Our Bunny Blog

Final Sweepstakes Postings

2009-03-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

The National Mini Rex Rabbit Club has posted the 2008 Sweepstakes Finals. We were pleased with our national placement of third place in the Opal Variety.

Although I don't really like the word, bittersweet, it applies here. It is bittersweet to see the 3rd place placement nationally of a variety we have cut back on. We have foundation stock and are rebuilding a bit...but most of our does would not produce and were recently culled. We are hoping for litters this spring.

And, it is bittersweet to have won the BEW variety in the local speciality club and not make placement on the national level. Twice we have attempted with this variety and this winter made the decision to once again sell-out our BEW variety.

In these times, both for financial and personal reasons, we have to evaluate a bit closer and choose a bit differently. Yes...without the competition, we do win. But, it is also a bit more costly to feed and enter rabbits in shows with no competition. Finding stock to improve the breed was difficult and/or costly.

Our focus once again is back to blue. We do have excellent stock (thanks to KT's Bunny Barn) and have some very nice juniors for the upcoming Kennewick (Tri-Cities Show). We hope the judges agree!

Emily and I have both loved blue Mini Rex so this should be a positive choice.

And...just to let everyone know. I have had some health challenges but we are going with "gallbladder" and I will be having surgery this May. Hopefully just an over-night procedure and no major operation. Keeping my fingers crossed on that.

Choosing Rabbit Shows Wisely

2009-02-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

I was listening to a seminar by Jack Canfield yesterday, author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul and now The Success Principles(TM): How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. He was addressing a question about boundaries and setting your own personal limits and policies. This reminded me about many posts I read over the past few months about rabbit shows and the attendees disappointment.

One of the exercises from the seminar was to reflect on our own policies – either in our personal life or in business choices. One example Mr. Canfield used was he personally never loans out money or books. He is neither a bank nor a library!

He also went on to explain his speaking criteria. He has a list of eight considerations for speaking engagements. He assigns points to each of the criteria when evaluating a proposed speaking engagement. If the engagement meets the criteria, he will do it. If not, he says no.

As my practice exercise I refined the criteria we use when deciding on which Rabbit Shows to attend. Emily and I had already discussed our upcoming year with the goal of one show a month. And, informally, we had set criteria and then judged each show based on the criteria. The outcomes were pretty clear and in the end we were both very happy with the choices.
By setting the criteria we were able to choose shows that will meet our goals and our needs. By doing this, we will not be disappointed or let down by the shows. Yes, there will be unforeseen circumstances, but for the most part, we will be happy and satisfied.

With the current economic situation, many of us will be doing some evaluations on the shows. I will share my show criteria – based off of Mr. Canfield’s speaking criteria – to give you a place to start with your personal evaluations.

1. Timing – What is the date of the show and does it conflict with other activities/engagements?
2. “Compensation” – translated to rabbit terms – Will it be worth it go to there? Will there be enough of our breed to win legs? Do I have rabbits to deliver or for sale that will sell there? Multiple shows, specialty shows, etc.
3. Graciously hosting – What is the venue like? Is it convenient? Comment Cards if these are important?
4. Opportunity – Similar to compensation but could also apply to other benefits like a youth show or the ability to purchase the rabbits you need or want. Different judges could also fit here.
5. Networking Opportunity – Friendship and seeing friends. Rabbits are a HOBBY for us so the social interaction gets high points on my scorecard.
6. Easy – Will the show be easy to get to, easy to do, etc. I put cost in here – hotel needed, travel, entry fees, etc. as in “easy on the pocketbook”.
7. Fun – Again, this is a hobby and I want to have fun. I don’t want stress – I could stay home and be paid to have stress.
8. Impact – In rabbit terms, is this a state convention, national convention or other type of important show such as the Triple Specialties?

After going through the criteria, it becomes pretty clear on which shows meet your criteria and then which ones you should attend. You might be surprised that a show you go to every year doesn’t meet your criteria and then if your really reflect back, it probably has left you dissatisfied as well. And, you may also find yourself considering other shows that would be a better fit.

Empty nest boxes...

2009-01-29T17:42:00.000-08:00

Well...after getting nest boxes in all the cages we only had two does kindle. It was quite a disappointment. We have another group of does due on February 10 so maybe we will have better luck.

Walking through the barn today, in actual daylight, we still have some nice rabbits. The litters we do have are progressing nicely, knock on wood, and we will have a few to show at the upcoming shows.

The first show will be the Portland Triple on Valentine's Day. I am looking forward to seeing how a couple of the juniors do even though they are on the younger junior side and more importantly it will be nice to see friends I haven't seen since December in Mt. Vernon. I guess the first Rabbit Show marks springtime for me!

If all goes well, Emily will also be attending. Depends on pass conditions coming home from Idaho.

Have a great weekend!

January Update - Breeding and 2009 Showing

2009-01-22T14:34:00.000-08:00

Well, the weekly commitment didn't really work here. The New Year started off very busy. I traveled across Canada -- 5 cities (Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto and back to Calgary) in 8 days. I saw the very best of Canadian airports and weather.

Takes a week to catch up...and now it is nestbox duty. Emily breed every doe in our barn over the Christmas holiday. Now it is the waiting game to see how many took, how many deliver, and how many survive. After our battle last summer, we were pretty low on stock and didn't have a great fall breeding season. Our first round of winter breeding didn't deliver a lot of litters but the last one did much better. Now, we are entering the test time again...see if we can make it past the 3 month age where we lost many in the summer/fall breedings.

From the people we have talked with who have experienced similiar problems, we are "normal". It has taken them 7-9 months and longer to get to regular breeding, litters and overall production. We are on the cusp.

Cold weather continues to be a challenge for many here in the NW. We are not used to the heavy snows, cold and rains. We are not used to flooding in January! Our rabbits seem to be doing well and all have great fur.

Our focus seems to be the color BLUE...must be some significance there. We have some very nice blue Mini Rex litters now and more on the way. We have some nice blue and blue chin Mini Lops peaking their heads around nestboxes. Emily's breeding focus was to create more blue chins so this will be fun to watch and see how well the genetics program works for us.

