The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG
Monday, August 11, 2008
The End
Check your calendar, it's not April Fool's Day and this is no joke - I'm getting out of rabbits.
I've enjoyed my time in rabbits immensely and have been fortunate enough to experience some success. I've met a lot of wonderful people and have forged a number of frierndships that are dear to me. I've loved learning and teaching.
But my life is overly full and I have to make some adjustments get it back in balance (I'm sure I've written at least one BLOG post about that topic). I cannot remember when I last had some true unscheduled downtime. I need to get that back into my life.
For the Holland breeders reading, all of my grand champion rabbits have already been spoken for. They are going to a number of different people, so no one person is getting my herd.
I do have some juniors and pre-juniors, but I already have at least three people lined up to pick from them as soon as I can evaluate, describe, and photograph them. Let me know if you want to get into that queue. I do have a couple of brood doe potentials (ready to breed for the first time) that I thought were worthy to hold on to. That's an inexpensive way to get some nice gene pools.
One of the biggest questions I've received is about whether I will keep the websites up. The answer is Yes - If. As long as the sites pay for themselves, I'm more than happy to keep them up. The way you can help keep them on the internet is to simply refer your pet customers to Precious Pet Rabbits (http://www.pet-rabbit-care-information.com) for their pet care information. If, while there getting their info, a few of them happen to buy a book or cage or find an ad interesting, then it will help me raise the money to pay for the sites. [Please do not click on ads simply to help me out. It could get my websites into trouble.]
I am keeping Rio. I was going to sell him, but a collective complaint came up from my children. He's been living in the house and has become a spoiled rotten pet. LaForge retired a long time ago to Lydia's room. And we'll be keeping one of Anna's jersey woolies.
I found the absolutely perfect retirement home for May and Belle. I'm so relieved that they will be loved and cared for.
Local folks may see us at the Christmas show and/or picnic show each year. Anna can use the excuse of showing her JW, but we will really be there to visit friends.
After I have sold out my herd, I am contemplating accepting listings on my website for sale rabbits on a commission basis. The website has good traffic and I have a list of people interested in buying Holland lops. For folks who do not have a website or who have low-traffic websites, this might be a great way for them to sell their rabbits more easily without all of the expense of creating and/or advertising their own website. You could put your listings on groups as usual, but point to the sale page where you could have your rabbit's picture, price, information, and contact information.
I think that just about covers it. My last show is September 20 in Greensboro, NC. I am the show secretary, so I guess I'll be going out with a bang!
Thank you so much for reading my BLOG. I know I had some very loyal readers and I want you to know that you helped me continue this BLOG as long and consistently as I once did.
It's hard to say good-bye, so I'll just say, "Until we meet again . . . "
Laurie ¶ 7:52 AM 5 comments links to this post
I've enjoyed my time in rabbits immensely and have been fortunate enough to experience some success. I've met a lot of wonderful people and have forged a number of frierndships that are dear to me. I've loved learning and teaching.
But my life is overly full and I have to make some adjustments get it back in balance (I'm sure I've written at least one BLOG post about that topic). I cannot remember when I last had some true unscheduled downtime. I need to get that back into my life.
For the Holland breeders reading, all of my grand champion rabbits have already been spoken for. They are going to a number of different people, so no one person is getting my herd.
I do have some juniors and pre-juniors, but I already have at least three people lined up to pick from them as soon as I can evaluate, describe, and photograph them. Let me know if you want to get into that queue. I do have a couple of brood doe potentials (ready to breed for the first time) that I thought were worthy to hold on to. That's an inexpensive way to get some nice gene pools.
One of the biggest questions I've received is about whether I will keep the websites up. The answer is Yes - If. As long as the sites pay for themselves, I'm more than happy to keep them up. The way you can help keep them on the internet is to simply refer your pet customers to Precious Pet Rabbits (http://www.pet-rabbit-care-information.com) for their pet care information. If, while there getting their info, a few of them happen to buy a book or cage or find an ad interesting, then it will help me raise the money to pay for the sites. [Please do not click on ads simply to help me out. It could get my websites into trouble.]
I am keeping Rio. I was going to sell him, but a collective complaint came up from my children. He's been living in the house and has become a spoiled rotten pet. LaForge retired a long time ago to Lydia's room. And we'll be keeping one of Anna's jersey woolies.
I found the absolutely perfect retirement home for May and Belle. I'm so relieved that they will be loved and cared for.
Local folks may see us at the Christmas show and/or picnic show each year. Anna can use the excuse of showing her JW, but we will really be there to visit friends.
