energy and time) can handle, it's time to trim. Or, if as you were lining up your animals you noticed a line where the quality dramatically dropped off, you need to cull some animals.
Before you draw a line and lop off a group, though, do take some time to ask yourself whether any of those rabbits have a quality that you need that is missing in the upper group. That could be a very good reason to keep that rabbit. But be sure you ask yourself whether you could get that same quality elsewhere in a less-faulted rabbits that is compatible with your lines.
Spring is coming and so are hopefully full nest boxes and an active barn. Now is a good time to make some room for new growth.
Oh, you want to know about my lists? Here they are
List your bucks in order from most valuable to least valuable and then do the same for your does.
We're not talking monetary value, what you paid or what you can sell them for. We're talking about the value of the rabbit to your herd.
If you can't make these lists mentally, then to go the barn and physically arrange your rabbits from best to worst. We're not talking about juniors today or senior bucks that you are waiting to see how they mature. We're talking about breeding and showing bucks and does.
Think carefully about the size of barn you want to maintain. If you have more bucks or does than your barn (and your energy and time) can handle, it's time to trim. Or, if as you were lining up your animals you noticed a line where the quality dramatically dropped off, you need to cull some animals.
Before you draw a line and lop off a group, though, do take some time to ask yourself whether any of those rabbits have a quality that you need that is missing in the upper group. That could be a very good reason to keep that rabbit. But be sure you ask yourself whether you could get that same quality elsewhere in a less-faulted rabbits that is compatible with your lines.
Spring is coming and so are hopefully full nest boxes and an active barn. Now is a good time to make some room for new growth.
Oh, you want to know about my lists? Here they are
- Lord*
- Crazy Horse*
- Padawan*
- Rio*
- MLK*
- Java*
- Lex*
- Myrddin*
- Mars*
- May*
- Padme*
- Arabica*
- Fabrizia*
- Jamillia*
- Lexus*
- Roxie*
- Kazia*
- Francesca*
- Kizzy
- Evita
- Hope
- Belle
*Proven and actively producing
Some of those girls have the potential to move up when they start producing live young and then again when they produce live young that are keepers. Does have the potential to move down as their production declines. Only Kazia is not granded, but if there were more variation in their success on the table, that could affect their ranking, too.
Yes, that's really my herd - 22 seniors, 20 of which are granded. In the barn, I also have 1 junior brood doe, 1 pre-junior show doe (hopefully), 13 babies on the wire, and 6 babies in the nest box. In addition, I have two young senior bucks for sale and two rabbits sold, waiting for pick-up/delivery.
Laurie
¶ 10:57 AM 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Easter Bunnies
I've posted a notice on my website stating that pet rabbit sales are suspended until after Easter. While I don't expect everyone to agree with me, I hope that everyone will at least take a moment to think about why I would do that and why I would encourage you to do that.
I feel that I have a responsibility to take really good care of my rabbits. My responsibility ends either with sending them to an ethical death, their own natural death, or the transfer of the responsibility to someone else.
To some people, that transfer can be to anyone who says they will take the responsibility. Whether or not they are capable of living up to the responsibility or committed to the responsibility doesn't enter into the equation.
But for me, transferring the care of my bunnies to someone else is something I must do responsibly. That is, I need to exercise due diligence to ensure that the new owner is
I also worry about the reasonable expectations. I believe that too many people who purchase Easter bunnies don't have expectations past the thrill on a child's face when they get their Easter treats. The emails I receive from people, wanting to know if I will take their pet rabbits that their kids no longer pay attention to, only serve to strengthen my belief.
I have sold pet rabbits during the Easter season before. But I talk at length with the family to make sure that they would be getting the rabbit anyway - that Easter was just the occasion they chose to add the rabbit to their family and not the reason for it.
To me, that's the difference in getting your child a present he has wanted for a very long time, but just choosing his birthday as the day to get it to make it more special versus getting your child something only because it is his birthday.
In the beginning of my rabbit career, I didn't look at things the way I do now. I sold rabbits cheaply to whoever would take them. But I've had too much insight into what happens when new owners aren't committed, prepared, informed, and reasonable about their expectations.
Now I do what is in my power to make sure that the rabbits I produce are well taken care of. I hope you will, too.
Yes, I would like to have a new bunny for Easter. But "Make Mine Chocolate."
Laurie ¶ 12:19 PM 0 comments links to this post
I feel that I have a responsibility to take really good care of my rabbits. My responsibility ends either with sending them to an ethical death, their own natural death, or the transfer of the responsibility to someone else.
To some people, that transfer can be to anyone who says they will take the responsibility. Whether or not they are capable of living up to the responsibility or committed to the responsibility doesn't enter into the equation.
But for me, transferring the care of my bunnies to someone else is something I must do responsibly. That is, I need to exercise due diligence to ensure that the new owner is
- capable of caring for the rabbit,
- committed to the rabbit for its lifespan,
- has reasonable expectations for the rabbit, and
- has made reasonable preparations to receive the rabbit.
I also worry about the reasonable expectations. I believe that too many people who purchase Easter bunnies don't have expectations past the thrill on a child's face when they get their Easter treats. The emails I receive from people, wanting to know if I will take their pet rabbits that their kids no longer pay attention to, only serve to strengthen my belief.
I have sold pet rabbits during the Easter season before. But I talk at length with the family to make sure that they would be getting the rabbit anyway - that Easter was just the occasion they chose to add the rabbit to their family and not the reason for it.
To me, that's the difference in getting your child a present he has wanted for a very long time, but just choosing his birthday as the day to get it to make it more special versus getting your child something only because it is his birthday.
In the beginning of my rabbit career, I didn't look at things the way I do now. I sold rabbits cheaply to whoever would take them. But I've had too much insight into what happens when new owners aren't committed, prepared, informed, and reasonable about their expectations.
Now I do what is in my power to make sure that the rabbits I produce are well taken care of. I hope you will, too.
Yes, I would like to have a new bunny for Easter. But "Make Mine Chocolate."
Laurie ¶ 12:19 PM 0 comments links to this post
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Prepare - And Hope You Never Need It
I overhead my husband talking on the telephone this morning about the time he slept through a tornado. It was early 1990, I believe, when I was still in Peru finishing up our adoption of our oldest daughter. Andrew was in bed, heard what sounded like a train rushing past the house - and turned over and went back to sleep.
The tornado wrecked our neighborhood in Marietta, GA, in metro-Atlanta. Roofs were taken off, trash lay everywhere, trees were badly damaged. Luckily, there were no deaths.
Andrew was fortunate that the tornado decided to zig instead of zag. I could have just as easily come home from Peru houseless or even as a widow.
Now you might be thinking that he just didn't recognize the warning sounds of a tornado. No, that's not it. He heard it, said to himself that it was a tornado, and still went back to sleep.
When we get the warning - whether it be a tornado warning, a threat of an evacuation, floods, wildfires too close for comfort, or anything else that might make us have to take shelter or evacuate - we should move into action.
First and foremost, the protection of human beings must come first. You've heard of people running into burning buildings to save pets or precious belongings. That must not happen.
When my family's home burned down in 1974, my mother re-entered the house to save a fur coat. Luckily the neighbors decided to rescue me! I was inside the house still on the main level.
That brings up a good point. Know what your priorities are. People first, animals next, information, and then items. People must not be put at risk.
I think the people and animals part is obvious. Information means all of the information it takes to rebuild your life. That includes account numbers and contact information for your insurance, banking, health insurance, and so forth. All of that information, plus perhaps your digital pictures, should be kept on a flash drive
(also called "memory stick" - that's a small external drive that is smaller than a Bic lighter - you'll need one with more memory if you want to include pictures). That's where I back-up my pedigree program as well.
You might be thinking that if there's a disaster that takes out your home that pedigree information might be worthless. But disasters are fickle; taking out your home office and leaving your rabbitry unharmed wouldn't be a rare situation.
And if your rabbitry is devastated, it would be nice to have the information to try to rebuild your line from repurchasing your own rabbits or getting offspring back from other breeders. The pedigree you get with the animal would tell you about the ancestors, of course, but only your pedigree program would tell you about cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts, and uncles.
If you have to evacuate, think about what you can take in your vehicle(s). We have just one and we have three children still living at home. That doesn't leave much room. I know we'd take our four Chihuahuas and our four large outdoor dogs. I'd be lucky to be able to get more than a couple of single carriers into the car with us. If I have to pick two rabbits, they are May and Lord.
Now I have to think about how my rabbits will survive if I have to leave home for several days and no one will be there to take care of them. If there is time, I can pile in food and put in extra crocks of water. If the electricity stays on, they will have water anyway since we have automatic waterers.
I don't really have the perfect answer to the next question, but how do your rabbits survive if they can't get out of their cages and a fire or flood actually comes. Do we leave the cages latched or unlatched? It's something to think about.
So whether you need to head for your safe place to survive a tornado, need to pack up and go to evacuate, or have to climb to your roof to survive a flood, know what you need to do. Gather your family, collect your pets, grab your memory stick, and take Grandma's antique teapot that her grandmother brought over from England, and make sure you are all safe.
Laurie ¶ 11:47 AM 0 comments links to this post
The tornado wrecked our neighborhood in Marietta, GA, in metro-Atlanta. Roofs were taken off, trash lay everywhere, trees were badly damaged. Luckily, there were no deaths.
Andrew was fortunate that the tornado decided to zig instead of zag. I could have just as easily come home from Peru houseless or even as a widow.
Now you might be thinking that he just didn't recognize the warning sounds of a tornado. No, that's not it. He heard it, said to himself that it was a tornado, and still went back to sleep.
When we get the warning - whether it be a tornado warning, a threat of an evacuation, floods, wildfires too close for comfort, or anything else that might make us have to take shelter or evacuate - we should move into action.
First and foremost, the protection of human beings must come first. You've heard of people running into burning buildings to save pets or precious belongings. That must not happen.
When my family's home burned down in 1974, my mother re-entered the house to save a fur coat. Luckily the neighbors decided to rescue me! I was inside the house still on the main level.
That brings up a good point. Know what your priorities are. People first, animals next, information, and then items. People must not be put at risk.
I think the people and animals part is obvious. Information means all of the information it takes to rebuild your life. That includes account numbers and contact information for your insurance, banking, health insurance, and so forth. All of that information, plus perhaps your digital pictures, should be kept on a flash drive
(also called "memory stick" - that's a small external drive that is smaller than a Bic lighter - you'll need one with more memory if you want to include pictures). That's where I back-up my pedigree program as well. You might be thinking that if there's a disaster that takes out your home that pedigree information might be worthless. But disasters are fickle; taking out your home office and leaving your rabbitry unharmed wouldn't be a rare situation.
And if your rabbitry is devastated, it would be nice to have the information to try to rebuild your line from repurchasing your own rabbits or getting offspring back from other breeders. The pedigree you get with the animal would tell you about the ancestors, of course, but only your pedigree program would tell you about cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts, and uncles.
If you have to evacuate, think about what you can take in your vehicle(s). We have just one and we have three children still living at home. That doesn't leave much room. I know we'd take our four Chihuahuas and our four large outdoor dogs. I'd be lucky to be able to get more than a couple of single carriers into the car with us. If I have to pick two rabbits, they are May and Lord.