I was sad to miss the IERBA show. I had truly hoped to make it this year. We had a great time at the shows they hosted last year. They are definately on our summer show list. We have also added the Sandpoint, ID show to the definate list. It was a great show last year and look forward to seeing all the Idaho/Montana/Washington friends we made last year.

We will be doing a MRFGNW Speciality show there this year which means we should have some bunnies working extra hard -- showing 5 times in two days!

Have a great weekend!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-26T10:56:00.000-08:00

Well...back to blogging. I have made it a goal to blog at least weekly in the new year. We have been recovering slowly from our "issues" of the summer and have been very sorry to read on many rabbit groups how others are suffering from "feed" issues.

I think we (rabbit breeders) in general may be blaming every illness and death on feed. I don't think it is fair to go that far. I am not saying feed isn't playing a role, but I do agree with many who are noticing that people are changing rabbit feeds almost on a weekly basis. This can't be good for the rabbits. Also, we in the NW have had some bad weather....this plays a role in health also.

Not only does the cold contribute to weakening immune systems, we have to remember two of what I feel are the most important factors in raising healthy rabbits, also suffer a bit in the cold weather. These are water and sanitation.

Water has been called the most important nutrient in any diet. Frozen crocks and water bottles definitely limit the amount of water rabbits are getting. Make sure your rabbits are getting plenty of water during this cold weather.

I have no easy answer on how to do -- we too have struggled with frozen water pipes in our barn.

Also, the cold affects our ability to be as meticulous as we often are about cleaning. Good sanitation is still a must.

One of the gifts under our tree was the book "Rabbit Production" by McNitt, J. I.; Cheeke, Peter R.; Patton, Nephi M.; Lukefahr, Steven D. / 8th Edition

This is often referenced on various groups and rabbit material. It is by far the best book I have seen covering the overall production of rabbits. Its focus is not showing but rather raising for production (meat). The disease section is awesome!

There is a whole section devoted to rabbit nutrition and as we all look at the feed issues, this is very helpful in understanding the overall picture of what nutritionally a rabbit needs.

I was able to find the newest version (edition 8) at www.ecampus.com for just $45.63 -- that was new! Most bookstores offer it at full price over $150 and with a 2-3 week shipping. Ecampus specializes in textbooks and I got in about 1 1/2 weeks (slowed weather).

If you are looking for the comprehensive book on rabbits, this is a must for your library.

Happy Holidays!

Winning feels good

2008-10-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

The Monroe, WA show as a very nice show as usual. I think they had a very good turn out dispite our local economy. Feed hitting $20 per 50# bag, Boeing on strike, lay-offs due to this, and of course the National issues had some worried that numbers would be way down.

In our breeds we saw good numbers -- over 100 in Mini Rex and over 50 in Mini lops. It was nice to see everyone again also. I didn't do the Sept shows so my last show was a Triple Specialty. October and November will both be busy months. To make life easier, the October shows we will be entering mainly Mini Lops and then in November, I'll be entering the Mini Rex.

December in Mt. Vernon is "pending" as Emily is away at school and I am negotiating a seminar tour that would go 6 cities across Canada in 10 days that week and a half!

We personally did very well with the Mini Lops in Monroe. We have an abundance of Juniors and they show a great deal of promise with some already there. In Show A, we did extremely well. We had the 1st place Solid Sr. Buck, 1st place solid Jr Doe, 1st place broken Sr Buck, 1st place Broken JR buck, 1st place Broken Jr Doe and 1st place Broken Jr Doe! Quite a feat.

We did win BOB with the Solid Jr Doe. Congratulations to Becky J as she was BOSB and I think 2nd to us several times.

Show B we didn't get as many 1st places, but still did well. We did have the 1st place Solid JR Doe, 1st Place Broken SR buck, and 1st place Broken JR Doe. The Broken Jr Doe won BOB in that show.

I did take one lonely token MR so we would be sure to have our 3 breeders and he won his class in A and BOV in variety. Isn't that the way those class fillers go? He is nice but I didn't expect a win so that was another happy surprise.

We are getting ready for Tri-Cities and will have quite a few rabbits for sale. Emily will be going through them and we will sell what we can there. Not sure if we will get them posted to the site, but if you are looking for something, let me know (marian@hhnews.com) and I'll see if we have it available. We have several from the same litter so siblings of the "winners" will be moving on.

Puyallup Fair Request for Rabbits

2008-08-28T14:53:00.001-07:00

Ok...I tried to contain myself but just can't anymore. I'm sure this will prove I am a nut to those that had any doubts left. I have received an email request -- 3 times now from 3 different people -- soliciting me to provide rabbits for the Puyallup Fair Petting Zoo.

I understand why I would be asked -- we have a lot of rabbits (until the recent food situation), we have a variety of breeds, I have provided display rabbits in the past and I have access to people and 4-Her's.

However, I think that the request for bunnies -- 5-6 weeks old is out of line. Bunnies that age should NOT be put in a petting zoo to be "petted" -- lets be honest - man-handled -- for 5-7 days.

I've been through the petting zoo. The majority that work there are doing just that -- working. They are not educating the public on rabbit ownership or even rabbits in general.

Showcasing 6 week old bunnies for amusement is exactly what organizations like PETA started out to prevent. Is this ethical treatment of bunnies?

For those of us who show rabbits, especially here in Washington, we know you would never bring a 6 week old bunny to a show. Why then, do some of these same breeders think having 6 week old bunnies in a petting zoo is OK?

What kind of example are we putting out for our rabbit-raising youth? What about the youth and people that come to the petting zoo? What example are we setting for them?

At 6 weeks old, all bunnies are cute. They are cuter at 4 weeks -- why not have some 4-week old bunnies there for the public to pet? Where do we draw the line?

And, if your bunny is cute enough someone will surely want to buy it (or another one). As enticement to provide bunnies, the fair will pass along your contact info so you can sell your bunnies to these "well-informed and well-educated" fair goers.

(Remember though, those of you showing your rabbits may NOT post any for sale info on your cages.)

And, the offer has gotten better. The last email offered me a bag of feed and free passes to the fair. Yipeeee

I don't think I'll sell out my 6-week old bunnies for $40 -- they deserve better than that.

So...shame on those of you for supporting this irresponsible behavior!