After I have sold out my herd, I am contemplating accepting listings on my website for sale rabbits on a commission basis. The website has good traffic and I have a list of people interested in buying Holland lops. For folks who do not have a website or who have low-traffic websites, this might be a great way for them to sell their rabbits more easily without all of the expense of creating and/or advertising their own website. You could put your listings on groups as usual, but point to the sale page where you could have your rabbit's picture, price, information, and contact information.
I think that just about covers it. My last show is September 20 in Greensboro, NC. I am the show secretary, so I guess I'll be going out with a bang!
Thank you so much for reading my BLOG. I know I had some very loyal readers and I want you to know that you helped me continue this BLOG as long and consistently as I once did.
It's hard to say good-bye, so I'll just say, "Until we meet again . . . "
Laurie ¶ 7:52 AM 5 comments links to this post
Saturday, May 24, 2008
GAA Show, Taylorsville, NC, May 24, 2008
I haven't shown rabbits in over two months. I think that's a record for me. So today, I broke the fast, as it were, and hauled my bunnies out of the barn for a trip to the table.
I still don't have any juniors that I wanted to show. You may remember the dozen babies I got at Christmas. Well, let's see: 4 false dwarf bucks, 1 fuzzy, 1 split penis, 1 cute adorable doe - with a low shoulder, a false dwarf brood doe, a nice doe with a crown too tight to bother showing right now, and a couple of decent bucks.
But I've decided to sell the bucks, so I didn't want to spend money to show them. One is absolutely adorable, but is probably going to be small. He's out of Roxie and a LOV buck. (I've decided not to work on the outcrossing project I had planned because my herd is still so small and my breeding capacity has been slower than I expected kicking back in.)
The other is pretty nice and would have something to offer a breeder with the right doe. He's not the complete package, but nice with great stuff behind him.
Anyway, I took a look at my bucks. Lex is 4.04. He's a huge eater that seems to never be satisfied. So I guess I'll have to be satisfied with his 13 legs! He's done. He can join company with Rio, the original big eater.
My other brokens are in terrible fur. I mean they look like I ran over them with a lawnmower (or put them through the dishwasher!) Could it be that I'm on my 3rd feed in six weeks? Ummm, maybe.
Lord looked good - except for a patch of missing fur. No dander, so I'm wondering if he got stung by something. Padawan's still trying to molt out that gosh-awful coat of his. If you saw him now, you'd wonder why I want to keep a rag tag rabbit like that.
I could have taken MLK, perhaps, but I didn't think he could beat Java, who is back well under the 4.00 mark and in wonderful flesh and fur.
I went down my doe aisles and mentally tagged Jamillia to go. Too bad I didn't write it down because I forgot about her. She had 5 peanuts last time around, so she's in shape to show. I got distracted by the idea of showing May. I want to breed her tomorrow, so I wanted her up on the table, smelling those wonderful buck smells, and being stimulated by all of the handling. And if she did well - all the better.
That second part was a little too much to hope for from a 3 1/2 year old doe. But maybe I can squeeze a few more babies from her now. She seems to only do well with large litters. I want to do everything I can to increase her litter size this time.
Java was BOS in the first show and second place to the BRIS buck in the second show (if you gotta lose, it's nice to lose to a nice rabbit - this one owned by Margie Brewer). That makes an even 20 legs for him. I like that. It's a nice round number.
Anyway, my primary objective in going to the show was to relax and enjoy myself. I decided I wasn't going to work with judges, I wasn't asked to be a registrar (good thing I didn't take papers because folks asked). I had no meetings. Nothing. I was going to visit, look at rabbits, and have a good time.
Well, I did all of that, but did get swept up in studying English Spots. I found at the NC State RBA Convention in March that I was very deficit in that breed, so I mentally tagged it to get more hands-on experience.
And as luck would have it, there were four English Spot shows today, so I got to see them more than once, talked with the breeders, and then worked with a judge for their last show. It was a great experience because I finally began to "see" them by the end.
I was recruited to write for a while, but I enjoy that, so it was no problem. It makes me pay better attention to the rabbits anyway. And I do like to learn about them.
I took Roxie to breed with a friend's buck. I don't do that sort of thing often or with many people, but every now and then, it's a lot of fun to do.
Even though the breeder and I are good friends, we show each other the teeth and genitals and so forth before we breed. No one should ever been offended by a request to go over the rabbit in detail before a joint breeding takes place. And one shouldn't accept, "Oh, I trust you," from the other breeder either. Show them anyway.
An interesting situation came up with a split penis today. If you breed Hollands, then sooner or later you will have the occasional split penis. I personally feel that if there's no pattern to it, it's just one of those things. If you see it running in a line, deal with it. You know what I mean. Luckily, they make great pets.
The situation was a buck who had been DQ'd for a split penis, but appeared to be whole.