Now I have to think about how my rabbits will survive if I have to leave home for several days and no one will be there to take care of them. If there is time, I can pile in food and put in extra crocks of water. If the electricity stays on, they will have water anyway since we have automatic waterers.
I don't really have the perfect answer to the next question, but how do your rabbits survive if they can't get out of their cages and a fire or flood actually comes. Do we leave the cages latched or unlatched? It's something to think about.
So whether you need to head for your safe place to survive a tornado, need to pack up and go to evacuate, or have to climb to your roof to survive a flood, know what you need to do. Gather your family, collect your pets, grab your memory stick, and take Grandma's antique teapot that her grandmother brought over from England, and make sure you are all safe.
Laurie ¶ 11:47 AM 0 comments links to this post
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
I Like Oatmeal
I like oatmeal. I really do. I especially like the steel cut ones with diced dried apricots, toasted slivered almonds, and the usual butter and milk. Yum.
In fact, I'm making oatmeal for the kids and me right now. I was just in the kitchen (which is part of a great room), nibbling on an apricot. I gazed over at Rio. I figured he would enjoy this breakfast, too (maybe with the cooking and the milk).
And boy would he. He loves to eat. You'd think he was born to eat and live to eat. Forget attention, he seems to say, what have you got for me to eat?
And a little oatmeal, some extra fat, and maybe a small fruit treat wouldn't hurt him. In fact, he might put some condition on him if I did it consistently.
Top dressing conditioners can be like a few extra puffs of air into a balloon. It makes the balloon just a little better than it was - bigger, shinier, and more full of bounce.
Just give that balloon a couple of puffs too many, though, and BANG! the whole thing explodes in your face.
While a certain amount of conditioner can add a shinier coat, better flesh (on a rabbit genetically predisposed to good flesh), and probably more, too much oatmeal or barley or whatever else you might put into a conditioning mix can turn your rabbit's digestive system into a toxin-producing machine. Instead of a well conditioned animal, you have a sick animal - or worse - a dead one.
Some people think that if a little is a good thing, a lot is better. But that's just not the case with conditioning rabbits, especially fancy breeds.
How much is the right amount? How much air can a balloon hold before it pops? Different balloons have different limits. But just as you learn to sense the subtle pressure difference in your mouth when you blow a balloon to its fullest, you'll have to develop your own sense of what is enough for your particular mix and your particular line of rabbits.
My guess is, though, that it won't be very much - probably about a teaspoon - maybe less.
I like oatmeal, and so do my rabbits, but neither one of us can have all we want.
Laurie ¶ 12:33 PM 0 comments links to this post
In fact, I'm making oatmeal for the kids and me right now. I was just in the kitchen (which is part of a great room), nibbling on an apricot. I gazed over at Rio. I figured he would enjoy this breakfast, too (maybe with the cooking and the milk).
And boy would he. He loves to eat. You'd think he was born to eat and live to eat. Forget attention, he seems to say, what have you got for me to eat?
And a little oatmeal, some extra fat, and maybe a small fruit treat wouldn't hurt him. In fact, he might put some condition on him if I did it consistently.
Top dressing conditioners can be like a few extra puffs of air into a balloon. It makes the balloon just a little better than it was - bigger, shinier, and more full of bounce.
Just give that balloon a couple of puffs too many, though, and BANG! the whole thing explodes in your face.
While a certain amount of conditioner can add a shinier coat, better flesh (on a rabbit genetically predisposed to good flesh), and probably more, too much oatmeal or barley or whatever else you might put into a conditioning mix can turn your rabbit's digestive system into a toxin-producing machine. Instead of a well conditioned animal, you have a sick animal - or worse - a dead one.
Some people think that if a little is a good thing, a lot is better. But that's just not the case with conditioning rabbits, especially fancy breeds.
How much is the right amount? How much air can a balloon hold before it pops? Different balloons have different limits. But just as you learn to sense the subtle pressure difference in your mouth when you blow a balloon to its fullest, you'll have to develop your own sense of what is enough for your particular mix and your particular line of rabbits.
My guess is, though, that it won't be very much - probably about a teaspoon - maybe less.
I like oatmeal, and so do my rabbits, but neither one of us can have all we want.
Laurie ¶ 12:33 PM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, February 25, 2008
Bunnies Versus Real Life
I was saddened to hear that two more Holland breeders are getting out of bunnies. J N J Rabbitry in Georgia, owned by Renee McBrayer and her daughter Jenn, nets us a loss of two breeders. Jenn will be showing her horses more now. We can only hope that one day they will decide to do bunnies again one day.
Holland Hollow is also closing it's doors. We will be updating her website shortly with her sell out information. If you are looking to buy an entire herd to get started, you might try contacting her ahead of the sale for a group price.
There are definitely good reasons to get out of rabbits - new babies, moves, other interests, etc., And when people leave us for those reasons, we have to wish them well and hope they will keep in touch even though it's sad to see them go.
But what about those of us who want to stay in bunnies, but feel the squeeze of life's other demands?
I'm going to make a confession. I've been working 12 hours per day or more (mostly more) on my new business, Laurie's Cobalt World. At 10:00 p.m. the other night, Andrew asked me if I had fed my bunnies.
Would you believe that for the very first time, I totally forgot about them! So out in the dark we tramped to get the bunnies fed. Thank goodness we have lights in the barn.
The next day, I paid Anna to feed my bunnies as I am still in the middle of a lot of website work as my business rapidly changes and expands. Thankfully, she works cheap!
I've noticed something about myself: the more crowded my life becomes, the more I have a need to organize things. Suddenly, unused icons on my computer and files that I haven't accessed for years have to go. Suddenly, my pantry has to be re-organized before I'm happy. Things have to be written on lists. Organization is a coping strategy and apparently, I need to cope right now.
I realize, now that the pressure is on, that I've allowed my life to become messy. Wouldn't it be a shame for me to not be able to fit in something - admittedly something huge - in my life because of general disorganization? The dryer lint of life has gotten in my way.
Just as I'm taking a refresher course to make sure that I create the best business I can, I think it's time to take a refresher course in de-stressing and removing the overload in my life.
I am a huge fan of Richard A. Swenson, MD. His book, Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, is a godsend, if you ask me. In fact, I notice there is now a whole collections of books associated with his first one. I don't have much time right now, so A Minute Of Margin sounds good to me!
Although I could use some margins in all areas of my life. I've reviewed his prescriptions and here's what I got out of it:
But . . .
I don't have plans for free time. I definitely need to build in more time to get places. I have a hard time cutting off one activity and starting the next on time. And I've absolutely GOT to learn to say no.
Show and raising rabbits should enhance our lives. I consider it one of the medium-size components to my life, not a detail. But to be able to give it - and all of the other major parts of my life - their due time and consideration, I've got to get rid of some of this lint.
Lint?
It's a bunch of little stuff that builds up and becomes a big problem! Lint we need to throw away. It's not to be confused with bunny fur, though.
Laurie
¶ 2:22 PM 0 comments links to this post
Holland Hollow is also closing it's doors. We will be updating her website shortly with her sell out information. If you are looking to buy an entire herd to get started, you might try contacting her ahead of the sale for a group price.
There are definitely good reasons to get out of rabbits - new babies, moves, other interests, etc., And when people leave us for those reasons, we have to wish them well and hope they will keep in touch even though it's sad to see them go.
But what about those of us who want to stay in bunnies, but feel the squeeze of life's other demands?
I'm going to make a confession. I've been working 12 hours per day or more (mostly more) on my new business, Laurie's Cobalt World. At 10:00 p.m. the other night, Andrew asked me if I had fed my bunnies.
Would you believe that for the very first time, I totally forgot about them! So out in the dark we tramped to get the bunnies fed. Thank goodness we have lights in the barn.
The next day, I paid Anna to feed my bunnies as I am still in the middle of a lot of website work as my business rapidly changes and expands. Thankfully, she works cheap!
I've noticed something about myself: the more crowded my life becomes, the more I have a need to organize things. Suddenly, unused icons on my computer and files that I haven't accessed for years have to go. Suddenly, my pantry has to be re-organized before I'm happy. Things have to be written on lists. Organization is a coping strategy and apparently, I need to cope right now.
I realize, now that the pressure is on, that I've allowed my life to become messy. Wouldn't it be a shame for me to not be able to fit in something - admittedly something huge - in my life because of general disorganization? The dryer lint of life has gotten in my way.
Just as I'm taking a refresher course to make sure that I create the best business I can, I think it's time to take a refresher course in de-stressing and removing the overload in my life.
I am a huge fan of Richard A. Swenson, MD. His book, Margin
: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, is a godsend, if you ask me. In fact, I notice there is now a whole collections of books associated with his first one. I don't have much time right now, so A Minute Of Margin sounds good to me!Although I could use some margins in all areas of my life. I've reviewed his prescriptions and here's what I got out of it:
- Build in more time to get places - remember that things might take longer than you think
- Learn to say no
- Turn off the television if it is sucking away hours from your life
- Cut out some activities
- Practice simplicity and contentment
- Don't let technology run your life (clocks, alarms, cell hones, email)
- Have long-term plans
- Do less but do it well instead of doing more and giving each a lick and a promise
- Enjoy anticipation, relish memories
- Take time to make big decisions
- Plan for free time
But . . .
I don't have plans for free time. I definitely need to build in more time to get places. I have a hard time cutting off one activity and starting the next on time. And I've absolutely GOT to learn to say no.
Show and raising rabbits should enhance our lives. I consider it one of the medium-size components to my life, not a detail. But to be able to give it - and all of the other major parts of my life - their due time and consideration, I've got to get rid of some of this lint.
Lint?
It's a bunch of little stuff that builds up and becomes a big problem! Lint we need to throw away. It's not to be confused with bunny fur, though.
Laurie
¶ 2:22 PM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, February 22, 2008
Putting It All Together The White Hat Way
Right now I'm spending many hours per day working on my Laurie's Cobalt World website. I want the site to be attractive, professional, user friendly, honest, and FOUND. A process called Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps me develop my website in such a way that folks who want what I sell can find me.
I took online SEO classes for this a while back. They are pretty intense and make one want to pull one's hair out sometimes, but they are excellent classes. There are many legitimate techniques for making your website more findable and usable. While a few of them are "make or break" rules, most things that I can do make just a little difference. But when you put a lot of little differences together, you find that you are reaching your goals.
Using the right conditioning formula with your rabbits is not going to give you a winning herd. Neither is using stock from the "right" lines. Just because you linebreed doesn't necessarily mean that you are heading in the right direction. Culling out rabbits with bad teeth doesn't suddenly make your other rabbits win. And good husbandry alone is not sufficient.
However, if you put them all together and do each of them well, your herd will reflect the quality that you are looking for.
Oh, I forgot one other thing. In SEO, you have to be patient. Changes you make now may not show up in Google or in visitor numbers or in sales for quite some time. A change I make on my website today may not fully mature for six months or more.
So, putting it all together and being patient for the results is the real secret of producing a great rabbitry.
