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).

Argente Bruns!

As you may have noticed I recently have added Argente Bruns to my rabbitry.

I am promoting the breed, which had nearly vanished off the face of the Earth decades previously.

They are a heritage breed, and are also very rare. Only a handful of breeders have them 95% of which are here in Ontario. They are a beautiful breed, born chocolate brown then turning silver as they mature.

I am offering transportation of Bruns to the Mini Rex Nationals in Midland Michigan in May, because I only have a 3 month old doe at the moment, I myself will have very little available by May, so if you are interested in the Bruns, e-mail me ( devon@devonglen.com) and I will set you up with a couple of breeder's who will have more choice available.

Purebred Vs Cross Bred

Okay so apparently I don't just have 3 Jersey Woolies does due next month, I have a Mini Rex doe due (Don't ask, I didn't plan on this) becasue out of the cross I'm going to get bad castors, fawns, and smutty reds. Gee thanks Tristyn.

On that note I would like to bring up the topic of breeding cross bred pet rabbits (this goes for any animalas well)
- This happens 99% of the time, when someone is looking for or have bought a cross bred, their first questions are always the same thing:
1.) What breed is it
2.) how big will it get
3.) Does it shed

I'm going to answer these as best to my ability as I can.

1.) It is a crossbred, it could be anything from two purebred rabbits crossed to 67 different breeds crossed, and those crosses crossed to other crosses. So if you specifically want a cross bred, please don't ask what breed it is, because 100% it is not a recognized breed.

2.) That is the thing about cross breds, you can't be sure how big it gets the weight is not a set thing in cross breds, you could get a 9lb rabbit and a 4lb rabbit in the same litter. You can generally tell approximately how large a rabbit will get by the size of it's ears and hind feet, long ears, and long feet in a jr will give you a large rabbit, short ears, short feet a small rabbit. Size is all relative. The thing with purebreds is they are bred to fit a standard, and that standard has weight limits, and unless the rabbit does not have a dwarf gene you can say this rabbit will be under this weight, or it will get up to that weight (in case of larger breeds)

3.) YES. Even Mini Rex shed. Though they shouldn't be constantly shedding. Twice a year is about the average amount of molts per rabbit, summer coat and winter coat (seasonal molting). A rabbit that is constantly molting either has some really bad genetics, or impropper nutrition, usually caused by a lack of fibre, protein, or changes in feed, usually caused by the latter.

So I leave with this note, I raise purebred rabbits, because A.) I love the competition of shows. B.) I can safely tell someone the size of which the rabbit they are buying will get. C.) Because I will get enough sub-standard rabbits out of my breeding, I don't need to cross for pets.

I don't talk about how I keep my rabbits on my website so I'll talk a little about it here.

I use Wire bottom cages, because they are more sanitary then shavings, the waste falls into a drop trays which can be pulled out and cleaned easily, I use stall dry in the trays as litter. The stall dry dramatically reduces the smell of ammonia. I clean my rabbits at least once a week, and the waste either gets put in a compost pile for later use on gardens or to sell, or it gets put right on the garden/lawn. Trays are then washed then filled with stall dry and replaced.

The rabbits have resting mats so they don't have to be on wire, although I do have some who prefer the wire over the mat. The cages themselves are a minimum of 18X24 for growing out juniors (Keep in mind I have dwarf sized rabbits, they are very small) I use 24X24 cages for Sr's, and a Minimum of 24X30 for Doe and litters, and my utility rabbit. I also have large exercise pens outside for the rabbits, so they can get some vitamin D from the sun, eat some grass, exercise, and fertilize the lawn all in one go!

The rabbits themselves are house in a I believe it's 10X12 barn (I haven't actually measured it) that has 2 windows facing East and south, so I get a lot of natural light during the day. I also have a natural sun light bulb. The shed has several vents (including one of those whirly gig thinga mabobbies on the roof) It has been fully insolated, and regulates the temperature very well. It has a cement floor too.

Food- I feed a 17% protein feed, I have found rabbits do not do as well on anything less, especially a wooled breed. I feed them once a day in the evening, when they are most active, and each rabbit gets it's own specific amount of food based on condition, all rabbits are different therefore need different amounts of food. They get unlimited hay, oats, flax, and greens several times a week, we buy them Italian parsley, and dandelions in the winter from our local grocery store when our veggie garden is burried underneath several feet of snow.

They all get handled daily, petted, and talked too. They also have toys in their cages to play with (large jingle balls meant for cats) They have their nails trimmed roughly ever 4 weeks, or when ever needed. The Sr. Woolies get brushed bi- weekly, the Juniors weekly.