Sometimes a split penis can have a bit of flesh that flaps over the split, making it look just fine. But if the flap is moved to the side, the split is revealed. Even if you know the split is there (such as in the case of the DQ'd rabbit), it can be difficult to get the split to reveal itself. On this rabbit today, I only got it to open once, but I got a quick glance of it before it closed again.
If you see what looks like a dark line (red or purplish) down the underside of a penis, see if you can move aside a flap of flesh and reveal the split penis. If it's there, it's better to know about it sooner rather than later.
The difficulty in seeing these splits can answer a lot of questions about rabbits you sell that are just fine, but the new owner complains of a DQ. Or perhaps you were sold a rabbit that you were told was okay, but it turns out to be a split. It could very easily be that it was hiding itself with a flap. Don't automatically assume that the breeder was trying to cheat you.
And while I'm on the topic of penises, folks, please check your penises when breeding. I know you check them before you breed, but also check them after a buck has been with a doe, especially if it's not a wham-bam-thank-you-mam situation. If the buck is making contact with the fur with his delicate flesh, it can rub a whole layer of it off . Or, like Rio did once, he can get fur wrapped around his penis and become very sore.
Today, we saw a situation where just after one breeding (with a lot of extraneous activity), the buck's penis was missing the top layer of skin in a nice round patch - ouch!
I got a rare chance to correct an error I made at the Fort Worth Convention. On an impulse, I sold The Nature Trail's Glynis with two legs. She went home with her new owners and almost immediately granded and then got three additional legs. Then the new owners started breeding her. After a few months, I mentioned that when they were ready to sell, I'd buy her back.
Well, today, they gave her back to me. She was a junior in Fort Worth , so she should still be plenty young enough to breed. I'm very excited at the possibility. She's out of The Nature Trail's Navaro (who died or was put down this year after severely injuring his back). Navaro was a Merlin son. Her mother is Hilary. You might recall that I didn't get my other broken Hilary daughter granded before she went overweight. So its nice to now have a solid and broken Hilary daughter to carry on.
Changing topics from the show, I am in the middle of overhauling Precious Pet Rabbits. I decided to change hosts while I was at it since I've never liked who I had it with. The site was down for a couple of days. But it's up and kicking again.
For those of you who have sent me your link information - I haven't forgotten you. It's just that the changeover to the new format is taking longer than expected - of course. I should have known better, but I'm the eternal optimist.
If you want to see the new format, check out the home page at http://www.pet-rabbit-care-information.com/ and also the store pages, contact us, about us, help, privacy page, and a few more. Let me know what you think.
I'm going to be working on the Precious Pet Rabbits links next. The articles will follow because I think (stress think, I could be wrong) that they will be easy to change over.
After that, I will be adding some new articles. I plan to add videos on sexing rabbits. It's so hard to explain without showing, so that should solve the problem. When folks contact you about rabbits they got from a pet store, but don't know the sex of, you will be able to send them to that page so they can figure it out.
As much as I love Laurie's Cobalt World and my cobalt blue glassware, it has been so nice to take a couple of days off. Yesterday, I went to yard sales and flea markets looking for antique glass for my personal collection. Today, I spent with my bunny friends (though I missed a lot of you). I also plan to take tomorrow and Monday off. By Tuesday, I will hopefully be refreshed and ready to get back to my work.
Oh, and tomorrow I'm breeding. Send positive thoughts my way. I need to get these girls producing well again.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day. I'll try to remember to post a blog from time to time. No, I haven't forgotten all of you!
Laurie ¶ 8:33 PM 4 comments links to this post
I still don't have any juniors that I wanted to show. You may remember the dozen babies I got at Christmas. Well, let's see: 4 false dwarf bucks, 1 fuzzy, 1 split penis, 1 cute adorable doe - with a low shoulder, a false dwarf brood doe, a nice doe with a crown too tight to bother showing right now, and a couple of decent bucks.
But I've decided to sell the bucks, so I didn't want to spend money to show them. One is absolutely adorable, but is probably going to be small. He's out of Roxie and a LOV buck. (I've decided not to work on the outcrossing project I had planned because my herd is still so small and my breeding capacity has been slower than I expected kicking back in.)
The other is pretty nice and would have something to offer a breeder with the right doe. He's not the complete package, but nice with great stuff behind him.
Anyway, I took a look at my bucks. Lex is 4.04. He's a huge eater that seems to never be satisfied. So I guess I'll have to be satisfied with his 13 legs! He's done. He can join company with Rio, the original big eater.
My other brokens are in terrible fur. I mean they look like I ran over them with a lawnmower (or put them through the dishwasher!) Could it be that I'm on my 3rd feed in six weeks? Ummm, maybe.
Lord looked good - except for a patch of missing fur. No dander, so I'm wondering if he got stung by something. Padawan's still trying to molt out that gosh-awful coat of his. If you saw him now, you'd wonder why I want to keep a rag tag rabbit like that.