I've recently learned something else about SEO gurus. Some are referred to as Black Hats and some are White Hats (I'm strictly a White Hat). Black Hats are always looking for ways around the rules. They look for and exploit loop holes. They say that they rarely get caught and simply reap the rewards. But the truth is that a few of them do get caught and get totally banned from search engines, making it really hard to find their sites. White Hats concentrate on making a good product, describing things accurately, increasing credibility and trust, and so forth.
I hate to say it, but we have some of each in rabbits, too. Black hats spend their energy in trying to keep gene pools out of other breeder's barns, schmooze up judges, take advantage of newbies, and so forth.
Don't waste your energy on Black Hat techniques. Doing all of the right things to build a quality herd is your best investment. Attend to the little things, make sure you include the necessarily things, give your barn time to show the results of your decisions, and sleep well at night knowing that you put it all together the White Hat way.
And yes, I'd love it if you'd put a link to Laurie's Cobalt World, http://cobalt-world.com/ on your website or if you'd email your friends and invite them to visit!
Laurie ¶ 12:43 PM 1 comments links to this post
I took online SEO classes for this a while back. They are pretty intense and make one want to pull one's hair out sometimes, but they are excellent classes. There are many legitimate techniques for making your website more findable and usable. While a few of them are "make or break" rules, most things that I can do make just a little difference. But when you put a lot of little differences together, you find that you are reaching your goals.
Using the right conditioning formula with your rabbits is not going to give you a winning herd. Neither is using stock from the "right" lines. Just because you linebreed doesn't necessarily mean that you are heading in the right direction. Culling out rabbits with bad teeth doesn't suddenly make your other rabbits win. And good husbandry alone is not sufficient.
However, if you put them all together and do each of them well, your herd will reflect the quality that you are looking for.
Oh, I forgot one other thing. In SEO, you have to be patient. Changes you make now may not show up in Google or in visitor numbers or in sales for quite some time. A change I make on my website today may not fully mature for six months or more.
So, putting it all together and being patient for the results is the real secret of producing a great rabbitry.
I've recently learned something else about SEO gurus. Some are referred to as Black Hats and some are White Hats (I'm strictly a White Hat). Black Hats are always looking for ways around the rules. They look for and exploit loop holes. They say that they rarely get caught and simply reap the rewards. But the truth is that a few of them do get caught and get totally banned from search engines, making it really hard to find their sites. White Hats concentrate on making a good product, describing things accurately, increasing credibility and trust, and so forth.
I hate to say it, but we have some of each in rabbits, too. Black hats spend their energy in trying to keep gene pools out of other breeder's barns, schmooze up judges, take advantage of newbies, and so forth.
Don't waste your energy on Black Hat techniques. Doing all of the right things to build a quality herd is your best investment. Attend to the little things, make sure you include the necessarily things, give your barn time to show the results of your decisions, and sleep well at night knowing that you put it all together the White Hat way.
And yes, I'd love it if you'd put a link to Laurie's Cobalt World, http://cobalt-world.com/ on your website or if you'd email your friends and invite them to visit!
Laurie ¶ 12:43 PM 1 comments links to this post
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Overfeeding
I've come to the conclusion that I overfeed. I'm especially a sucker for those rabbits who beg for their feed every day and gulp it down with gusto. But I've been seeing some rabbits go over 4 lbs. who just shouldn't be that heavy.
When a rabbit gets to heavy, even if they don't get flabby, they seem to have overgrown their frames. Rabbits that were once filled out in the loin get a flatter look that doesn't blend into the hindquarter very well. Getting DQ'd is not the only effect of a rabbit carrying too much weight.
Sure, some rabbits really are destined to be bigger, but I'm seeing rabbits that are just over 3.00 lbs. as young seniors going over. This is not a matter of a 3.14 rabbit exceeding the weight limit.
So, I have to look to my practices. The answer is so stunningly simple that I should knock myself in the head and say, "I coulda had a V-8."
I feel all of my rabbits like they were four pound rabbits. It just boils down to that. And when I feed them that way, they live up to that potential way too often.
If a young rabbit is shaping up to be a 3.04 rabbit, then I need to feed it like a 3.04 rabbit, once its growth spurt has slowed down. If the rabbit is bound to be a huge brood doe, then it's okay to feed her like she's 4 lbs, I believe.
The reason behind this mistake is simple: it's easier to give every rabbit 4 oz. of feed instead of giving one 3 oz., another 3 1/2 oz., and still another 4 oz. And that variation would be in addition to giving more feed to nursing does and even more to litters on the wire. I really shouldn't be surprised that I need to slow down and decide for each rabbit what his or her portion should be.
I don't think there is much hope for the rabbits that I've already let go over the mark. It's very hard to take weight off of a rabbit and keep its condition intact. Perhaps if the weight goes off very slowly over time, I might be able to put a rabbit like Lex back on the table. It's really no big loss if he doesn, though. He's had his time on the table.
I wish I had figured this out sooner. Kazia, with two legs, went over before I granded her. She had 7 babies on her first litter. How sweet it would have been to have granded her and then find out she's a great producer (I'm so glad that I decided to keep her, GC or not).
I'm not really worried about underfeeding at this point. Overfeeding rabbits and giving too many treats is a much, much worse problem than underfeeding (unless it is extreme).
It will take several months before I know whether my conclusion is totally accurate. Of course, I'll try to remember to let you know how things turn out. If I don't, feel free to ask me in about six months.
Laurie
¶ 12:20 PM 0 comments links to this post
When a rabbit gets to heavy, even if they don't get flabby, they seem to have overgrown their frames. Rabbits that were once filled out in the loin get a flatter look that doesn't blend into the hindquarter very well. Getting DQ'd is not the only effect of a rabbit carrying too much weight.
Sure, some rabbits really are destined to be bigger, but I'm seeing rabbits that are just over 3.00 lbs. as young seniors going over. This is not a matter of a 3.14 rabbit exceeding the weight limit.
So, I have to look to my practices. The answer is so stunningly simple that I should knock myself in the head and say, "I coulda had a V-8."
I feel all of my rabbits like they were four pound rabbits. It just boils down to that. And when I feed them that way, they live up to that potential way too often.
If a young rabbit is shaping up to be a 3.04 rabbit, then I need to feed it like a 3.04 rabbit, once its growth spurt has slowed down. If the rabbit is bound to be a huge brood doe, then it's okay to feed her like she's 4 lbs, I believe.
The reason behind this mistake is simple: it's easier to give every rabbit 4 oz. of feed instead of giving one 3 oz., another 3 1/2 oz., and still another 4 oz. And that variation would be in addition to giving more feed to nursing does and even more to litters on the wire. I really shouldn't be surprised that I need to slow down and decide for each rabbit what his or her portion should be.
I don't think there is much hope for the rabbits that I've already let go over the mark. It's very hard to take weight off of a rabbit and keep its condition intact. Perhaps if the weight goes off very slowly over time, I might be able to put a rabbit like Lex back on the table. It's really no big loss if he doesn, though. He's had his time on the table.
I wish I had figured this out sooner. Kazia, with two legs, went over before I granded her. She had 7 babies on her first litter. How sweet it would have been to have granded her and then find out she's a great producer (I'm so glad that I decided to keep her, GC or not).
I'm not really worried about underfeeding at this point. Overfeeding rabbits and giving too many treats is a much, much worse problem than underfeeding (unless it is extreme).
It will take several months before I know whether my conclusion is totally accurate. Of course, I'll try to remember to let you know how things turn out. If I don't, feel free to ask me in about six months.
Laurie
¶ 12:20 PM 0 comments links to this post
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
New BLOG
Just in case you haven't read enough of my writing, I want to let you know about my new BLOG. It's associated with my new business, Laurie's Cobalt World. I'll be talking about the "behind the scenes" aspects of my business, sharing recipes that complement the wonderful glassware and dishes on my site, and much more. Who knows where my mind will wander!
Laurie's Cobalt World BLOG
Don't worry that the new BLOG will steal all of my writing energy from this BLOG. After it is well established, I plan to only write in it once a week.
I just got this email from a friend:
Let's see...Learning to be a judge, starting a new cobalt business, keeping up with rabbits, family, dancing and now getting back into web design. What's next? Leaping tall buildings with a single bound! :)
I wrote back that I felt as though I could use some superpowers right now. But truthfully, as physically exhausting as my life is, I haven't felt this energized in years. There's a saying that says if you want something to be done, ask a busy person to do it. There's a lot of truth in that. The more I have on my plate, the more organized and efficient I have to be.
So, I'll still be answering bunny email. I'm still dedicated to this BLOG. I'm going to my dance class tonight. I'm reading To Kill A Mockingbird to the children, I'm (still) reading War and Peace for myself, and I'm working on my new website and searching for wonderful pieces of cobalt constantly.
I'd better run. May pulled a ton of fur last night, so I need to see if she had babies. Kazia had SEVEN babies for me a couple of days ago. I'm so excited. I haven't had a litter like that since last spring. Now I'm hoping she has as much milk as her mother Hilary usually produces.
And then it's on to the next thing on my list.
Laurie ¶ 12:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Laurie's Cobalt World BLOG
Don't worry that the new BLOG will steal all of my writing energy from this BLOG. After it is well established, I plan to only write in it once a week.
I just got this email from a friend:
Let's see...Learning to be a judge, starting a new cobalt business, keeping up with rabbits, family, dancing and now getting back into web design. What's next? Leaping tall buildings with a single bound! :)
I wrote back that I felt as though I could use some superpowers right now. But truthfully, as physically exhausting as my life is, I haven't felt this energized in years. There's a saying that says if you want something to be done, ask a busy person to do it. There's a lot of truth in that. The more I have on my plate, the more organized and efficient I have to be.
So, I'll still be answering bunny email. I'm still dedicated to this BLOG. I'm going to my dance class tonight. I'm reading To Kill A Mockingbird to the children, I'm (still) reading War and Peace for myself, and I'm working on my new website and searching for wonderful pieces of cobalt constantly.
I'd better run. May pulled a ton of fur last night, so I need to see if she had babies. Kazia had SEVEN babies for me a couple of days ago. I'm so excited. I haven't had a litter like that since last spring. Now I'm hoping she has as much milk as her mother Hilary usually produces.
And then it's on to the next thing on my list.
Laurie ¶ 12:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Schedule Time For Your Website
Most active rabbit breeders fall into two categories: 1. they have a website that needs to be updated, or 2. they want a website but haven't found the time to make one.
Okay, I'll go first. I fall into category 1. Most of the time, I have a long list of things I'd like to do to update my website, but I can't seem to find the time. Sound familiar?
Life is very busy, there's no doubt of that. You have your main vocation, whether that's a paid job, family, or something else. Then you have your rabbits to take care of and enjoy. You may have other hobbies, responsibilities, or interests in your life as well. How in the world do you have time for a website?
Just like keeping the romance going in your marriage, you have to schedule time for it. I've been horrible at this (the website part, not the romance part), but I plan to do a lot better. You may have noticed that despite my crazy life right now, I've actually put up new articles on my website lately.
If you have a website, try to pick one time of the month each month to look over your website and update it. Perhaps the first Sunday afternoon of the month is a good time for that. Maybe you want to do it on the 15th to coincide with a payday or some other event. Maybe Monday evening works best. Just put it on your calendar and take the time you set aside just as if it were an appointment with someone besides yourself.