Oxyfresh and Rabbits

2008-08-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

Hi -- A couple of people have asked about Oxyfresh and its use with rabbits. Oxyfresh corp actually has produced this flyer with the uses of Oxfresh and Rabbits.

When the weather is hot, changes or is too cold, it is very important to keep rabbits -- all pets -- consuming water. The Oxyfresh Oral Hygiene is perfect for this. We have used it with our dogs for about 15 years - along with the other pet products (and their human products).

The deodorizer is great if you have indoor pets or to spray in the car. The Pet Deodorizer isn't scented - it eliminate odors. The Household deodorizer has a very faint minty fragrance. It is perfect for those who are sensitive to fragrances.

You can check all the products out at www.oxybreath.com

2008-08-11T16:27:00.000-07:00

Wow...how time flies! It is already the 11th of August.

Emily passed her registrar's test and will be doing her "show" working quickly over the next couple of weeks and hopefully have her license by October.

We are starting to feel some recovery in the rabbit barn. We had a litter of 4 Mini Rex born yesterday and on Saturday attended the Cluster in Monroe.

We did win BOSV with our junior BEW's (and yes we did have some competition) and were pleased with that. The two little REW's with some great potential were traded for more blues.

I also picked up a nice Opal buck from Kathie Z to work on with the Opals.

We are looking forward to a great fall showing season anyway.

No word back on the feed anlysis. It should be later this week.

Saving Cinnamons

2008-07-31T20:13:00.000-07:00

As our Cinnamon herd has been dwindling we are taking any measures to save what we can. We have one great Mini Lop mom who has her own kids and is now "fostering" several Cinnamon kits.

2008-07-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

Well feed samples went off to both WSU and the WSDA. WSU will run some tests, which they normally don't do but since they can't determine a cause of death they are going to try to continue to help us.

Today we also bought all new Timothy Hay (replacing the new grass hay we just bought), straw and are trying to supplement with fiber. We are also using gas removal drops to help clear up intestinal problems in the youngest ones. I am also adding Oxyfresh to the water to promote more drinking which seems to be working.

Each day we hope the worst is over and try to look at the bright side...natural culling, etc. but that is not always helpful and there are times when giving up seems like the best answer. (Certainly the cheaper option.)

Tomorrow is a new day and we do have a doe who is building a nest and we have one nestbox of 8 Cinnamon babies so there is hope.

WSU Results

2008-07-29T14:49:00.000-07:00

Well...we got the tissue sample results and our rabbits were healthy. Dead...but otherwise healthy.

They commented they looked very well taken care of and could not find any diseases, bacteria, etc that could account for what is happening. They are going to help us get the feed we had saved tested. Normally, they will not test unless it comes from an unopened bag.

We have also finished the first round of water testing -- we have no lead, no pesticides, no high nitrites or nitrates, our pH level is a little high but nothing signiticant and of course no levels of chlorine. This is good as we have well water.

We have one bacteria test outstanding and will get the results back on that in 2 days.

If anyone is experiencing any problems, please let us know. We will certainly provide any help we can and the phone numbers we have.

More on deaths

2008-07-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

We are still losing rabbits...now only very young ones with the exception of one doe with a litter. We received the necropsy reports back on the initial two rabbits sent out and they could find nothing unusual and have moved forward with the tissue and organ tissue testing.

We are on a private well and are now having our water tested for any high levels of anything. One of the WSU vets said that high levels of nitrates would not affect people but could affect the rabbits. He wasn't sure why it would not affect chickens or our other animals. (Knock on wood as they have not been at all affected.)

Tissue results should be in this week.

Losing Rabbits....feed issues

2008-07-24T08:21:00.000-07:00

It was both with sadness and relief that I read the article about feed problems in this edition of the NMRRC (National Mini Rex Rabbit Club) newsletter. Sadness in that others were losing their rabbits and relief that we weren’t terrible owners and doing something wrong.

In the past eleven days we have lost 14 rabbits. The first two died on Sunday, July 13th while we were attending a show in Sandpoint, ID. It was a Mini Lop doe and one of her 4-week old babies. We suspected it was due to the heat. It was about 90 degrees which is unusual for our Pacific Northwest area.

We returned home and all seemed ok. While we were gone, Dad had bought two 50# bags of feed and filled the feed barrels.

Tuesday a couple of Mini Lop juniors and a Cinnamon junior were not looking well. Emily suspected poor feed after finding loose corn in the rabbit feed and in the pellets themselves. These were the bags that had just been bought over the weekend while we were gone. We immediately stopped feeding the pellets and put everyone on grass hay.

The next day we lost one Mini Rex buck that we had just added to our herd in June. He was about 2 years old and the junior Mini Lops were fading fast.

All had similar symptoms – listless, seemed bloated and constipated. Some however developed diarrhea.

Emily called others local breeders who had experienced recent feed problems and started trying other remedies such as giving them yogurt and terramycin.

Friday night she called and left a message for Washington State Dept of Agriculture to see about feed testing. Over the weekend a Cinnamon buck we shipped to California died. The doe that was also shipped is doing fine. We then lost several junior Mini Lops.

Only two other adult Mini Lops have experienced any problems. One has recovered while one is still on our “watch” list. We lost one Senior Cinnamon doe and 4 of another Cinnamon litter. No Mini Rex other than the first one has been affected.

Through persistence, Emily has talked with our WSDA representative and he is looking into the issue. Although we know of other breeders that have had problems, the WSDA was unaware of many of these. Our representative is checking with other reps to find how widespread the problem is in Washington.

We did have the feedbags and tags from the last bags that we feel were the source of the problem. However, in order for them to test it, they needed an unopened bag. The feed store claimed to be out of the feed. (However, Emily had went into the store over the weekend and told them she was having problems. I have to wonder if the feed was pulled.)

The WSDA representative has been very helpful and has called back with any updates – even non-updates. He put us in touch with the WSU (Washington State University School of Veterinary Medicine) office in Pullman, WA and we just sent 2 rabbits over for necropsy. The fee will be $45 per rabbit. If they feel tissue testing is needed and warranted that is $25 extra. This is very reasonable considering any veterinary office we found that could do it would charge in excess of $400 and was going to need to send out for any tissue testing.

