This is something I have seen a lot of. A rabbit placing 1st in show A and dead last in show B.

This can confuse people especially new breeders looking to better their herd. So where do you start when you're not placing consistently among the same animals? Different judges have different styles or "expectations" of a breed.

Here is what I recommend doing if you're not sure how or why you rabbit placed as it did one show and differently the next. Take a look at your comment cards. I'm going to use a made up rabbit as an example.

Show 1, on his card it says he has an excellent head/ear. Good shoulders/midsection. Rough over the hindquarters. excellent density and texture of fur, good colour. 1/5

Show 2, on his card it says : Good head/ear. Fair shoulders. Good midsection. Rough over the hindquarters. fair density and texture. Excellent colour. 4/5

Show 3 : Excellent head/ear. Fair shoulders. Good midsection. Fair hindquarters. Good density and texture. Excellent colour. 2/5


Taking those comment cards you can do one thing. Claim the judge didn't know your breed, or take it as a learning experience. Compare comments from different judges, first of all find all points in common, for instance this rabbit has a good head/ear/midsection/ and nice colouring. What it also tells you is the rabbit is lacking in the hindquarters, and could possibly use better shoulders. As for the fur well it appears two out of three judges liked it, but why not the 3rd? Well you have to seriously consider is the rabbit moulting? Past Prime and about to moult, or just getting over a moult, that can effect comments as well. You have to compare similar comments from different judges and eventually you'll see what needs to be worked on in your herd and what is just fine.

So next time you don't place as well as you were hoping don't blame the judge, don't blame your rabbit. Use it as a learning experience.

Designer Breeds

Everyone has seen them. It happens in all types of animals not just dogs, but what are you really getting when you dish out all that money?

A mutt that's all a designer breed is. People take two different breeds, cross them, then give them a (in my opinion) stupid, lame, and uncreative name. Then they jack up the price to five times more then the actual worth and call them designer. Here is the problem.

You can't pick and choose genetics. When you take a low shedding dog (trust me all animals shed no matter what the breed, if they didn't if you pulled their fur out it wouldn't grow back) [like a poodle] and breed it to a dog they say has a great temperament but sheds a ton (i.e. a Retriever). Then say its a non shedding very friendly dog. The only problem is, both parents are donating their genes you also get the worst traits from both the parents as well. I have a friend who bought a "designer" dog. The Golden Doodle, was supposed to be a laid back non shedding friendly dog. It was a poodle with a loosely curled coat that shed like crazy. Not at all what they were told it would be like. When you start crossing breeds you have no idea what you're going to get.

A designer dog cannot be considered purebred. To start with to legally be able to call an animal purebred the breed has to be registered with the animal pedigree act. It has to be able to breed true, meaning that if you breed a golden doodle to a golden doodle you get a golden doodle, not a poodle, or a lab but the exact copy of the parents. Also a purebred animal should have a 3 generation pedigree of only that breed that has bred true. So anyone claiming purebred shi-poos or golden doodles or jack-a-poos are big fat liars.

In my opinion a purebred animal IS a designer breed. Someone is working hard to keep that breed alive and as close to the standard of perfection as possible. They work hard to produce good showy animals and they deserve credit for it, not the people who ruin the breed by trying to add something unnecessary in.

There is a breed out there for everyone, and if you don't want a purebred (for stereotyped reasons I'll post about later) Then don't be fooled by someone trying to make a quick buck off of their "mutts" go to a shelter and adopt one who wasn't bred on purpose, and please for the love of animals if you want a cross bred don't ask what breed it is, it only makes you look like a hypocrite.

New layout

Yeah it's changed (again) the last was just temporary until I finished this one, which I'm really proud of how it turned out. I used a total of six different pictures all taken by me. They've all been cut and stitched together.

On the other news front The babies are all doing great. In Epiphany's kits Ghost Rider (Chestnut) and Elvis Ain't Dead (black) are looking great. Miss Ren has a couple of noisy buggers, but they sure are cute.

4 days till the Royal I'm super excited.

I'm in the process of switching foods to Floradale, and compared to the stuff I'm feeding now (starts with a P, ends with an A) it's amazing, it smells fresh it looks fresh and the rabbits are picking it out and not eating the other stuff.

What's the deal with Legs?

Everyone has seen them rabbits with "insert number here" Legs. Now the first reaction most people have is "Shouldn't they have 4?" A Leg is a little certificate stating that the rabbit won it's class (of at least 5 rabbits, shown by at least different people). Now you have the wow what an amazing rabbit comment.

Now lets see. The rabbit won it's class, meaning at that show is was better then the ones being shown against it, it doesn't mean the rabbit itself is that great, it just means it was better then the other ones brought to the show that day.

Nearly 7 years ago now I had a little tri-colour Mini Rex doe, not the greatest rabbit in the world and now looking back I have to say to myself what was I thinking?! That rabbit I brought out to a small now extinct, ARBA show she was one of 9 Mini Rex that showed up that day. She ended up winning BOSB and recieved a leg. She was an awful Mini Rex, she was just a little better then the other rabbits that happened to show up.

So a rabbit that has a leg is always good? You got it, no way.

More recently I bought a Jersey Wooly buck, he has 3 legs, he is a nice rabbit, his son on the other hand has a total of 0 legs, and has beat him in every show they have ever competed against each other in. Now why is that? Well when he is at an ARBA show there aren't enough exhibitors, or rabbits, or he is either molting and not able to go. Meanwhile at DR&CBA shows (which are basically the same as ARBA shows same people showing, basically same standard) this rabbit has gone on to win Best Fancy Etc over his father.