You don't have to overhaul your website, just make a few small changes is enough to keep people interested and coming back.
Another technique is to keep a fair weather to-do list. You know, there are certain things that really can only be done in fair weather. If you photograph rabbits outside, then you need fair weather for that (optimally, a bright, but overcast day). You may also be looking for fair weather for cleaning cages or shoveling the barn or taking the family on a picnic or painting the house. So I keep a list of things to do on the next fair weather day that I'm home.
Still another idea is to make changes immediately as they happen so that they don't build up. When I come home from a show, for example, I immediately update any legs in my rabbitry software and update my Point Standing page as well as the individual pages for my rabbits. For example, Lord's leg count is already posted at 11, with #10 and #11 having been won this past Saturday.
Or, if you are not good at calculating what counts as a leg and what doesn't, then you might make a habit of updating your site when you receive your show reports. Don't let them sit around.
I've made a huge mistake in letting link exchange requests pile up. Now I have several hours' worth of work to do to check out all of those websites and post the links. I need to do them as I receive them, but I feel stuck in the mire now.
If you are in category 2, it's a different story. There are tons of things to do to get a website started. The thing to do here is make a to do list and work it one step at a time.
Okay, I'll go first. I fall into category 1. Most of the time, I have a long list of things I'd like to do to update my website, but I can't seem to find the time. Sound familiar?
Life is very busy, there's no doubt of that. You have your main vocation, whether that's a paid job, family, or something else. Then you have your rabbits to take care of and enjoy. You may have other hobbies, responsibilities, or interests in your life as well. How in the world do you have time for a website?
Just like keeping the romance going in your marriage, you have to schedule time for it. I've been horrible at this (the website part, not the romance part), but I plan to do a lot better. You may have noticed that despite my crazy life right now, I've actually put up new articles on my website lately.
If you have a website, try to pick one time of the month each month to look over your website and update it. Perhaps the first Sunday afternoon of the month is a good time for that. Maybe you want to do it on the 15th to coincide with a payday or some other event. Maybe Monday evening works best. Just put it on your calendar and take the time you set aside just as if it were an appointment with someone besides yourself.
You don't have to overhaul your website, just make a few small changes is enough to keep people interested and coming back.
Another technique is to keep a fair weather to-do list. You know, there are certain things that really can only be done in fair weather. If you photograph rabbits outside, then you need fair weather for that (optimally, a bright, but overcast day). You may also be looking for fair weather for cleaning cages or shoveling the barn or taking the family on a picnic or painting the house. So I keep a list of things to do on the next fair weather day that I'm home.
Still another idea is to make changes immediately as they happen so that they don't build up. When I come home from a show, for example, I immediately update any legs in my rabbitry software and update my Point Standing page as well as the individual pages for my rabbits. For example, Lord's leg count is already posted at 11, with #10 and #11 having been won this past Saturday.
Or, if you are not good at calculating what counts as a leg and what doesn't, then you might make a habit of updating your site when you receive your show reports. Don't let them sit around.
I've made a huge mistake in letting link exchange requests pile up. Now I have several hours' worth of work to do to check out all of those websites and post the links. I need to do them as I receive them, but I feel stuck in the mire now.
If you are in category 2, it's a different story. There are tons of things to do to get a website started. The thing to do here is make a to do list and work it one step at a time.
- Choose your domain name and make sure that no one is using it already
- Decide who you want to host your website. If you don't know one, consider Craig Hardee, a Baptist minister and rabbit breeder! I love sending business to one of us. (I do not recommend free sites if you can help it. Folks consider those to be temporary at best.)
- Pay for your domain name. That's a yearly fee and your website host can help you with that.
- Decide whether you want to make it yourself or hire someone. If you want to hire someone, consider me! If you want to do it yourself, learn to code (not!) or pick an html editor to work with. Some hosts have simple editors built in. Or, you can purchase Front Page, Dreamweaver, or something similar.
- Take your pictures! That's the most time-consuming part. Schedule an afternoon with a bunny friend or family member to get this done all at once. You'll have to reschedule bunnies in a molt, but get as many as you can on this one day. Take lots of pictures of each rabbit so that you can pick the best ones.
- Sketch out your website on paper first. List the pages you want, the pictures and text you want on each page, and any special graphics you need.
- Now you are ready to begin.
You are not going to create a website in one day, but take one small part each time you have set aside to work on your website and get that part done. Before you know it, you'll have a website and all of the advertisement for your rabbits that goes with it.
You will be amazed at what a website can do for your rabbit sales. People can't buy rabbits they don't know about. As long as you represent your rabbits fairly and price them accordingly, you should see a marked increase in sales.
So, you schedule some website time and I'll try to do the same.
Laurie
¶ 11:19 AM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, February 18, 2008
Be Firm
We often talk about how good a rabbit feels. When we start out in rabbits, we often have just the idea that some things feel pleasant in our hands and some don't. But over time, we need to develop our ability to evaluate our rabbits based on feel.
I think that one of the most problematic areas we as breeders have is mistaking fat for good flesh. Having firm flesh is not just a matter of not being able to feel boniness when we run our hands over a rabbit. The flesh should be firm.
If you have love handles, you know that you can grab a handful of fat and hold it in your hands. I'm sure that it is a very small handful! With rabbits, we can often grasp loose, flabby fur and flesh in our hands on the side of a rabbit. This rabbit may not feel bony, but it still doesn't have the flesh we are looking for.
You also want a covering of flesh over the spine. You can expose the spine by dehydrating a rabbit. Rabbits in very poor condition expose their spines, too. But if you have firm flesh elsewhere and the spine is still bony, you may be genetically reproducing the problem.
If you are still confused about what you are looking for, find a commercial rabbit breeder that is successful. While Holland lops are never going to be New Zealands, feeling one of those rabbits, whose breeding has concentrated heavily on flesh production, will give you a better idea of what good flesh is like.
Another place that often confuses us is the disguise that a very dense fur can cause. Think of a chicken carcass. It's definitely bony, right? Now cover it with your coat (gross). Do that mentally. It would be really messy otherwise. Wouldn't it feel a lot less bony? Now cover it (mentally) with a cloth napkin. Wouldn't that feel more bony?
We can tell a lot about a rabbit by just looking at it in its coop. We should never underestimate the power of standing back and taking a good look. But the value of feeling rabbits should not be overlooked. You can tell a lot about a rabbit with your eyes tightly shut.
So look and feel for firm rabbits with good flesh, tight coats, and good spine covering. Go for a dense coat, of course, but don't confuse that with good flesh.
Laurie ¶ 11:52 AM 0 comments links to this post
I think that one of the most problematic areas we as breeders have is mistaking fat for good flesh. Having firm flesh is not just a matter of not being able to feel boniness when we run our hands over a rabbit. The flesh should be firm.
If you have love handles, you know that you can grab a handful of fat and hold it in your hands. I'm sure that it is a very small handful! With rabbits, we can often grasp loose, flabby fur and flesh in our hands on the side of a rabbit. This rabbit may not feel bony, but it still doesn't have the flesh we are looking for.
You also want a covering of flesh over the spine. You can expose the spine by dehydrating a rabbit. Rabbits in very poor condition expose their spines, too. But if you have firm flesh elsewhere and the spine is still bony, you may be genetically reproducing the problem.
If you are still confused about what you are looking for, find a commercial rabbit breeder that is successful. While Holland lops are never going to be New Zealands, feeling one of those rabbits, whose breeding has concentrated heavily on flesh production, will give you a better idea of what good flesh is like.
Another place that often confuses us is the disguise that a very dense fur can cause. Think of a chicken carcass. It's definitely bony, right? Now cover it with your coat (gross). Do that mentally. It would be really messy otherwise. Wouldn't it feel a lot less bony? Now cover it (mentally) with a cloth napkin. Wouldn't that feel more bony?
We can tell a lot about a rabbit by just looking at it in its coop. We should never underestimate the power of standing back and taking a good look. But the value of feeling rabbits should not be overlooked. You can tell a lot about a rabbit with your eyes tightly shut.
So look and feel for firm rabbits with good flesh, tight coats, and good spine covering. Go for a dense coat, of course, but don't confuse that with good flesh.
Laurie ¶ 11:52 AM 0 comments links to this post
Sunday, February 17, 2008
SRF Valentine's Show, Sanford, NC, February 16, 2008
First of all, thank you so much to Bill & Janice Jones for putting my rabbits on the table for me for both shows. I really appreciate it. And a big thank you to Eric Stewart for letting me work with him all day behind the table. That was an invaluable experience. And thanks to the Sandhills Rabbit Fanciers for allowing me the opportunity. I also appreciate superintendent Tim Smith's consideration in letting me know when my breed came up. Although I was covered for this show, I have missed the opportunity to get my rabbits to the table in the past because I was trying to learn about another breed!
I showed five rabbits. My broken senior bucks bombed in show A under Owen Yates, but GC The Nature Trail's Bear won his 10th leg. Unfortunately, he then decided to sail off of the table and injured his back. His brand new owner Cindy Osborn immediately decided to retire him. He didn't even show in Show B! We're hoping for a full recovery. I think as long as Bear is comfortable and able to breed, Cindy will be happy. He looked pretty good when I examined him between shows, so I'm optimistic.
Lord was BOB in show A. He's looking pretty nice these days. I love that buck.
In show B, my brokens faired a bit better. GC The Nature Trail's Crazy Horse was second place. Lord was BOS. Congratulations to Ashlee Richards who had a great day at the table, including BOB in show B.
Now all of this showing was going on while I was totally absent working with Eric Stewart. Eric was tough on me, which I really appreciated. For some classes, he only allowed me to handle each rabbit once and then give him comments. That was so hard, but such a great exercise to show me how to discipline and organize my mind while judging. I learned quite a bit throughout the day from Eric and I believe I benefitted from broadening my experience in general as well. The day was very encouraging and was a boost to my confidence. In virtually every decision, I picked the same winners - and often placed the small classes - the same as Eric. It's nice to know that I'm not operating somewhere by myself in outter space!!!
The Nature Trail's Mars, 3 legs, has rejoined my rabbitry. He just needs a senior leg ot grand. Perhaps he'll have his opportunity in the not-too-distant future. We'll see. I'd often second guessed my decision to sell Jupiter and Mars, so I'm glad to get a chance to work with one of the brothers again. He's a full brother, different litter, to GC The Nature Trail's LaForge, who produced Lord for me. I'm glad I happened to walk by him at just the right moment yesterday. It may turn out to be really good luck for me. We'll see.
Laurie
¶ 11:26 AM 0 comments links to this post
I showed five rabbits. My broken senior bucks bombed in show A under Owen Yates, but GC The Nature Trail's Bear won his 10th leg. Unfortunately, he then decided to sail off of the table and injured his back. His brand new owner Cindy Osborn immediately decided to retire him. He didn't even show in Show B! We're hoping for a full recovery. I think as long as Bear is comfortable and able to breed, Cindy will be happy. He looked pretty good when I examined him between shows, so I'm optimistic.
Lord was BOB in show A. He's looking pretty nice these days. I love that buck.