I worm my rabbits twice a year in the Spring and in the Fall. I will also buy a bag a medicated feed every few months as a preventitive measure against coccidia.

My does are bred once or twice a year, and never back to back unless the litter is lost which can happen occasionally, babies born on wire can freeze to death even on the hottest day in summer we try to prevent this from happening as best we can but, we can't play God.

I wean babies between 6 and 8 weeks, and while doing so I cut back on the pellets and feed more hay and oats, because weanlinss can, and will gorge themselves. I never ever free feed my does and litters, I find this cuts the chance of weanling enteritis dramatically.

I don't allow anyone in my rabbitry when I'm not there (family members excluded). I live in an area where fences are non existent, and because our proptery backs onto a forest, I keep the door locked at all times when I am not there. I have had an incident of a kit being injured by a neighbourhood kid who wanted to play with the baby bunnies before we had a lock in place. We also have a high population of Red Fox and the occasional loose dog, so locked the door is because it is better safe then sorry.

Woohoo

All my does where more then willing to breed today!
Which means...















....BABIES!!!!!!!! (in one month of course).

Oh and Pizza The hut, my lovely black orange tri Mini Rex doe is due, on the 8th. I'm super excited for these babies, the last time she was bred to Ice T, the babies turned out goregous!.

Next weekend I will be attending the Elmvale fall fair, and showing a couple rabbits just for fun, there aren't any points going towards anything, it's just a fair show. Then on Thanksgiving Monday I will be attending the Erin fall fair (A Dominion sanctioned show) For points. Then the following weekend at the DR&CBA General meeting, I will be picking up my Argente Brun buck, Lindale's Santos.

October rocks!

Finally remembered I had a blog.

So I didn't make it to Orillia, or Sunderland, or Brampton, but I did go to Spencerville and came home with one Best of Breed and one Best Opposite of Breed. Congratulations to Julie Hartford for Winning both in show A, with Cupid and Hype :D Cupid sure did turn out nice.

So we came home with less rabbits then we brought, but I still managed to bring home a new addition. A 9 week old Argente Brun doe, who is a very rare meat breed, she will be getting a boyfriend when we go to the DR&CBA general meeting in October. Tristyn did very well with her Mini Rex getting BOV in Black and Otters with very good comments.

We stayed 2 nights at Grenville Park in a cabin, with Twin Maples Rabbitry as our neighbours. Les was very generous the first morning and brought us Tim Horton's coffee and muffins, as well as put up with us at dinner, and boy was the halibut tasty.

So I'd like to say thanks to everyone who helped run the show, as well as the judges for being awesome. I really enjoyed Spencerville this year.

So I have no baby news so I'll leave you here with a picture from the trip.

Orillia Vs Orono

Orillia wins hands down. I would have gone to Orono if it was an ARBA or Dominion sanctioned show, so being it is neither ARBA or Dominion I'm going to the Orillia show which is Dominion snactioned and on the same day, so I'll actually get points for entering... not that I actually have anything in coat...oh well.

So right now it looks like my entries will be:
Jersey Woolies :
Broken Jr Doe
Broken Jr Buck
Solid Sr Doe
Solid Jr Buck
Solid Jr Doe

Mini Rex:
Otter Jr Buck
Black Jr Doe
Black Jr Doe
Otter Jr Doe
Otter Sr Doe.

Food for thought.

I admit it I talk to my rabbits, (seriously who doesn't) even when there are other people around. I mean I talk to them a lot, you know like important stuff, what the wheather is like, whose running for what politcal office, major things like the controversy dump site 41, the starving children in Owen Sound...

I've noticed something weird (Maybe it's not just me) So I'm putting this out there. I find the way I talk to my rabbits depends on which rabbit I'm talking to. I have a castor Mini Rex doe, very pretty but she's a little skittish, I find myself talking to her with a "valley girl" accent but only her Not on purpose either, when I catch myself I usually feel a little stupid afterwards.

My Black Otter Netherland Dwarf I talk to in the classic baby talk oochy coochy way. Why? I have no idea, he is quite the chunkster of a rabbit (not fat just large boned) My older (non rabbit loving sister [which is still under investigation because if she didn't like rabbits why the heck does she spend so much time with them]) Has admited that Cosmo is the only one she talks to with Baby talk.

My broken blue Mini Rex buck Odie. He looks grump all the time (He has a massive head!) No I don't talk to him as if he's a manly body builder. Nope I talk to him as if I'm a clown. There is something about him that just says goofy, and it's not the fact that I shaved him and his fur never grew back in right...