I could have taken MLK, perhaps, but I didn't think he could beat Java, who is back well under the 4.00 mark and in wonderful flesh and fur.
I went down my doe aisles and mentally tagged Jamillia to go. Too bad I didn't write it down because I forgot about her. She had 5 peanuts last time around, so she's in shape to show. I got distracted by the idea of showing May. I want to breed her tomorrow, so I wanted her up on the table, smelling those wonderful buck smells, and being stimulated by all of the handling. And if she did well - all the better.
That second part was a little too much to hope for from a 3 1/2 year old doe. But maybe I can squeeze a few more babies from her now. She seems to only do well with large litters. I want to do everything I can to increase her litter size this time.
Java was BOS in the first show and second place to the BRIS buck in the second show (if you gotta lose, it's nice to lose to a nice rabbit - this one owned by Margie Brewer). That makes an even 20 legs for him. I like that. It's a nice round number.
Anyway, my primary objective in going to the show was to relax and enjoy myself. I decided I wasn't going to work with judges, I wasn't asked to be a registrar (good thing I didn't take papers because folks asked). I had no meetings. Nothing. I was going to visit, look at rabbits, and have a good time.
Well, I did all of that, but did get swept up in studying English Spots. I found at the NC State RBA Convention in March that I was very deficit in that breed, so I mentally tagged it to get more hands-on experience.
And as luck would have it, there were four English Spot shows today, so I got to see them more than once, talked with the breeders, and then worked with a judge for their last show. It was a great experience because I finally began to "see" them by the end.
I was recruited to write for a while, but I enjoy that, so it was no problem. It makes me pay better attention to the rabbits anyway. And I do like to learn about them.
I took Roxie to breed with a friend's buck. I don't do that sort of thing often or with many people, but every now and then, it's a lot of fun to do.
Even though the breeder and I are good friends, we show each other the teeth and genitals and so forth before we breed. No one should ever been offended by a request to go over the rabbit in detail before a joint breeding takes place. And one shouldn't accept, "Oh, I trust you," from the other breeder either. Show them anyway.
An interesting situation came up with a split penis today. If you breed Hollands, then sooner or later you will have the occasional split penis. I personally feel that if there's no pattern to it, it's just one of those things. If you see it running in a line, deal with it. You know what I mean. Luckily, they make great pets.
The situation was a buck who had been DQ'd for a split penis, but appeared to be whole.
Sometimes a split penis can have a bit of flesh that flaps over the split, making it look just fine. But if the flap is moved to the side, the split is revealed. Even if you know the split is there (such as in the case of the DQ'd rabbit), it can be difficult to get the split to reveal itself. On this rabbit today, I only got it to open once, but I got a quick glance of it before it closed again.
If you see what looks like a dark line (red or purplish) down the underside of a penis, see if you can move aside a flap of flesh and reveal the split penis. If it's there, it's better to know about it sooner rather than later.
The difficulty in seeing these splits can answer a lot of questions about rabbits you sell that are just fine, but the new owner complains of a DQ. Or perhaps you were sold a rabbit that you were told was okay, but it turns out to be a split. It could very easily be that it was hiding itself with a flap. Don't automatically assume that the breeder was trying to cheat you.
And while I'm on the topic of penises, folks, please check your penises when breeding. I know you check them before you breed, but also check them after a buck has been with a doe, especially if it's not a wham-bam-thank-you-mam situation. If the buck is making contact with the fur with his delicate flesh, it can rub a whole layer of it off . Or, like Rio did once, he can get fur wrapped around his penis and become very sore.
Today, we saw a situation where just after one breeding (with a lot of extraneous activity), the buck's penis was missing the top layer of skin in a nice round patch - ouch!
I got a rare chance to correct an error I made at the Fort Worth Convention. On an impulse, I sold The Nature Trail's Glynis with two legs. She went home with her new owners and almost immediately granded and then got three additional legs. Then the new owners started breeding her. After a few months, I mentioned that when they were ready to sell, I'd buy her back.
Well, today, they gave her back to me. She was a junior in Fort Worth , so she should still be plenty young enough to breed. I'm very excited at the possibility. She's out of The Nature Trail's Navaro (who died or was put down this year after severely injuring his back). Navaro was a Merlin son. Her mother is Hilary. You might recall that I didn't get my other broken Hilary daughter granded before she went overweight. So its nice to now have a solid and broken Hilary daughter to carry on.
Changing topics from the show, I am in the middle of overhauling Precious Pet Rabbits. I decided to change hosts while I was at it since I've never liked who I had it with. The site was down for a couple of days. But it's up and kicking again.