In show B, my brokens faired a bit better. GC The Nature Trail's Crazy Horse was second place. Lord was BOS. Congratulations to Ashlee Richards who had a great day at the table, including BOB in show B.
Now all of this showing was going on while I was totally absent working with Eric Stewart. Eric was tough on me, which I really appreciated. For some classes, he only allowed me to handle each rabbit once and then give him comments. That was so hard, but such a great exercise to show me how to discipline and organize my mind while judging. I learned quite a bit throughout the day from Eric and I believe I benefitted from broadening my experience in general as well. The day was very encouraging and was a boost to my confidence. In virtually every decision, I picked the same winners - and often placed the small classes - the same as Eric. It's nice to know that I'm not operating somewhere by myself in outter space!!!
The Nature Trail's Mars, 3 legs, has rejoined my rabbitry. He just needs a senior leg ot grand. Perhaps he'll have his opportunity in the not-too-distant future. We'll see. I'd often second guessed my decision to sell Jupiter and Mars, so I'm glad to get a chance to work with one of the brothers again. He's a full brother, different litter, to GC The Nature Trail's LaForge, who produced Lord for me. I'm glad I happened to walk by him at just the right moment yesterday. It may turn out to be really good luck for me. We'll see.
Laurie
¶ 11:26 AM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, February 15, 2008
Fitting It All In
A good friend of mine used to refer to an "Old Israeli Secret Weapon" frequently as we attempted to tackle what seemed to be an impossible task at worlk He explained that Israel, a small country without the oil wealth of nearby countries, continued to hold its own, and in fact, have an effective, well trained military. He said they used an Old Israeli Secret Weapon to accomplish so much. With one side to the ocean and nowhere to retreat to, they simply had no choice - their knowledge of that was their secret weapon. Once you have no other choice, there's nothing left to do but put your best effort into getting the job done.
So when he pulled out his Old Israeli Secret Weapon, I knew that we didn't have any other choice but to roll up our sleeves and give it our best shot.
In rabbits, there are few times when we really don't have a choice. We may need to pull out our Old Israeli Secret Weapon when it's very cold outside and we know that we have to go to the barn. From time to time, I look around to see if there is another choice. But the "no" sign from Andrew means I have to move foward and just do it. Brrrrr.
We may have to pull it out when we start to dread a long drive or the company of someone that tries our patience.
We really have no choice but to keep our barns clean. There's a really long list of things that I'd rather do than shovel manure, clean cages, or unstuff nest boxes. Those are times that I need to just forget about finding a way out and just get it done. I always feel better when it's done anyway.
When I step back and look at my life as a whole, I find that I need my Old Israeli Secret Weapon more often in order to get it all done. Sometimes I don't feel like writing. But I try to discipline myself to do it every day as planned. I have a lot of work to do on my new cobalt business (thank you so much to everyone who visited Laurie's Cobalt World yesterday!) I really don't need my secret weapon for that because I love it so much. I need my Old Israeli Secret Weapon to keep me going when it comes time to make supper or, as in the case yesterday, to make Anna's birthday cake. (Yes, I took a break from my diet.) I've used my energy on the new business and need to summon up new strength to get all of the rest of it done.
I don't need my weapon to spend the afternoon grooming, weighing, sorting, and playing with rabbits. But then I'll need it to catch up on the chores I've gotten behind on because of the time I spent in the barn.
Unlike the Israeli's, we do always have an out if our hobby gets to be too much for us. But I don't believe in constantly questioning whether I should be doing something. That constant questioning stresses us out. Considering the question two or three times per year is more than enough. The rest of the time, I just consider myself committed to the plan, committed to the work involved, and committed to my rabbits.
Sure, sometimes I have to pull out my Old Israeli Secret Weapon to keep going and get it all done. But all in all, it is worth it.
Laurie ¶ 11:45 AM 0 comments links to this post
So when he pulled out his Old Israeli Secret Weapon, I knew that we didn't have any other choice but to roll up our sleeves and give it our best shot.
In rabbits, there are few times when we really don't have a choice. We may need to pull out our Old Israeli Secret Weapon when it's very cold outside and we know that we have to go to the barn. From time to time, I look around to see if there is another choice. But the "no" sign from Andrew means I have to move foward and just do it. Brrrrr.
We may have to pull it out when we start to dread a long drive or the company of someone that tries our patience.
We really have no choice but to keep our barns clean. There's a really long list of things that I'd rather do than shovel manure, clean cages, or unstuff nest boxes. Those are times that I need to just forget about finding a way out and just get it done. I always feel better when it's done anyway.
When I step back and look at my life as a whole, I find that I need my Old Israeli Secret Weapon more often in order to get it all done. Sometimes I don't feel like writing. But I try to discipline myself to do it every day as planned. I have a lot of work to do on my new cobalt business (thank you so much to everyone who visited Laurie's Cobalt World yesterday!) I really don't need my secret weapon for that because I love it so much. I need my Old Israeli Secret Weapon to keep me going when it comes time to make supper or, as in the case yesterday, to make Anna's birthday cake. (Yes, I took a break from my diet.) I've used my energy on the new business and need to summon up new strength to get all of the rest of it done.
I don't need my weapon to spend the afternoon grooming, weighing, sorting, and playing with rabbits. But then I'll need it to catch up on the chores I've gotten behind on because of the time I spent in the barn.
Unlike the Israeli's, we do always have an out if our hobby gets to be too much for us. But I don't believe in constantly questioning whether I should be doing something. That constant questioning stresses us out. Considering the question two or three times per year is more than enough. The rest of the time, I just consider myself committed to the plan, committed to the work involved, and committed to my rabbits.
Sure, sometimes I have to pull out my Old Israeli Secret Weapon to keep going and get it all done. But all in all, it is worth it.
Laurie ¶ 11:45 AM 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Laurie's Cobalt World
I am happy to announce that Laurie's Cobalt World is now open for business! Please drop in for a visit. Our store will be growing by leaps and bounds, so be sure to check back often. If cobalt glass is not your thing, you will interested to know that we will be adding clear glass selections in the near future. Let me know what you think!
Laurie ¶ 10:24 AM 1 comments links to this post
Laurie ¶ 10:24 AM 1 comments links to this post
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Ear Canker
What we think of as ear canker is actually an advanced case of ear mites, specifically Psoropetes cuniculi. You will recognize it by the yellowish and/or greyish crusts in the ears, sometimes reaching massive proportions. But small crusts, head shaking, and scratching can be signs of a milder case.
These ear mites have a 21-day life cycle. So any treatment must extend beyond 21 days. Both resources that I consulted* recommended treating with ivermectin for three treatments at two-week intervals. Quesenberry additionally notes that the topical use of mineral oil and flea powder are less effective treatments.
I don't recommend that you try to remove any crusts that have formed in your rabbit's ears. According to Richardson, removal of the crusts is very painful and should be done under sedation. Additionally, once treatment has begun, the crusts should heal on their own accord.
If you've treated your rabbit for head shaking with ivermectin according to the schedule above and see no improvement, you must consider that the rabbit's discomfort could be from another source, such as an inner ear infection.
Laurie
*Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, by Katherine E. Quesenberry & James W Carpenter
Rabbits: Health, Husbandry & Diseases, by Virginia Richardson
¶ 10:32 AM 0 comments links to this post
These ear mites have a 21-day life cycle. So any treatment must extend beyond 21 days. Both resources that I consulted* recommended treating with ivermectin for three treatments at two-week intervals. Quesenberry additionally notes that the topical use of mineral oil and flea powder are less effective treatments.
I don't recommend that you try to remove any crusts that have formed in your rabbit's ears. According to Richardson, removal of the crusts is very painful and should be done under sedation. Additionally, once treatment has begun, the crusts should heal on their own accord.
If you've treated your rabbit for head shaking with ivermectin according to the schedule above and see no improvement, you must consider that the rabbit's discomfort could be from another source, such as an inner ear infection.
Laurie
*Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, by Katherine E. Quesenberry & James W Carpenter
Rabbits: Health, Husbandry & Diseases, by Virginia Richardson
¶ 10:32 AM 0 comments links to this post
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Details, Details
While working to open my new business (selling cobalt glass through my new website), I feel like I'm drowning in details. I've had to create a whole new list of usernames and passwords. I've had a million little tiny decisions to make (seems that way anyway - blue safety paper checks or recycled paper, pink packing peanuts or green, high-strengh packing tape or temperature-proof tape, Peachtree Accounting or Quickbooks, and on and on and on). Together, all of these little decisions, along with the big ones, will make my business into what it will be. And it will be like no other business on earth.
And hopefully it will be very successful. If it isn't at first, I'll make the necessary changes to be sure that it is.
Starting out in a rabbitry - or even maintaining one - involves a lot of decisions, too. Will you water with crocks or bottles or a watering system? Will you breed in the winter? Will you breed in the summer? How tall should your carriers be? Should I make or buy cages? And much, much more.
Sometimes when I make a decision - whether for my glass business or rabbits - I just choose what appeals to me more. I like recycled or biodegradable peanuts best because it suits my beliefs and personality. I use a watering system because it suits my lifestyle and the time I have available for barn chores more.
Sometimes when I make a decision I find out what more experienced people do. My in-laws have a similar business, so I asked them what they thought of using shredded paper for packing glass in (it turns out it doesn't work well). I probably saved myself a lot of headache there by asking someone with more experience. When I had problems breeding does, I asked a number of experienced breeders about that and watched breeders table breeding. I'm sure I would never have thought of some of those techniques on my own.
Sometimes when I make a decision I have to go to some sort of authority for direction. Do I need a federal tax ID number? (No, I'm a sole proprietor with no employees.) Do I need a state tax ID number? (Yes, I have to pay sales taxes on sales delivered to Virginia.) Can I clip a junior's teeth, let them grow out, and then show him later on? Yes. We had to go to ARBA for that answer, though.
There are many details to our hobby. You constantly have to make decisions. Sometimes you can just use your own judgment. Sometimes you need to ask someone with more experience. And sometimes you must go to the authority for the right answer.
Knowing which is which is more important than arriving at an answer.
Laurie ¶ 11:28 AM 0 comments links to this post
And hopefully it will be very successful. If it isn't at first, I'll make the necessary changes to be sure that it is.
Starting out in a rabbitry - or even maintaining one - involves a lot of decisions, too. Will you water with crocks or bottles or a watering system? Will you breed in the winter? Will you breed in the summer? How tall should your carriers be? Should I make or buy cages? And much, much more.
Sometimes when I make a decision - whether for my glass business or rabbits - I just choose what appeals to me more. I like recycled or biodegradable peanuts best because it suits my beliefs and personality. I use a watering system because it suits my lifestyle and the time I have available for barn chores more.
Sometimes when I make a decision I find out what more experienced people do. My in-laws have a similar business, so I asked them what they thought of using shredded paper for packing glass in (it turns out it doesn't work well). I probably saved myself a lot of headache there by asking someone with more experience. When I had problems breeding does, I asked a number of experienced breeders about that and watched breeders table breeding. I'm sure I would never have thought of some of those techniques on my own.