I could go on and on. I do currently have 40 rabbits to talk to between Tristyn's and my own. So my question to myself was why do I use a different voice for each rabbit? Perhaps I'm picking up on their own seperate personailties. Maybe I'm picking up on certain visual traits like bug eyes, or wonky V ears. Or maybe I haven't tried just one voice on them maybe I've gone through several and at one point subconciously thought they respond to a certain one more then others. So being that I'm probably not going to sleep right for about a week until I start nit picking something else.

Dude, so no news on the rabbit front. No shows. No litters. No nothing. They're pretty much just sitting there eating and pooping in various stages of moult. Lunatic Fringe probably has the most disturbing moult of them all, I would take a picture and post it, but no one in their right mind wants to see a mostly naked Wooly with this huuuge butt skirt and ginormous head. It's frightening. I mean seriously he is scary!

So like the new guys have settled in mostly. Farley the spoiled one lives in my room, and she hates me unless I'm showing food through the door of her cage.

I was planning on going to the Barrie show but I no longer have the heart to ask for it off because 6 people definitely can't run a historic site. So I'll probably just send a couple with Tristyn if I remember to enter.

So basically that's it have a great day (or in my case day off work!)

Devon W.

New Bunnies

That's right I have five new Jersey Woolies! Not four like originally planned five, I got a free "surprise" doe and boy is she adorable and the length to her wool a-m-a-z-i-n-g. They have exactly what I need in my herd. A huge thank you to Diane.

Not much going on here, it's been very hot and humid but the rabbits are handling the heat fine. The babies are super cute....

and here is a random picture...
Pizza The Hut in the grass.

Heeeey There!

I'm in baby bunny heaven right now!

3 polish Babies
2 Jersey Babies
1 Mini Rex Wooly Cross Baby

Tristyn's 10 Mini Rex Babies....

ugh Tristyn's 10 Mini Rex babies...and the rest of her adults...She's at camp right now so I'm looking after them ALLLLL. (Not that I should complain because she looks after mine when I'm away)

So being that my next show hopefully is the Barrie show (If I remember to tell Surf I want that day off)

Alsooooo I'm definitely looking forwards to a couple of new Jersey Woolies and a Polish that will soon be joining my herd. So look out for them. (Pictures soon!)

So we all know animals (and people too!) can do some pretty strange things. I'm going to share a couple of things I've seen my rabbits do.

Mrs Mooney, "talks" everytime one (or two, or three) of her babies move *Note she hasn't had them yet* She'll be lying flat out on her side and I'll sit there and watch and she'll be silent then all of a sudden a disco starts in her belly and the "Talking" starts like she's telling them to quit it.

Cosmo, does this weird mating dance like thing where he lops his ears (Mind you he is a Netherland with tiny ears) and slinks around his cage in strange strange manner.

When she thinks no one is looking, Pizza The Hut throws her jinlge ball and chases it around her cage. This stops immediately upon someone entering the rabbitry.

Ice T has random spurts of uncontrolable happiness and he'll start popping around his cage like a randy little baby even though he is an oooold man, it's getting more and more frequent the older he gets.

On Hay day Ren will go underneath her hay and start burrowing around, her head randomly peaking through, then disappearing again.

Juno, helps make my bed when she's running around. she doesn't like bumps in the sheets.

ugh no babies for me.

Once again I've been dissapointed with my lack of babies. Daisy had two dead peanuts, Starshine once again had zip, Epic had the biggest false pregnancy ever.

Tristyn however got a litter of five out of Noirette.

I'm in the process of getting a Holland doe, and a Netherland buck. Shhhh don't tell anyone its not like I actually need a Netherland buck, there is just this lonely little doe in the barn. Since I'm not having any luck with the woolies I might as well try the Nethies again.

Babies soon??

Daisy is creating a whirlwind of fluffy white fur as she continues nesting, at the rate she's going I would be surprised to see her have babies by tonight or early tomorrow morning. She is due on Tuesday but her last litter with my came a day early, so basically anytime now I may have my first litter since February!

Epic and Noirette are both due Tuesday as well and by the looks of it I'm going to be overflowing with babies by the end of the week.

Woooohooo finally some babies to fawn over.

Powassan and Polish.

As you've seen, I know have two Polish. How did that happen you ask?

Well, take a small intimate show (I.e. Powassan) add in a super awesome Polish breeder who thinks everyone should have Polish, multiply that by two really awesome chocolate Polish, then divide by the square root of FREE, then multiply by PI and a breeder who doesn't know what the term "No thanks" means.... wait we're not quite done yet. Then add in a doe and litter, a Polish doe and litter, and there you have your answer.