For those of you who have sent me your link information - I haven't forgotten you. It's just that the changeover to the new format is taking longer than expected - of course. I should have known better, but I'm the eternal optimist.
If you want to see the new format, check out the home page at http://www.pet-rabbit-care-information.com/ and also the store pages, contact us, about us, help, privacy page, and a few more. Let me know what you think.
I'm going to be working on the Precious Pet Rabbits links next. The articles will follow because I think (stress think, I could be wrong) that they will be easy to change over.
After that, I will be adding some new articles. I plan to add videos on sexing rabbits. It's so hard to explain without showing, so that should solve the problem. When folks contact you about rabbits they got from a pet store, but don't know the sex of, you will be able to send them to that page so they can figure it out.
As much as I love Laurie's Cobalt World and my cobalt blue glassware, it has been so nice to take a couple of days off. Yesterday, I went to yard sales and flea markets looking for antique glass for my personal collection. Today, I spent with my bunny friends (though I missed a lot of you). I also plan to take tomorrow and Monday off. By Tuesday, I will hopefully be refreshed and ready to get back to my work.
Oh, and tomorrow I'm breeding. Send positive thoughts my way. I need to get these girls producing well again.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day. I'll try to remember to post a blog from time to time. No, I haven't forgotten all of you!
Laurie ¶ 8:33 PM 4 comments links to this post
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Selling Pets
Many breeders sell pets as a way of making a little feed money, making new pet owners very happy, and finding a suitable place for rabbits with nice personalities that lack the conformation to be show rabbits or breeding stock.
Although selling pets can become very time-consuming, I enjoy the occasional pet sale. My customers generally spend about an hour with me. I like to go over a lot of basic information, especially on how to hold the rabbit, inspect its general health, and feed their new bunny.
I have never had problems selling older bunnies as pets (3 1//2 to 6 months old). I simply explain my experiences and beliefs. I realize that some breeders sell young and have done so for a long time without problems, but Hollands, I believe, are easier than average to kill with diet and stress. I don't sell rabbits below the age of 12 weeks and I don't plan to ever start. It's worked well for me.
I started the Precious Pet Rabbits website as a way of providing even more indepth information to my pet customers. It was my hope that other breeders would send their customers there, too, saving themselves a lot of explaining while still providing quality information. Breeders can even ask their customers to visit Precious Pet Rabbits before they come to pick up a rabbit or meet with them at a show, possibly improving their preparation and reducing their need for personal instruction from the breeder.
I was also appalled that the majority of pet rabbit information before Precious Pet Rabbits came from a source that I consider to be a bit too extreme. I've met too many potential pet owners who were guilted into thinking that rabbits need so much more than they actually do. I've talked before about the mentality of "what would I like if I were a rabbit." Things just don't work that way.
I want to balance that statement by saying that the more your pet customers put into their new pet rabbit, the more they will get out of it. But "more" doesn't have to mean the run of the house, a rabbit companion, and a diet of fresh vegetables (which, by the way, are not the kinds of vegetables rabbits would be eating if they were still in the wild - rabbits don't have supermarkets with sugar-enhanced tomatoes).
Some rabbits do well with companions, some earn more freedom, and some can tolerate a richer diet. Other rabbits will constantly fight with their companion, eat the baseboards if given too much freedom, and die on a diet that is too rich.
I also want to encourage visitors to Precious Pet Rabbits to purchase their pet rabbits from breeders instead of pet stores. I realize there are exceptions on both sides (great pet stores and poor breeders), but by and large, getting a pet rabbit directly from the breeder is the best choice.
To help with that process, I have links to rabbitries on the Precious Pet Rabbit website. I know, I've been backlogged in getting links up, but I'm currently updating Precious Pet Rabbits, so it's a great time to send me your link requests now. You must meet the following criteria:
Although selling pets can become very time-consuming, I enjoy the occasional pet sale. My customers generally spend about an hour with me. I like to go over a lot of basic information, especially on how to hold the rabbit, inspect its general health, and feed their new bunny.
I have never had problems selling older bunnies as pets (3 1//2 to 6 months old). I simply explain my experiences and beliefs. I realize that some breeders sell young and have done so for a long time without problems, but Hollands, I believe, are easier than average to kill with diet and stress. I don't sell rabbits below the age of 12 weeks and I don't plan to ever start. It's worked well for me.
I started the Precious Pet Rabbits website as a way of providing even more indepth information to my pet customers. It was my hope that other breeders would send their customers there, too, saving themselves a lot of explaining while still providing quality information. Breeders can even ask their customers to visit Precious Pet Rabbits before they come to pick up a rabbit or meet with them at a show, possibly improving their preparation and reducing their need for personal instruction from the breeder.