We are awaiting the results of the necropsies now. We still have a couple of Mini Lops that are not looking as perky as they should but we are hoping the worst is over.

Suggestions we received from the WSDA and a WSU Professor of Veterinary Medicine that might be helpful for others:

· Report any problems as soon as possible
· Keep food samples and put those in the freezer
· Keep an unopened bag of feed with the same lot number if at all possible (or pick up another bag with that lot number at the feed store)
· Animals that may need necropsies should be refrigerated and not frozen

(As an animal science major, Emily did her own little necropsies on 2 of the rabbits. We do have pictures that show the rabbits were extremely bloated with gas and fecal material especially in the small intestine. )

Presidential Elections

2008-07-23T15:13:00.000-07:00

Keeping on the political topic....there has been some news regarding whether the Obama family needs a pet - I think specifically a dog.

It might help with a family image, but as those who are breeding animals (maybe even into farming, etc), we should take a look a look at how the candidates stand on these types of issues. There is a nice little overview of the top 4 candidates - Obama, Clinton, McCain and Ron Paul - that does get one thinking. The review can be found at Spaniel Journal --http://www.spanieljournal.com/2jyates.html

Although none may be a clear-cut favorite, some do rate higher than others with Animal Rights groups.

I don't feel Animal Rights vs Owners' Rights will be a huge Presidential issue, it is one we all need to consider on our local levels. These are the places the laws start and gain momentum. So, this election season, take a look at who is being endorsed by whom and see if that is in alignment with your views on animal ownership.

Elections

2008-07-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

Well...here it it another election year. While America is deciding between McCain and Obama, rabbit breeders are choosing between Wickizer and Hayhow.

Both of these elections can certainly make changes in our futures...the future of America and the future of rabbit showing.

I think most agree now that the economy is the number 1 issue facing Americas. Rising costs of gas and living expenses is hitting everyone. And, as Americas, this is also hitting the rabbit breeders.

I think the economic issues will be ones that the next ARBA president, like THE President, will be the most important and trying. The ARBA president we choose must be the one we feel can unite us -- can help us work together in times of declining club numbers and show entries. The president must work to actively promote rabbits across the board as well...not just to us. We already love rabbits - we need to be working with youth and those who have not been involved in rabbits in the past.

In hand with this, we need a president who understands the issues of traveling with rabbits and just being able to own them in some areas. Zoning restrictions, "pet" laws, etc are just a couple of examples that come to mind.

We need a president ready to "get their hands dirty" and work for all of us. The ARBA president will set the stage and pace for us to follow. Be sure the one you vote for is one whom you would follow and be leading us in the right direction. We need to be MOVING and ACTIVE.

And, even if your choice doesn't win, in order for ARBA to continue to prosper, we must all rally around the president and continue to make rabbit breeding a fantastic hobby!

Traveling to Shows

2008-07-17T10:51:00.000-07:00

Well...I have been a bit lax in updating the blog. Our rabbits are doing well and we recently attended the Quad-shows in Sandpoint, ID. I would like to thank Donna, Barry and the entire group for putting on a wonderful show that ran remarkably smoothly. In fact, we were on the road home by 2:00 pm on Sunday. Talk about efficiency.

This show really had me thinking about Rabbit Shows and the future of showing. We are all facing the rising costs of gas and overall expenses and some think I'm "silly", "insane" or "stupid" to be attending shows so far away. Twice we have chosen to go east instead of attending shows happening here on the western side at the same time.

I have to agree that at some point, usually at least once every day, those remarks fit. However, in choosing to travel to these shows, I would disagree. We chose those shows for a variety of reasons....the main one for me is rabbit showing is a hobby and should be fun. I don't intend to earn an income or become rich and famous by showing rabbits. I do it for the friendship and fun and enjoyment. If wanted to be stressed out all day I would stay home, work and be paid for it!

(Emily is more of a traditionalist -- legs and points.)

We opted to travel to Davenport over Bremerton as the MRFGNW were hosting a specialty show on Friday night. That is 3 chances to show Mini Rex and a chance to support the club and of course earn those elusive sweepstakes points. (We are 3rd in the National Mini Rex club with Opals.) We also coordinated with Cinnamon breeders and had competition from Montana attending this show. The chance for "real" legs and real competition - this would not be the case in Bremerton.

We had a great time visiting friends on Friday night and the show was smooth sailing on Saturday. We had a nice "pre-test" prior to State Convention for our Cinnamons. Visiting with Helen is always a joy.

And, in "true" rabbit showing fashion, we did earn points, legs and even Granded my English Angora.

Traveling to Montana was almost a no-brainer. This was the final show for this club, this is the home of the Cinnamon breed, we had the CRBA president as our judge and Ellis & Rose Houseman were there. Having the developer of the breed look at your animals (see past blogs) is priceless. And, thanks to Lawrence Weeks, having Ellis at the table was, as my son used to say, "A once in a lifetime opportunity".

Sandpoint was a bit more of a stretch. However, after being over in Davenport and then Montana, ID didn't seem so very far. After sitting next to Donna in MT for two days, we were pretty much sold on the idea and heard it would be a great time. We were not disappointed. It was well-organized and the club quickly solved any glitches. We saw a variety of breeders, made new friends and visited with old ones.

The potluck Saturday was great! It is really refreshing to say something other than "What breed did they call?" to other breeders. Most of us are actually intelligent people who can hold a conversion. I learned a lot talking with fellow breeders Susie, Nancy, Frank and the list goes on. I definitely learned what breeds are not for me!

Of course there were points and legs earned.

As everyone faces different financial challenges, we will all prioritize differently. We all show and raise rabbits for different reasons, choose different breeds and therefore different shows will meet different needs. This is one of the joys of this hobby.

Enjoy!

2008-06-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

Sunday Winnings....

Well convention has ended and we are all planning for next year already! I'm sorry I missed it but Willie Nelson does put on a fantanstic show! He also has several new songs out and is running for President. :-)

On Sunday, Akiko won her group. Helen E from Montana swept the Cinnamons with both BOSB and BOB. Congratulations.

Wilma Wonka, our broken Mini Lop, took second of over 20.

I'll post all the results of our rabbits when I get back to sunny Washington...lol

First Day results.....