Sometimes when I make a decision I have to go to some sort of authority for direction. Do I need a federal tax ID number? (No, I'm a sole proprietor with no employees.) Do I need a state tax ID number? (Yes, I have to pay sales taxes on sales delivered to Virginia.) Can I clip a junior's teeth, let them grow out, and then show him later on? Yes. We had to go to ARBA for that answer, though.
There are many details to our hobby. You constantly have to make decisions. Sometimes you can just use your own judgment. Sometimes you need to ask someone with more experience. And sometimes you must go to the authority for the right answer.
Knowing which is which is more important than arriving at an answer.
Laurie ¶ 11:28 AM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, February 11, 2008
The Little Things
This morning, I hit a new low weight for my diet, which started a bit over a year ago. Since Christmas, I've been trying to re-lose holiday weight. It was so hard to get started again. Last week, I was at my pre-Christmas weight; today, I began making new progress.
So I did a little dance, sang a little victory song, kissed Andrew on the top of his head while he worked, and celebrated my accomplishment. Sure, it's a little thing, but if we fail to celebrate the little things, our long-term goals can get us down.
I didn't stop to worry about how many more pounds I need to lose. I didn't think about how long it has taken me to get to this point. I didn't think about the favorite foods I give up or even the mistakes I've made along the way. And I certainly didn't fret over my Christmas setback or think about the fact that I could have been this weight in December had I stayed on my diet. Nope, all I did was enjoy the moment and celebrate.
Likewise, we need to enjoy each and every little thing that happens in our hobby in order to fully enjoy it. A doe has her first live litter? Celebrate. You produce a kit with great color or attractive markings or the best hindquarter yet? Celebrate. Learned something new? Celebrate. Placed a rabbit for the first time? Got your first leg? Won your first special? Celebrate!
If we get to the point that the only thing that makes us happy is to win Best In Show, then we've lost our way a bit. We've missed dozens of opportunities to celebrate and enjoy each part of our hobby.
There are definitely lots of opportunities to have fun with our hobbies, if we let ourselves do so. One way to help ourselves is to never fail to celebrate the little things.
Laurie ¶ 10:23 AM 0 comments links to this post
So I did a little dance, sang a little victory song, kissed Andrew on the top of his head while he worked, and celebrated my accomplishment. Sure, it's a little thing, but if we fail to celebrate the little things, our long-term goals can get us down.
I didn't stop to worry about how many more pounds I need to lose. I didn't think about how long it has taken me to get to this point. I didn't think about the favorite foods I give up or even the mistakes I've made along the way. And I certainly didn't fret over my Christmas setback or think about the fact that I could have been this weight in December had I stayed on my diet. Nope, all I did was enjoy the moment and celebrate.
Likewise, we need to enjoy each and every little thing that happens in our hobby in order to fully enjoy it. A doe has her first live litter? Celebrate. You produce a kit with great color or attractive markings or the best hindquarter yet? Celebrate. Learned something new? Celebrate. Placed a rabbit for the first time? Got your first leg? Won your first special? Celebrate!
If we get to the point that the only thing that makes us happy is to win Best In Show, then we've lost our way a bit. We've missed dozens of opportunities to celebrate and enjoy each part of our hobby.
There are definitely lots of opportunities to have fun with our hobbies, if we let ourselves do so. One way to help ourselves is to never fail to celebrate the little things.
Laurie ¶ 10:23 AM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, February 08, 2008
Rollercoaster
If you never liked rollercoasters, then this analogy might not be for you. But showing rabbits is often like a rollercoaster ride.
You know how you feel when the cars are being pulled up a long incline. Your stomach starts to tingle. The anticipation grows. There's excitement in the air, even though you are traveling slowly and nothing has really happened yet.
That's how I feel when I'm getting ready for a show that I'm really excited about attending.
Now sometimes at the top of that incline, you just drop a foot or two and then you are level again. That's a bit disappointing. Yes, some shows are a little like that, too.
But then, you get to the top of a really big hill and have a thrilling ride down. Now that's like winning when you weren't expecting it or winning at a big show. That's the thrill you are seeking. You can enjoy the memory of that thrill for quite some time.
Not all inclines are really big enough to provide that kind of thrill just like some shows are not big enough for a big thrill. Some smaller fair shows are just a little thrill at best. But they don't tire you out quite so much and there's not nearly the potential for disappointment. Plus, there's time for other things, like eating cotton candy - I mean visiting with friends.
Ride too many rollercoasters in a row and you might find yourself sick to your stomach. In fact, one really bumpy rollercoast can put you out of commission for a while. Ditto with rabbit shows.
I found that some rollercoasters were just too much for me. I rode one down at Six Flags Over Georgia that made me terribly ill. Later, a boy died on it, and after that, it was dismantled. Some rollercoasters and the way they operate need to be redesigned. Likewise, some shows really need to rethink how they operate.
So, when it comes to rollercoasters, I need to pick the ones that I can handle. I need to avoid the ones that just don't suit me, for whatever reason. I need to enjoy the thrill of anticipation. I want to savor the big thrill that might come along every blue moon. And I need to space out my rides enough so that I don't get sick of it.
And I need to reserve time to ride the other rides in my life.
Laurie ¶ 12:47 PM 2 comments links to this post
You know how you feel when the cars are being pulled up a long incline. Your stomach starts to tingle. The anticipation grows. There's excitement in the air, even though you are traveling slowly and nothing has really happened yet.
That's how I feel when I'm getting ready for a show that I'm really excited about attending.
Now sometimes at the top of that incline, you just drop a foot or two and then you are level again. That's a bit disappointing. Yes, some shows are a little like that, too.
But then, you get to the top of a really big hill and have a thrilling ride down. Now that's like winning when you weren't expecting it or winning at a big show. That's the thrill you are seeking. You can enjoy the memory of that thrill for quite some time.
Not all inclines are really big enough to provide that kind of thrill just like some shows are not big enough for a big thrill. Some smaller fair shows are just a little thrill at best. But they don't tire you out quite so much and there's not nearly the potential for disappointment. Plus, there's time for other things, like eating cotton candy - I mean visiting with friends.
Ride too many rollercoasters in a row and you might find yourself sick to your stomach. In fact, one really bumpy rollercoast can put you out of commission for a while. Ditto with rabbit shows.
I found that some rollercoasters were just too much for me. I rode one down at Six Flags Over Georgia that made me terribly ill. Later, a boy died on it, and after that, it was dismantled. Some rollercoasters and the way they operate need to be redesigned. Likewise, some shows really need to rethink how they operate.
So, when it comes to rollercoasters, I need to pick the ones that I can handle. I need to avoid the ones that just don't suit me, for whatever reason. I need to enjoy the thrill of anticipation. I want to savor the big thrill that might come along every blue moon. And I need to space out my rides enough so that I don't get sick of it.
And I need to reserve time to ride the other rides in my life.
Laurie ¶ 12:47 PM 2 comments links to this post
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Politics - Why?
I once had a pastor who referred to politics as just the way that any group or body made decisions. I think it would take a pastor to see politics in a pure and simple light like that. For the rest of us, we see politics as the use of intrigue or strategy to gain power or control.
I'm not sure that I take issue with using strategy, as long as it is an ethical one. It's usually the intrigue part that arouses our ire. There are several definitions for intrigue, but when it comes to politics, with its shadier connotations, this one seems to suit best: "to accomplish or force by crafty plotting or underhand machinations."*
Unfortunately, we do see politics in rabbits. Luckily, it's not as extensive as in other hobbies, I'm told. But it is still to our disgrace that politics enter into any of our contests and power structure at all.
Arguments should stand on their own merits. Rabbits should win and be placed on their own characteristics. Candidates should be elected or appointed on their value, willingness and ability to work for the hobby, and so forth.
There's a saying that goes something like this: It is the sign of a poor society when leaders are selected based on their wealth rather than their abilities. For us, a paraphrase may be that it is a poor situation when rabbits are selected based on relationships, fame, reputations, association, influence, and fear of ridicule or repercussion rather than the qualities of the rabbits themselves.
Of course, things are never straightforward. Sometimes we misinterpret people's intentions. One person who hangs over their rabbit is trying to identify it. Another person is just so excited to be showing a rabbit that they hang over it without realizing it could be a problem. One person who brings their rabbit up to the table last and loudly asks where it should be placed is making sure that the judge knows where their rabbit should be found. Another person doing that is just trying to get their rabbit to the table before the class is closed. One person who refers to their rabbit by name is trying to let the judge know that their Convention winner is on the table. Another person just loves Fluffy so much that they call him by name as a matter of habit.
I think the biggest irony of these types of politics is that the rabbits that are identified to the judge would probably win anyway. And the kinds of people who might employ these tactics show enough to collect up enough wins over the long run anyway without tarnishing their reputations and ruining the show experience for everyone around them.
There are also judges out there who hate the attempts to be influenced so much that, if anything, it's a strike against the exhibitor and not one in their favor. There's some irony I can appreciate!
I'm not sure what we as individuals can do about politics, besides avoiding the temptation to just do the same. On the other hand, maybe when we see someone doing something like asking the judge where the rabbit should go (when it is a perpetual problem), we should all grab ours and say the same thing. Do you think the exhibitor would get the message? I don't know, but it would be funny to watch.
Too bad we don't have referees running around like they have at football games. They could jerk out one of those flags from their pockets, stop the whole show, call out the foul, and administer the penalty right then and there before everyone. That's something I like to see, too!
I think our best choice is to work to create a culture of honesty, straightforward competition, and reliance on virtues and qualities rather than coersion, intrigue, or influence. Clubs can reiterate their expectations at the beginning of every show. Judges can issue verbal warnings. Although having a straightforward heart-to-heart talk is not everyone's forte, some people can pull it off. If you are one of them, do what you can to express to those more politically minded folks what group perceptions are of their practices.
Our rabbit hobby is wonderful without the added component of politics. Straightforward competition is the best kind. Winning without politics beats winning due to influence any day. Let's all work together to steer our hobby's culture away from politics and toward friendship, fellowship, fun, and fair play.
Laurie
*dictionary.com ¶ 1:07 PM 0 comments links to this post
I'm not sure that I take issue with using strategy, as long as it is an ethical one. It's usually the intrigue part that arouses our ire. There are several definitions for intrigue, but when it comes to politics, with its shadier connotations, this one seems to suit best: "to accomplish or force by crafty plotting or underhand machinations."*
Unfortunately, we do see politics in rabbits. Luckily, it's not as extensive as in other hobbies, I'm told. But it is still to our disgrace that politics enter into any of our contests and power structure at all.
Arguments should stand on their own merits. Rabbits should win and be placed on their own characteristics. Candidates should be elected or appointed on their value, willingness and ability to work for the hobby, and so forth.
There's a saying that goes something like this: It is the sign of a poor society when leaders are selected based on their wealth rather than their abilities. For us, a paraphrase may be that it is a poor situation when rabbits are selected based on relationships, fame, reputations, association, influence, and fear of ridicule or repercussion rather than the qualities of the rabbits themselves.
Of course, things are never straightforward. Sometimes we misinterpret people's intentions. One person who hangs over their rabbit is trying to identify it. Another person is just so excited to be showing a rabbit that they hang over it without realizing it could be a problem. One person who brings their rabbit up to the table last and loudly asks where it should be placed is making sure that the judge knows where their rabbit should be found. Another person doing that is just trying to get their rabbit to the table before the class is closed. One person who refers to their rabbit by name is trying to let the judge know that their Convention winner is on the table. Another person just loves Fluffy so much that they call him by name as a matter of habit.