I was also appalled that the majority of pet rabbit information before Precious Pet Rabbits came from a source that I consider to be a bit too extreme. I've met too many potential pet owners who were guilted into thinking that rabbits need so much more than they actually do. I've talked before about the mentality of "what would I like if I were a rabbit." Things just don't work that way.
I want to balance that statement by saying that the more your pet customers put into their new pet rabbit, the more they will get out of it. But "more" doesn't have to mean the run of the house, a rabbit companion, and a diet of fresh vegetables (which, by the way, are not the kinds of vegetables rabbits would be eating if they were still in the wild - rabbits don't have supermarkets with sugar-enhanced tomatoes).
Some rabbits do well with companions, some earn more freedom, and some can tolerate a richer diet. Other rabbits will constantly fight with their companion, eat the baseboards if given too much freedom, and die on a diet that is too rich.
I also want to encourage visitors to Precious Pet Rabbits to purchase their pet rabbits from breeders instead of pet stores. I realize there are exceptions on both sides (great pet stores and poor breeders), but by and large, getting a pet rabbit directly from the breeder is the best choice.
To help with that process, I have links to rabbitries on the Precious Pet Rabbit website. I know, I've been backlogged in getting links up, but I'm currently updating Precious Pet Rabbits, so it's a great time to send me your link requests now. You must meet the following criteria:
- You have a website that is fully functional and complete
- You are an ARBA member
- You breed to the standard and not simply to produce pets
- You do not sell rabbits below the age of 8 weeks.
Please do not ask me to make exceptions on the age. I'd prefer 12 weeks myself, remember. Eight weeks is already a concession on my part.
Also, I'd like to let you know that a contest is coming soon on the Precious Pet Rabbits website. Anyone with a pet rabbit is eligible, including breeders, because I know we all have our favorites. There will be more information coming later, but I'll just drop the hint now that it involves pictures of pet rabbits and a great prize.
Laurie
¶ 4:56 PM 1 comments links to this post
Friday, April 18, 2008
A Mysterious Package
Earlier this week, I received a box in the mail addressed to Precious Pet Rabbits. My name was not included. I hadn't ordered anything for Precious Pet Rabbits. In this day and age of poison in pills and bombs in the mail, I was concerned. What could this be?
Andrew was also concerned since I had no idea what was in the package. We carefully opened it, not sure what to expect.
Whatever it was, it was packed in some sort of shredded litter. My mind went down the animal path. Had I offended some animal rights fanatic? Was there an animal part in there? Was there a live animal or bug in the packing? Snake? Roach? Rat?
I took the knife that I had used to open the box with and tentatively stuck it into the litter. "What are you doing?" Andrew snapped. Now I knew he was thinking explosives. Maybe the litter was to keep a bomb stabilized until we opened the box.
Why it was not okay for me to prod, but okay for him to poke around, I'll never know. But after gingerly lifting layers of the litter, he did find a sheet of paper in the bottom of the box and pulled it out.
I read the note, picked up a piece of the litter, and smelled it. Andrew was in a panic. "What are you doing? Did it say to smell it?" I realized that he had forgotten about bombs and was now thinking poison.
It's a shame that we live in a world of malware and computer viruses, warnings on suspicious mail, and a terrorism alert system. I'm sure that twenty years ago, we would have not proceeded with such caution and fear. Our minds would not have gone where they did.
So what was in the box? Litter. It was a sample of a shredded sugar cane litter that a company is offering. The cane is what is leftover after the sugar is processed. It is sanitized at 600 degrees. They claim it holds 3 times its weight in fluid.
I don't really recommend bedding for rabbits. I prefer raising them on the wire. This litter might turn out to be a good idea for your pet customers who want to litter train their rabbits, place a litter in the tray below the rabbit cage, or insist that the rabbit has to have a bed.
I do have some vague recollection that this company contacted me by email quite some time ago. I might have saved myself some stress had I recognized the name on the box.
We had a laugh after we figured out what was going on. But it wasn't as lighthearted as it could have been. We know that sometimes rabbitries are targeted by fanatics. We got out easy this time, but who knows whether some day we will be actual targets. Its a scary thought.
Laurie ¶ 10:26 AM 0 comments links to this post
Andrew was also concerned since I had no idea what was in the package. We carefully opened it, not sure what to expect.
Whatever it was, it was packed in some sort of shredded litter. My mind went down the animal path. Had I offended some animal rights fanatic? Was there an animal part in there? Was there a live animal or bug in the packing? Snake? Roach? Rat?
I took the knife that I had used to open the box with and tentatively stuck it into the litter. "What are you doing?" Andrew snapped. Now I knew he was thinking explosives. Maybe the litter was to keep a bomb stabilized until we opened the box.