2008-06-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

The first day at State Convention wrapped up. I just got the highlights....Akiko my English Angora won Best of Group but lost to a white doe for Best of Breed.

We won BOSB with a Cinnamon doe.

Our little Blueberry Ice, who did very well in Montana and previously, was DQ'd for "Too Much Color". We will see how tomorrow goes.

Mini Lops had some high placements -- 3rd of 21 in Solid Senior Does and others....More tomorrow. :-)

Hi Ho Hi Ho...its off to state we go....

2008-06-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

Yes....it is upon already. Another state convention. Emily will be traveling there with the rabbits this year as I am going on vacation to Wisconsin to visit my family. She is taking a truckload and we have some very nice rabbits. It is a mixed group -- 1 English Angora, 5 Cinnamons, 3 Mini Rex and several Mini Lops.

I hope you all have great weather and a great showing with your rabbits!

Marian

A Rabbit-Free Weekend....

2008-06-01T19:29:00.001-07:00

So, what do rabbit people do when there is no rabbit show? Today my husband and I went to the Museum of Glass (http://www.museumofglass.org) in Tacoma. I had been meaning to go there for some time and today was a great day to do something inside.

It is well-worth visiting. There are many exhibits and an active "Hot Shop" where you can actually view a piece being made. They do live web presentations of this, so if this is something you are interested in, check out their website during the museum hours and watch. It is really quite fascinating how a "chunk" of pre-glass turns into a beautiful glass piece.

(Emily, on the otherhand, scrubbed water bottles...)

Garden City Show Successful

2008-05-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

The Garden City Rabbit Breeders show was great. It was wonderful to see our friends from Montana and to meet new ones. It was bitter-sweet as we may not see some of these breeders again as this was the final show for this long-standing club.

The group did a wonderful job putting on the show and everything ran very smoothly and efficiently. We started at 10:00 am on Saturday and finished up and were at a group dinner by 7:30 pm. The show drew over 450 rabbits with breeders from South Dakota, Washington, Idaho, Montana and maybe others.

It was an especially good show for us as we finally had some Cinnamon competition! There were 19 Cinnamons entered in the shows on Saturday and 18 entered on Sunday. We were also fortunate enough to have the Cinnamon Rabbits Breeders Association president Ray Hall be one of our judges. This was quite a gesture on behalf of the club to fly him in from Missouri for this show.

There were 7 or 8 different Cinnamon breeders and Ray thought this was the largest showing of Cinnamons in a show in a very long time. Our largest class was 8 Senior bucks. We are quite the hodge-podge of breeders and were excited for who ever won!

We also had special guests Ellis and Rose Houseman visit the show and attend the group dinner. Ellis is the developer of the Cinnamon rabbit breed.

We enjoyed having Ellis evaluate our rabbits personally. It is an undescribable experience to hear the breed developer telling you what great rabbits you have and how proud he is to have you continuing his breed.

I also spent some time with Rose, Ellis' wife. She is a very wise women. She told me she didn't have the same love (or obsession) with rabbits that Ellis did, but went to all the shows to support him and their children. Through the rabbits, she talked about the friendships she has made that have lasted a lifetime. The people she met were people she would have never otherwise been able to meet. She also talked about the traveling...seeing places she would have never traveled to except they held ARBA Conventions!

For Rose, showing rabbits was much more than putting rabbits on the table. I think this is something we can all take to heart.

Aside from all the talking with friends and sharing, we did show a few rabbits! Of course we took several Cinnamons and won the Junior doe class in all 3 shows. We also won a BOSB with our Senior Buck in Show C. The others placed well and we were very happy with the comments and having the competition.

We also took several Mini Lops and won a couple of classes as well as a BOSB. As things would have it, Lisa D and her daughter also attended the show! If you see her daughter Deb, ask her about her swimming pool of soup!

We only took 3 Mini Rex. The opals did ok...it is time for these gals to be bred. Our little junior broken blue doe did very well. She won her class in all 3 shows and won BOV in one show. She is a KT bunny and as sweet as can be. She won 2 legs in Montana.

It was a very strong turn out for Mini Rex with over 100 in each of the shows. I was very impressed with the Himi Mini Rex. They were gorgous in body, fur and points. Also very nice and not as common to see were Lilac Mini Rex owned by Dorianne of MT. She won a BOBO with one and it was impressive as well.

The "biggest" win was with my English Angora doe, Akiko. She was the only Angora and of course took BOB. But, she also received RIS in Show A! I was very happy to say the least. The Angoras have proved to be a learning experience -- but a very pleasant one.

Davenport, WA Show

2008-05-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

Springtime in Davenport

We attended the Davenport,WA show this past weekend. It was quite HOT! The show organizers did an awesome job and it was great to meet some new judges. Barry runs a tight ship and the show moved quickly which was nice since it was so hot. This was the first time we attended this show but I don't think it will be the last.

It was really nice to see Helen and Jack Eden from Montana. (Ok...it was even nicer to see some other Cinnamons in the show room!) We won BOB & BOSB in A with our Cinnamons and Benton and Helen & Jack won in B. We will have a rematch next weekend at the Garden City Show!

We had a nice turn out for the Mini Rex speciality show on Friday night. I was very happy to see that on the National site, we are now ranked # 3 in Opal. I can't wait till the litters we have now are showable.

We took the English Angoras and I won BOB in both A and B with my English Angora doe - Akiko. She now has 4 legs -- all BOB. (Not properly posed but awesome wool.)

Mini Rex Opals make National Ranking

2008-05-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

I just visited the National Mini Rex Rabbit Club website which has recently been updated. It is very user-friendly and gorgeous -- http://www.nmrrc.com/ . I was pleasantly surprised to see us listed as #5 in Opal Points nationwide. This also only included 4 shows.

We have a very small showing group of opals but they are also strong competitors! The foundation stock was from Kathie Z and we have been consistent and have two litters upcoming.

I have always found opals to be one of the most beautiful of the Mini Rex. They have beautiful color and rings when they are correct. The last edition of the NMRRC magazine featured this variety.

I'll post additional pictures later.