So don't let the glory of a rabbit winning legs fool you. When buying a rabbit make sure you know what you're looking for don't buy a rabbit just because it has a leg or two. It seems just because a rabbit has a leg under it's belt it's a good excuse to jack up the price.

This doesn't mean the rabbit is awful either if a rabbit has a billion legs there is probably a good reason for it :)

Well, hi there, I'm excited, not because I've overdosed on sugary goodness that was Halloween, but because SunnyHeight's Epiphany kindled two babies a black and a chestnut 3 days early, ON Halloween. I foresee some Halloween themed names in the future of these two. I'm really looking forward to how they turn out, Lunatic has yet to disapoint me with his outstanding quality produced in his litters (As well as his personality)

Or right the next show I will be attending is the Royal Agricultural Winter fair, my all time favourite show of the year. I have only entered a couple rabbits (My two Argente Bruns, Lunatic and Mrs Lovett) I did do Tristyn's entries but I can't remember for the life of me what she entered, mostly likely her Otter buck and doe, two black does, and lilac doe, but that's just me guessing.

So I hope to see everyone there. Have a Happy November :)

Updates

Nothing interesting happened recently. K, Bye.














LOL. Just kidding. I picked up my Argente Brun buck Lindale's Santos. He is amazing.

I'm cutting back on the Woolies send me an offer on any of them EXCEPT: Lunatic Fringe, Mrs Lovett and Stardust. I need more room for the Bruns :)

but that is pretty much it, see you all at the Royal.

Buyers please.

I've had a lot of rabbit requests lately and certain things are really popping out at me. I think we would all do well to realize what it takes to be a GOOD rabbit buyer. By Kristen Drum of Keep's Rabbitry (edited to fit my rabbits)

1.) Tell me what you want!

I get a lot of "I might want a buck or a doe......." or "I want this breed, that breed, or this other breed." No. Please tell me what you want. Are you looking for a Wooly doe out of Loonie? Are you looking specifically for a Black Mini Rex? This will save us both a TON of time!

2.) Realize my bunnies are not made to order.

Don't get mad at me because I don't have a broken sable point jersey wooly doe out of Loonie x ____ with perfect everything. They aren't made to order. I take what I can get just like everyone else, and if they don't throw the color you want, you're more than welcome to keep waiting. If they DO throw exactly what you want, it's my herd. I have first pick of all litters, non-negotiable :).

3.) Make sure you WANT IT!

Please, before you email about an animal, make sure you're actually interested. Don't ask about a Jersey Wooly if you really want a flemish giant. Don't ask about a Mini Rex if an Angora is what your heart is set on. I don't really appreciate spending three days answering a thousand questions to find out you were really only mildly curious. Changing your mind on an animal is fine- it happens, but if I hear "oh... I was just wondering" again, I may kill someone.

4.) Be Reasonable

I don't mind taking pictures for you. I don't mind taking more pictures if there was something that wasn't clear or you'd like to see it from some other angle. I DO mind being asked for 400 pictures of the same rabbit, without knowing if you're seriously interested. The animal is not going to change significantly from today to tomorrow.

Likewise, please, please let me know if you're interested or not. Stringing me along for 2 weeks then asking me to hold it for an unspecified amount of time = not cool. Likewise, don't get mad if I don't hear from you and then sell the animal to someone else.

5.) Be Polite!

Your reputation is built on how you buy just as much as what you sell or how you show at the tables. A friend of mine had someone inquire about an animal then basically email back later and say "Oh, I decided to buy some from a local show instead- I think what I got is way better." Surprisingly enough, she wasn't thrilled to get other inquiries from the buyer. Rabbit folks talk and share info! It's harder to rebuild a reputation than to just start out with a good one! This goes for PET buyers too. A nicer response is "She's not what I'm looking for right now." or "I think I found a better fit for my herd- thanks for your time!"

6.) I don't haggle and I don't do free breedings.

I've worked very hard for my animals. I sell them significantly under value as it is. No, I don't do discount for senior citizen, new breeders, old breeders, show acquiantances, etc. etc. I'm sorry, I don't. Sob stories won't change that. Threats won't change that.

I DON'T do free breedings. My bucks are my bucks. I don't want to see a doe's babies up for sale for 4 times what I'd sell them for, so you can make quick money. There is nothing on Earth that will make me let you use my best bucks, for free (or stud fee). If you want to get babies out of Loonie, you'll have to either purchase his offspring and make your own, or pray some day I sell him.

PLEASE if you have agreed to come to my house at a certain time SHOW UP! I have a life too and I could be getting a lot of work done, but instead I'm waiting for a buyer to show up. If something has come up, because they can and will please call and let me know I don't want to be waiting for six hours, then give up on you and go out to have you show up when no one is home.

DELIVERY I can do in certain cases only. I CAN deliver to shows I will be attending. I CAN'T deliver 3 hours out of my way. I CAN deliver to places I will be traveling to for family events, or other events, all you have to do is ask. I DO NOT drive so I can't always guarantee delivery, it's up to my parents.

I realize some of this stuff sounds witchy, but really folks, be decent to sellers! You aren't doing us a favor and we don't make millions selling these animals (we'd be lucky to break even).