Why it was not okay for me to prod, but okay for him to poke around, I'll never know. But after gingerly lifting layers of the litter, he did find a sheet of paper in the bottom of the box and pulled it out.
I read the note, picked up a piece of the litter, and smelled it. Andrew was in a panic. "What are you doing? Did it say to smell it?" I realized that he had forgotten about bombs and was now thinking poison.
It's a shame that we live in a world of malware and computer viruses, warnings on suspicious mail, and a terrorism alert system. I'm sure that twenty years ago, we would have not proceeded with such caution and fear. Our minds would not have gone where they did.
So what was in the box? Litter. It was a sample of a shredded sugar cane litter that a company is offering. The cane is what is leftover after the sugar is processed. It is sanitized at 600 degrees. They claim it holds 3 times its weight in fluid.
I don't really recommend bedding for rabbits. I prefer raising them on the wire. This litter might turn out to be a good idea for your pet customers who want to litter train their rabbits, place a litter in the tray below the rabbit cage, or insist that the rabbit has to have a bed.
I do have some vague recollection that this company contacted me by email quite some time ago. I might have saved myself some stress had I recognized the name on the box.
We had a laugh after we figured out what was going on. But it wasn't as lighthearted as it could have been. We know that sometimes rabbitries are targeted by fanatics. We got out easy this time, but who knows whether some day we will be actual targets. Its a scary thought.
Laurie ¶ 10:26 AM 0 comments links to this post
Sunday, April 13, 2008
This BLOG Is No Longer Daily
I will no longer even attempt to write daily on this BLOG. From now on, you can expect just periodic posts perhaps after an interesting show or if some issue is really on my mind.
As the comment to yesterday's post points out, I can't even keep up with which day it is. I am totally preoccupied with starting a new business. I need to be.
As you all know, I've been providing this free service for nearly two years. The most I might get out of it monetarily is the occasional click on an ad. At roughly 7 cents a click, you can easily realize that I make pennies per hour for all of my work on my websites and this blog. I have done it not for money but because I love the hobby and because I enjoy helping other people.
But now, I need to help financially support our family. I am working so hard on my business that I often don't get breakfast until after noon and I rarely get into bed before 1:00 a.m. I take few days off, normally working 7 days per week.
I've enjoyed writing this BLOG. I'm sure I got much more out of it by writing than you have by reading. It's a great mental exercise to think about what you believe and how you think things best proceed. It's been a great discipline in my life and wonderful practice at writing.
Unlike my attempt at an April Fool's Day prank this year, this post is real. The time has come for me to give my keyboard a rest.
Thank you for letting me be part of your hobby. I've enjoyed the privilege.
Laurie ¶ 12:15 PM 2 comments links to this post
As the comment to yesterday's post points out, I can't even keep up with which day it is. I am totally preoccupied with starting a new business. I need to be.
As you all know, I've been providing this free service for nearly two years. The most I might get out of it monetarily is the occasional click on an ad. At roughly 7 cents a click, you can easily realize that I make pennies per hour for all of my work on my websites and this blog. I have done it not for money but because I love the hobby and because I enjoy helping other people.
But now, I need to help financially support our family. I am working so hard on my business that I often don't get breakfast until after noon and I rarely get into bed before 1:00 a.m. I take few days off, normally working 7 days per week.
I've enjoyed writing this BLOG. I'm sure I got much more out of it by writing than you have by reading. It's a great mental exercise to think about what you believe and how you think things best proceed. It's been a great discipline in my life and wonderful practice at writing.
Unlike my attempt at an April Fool's Day prank this year, this post is real. The time has come for me to give my keyboard a rest.
Thank you for letting me be part of your hobby. I've enjoyed the privilege.
Laurie ¶ 12:15 PM 2 comments links to this post
Saturday, April 12, 2008
And The Fans Roared
First of all, I have to apologize for not writing my BLOG yesterday. I received 220 pieces of glass this week including 46 brand new styles to add to my Laurie's Cobalt World website. And we're getting ready for the annual black tie gala held by our ballroom dancing club. So my week was pretty much inspecting glass and doing paperwork, or practicing dancing. I've been so tied up that I still haven't decided exactly what I'm wearing tonight!
In the barn, the big event this week is that the fans came on for the very first time! The fans in our barn are connected to a thermostat, so they operate automatically. It's always ify whether fans will still operate after the winter. But I've had the very best luck with these wall-mounted fans that have a completely sealed motor. They cost a lot more, but they last a lot longer.
We've mounted them on boards that span our back windows. They are up high and out of my way. I absolutely hated having fans on the floor in my way all of the time. We had a huge pedestal fan, but it lasted only one season and was always in the way no matter where we put it.