I think the biggest irony of these types of politics is that the rabbits that are identified to the judge would probably win anyway. And the kinds of people who might employ these tactics show enough to collect up enough wins over the long run anyway without tarnishing their reputations and ruining the show experience for everyone around them.
There are also judges out there who hate the attempts to be influenced so much that, if anything, it's a strike against the exhibitor and not one in their favor. There's some irony I can appreciate!
I'm not sure what we as individuals can do about politics, besides avoiding the temptation to just do the same. On the other hand, maybe when we see someone doing something like asking the judge where the rabbit should go (when it is a perpetual problem), we should all grab ours and say the same thing. Do you think the exhibitor would get the message? I don't know, but it would be funny to watch.
Too bad we don't have referees running around like they have at football games. They could jerk out one of those flags from their pockets, stop the whole show, call out the foul, and administer the penalty right then and there before everyone. That's something I like to see, too!
I think our best choice is to work to create a culture of honesty, straightforward competition, and reliance on virtues and qualities rather than coersion, intrigue, or influence. Clubs can reiterate their expectations at the beginning of every show. Judges can issue verbal warnings. Although having a straightforward heart-to-heart talk is not everyone's forte, some people can pull it off. If you are one of them, do what you can to express to those more politically minded folks what group perceptions are of their practices.
Our rabbit hobby is wonderful without the added component of politics. Straightforward competition is the best kind. Winning without politics beats winning due to influence any day. Let's all work together to steer our hobby's culture away from politics and toward friendship, fellowship, fun, and fair play.
Laurie
*dictionary.com ¶ 1:07 PM 0 comments links to this post
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Déjà Vu All Over Again
If you are married or are a parent, you may have been given this advice: start out as you intend to go. If you accept certain behaviors, don't be surprised if you see them again. If you have certain responses, don't be surprised if others expect those same responses in the future.
LIkewise, with rabbits, whatever you do to help your rabbits survive and thrive, don't be surprised that you have to continue doing those things to get your rabbits to survive and thrive in the future.
It's part of the simple - yet somehow complicated idea - that you should breed what you want more of.
If you have to coddle your kits to get them to live, you will just get more kits that have to be coddled, if you continue to breed them. Sure, it won't be 100% and you might have a chance to make a different choice down the road, but all-in-all, we get what we tolerate in our breeding programs.
If we tolerate long ears, don't be surprised to find that we are still struggling with those long ears years from now. The same goes for other faults as well.
To make things worse, I've seen over and over again that people buy rabbits just like the ones that they already have. They have parts they love and faults they tolerate - and they repeat the same things. I probably do, too. I just can't see my own blind spots.
A prominent breeder of another breed says that we should keep all different kinds of rabbits in our barn. That way, if we need a particular strength, we've got the ingredient right there. Need more depth? You've got some of those. Need shorter ears? You've got some of those.
But I think that if many of us could take a look at our barns - if we could be totally honest with ourselves - we have saved the same thing over and over gain. Hopefully, some of those things are great things. I don't think that breeder meant that you should keep some flat rabbits, some poorly fleshed rabbit, and so forth as part of the variety that you should have on hand. But we probably miss the same strengths and breed the same weakness generation after generation without giving it a thought.
So whether it's unthriftiness, poor flesh, thin coats, folding ears, narrow shoulders, flat bodies, sloping upper hindquarters, pinched lower hindquarters, ify teeth, light nails, narrow chests, light bone, or something else, we get more of the same when we choose to breed it.
Like a person lost in the forrest who sees the same stump over and over gain, we shouldn't be surprised if we see the same rabbits, for the most part, over and over again in our barns, generation after generation, unless we stop exempting certain faults, we stop going to extremes to get rabbits to survive (and then breed them), and we start breeding with a full set of worthy ingredients in our barns.
Get a fresh set of eyes. Ask someone who knows your breed to tell you any faults they see across your herd. And start anew in the way you intend to go.
Laurie ¶ 11:25 AM 0 comments links to this post
LIkewise, with rabbits, whatever you do to help your rabbits survive and thrive, don't be surprised that you have to continue doing those things to get your rabbits to survive and thrive in the future.
It's part of the simple - yet somehow complicated idea - that you should breed what you want more of.
If you have to coddle your kits to get them to live, you will just get more kits that have to be coddled, if you continue to breed them. Sure, it won't be 100% and you might have a chance to make a different choice down the road, but all-in-all, we get what we tolerate in our breeding programs.
If we tolerate long ears, don't be surprised to find that we are still struggling with those long ears years from now. The same goes for other faults as well.
To make things worse, I've seen over and over again that people buy rabbits just like the ones that they already have. They have parts they love and faults they tolerate - and they repeat the same things. I probably do, too. I just can't see my own blind spots.
A prominent breeder of another breed says that we should keep all different kinds of rabbits in our barn. That way, if we need a particular strength, we've got the ingredient right there. Need more depth? You've got some of those. Need shorter ears? You've got some of those.
But I think that if many of us could take a look at our barns - if we could be totally honest with ourselves - we have saved the same thing over and over gain. Hopefully, some of those things are great things. I don't think that breeder meant that you should keep some flat rabbits, some poorly fleshed rabbit, and so forth as part of the variety that you should have on hand. But we probably miss the same strengths and breed the same weakness generation after generation without giving it a thought.
So whether it's unthriftiness, poor flesh, thin coats, folding ears, narrow shoulders, flat bodies, sloping upper hindquarters, pinched lower hindquarters, ify teeth, light nails, narrow chests, light bone, or something else, we get more of the same when we choose to breed it.
Like a person lost in the forrest who sees the same stump over and over gain, we shouldn't be surprised if we see the same rabbits, for the most part, over and over again in our barns, generation after generation, unless we stop exempting certain faults, we stop going to extremes to get rabbits to survive (and then breed them), and we start breeding with a full set of worthy ingredients in our barns.
Get a fresh set of eyes. Ask someone who knows your breed to tell you any faults they see across your herd. And start anew in the way you intend to go.
Laurie ¶ 11:25 AM 0 comments links to this post
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
When To Sell Bucks
In a breeding program, there's a balance to be struck between moving forward and keeping your options open for going back. And when it comes to herd bucks, it's extremely important to stay in the right zone. Move forward too quickly, and you could find yourself in a deadend. Move too slowly, and you could find yourself making no real progress.
Herd bucks, I would venture, are the most valuable members of your herd. No, we can't do without our wonderful girls, but if you could save just one rabbit to start your herd with again, I daresay, it's a buck.
Sometimes, we have a lot of money tied up in a buck. For those of us on a budget, we must use him, get the next generation started and then sell him while he's young enough to get us all or most of our money back from the investment. That can put a lot of pressure on a breeding program.
But let's slow down and look at things a moment. Why should we keep a herd buck around and when is it time to sell him?
Generally, we think that we need a replacement son from a herd buck and then it's time to let him go. I don't actually agree with that. I look for a son AND a grandson before I'm totally comfortable in selling a really good herd buck, if I'm actively working his line.
That may seem extra cautious to you, but consider this: I'm not looking for a replacement that just looks and feels good, I'm looking for a replacement who produces as well as or, hopefully, better than his sire. Once I have a successful son who is also a successful producer, then I'm more comfortable letting him go.
One of the toughest rabbits I had to wean myself off of using was Camelot's Merlin. If I continued to use him, then I would continue to be stuck in that same generation, over and over again. Merlin had produced May and her sisters for me. And May is a great producer. May produced Lord, which gave me a male heir. But it wasn't until Lord proved that he could produce, too, that I was convinced I could let Merlin go. Maybe I was too cautious. Who knows.
(I retired LaForge, Lord's father, too, when Lord proved he could produce.)
It can take a long time to get worthy grandsons from a herd buck. It's amazing how long it can take sometimes. I'm looking at Merlin's sons in my barn. First, it took a long time to produce all of the litters to collect the cream of the crop from. Though I let some good ones go (and good producers, too, I'm told), I kept the following sons from Merlin: Crazy Horse, MLK, and Myrddin.
From Crazy Horse, I have no offspring yet. Of course, you have to take out the last six months from the timeline because of the craziness I've had with feed, water, and now from getting few babies. From Myrddin, I've had just six offspring. Mushka was the best, and I sold him. From MLK, I've had just 7 offspring. White Knight was the best. And I sold him, too.
I do have two MLK sons that I've been holding, but I'm going to sell them. They just can't top their dad.
Dani, you should be glad that May came through with descendents, or you would still be waiting for Merlin!! May's son Lord came through with twelve offspring, four of which have already granded.
So, why haven't I gotten busy and gotten some Crazy Horse offspring? Why haven't I bred Myrddin and MLK more? I've been distracted with other combinations, some that worked well and some that didn't. I've bred Rio a lot. Java has quite a few descendents, too.
It's taken me a while to work through my herd bucks to get down to the eight that I have today. It will take even more work for any of these bucks to be replaced.
I have another line that has progressed down pretty well. LL Brendan produced Boris, Boris produced Java, Java produced Lex, all grand champions.
I sold Brendan when Java and his brother Leo proved to be worthy bucks. I sold Boris when Java proved he could produce with Lex. I suppose Java could be the next buck to be replace, but only if Lex can prove himself to be a good producer and an improvement over the generations before him. (Don't get excited; my only Lex offspring are just days old.)
By having an heir and a spare before selling a herd buck, I preserve the ability to back up for a generation if I need to. I also preserve my ability to line breed rabbits. If I sold herd bucks as soon as they produced a promising junior buck, there'd be no linebreeding to speak of.
If I start regularly going to the son to breed, leaving the father on the shelf - and I like the results I get - then it's time to think about selling a buck. Until then, the father is more valuable to me in my herd, doing his job.
As time goes on, it gets harder and harder for a herd buck to be unseated in my barn. At first, it didn't take much of an improvement to go with the next generation or even a new purchase. But as the bucks get better and better, the turnover is slower and slower.
Just like everything else in Hollands, don't be in a hurry. Take your time. You can always sell a rabbit later, but it's often hard (or even impossible) to get one back.
Laurie ¶ 12:14 PM 0 comments links to this post
Herd bucks, I would venture, are the most valuable members of your herd. No, we can't do without our wonderful girls, but if you could save just one rabbit to start your herd with again, I daresay, it's a buck.
Sometimes, we have a lot of money tied up in a buck. For those of us on a budget, we must use him, get the next generation started and then sell him while he's young enough to get us all or most of our money back from the investment. That can put a lot of pressure on a breeding program.
But let's slow down and look at things a moment. Why should we keep a herd buck around and when is it time to sell him?
Generally, we think that we need a replacement son from a herd buck and then it's time to let him go. I don't actually agree with that. I look for a son AND a grandson before I'm totally comfortable in selling a really good herd buck, if I'm actively working his line.
That may seem extra cautious to you, but consider this: I'm not looking for a replacement that just looks and feels good, I'm looking for a replacement who produces as well as or, hopefully, better than his sire. Once I have a successful son who is also a successful producer, then I'm more comfortable letting him go.