Rabbit Show Wins

2008-05-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

"Best in Exhibition Rare/Heritage Breed " Show and ARBA Show

This past weekend we competed at the ARBA show in Monroe. It was a very good day all around. Mini Lops did very well -- our little junior broken doe won BOSB in the A show and our little junior broken buck "John Wayne" won his class in B show. We have 4 very promising juniors to move on to Davenport....and a couple of others in the barn that might tag along also.

The English Angoras once again surprised us. They were a big question mark on even being loaded into the car on Friday as grooming is always intensive. Well I finished the doe and then started on "Stinking Boy"...also known as LanaKila (Victorious One in Hawaiian). I used the large brush on his "skirt" area as Jake did the shop-vac blowing. At dark we called it good to go.

He won BOSB in show B and Akiko my little doe won BOB in A show. That is her second leg - both BOB. We are still debating on if they will go to Davenport.

In place of the Mini Rex, we took the Cinnamons. We have 3 that we felt were truly outstanding and judges agreed. They have come along way! We also participated in the special Exhibition show put on by the NW Rare and Heritage Rabbit Breeders Club and our Cinnamon won! This is actually the second year a Cinnamon has won. About 15 breeds were represented and an outstanding Silver Fox took "Reserve".

Emily will be home later this week and the busy summer season will be started!

2008-04-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

Over-flowing nestboxes! The past week has seen a boom in baby bunnies. We have 1 new litter of Mini Rex (opals) with one more due adding to the 2 litters we had. We have 2 litters of Cinnamons -- one that delivered 12! And, 4 litters of Mini Lops. All were large litters (6-8) and doing well.

With all the discussion about feed here in the NW, I will report that several months ago I switched back to Del's Rabbit Feed (16%). Yes...just the "cheap" stuff if anything is cheap anymore. What we found with the Phaus' was inconsistency in the food itself as well as our Cinnamons not gaining weight as they should.

With the Del's we have had a rabbits gaining weight as they should and after the switch, we are now seeing litters again. In the winter, after feeding Phaus' for the summer/fall, we had problems with the does not taking. I also attribute part this to the weather.

With the Del's we do supplement a bit with sunflower seeds, rolled oats and raw pumpkin seeds. (Papaya during molt is also added to those who need it.) We have also been using grass hay since fall with no problems.

In the beginning years with rabbits, all we fed was Del's. We didn't experiment with the "fancy" brands and our rabbits did just fine. When Emily did start to try the others, all I really noticed was an increase in the food bill!

I do understand that adding anything (even the few items) does add to the cost of feeding, but we added those even when feeding more expensive brands. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer. There are so many variables that each plays a role in having healthy and thriving rabbits.

April Update

2008-04-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

We have been busy with work and school. We have attended both the Tri-Cities and Yakima shows. Our junior Mini Lops are coming along very nicely and we should have some winners at the Monroe show.

We have sanctioned the Monrow and Davenport shows for Cinnamons. We have cut back on these but have come such a long way in the past couple of years we hate to completely get out of them.

May will be a very busy show month so we problably see you at a show!

Chehalis Winnings

2008-03-11T23:03:00.000-07:00

The ERBA show in Chehalis was a great show dispite the crowded show room. Everyone made the best of what could have been a very bad situation. Mandy and Ramona did an excellent job. Kudos to them!

Of course winning also makes a show more enjoyable and for our first major show of the season we were overall pleased and very surprised.

In opal Mini Rex, we won BOSV in A and BOV in B with our junior Opal does. These are coming along nicely and we are still waiting for new litters to add to our herd.

We are very pleased to have added a junior broken blue doe from KT's to our barn. Blueberry Ice will definately win on cute points!

Mini Lops did well also. Emily has kept a couple of Mini Lops under her name and Houdini won his senior leg and is a Grand Champion now. He celebrated by becoming a herd buck on Sunday...lol

Solid senior does proved to be strong finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the A Show. They held their own in B as well. Our broken does were very young seniors and a couple showed promise and will go on to Tri-cities this weekend.

Our pleasant surprise at the show was how well our English Angoras did. We have kept these separate as they were initially "pets" but after Chehalis...who knows. We entered B Show and there were about 20 entered. Emily's buck placed 2nd in his class and my doe Akiko placed 1st in her class, won variety and went on to win Best of Breed.

I was very excited and relieved as my goal for the EA's was to just not be DQ'd. I think I met that goal!

They are not entered in Tri-Cities but may go to show at Yakima.

Have a great week.

Entry Deadline Reminder

2008-03-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

Yes...today is the deadline for entries for the Tri-Cities show. We will be taking mainly Mini Lops and just a few Mini Rex. Hopefully we will be able to come home with a new trio of MR's.

It has finally gotten sunny and a bit warmer. We have several does ready to kindle in the next week or so. We will be culling again when Emily is home next week and will have some Mini Lops and Cinnamons ready. We will also be cutting back a bit on the Cinnamons so if you are looking for a great meat breed or rare breed, let us know. We will make great deals -- especially for 4-Her's.

Entry Deadline Reminder

2008-02-26T09:08:00.000-08:00

Good Morning -- A reminder to everyone that the Chehalis ERBA entries need to be postmarked by Thursday, Feb. 28 to avoide late fees. If you need the entry form, it can be found at the ERBA site -- http://www.erbaonline.com/erba2008.pdf

We will be taking Mini Lops, Mini Rex, possibly Cinnamons and our newer additions of the the English Angoras.

See you March 8!

MRFGNW - Sweeps Standings

2008-02-24T11:57:00.000-08:00

The 2007 Mini Rex Fanciers of the Greater Northwest have just been released. Last year was our transitional year and Emily stopped with Mini Rex about half-way through the year. We are rebuilding and excited for this upcoming year.

Although in 2007 we did not show many Mini Rex, we still faired OK in the sweeps. Overall in Youth, Emily was #15. She was #2 in Himalayan and #1 in Blue-eyed Whites.

We are not doing either of these varieties at this time.

In Open, I ranked #16. Although I only showed black for the first couple of months, I ranked #11. The blacks were used in Emily's Himi program.

I ranked #4 in Tort and #2 in Opal. These are the two varieties along with Blue that we will be focusing on this year.

Washington State Rabbit Breeders website

2008-02-20T10:39:00.000-08:00

I am probably behind on this...but the Washington State Rabbit Breeders Association has a new website! http://www.wsrba.net/ It is totally awesome and beautiful. Charlice Gill designed it and does an awesome job. It will be a great resource for rabbit breeders of all levels of involvement experience. Check it out today.