If I had my barn to do over again, I would put exhaust fans in the eaves way up out of the way in addition to the other fans we need. Instead, we installed a turbine to help remove hot air that collects under the roof. The exhaust fans would have had the advantage of being able to be operated by thermostat and not relying on a breeze above the roof to operate best.
It was strange to see the rabbits all stretched out in the warmth. It's probably time to reduce their feed by just a bit. I can see their appetites slacking off during the warm weather. Of course, we're likely to have much more cold, rainy weather before hot weather comes in for good. So I'll have to keep an eye on things and adjust so that there's not much wasted feed (it's way too expensive these days for that!)
If your fans haven't been used yet this season, it's time to get them out, make sure they are clean and in working order. It won't be long until you need them. And you don't want to get stuck on a surprisingly hot day with not enough working fans.
Laurie ¶ 11:06 AM 3 comments links to this post
In the barn, the big event this week is that the fans came on for the very first time! The fans in our barn are connected to a thermostat, so they operate automatically. It's always ify whether fans will still operate after the winter. But I've had the very best luck with these wall-mounted fans that have a completely sealed motor. They cost a lot more, but they last a lot longer.
We've mounted them on boards that span our back windows. They are up high and out of my way. I absolutely hated having fans on the floor in my way all of the time. We had a huge pedestal fan, but it lasted only one season and was always in the way no matter where we put it.
If I had my barn to do over again, I would put exhaust fans in the eaves way up out of the way in addition to the other fans we need. Instead, we installed a turbine to help remove hot air that collects under the roof. The exhaust fans would have had the advantage of being able to be operated by thermostat and not relying on a breeze above the roof to operate best.
It was strange to see the rabbits all stretched out in the warmth. It's probably time to reduce their feed by just a bit. I can see their appetites slacking off during the warm weather. Of course, we're likely to have much more cold, rainy weather before hot weather comes in for good. So I'll have to keep an eye on things and adjust so that there's not much wasted feed (it's way too expensive these days for that!)
If your fans haven't been used yet this season, it's time to get them out, make sure they are clean and in working order. It won't be long until you need them. And you don't want to get stuck on a surprisingly hot day with not enough working fans.
Laurie ¶ 11:06 AM 3 comments links to this post
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Missing Fur
It seems that I've been getting a lot of questions lately about missing fur. So I thought we all could talk about it for just a moment.
Missing Fur On Ears
Some rabbits just genetically have poorly furred ears. Others go through stages when the ears are not well-furred. If your rabbit normally has well furred ears and is missing some, check for these signs of problems:
Missing Fur On Ears
Some rabbits just genetically have poorly furred ears. Others go through stages when the ears are not well-furred. If your rabbit normally has well furred ears and is missing some, check for these signs of problems:
- head-shaking
- dander
- crustiness in the ear
- a neighbor that licks his lips every time that ear gets near the cage wall
Try to breed this rabbit with one that has better fur covering on the ears if the problem is pronounced.
Missing Fur Under The Chin
Fur may be missing for one of these reasons:
- excessive chinning
- abscess of the scent glands
- moist dermitis (especially in does with excessive dewlaps)
- ringworm
- rough feeders
Abscesses often need to be lanced and/or treated with antibiotics (check with your vet).
For moist dermitis, I would use a water bottle placed higher than usual and place a purple wound powder, made for horses, on the affected area.
Check out your feeders for sharp or rough edges. Plastic feeders, too, can start ripping out fur once the rabbit has chewed the edge into a rough pattern.
Missing Fur Over Shoulders
Although fur missing over the shoulders could be barbering by a neighbor or the start of a molt, chances are that if you blow into the poorly furred area, you will see dander, the telltale sign of fur mites.
Authorities seem to disagree about how to treat fur mites. I use ivermectin and it works for me.
Stripe Down The Back
Occasionally I'll have a rabbit look as though I took a razor and removed a strip of fur from neck to tail. Sometimes it is down the middle. Sometimes it is to one side. As bizzare as it looks, it's just the start of a molt. I love this sort of molt because, in my experience, the molt goes very fast. It's also amusing to watch.
Missing Fur Between The Eyes
Blame the neighbors for this one. The missing fur is most likely caused by barbering. You can add a layer of hardware cloth to the cage wall to keep teeth on the correct side of the cage wall.
Missing Fur On Footpads
Missing fur on footpads is just one step away from sore hocks, in my opinion. It amazes me how many rabbits have worn fur on their feet that come across the show table. Keep an eye on those feet and treat for missing fur so that you don't have to treat for sore hocks. You can improvise a resting board from wood or other smooth surfaces. Or you can purchase pre-made resting pads that allow waste to drop through.
When you think about all of the things that can happen to fur in addtion to normal molting, it can really make one appreciate a great fur even more.
Laurie
¶ 11:32 AM 1 comments links to this post