One of the toughest rabbits I had to wean myself off of using was Camelot's Merlin. If I continued to use him, then I would continue to be stuck in that same generation, over and over again. Merlin had produced May and her sisters for me. And May is a great producer. May produced Lord, which gave me a male heir. But it wasn't until Lord proved that he could produce, too, that I was convinced I could let Merlin go. Maybe I was too cautious. Who knows.
(I retired LaForge, Lord's father, too, when Lord proved he could produce.)
It can take a long time to get worthy grandsons from a herd buck. It's amazing how long it can take sometimes. I'm looking at Merlin's sons in my barn. First, it took a long time to produce all of the litters to collect the cream of the crop from. Though I let some good ones go (and good producers, too, I'm told), I kept the following sons from Merlin: Crazy Horse, MLK, and Myrddin.
From Crazy Horse, I have no offspring yet. Of course, you have to take out the last six months from the timeline because of the craziness I've had with feed, water, and now from getting few babies. From Myrddin, I've had just six offspring. Mushka was the best, and I sold him. From MLK, I've had just 7 offspring. White Knight was the best. And I sold him, too.
I do have two MLK sons that I've been holding, but I'm going to sell them. They just can't top their dad.
Dani, you should be glad that May came through with descendents, or you would still be waiting for Merlin!! May's son Lord came through with twelve offspring, four of which have already granded.
So, why haven't I gotten busy and gotten some Crazy Horse offspring? Why haven't I bred Myrddin and MLK more? I've been distracted with other combinations, some that worked well and some that didn't. I've bred Rio a lot. Java has quite a few descendents, too.
It's taken me a while to work through my herd bucks to get down to the eight that I have today. It will take even more work for any of these bucks to be replaced.
I have another line that has progressed down pretty well. LL Brendan produced Boris, Boris produced Java, Java produced Lex, all grand champions.
I sold Brendan when Java and his brother Leo proved to be worthy bucks. I sold Boris when Java proved he could produce with Lex. I suppose Java could be the next buck to be replace, but only if Lex can prove himself to be a good producer and an improvement over the generations before him. (Don't get excited; my only Lex offspring are just days old.)
By having an heir and a spare before selling a herd buck, I preserve the ability to back up for a generation if I need to. I also preserve my ability to line breed rabbits. If I sold herd bucks as soon as they produced a promising junior buck, there'd be no linebreeding to speak of.
If I start regularly going to the son to breed, leaving the father on the shelf - and I like the results I get - then it's time to think about selling a buck. Until then, the father is more valuable to me in my herd, doing his job.
As time goes on, it gets harder and harder for a herd buck to be unseated in my barn. At first, it didn't take much of an improvement to go with the next generation or even a new purchase. But as the bucks get better and better, the turnover is slower and slower.
Just like everything else in Hollands, don't be in a hurry. Take your time. You can always sell a rabbit later, but it's often hard (or even impossible) to get one back.
Laurie ¶ 12:14 PM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, February 04, 2008
Good Weekend - Even Though
In this part of the country, the first weekend in February means that the huge PA Convention takes place. I've missed it for the last two years. This weekend, I thought about all of those breeders up there, having fun, competing, shopping, working, and visiting. Yes, I've missed being there.
While they were up there having the best competition of the year, outside of Convention and Nationals, I was home taking advantage of the wonderful weather. No, shoveling manure isn't as much fun as taking a class at the PA Convention, but it's just about as satisfying.
I love putting rabbits into freshly cleaned and sanitized cages. They love it, too, you can tell. There's a sort of "everything's right with the world" feeling that comes with clean cages. One row down, five to go.
I took some time to watch a dam feeding her five week old kits. They were really fun to watch. I especially appreciated the great width between the back feet and how straight they were. Okay, so I was evaluating them at the same time as well. I can't help it.
Outcomes in the nest box continue to be poor. I had five does due this past weekend. Two missed, two had singletons that were born dead or died shortly thereafter. Lexus had two kits with Lex.
I'm so pleased with these kits. I bred two brokens and got two solids. Yeah! Usually, I want more brokens, but since I have had only nice brokens from the Lexus/Mercedes line, I'm glad to have a shot as some solids. I only wish my girls had produced about 8 more.
As if my life were not already full enough with my children, dancing, my rabbits, being active in clubs, writing a BLOG, and moderating an active Yahoo! group, I'm starting a new business. I will be selling Cobalt glass - glassware, dishes, and more - on the internet. I'm very excited about it. I love cobalt and have for many years. I'll let you know when it's up and running.
On another unrelated note, we have just one puppy left for sale. She's a very pretty girl, fawn, with a lovely personality. She's $375, purebred, and registerable.
Back to rabbits for a moment. I got a couple of pictures of offspring from GC The Nature Trail's Imagination. They are really cute. I love to see what people do using the rabbits I produced. I appreciate their generosity in sharing the excitement with me.
Speaking of sharing excitement, I hope some of my friends have some excitement to share with me form the PA Convention. It's not as good as being there, but it's the next best thing.
Laurie ¶ 11:59 AM 0 comments links to this post
While they were up there having the best competition of the year, outside of Convention and Nationals, I was home taking advantage of the wonderful weather. No, shoveling manure isn't as much fun as taking a class at the PA Convention, but it's just about as satisfying.
I love putting rabbits into freshly cleaned and sanitized cages. They love it, too, you can tell. There's a sort of "everything's right with the world" feeling that comes with clean cages. One row down, five to go.
I took some time to watch a dam feeding her five week old kits. They were really fun to watch. I especially appreciated the great width between the back feet and how straight they were. Okay, so I was evaluating them at the same time as well. I can't help it.
Outcomes in the nest box continue to be poor. I had five does due this past weekend. Two missed, two had singletons that were born dead or died shortly thereafter. Lexus had two kits with Lex.
I'm so pleased with these kits. I bred two brokens and got two solids. Yeah! Usually, I want more brokens, but since I have had only nice brokens from the Lexus/Mercedes line, I'm glad to have a shot as some solids. I only wish my girls had produced about 8 more.
As if my life were not already full enough with my children, dancing, my rabbits, being active in clubs, writing a BLOG, and moderating an active Yahoo! group, I'm starting a new business. I will be selling Cobalt glass - glassware, dishes, and more - on the internet. I'm very excited about it. I love cobalt and have for many years. I'll let you know when it's up and running.
On another unrelated note, we have just one puppy left for sale. She's a very pretty girl, fawn, with a lovely personality. She's $375, purebred, and registerable.
Back to rabbits for a moment. I got a couple of pictures of offspring from GC The Nature Trail's Imagination. They are really cute. I love to see what people do using the rabbits I produced. I appreciate their generosity in sharing the excitement with me.
Speaking of sharing excitement, I hope some of my friends have some excitement to share with me form the PA Convention. It's not as good as being there, but it's the next best thing.
Laurie ¶ 11:59 AM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, February 01, 2008
Energy Costs
Energy costs - and the associated rises in the prices of just about everything we use - are just killing me. Discretionary funds have had to be moved to other columns in our family budget. And my rabbit money has evaporated.
Does that sound a little familiar? I hope it doesn't, but I'm afraid that it does.
The consequence is that many of us are having to cut down our show schedules. I know it's necessary, but I hate it.
Rabbit clubs are really feeling the pinch. Judge bids and airplane tickets have to reflect the rising costs at the same time that exhibitors from beyond their local area are having to restrict their travel. Entry numbers have been falling in many area and for many clubs (a few have had record attendance, but they have been the exception, I fear).
So what's the solution? Well, I don't have a total solution (all of us winning the lottery isn't really a workable plan). But I do have one thought. If you have to forgo attending some rabbit shows, take more rabbits to the ones you go to.
If I skip two shows and save $100 in gasoline and $100 in hotel fees and $60 in entry fees, then I can enter quite a few extra rabbits in the next show that I do attend and still give my budget some relief.
Now some of you who show with me will say that I'm not following my own advice. I would be if it weren't for two things: first, I don't have that many rabbits left. I basically showed 20% of my adult herd at the last show - 5 rabbits. Second, I'm trying to work more with judges and I have to depend on others to put my rabbits on the table. Even if all ten of my bucks were good on the same day, I wouldn't want to ask anyone to put that many on the table - especially since they'd be in just two classes!
Bringing more rabbits, if you can, will accomplish two things. First, it will increase the chance that legs will be available. It's disappointing to get to the table and find out that even if your rabbit takes the class, it won't get a leg. (Yes, I know we Holland folks are spoiled that way. But remember, we only have 8 legs potentially available at each show, which is low compared to breeds such as Netherland Dwarf, Mini Rex, Jersey Woolies, etc.)
But the more important thing that it will accomplish is keeping rabbit clubs afloat. One day, the economy will improve and we'll all be able to travel more again. We want those clubs to survive in the mean time so they will be here when we want them.
So, cut out the shows if you have to. There's not really much choice there. But when you go to a show, really check your herd for show-worthy rabbits. If we all do that, then maybe our clubs can survive to put on yet another wonderful rabbit show.
Laurie ¶ 11:02 AM 1 comments links to this post
Does that sound a little familiar? I hope it doesn't, but I'm afraid that it does.
The consequence is that many of us are having to cut down our show schedules. I know it's necessary, but I hate it.
Rabbit clubs are really feeling the pinch. Judge bids and airplane tickets have to reflect the rising costs at the same time that exhibitors from beyond their local area are having to restrict their travel. Entry numbers have been falling in many area and for many clubs (a few have had record attendance, but they have been the exception, I fear).
So what's the solution? Well, I don't have a total solution (all of us winning the lottery isn't really a workable plan). But I do have one thought. If you have to forgo attending some rabbit shows, take more rabbits to the ones you go to.
If I skip two shows and save $100 in gasoline and $100 in hotel fees and $60 in entry fees, then I can enter quite a few extra rabbits in the next show that I do attend and still give my budget some relief.
Now some of you who show with me will say that I'm not following my own advice. I would be if it weren't for two things: first, I don't have that many rabbits left. I basically showed 20% of my adult herd at the last show - 5 rabbits. Second, I'm trying to work more with judges and I have to depend on others to put my rabbits on the table. Even if all ten of my bucks were good on the same day, I wouldn't want to ask anyone to put that many on the table - especially since they'd be in just two classes!
Bringing more rabbits, if you can, will accomplish two things. First, it will increase the chance that legs will be available. It's disappointing to get to the table and find out that even if your rabbit takes the class, it won't get a leg. (Yes, I know we Holland folks are spoiled that way. But remember, we only have 8 legs potentially available at each show, which is low compared to breeds such as Netherland Dwarf, Mini Rex, Jersey Woolies, etc.)
But the more important thing that it will accomplish is keeping rabbit clubs afloat. One day, the economy will improve and we'll all be able to travel more again. We want those clubs to survive in the mean time so they will be here when we want them.
So, cut out the shows if you have to. There's not really much choice there. But when you go to a show, really check your herd for show-worthy rabbits. If we all do that, then maybe our clubs can survive to put on yet another wonderful rabbit show.
Laurie ¶ 11:02 AM 1 comments links to this post