Building Nests!

2008-02-19T08:28:00.001-08:00

Finally we have a Mini Rex building a nest. It has been quite a "dry" spell for Mini Rex. Today, the blue doe "KT's Thunder Country" is putting a nest together. She has pulled quite a bit of fur - which is good considering it is still quite nippy at night -- and stuffing the box with fresh hay. This will be our first litter of blues in quite some time and the start of our re-entrance into Mini Rex.

I have nestboxes in with 3 Mini Lops also. They should be popping out the kits tonight and tomorrow.

On a non-personal note, I wanted to let everyone know that Quality Cage is now carrying more rabbit supplies. They are stocking scales (yes...the good kind) and the EZ-Crock J-Feeders. At the November Mini Rex Speciality they asked what types of items we would like them to carry. Linda (I forget if it was R or B) compiled a list and away they went with it! Hurray for them and for rabbit breeders in the Northwest.

Their website is http://www.qualitycage.com/

Culling Today

2008-02-16T20:40:00.000-08:00

Well, Emily made it home safely yesterday and we spent today going through the rabbit barn. Culling is a difficult process but we were able cut 10 rabbits. It was a mixture of Cinnamons, Mini Lops and Mini Rex.

We are still struggling with how to move forward with the Cinnamons. With the rising costs of show fees and gas it is hard to justify taking Cinnamons to shows with no other competition. In order to win legs, we need to take all five rabbits. This year with Emily moving out of YOUTH in June, we were going to show together for maximum sweeps points. (With the exception of a few shows and Mini Lops she is keeping for YOUTH.) The Cinnamons will have to remain separate in order to maintain the 3 exhibitors. (Jacob still has a couple of rabbits.) Is it really worth $35 to show them in A & B? Is it worth taking them for just one show? They take up the space that could be allocated to Mini Rex and Mini Lops.

It has also been frustrating to have the same judges multiple shows in a row.

We have kept the best of the best and will continue on for a while yet. It is also frustrating with the National Club and no National Specialty show. The next time we can show with "outside" competition will be ARBA Nationals in October. A long time to wait....

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T12:24:00.001-08:00

February...

2008-02-13T11:01:00.000-08:00

We competed in our first show of the season last weekend -- the Mini Rex Fanciers of the Greater Northwest Triple Crown in Portland, OR. It was a great day -- a very relaxed and fun show. I took one blue, one tort and way to many opals. :-) My opals are still a little young -- between 2 1/2 and 3 pounds but didn't do too badly. One placed 1st in her Junior Class of 7. The rest were middle of the road with the commments mainly reflecting immaturity at this time.

I did receive great comments from Eric Stewart on the ring color. He was very impressed with the overall color of the Opals on the table. This is directly attributed to Kathie Z. who was also showing and whose line sired mine little opals.

I would say that after running opals on 3 tables, I announced "I'm doing brokens"...the stress of having 7 rabbits that all look the same was driving me crazy. :-)

It was very nice to have Eric, Cathy Armstong and Tom Keyes as judges. They did an excellent job and I learned something from each of them. It is always a great asset for the clubs to be able to provide judges we don't always see. It really makes the show worth while. Kudos to Kathy T. for the great job she does in securing the judges.

As I always say, for me Rabbits are a social event. It was very comforting to see old friends and catch up on the happenings in their rabbit world. It is also nice to meet those new to the rabbit world.

This weekend is "culling" time...and it will be a tough one. The Mini Lop cages are full again with litters ready to separate and even I am having a tough time choosing ones to move on. There are just too many nice ones! (We don't even have the "cute" ones with bad bodies....they are cute with good bodies.)

Have a great day!

Cold Week

2008-01-18T08:44:00.000-08:00

It has been a cold week here and sadly we lost two litters. We did save three litters and they are snuggly warm in my office. We have two more does due by Monday and then the rounds of re-breeding start.

With the 3-day weekend, Emily will be home and of course orchastrate the whole thing. :-) Our goal is to have some quality juniors for both Oregon State and Washington State convention. What takes now will be the last of the juniors to be ready -- just about 4 months old.

Four months is a little young for the tight competition in Mini Lops, but that age can do well with Mini Rex. Annoyingly, I can't get my tort Mini Rex doe to breed. We have tried with 2 different bucks and 2 with the same buck and nothing. I fear this weekend will be her last chance to produce or she will be relocated.

We will be attending OR state as a "girls weekend" and I will be missing WA state to take some time off to visit my family in Wisconsin. One of my goals this year is to establish BALANCE.

Homeward Bound

2008-01-13T19:16:00.001-08:00

Well, getting ready to head back to Washington after a long weekend in Canada. I am anxious to see what surprises await in the nestboxes! We had several does still due when I left and 2 who had just delivered. We are also excited to get back to the show season. We are not going to either the Idaho or the Oregon show. I will be teaching at the Pierce County Super Saturday event on the 26^th.

Our first show will be the Mini Rex specialty in Portland, OR and then March will be another busy month followed by great shows in April. See you all soon!

New bunnies!

2008-01-04T16:33:00.000-08:00

Well...even though we are culling, we are still adding new bunnies. We added 3 Mini Rex and another English Angora.

We have completely cut the Polish and have no more. :-)

We added a very sweet English Angora -- lilic Tort -- a sibling to the first one. We have found them both to be very sweet and enjoyable.

In order to build our Mini Rex herd back up, we added an opal buck, broken tort buck and a tort doe from Tons of Buns Rabbitry. We are looking forward to a great show season.

2007-12-31T20:37:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Cinnamons

2007-12-26T13:49:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday and is preparing for the new year. As I previously posted we have been doing serious culling and planning for 2008. After going through our Cinnamon rabbits several time, Emily has decided to cut back even more and has put a very nice trio up For Sale.

We are hoping someone wants to get into this great breed and this would be a fanstastic way to get started. Fred is our initial buck from Nationals 2005. He has consistently produced nice litters. He has excellent coloring. He is registered also.

Along with Fred, we are putting up for sale two of his daughters -- Pebbles and Ivory. Both are registered and proven does. Pebbles has consistently had large litters (10+) and has raised them all. Ivory has had 2 litters and we have kept her daughter Sonya. Sonya has held incredible color and has extremely nice commercial type.

We have one unrelated buck, Benton's Desmond, and will breed one of the does as well.

Working with a Rare Breed is both a joy and a frustration. We are truly using the 4-H motto of Making the Best Better and our competition is really with the standard as opposed to other rabbits. Most shows we find we are the only ones showing Cinnamons. :-(

Initially, we often took 5-7 to each show. However, with the higher costs of gas and entry fees, we have recently only taken 2-3 to each show. We have done this to save cost but to still keep the breed out in front of the judges and other breeders.

Our 2008 Goal with the Cinnamons will be to produce Cinnamons for competition for ARBA Nationals and hopefully a Cinnamon National Speciality.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-23T15:28:00.000-08:00

Today's Answer

2007-12-21T11:22:00.000-08:00

And...when some of you wonder how I do so much...

here is the answer.

Fair Superintendent

2007-12-20T11:51:00.000-08:00

Hello -- As it was announced today, I have decided not to return as the Pierce County Fair Rabbit Barn Superintendent. It was a tough decision to make, however, after being at fair everyday for the last 8 years, I decided to give it a break this year and be able to take a nice vacation back to Wisconsin to visit my mom.

As many of you know, last summer my husband was in a serious motorcycle accident and I had to cut short my trip to my sister's wedding. I basically flew in and flew out. I also own my own business and it does have perks...but it also means when I'm not working, I'm not making money. :-( Money isn't everything, but I do need it to pay the bills. This now includes college tuition and saving for a second one in college in another year.

I am hoping this summer to be at fair to support my club kids in ALL their projects. I would like to see Robotics, sewing, Fashion Review and more. I have heard that there are more than rabbits and cavies at the Pierce County Fair!

2007-12-19T17:10:00.000-08:00

Yes...a girl and her chicken.

This is the little chick that Emily and I helped to hatch on Father's Day this past June. He was totally exhausted and stuck in the shell. We spent over half an hour misting him and plucking away the shell with tweezers to save him.

He lived in her room for quite a while and then moved to the barn. He is a cross between a Barred Rock hen and a Partridge Cochen rooster.

His name is "ChicChick" and he does answer to it....lol

Helping Out

2007-12-19T10:53:00.000-08:00

Today's blog entry is not so much about rabbits, but about helping those in need. Emily and her Dad are volunteering in the Chehalis area with clean-up. This is Charlie's 4th day down there and Emily's first. Our church, Wabash Presby., in Auburn has been sending volunteers since it happened.

The devastation is amazing and unimaginable. Today they are helping a family move out of their home. They have basically lost everything. Anything that is salvageable will be put into storage and the rest into giant dumpsters.

Sadly, this is almost typical. Families who lost everything facing the rebuilding of their lives.

For those in this area, we wish you a very joyous holiday -- filled with friends and family and peace and know that we are thinking of you and are more appreciative of what we have.

And, for those who lost rabbits, especially 4-Her's our club is willing to donate pedigree rabbits to help get you back started. We will be coordinating this with the County Extension offices.

To everyone, have a great holiday season!

He is here...Lanakila

2007-12-18T20:57:00.000-08:00

We picked up the English Angora tonight. He is about 9 weeks old and a fawn. His name is Lanakila -- Hawaiian for "Victorious". He is very sweet and friendly.

We may take him to one or two shows just for fun and to get some comments.

New Bunny Coming Today!

2007-12-18T14:53:00.000-08:00

We are very excited to be adding a new bunny to our Rabbitry. We are adding an English Angora from one of our 4-H families. At WSRBA convention in 2006, we took a "wish list" from several people and found a great English Angora for this family. Well, this fall they bred her and we are getting one of the bunnies.

We will post pictures as soon as possible. :-)

2007-12-18T12:12:00.000-08:00

Setting Goals

Well, as 2007 draws to a close, we are thinking about 2008. Today was barn cleaning day and yesterday was "auction". Even with several rabbits going to auction, we still have a barn full! As we evaluate each one, hard decisions must be made.

Cutting back is never easy but it is a necessity. Limited cage space, time and money face everyone. So, in light of that, we are making the tough decisions. Also, this is the time of year to be breeding for our state competition. You want to breed the best and be sure to have the cage space to separate them out when the time comes.

What do we consider in the culling process? TYPE. Yes, although your favorite rabbit maybe a tad long, when cage space is at a premium, Type must be a key consideration. Those that have and reproduce it are keepers. Then comes those that can reproduce it. A Best In Show winner is no good in a breeding program if it can't reproduce that quality of TYPE.

In looking at this, we have several excellent Mini Lop bucks. However, if they are not carrying on this good TYPE we must look at this buck as a possible cull from our barn. It could be that it won't carry on this type or it could be that we just don't have any genetically compatible does.

In looking at does, mothering skills also come into play. Having excellent type but never having a or raising a litter is not going to benefit your rabbitry either. Tough decisions must be made.

Now, as we also raise Mini Rex, FUR is a top consideration also. Great type with no fur quality isn't always a keeper for the Mini Rex. Our focus on blue, opal and tort leaves us needing to maintain color as well. So in evalutating our Mini Rex litter today, we looked at TYPE, FUR and COLOR.

In our Mini Lops, fur and condition have not been a problem. So, in culling these, we do not place much emphasis on this. We do, however, look at color. Although it is only 5 points, if you are raising, showing and paying to feed something you might as well enjoy looking at it also.

Our hardest culling today was the Cinnamons. This is hard because there is no competition in our area and we find that regionally what the judges look for varies slightly. We have strong commercial bodies with a darker coloration. We have found at Nationals, the lighter coloration is winning.

In looking to cull, we are maintaining our commercial bodies but looking for the lighter coloration. As a commercial breed, these bunnies eat a lot and take up more cage space. We are leaning toward cutting back on our Cinnamons to only 2 Trios. This would optimize our breeding stock and cage space.Like with the other breeds, type is the first consideration.

We will review our cutting back selections several times as we will also review breeding records and where we can go with the rabbits we keep. As we all wrap up this season, it is a good time to evaluate your breeding program and your rabbitry in general.