So in short (For those of you who don't follow the complexity of rabbit math, because in rabbit math 1+1 does not in fact = 2.) Cute+Free+inceredibly gorgeous starting pair from a very enthusiastic breeder = How I came to have Polish.

And they are cute, and friendly and surprisingly addictive.

So anyhow at Powassan, I got Best of Breed and Reserve of Breed Jersey Wooly. Tristyn got Best of Breed Mini Rex and Reserve Fancy and Best by a Youth.

I've also switched feed to Tiz Whiz because I was not impressed with the feed I had been using, the quality has been slowly going down hill as the price sky rocketed. After doing a little math (Normal math) I have determined that Tiz Whiz, is cheaper per pound of food, even if we have to drive a little further and deal with evil sales personal to get it. The other bonus is, the rabbits acutally like it, I've found more and more empty dishes by the morning with no food dug out, and from what I've seen more and more winning rabbits are on the Tiz.

Buying "Good" rabbits.

So you're starting with rabbits, you have your breed all picked out and you head straight for the #1 breeder in that breed because surely you'll get amazing stock and guarenteed wins, it's like a free ride straight to the top right? Wrong. There is no such thing as a free ride. There is a reason they are the top breeders, it's because they don't sell their good rabbits if they did they wouldn't be the best, the people they sold their rabbits to would. Breeders sell the rabbits that don't meet their expectations confirmation wise or they have something better and are making room.

It doesn't mean all they're selling is bad, you could get a truly spectacular rabbit body wise but it may be an unshowable colour. You also get a great base to start your herd off because if you play the rabbits right the genetics are there to improve upon. You just have to know what you're looking for.

I was given these pieces of advice when I started with rabbits:

-If the rabbit aint got it you aint gonna get it.
- Body first, colour last. Colour is the easiest thing to fix when it comes to rabbits the body not so much
-Never breed anything you wouldn't show. (Gorgeous brood does, and non-genetic dq's such as pulled nails are exceptions)
- No matter how gorgeous a rabbit is, aggression is not something to have in your lines.
-Always ask questions.
-Never buy the first rabbit you see, there is always a better one hidden in some dark corner.

77 rabbits stolen from a local rabbitry.

CHATSWORTH, Ont. — Police in Grey County are looking for anyone who may suddenly have 77 new rabbits.

Provincial police say someone went into a barn in the Georgian Bluffs area this weekend and stole 77 show rabbits, along with four bags of feed and nine transport cages.

The incident is very similar to two others that police were investigating from January.

In those cases someone went into the same barn and took 13 show rabbits, mostly of the California breed, in two thefts over 10 days.

In all of the incidents there was no sign of forced entry into the barn and no motive is known.

The total value of the rabbits in all of the thefts is estimated at about $1,500.

Hey...it's been a while...

I finally remembered I had a blog, so here I am to keep you up to date and the latest happenings.

May 9th was the Dominion Rabbit and Cavy Breeder's Assoc. Centennial Aniversary show, which was run very smoothly. Congrats to Diane Webb for Winning Best in Show A with a beautiful broken polish, and to Jessica Robberts with her Best in show B with one of her magnificent English Angoras.

How did I do you say? Well let me tell you. Show A little 3 month old Darwin won Reserve of Breed with excellent comments he just needs to mature a little more. Unfortunately somehow between Show A and B He managed to break his front leg, I have no idea how since I was a writer for Uli Dubach, the judge during show B finished. Lunatic Fringe won Best of Breed show B. I was super excited mainly because the Trophey's were glass "Diamonds".

Tristyn got Best in Show Youth with Jasper.

I have a couple does due this week and *Hopefully* I'll finally get some babies. Finally! It's been a while since I've had any.

***Darwin is doing fine, and I expect him to make a full recovery.

Here are some photo's for you enjoyment :)

I couldn't go through with it.
There rabbits win, I cannot give them up.

So with that, my first show of the season will be this Saturday. I've only entered two because all my does are majorly in heat, and molting, and my bucks, well I dont have many of them and they're all molting as well.

I have no litters due and I probably won't for a while, not until more of the Mini Rex are moved out.

so thats it for now. Nothing really to update until after the show :)

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebs - Collage - Morph

:(

With great sadness I'm announcing that after 6 years of hardwork, determination, and great memories, I am selling out of rabbits. Which means lots of great stock available.
I no longer have the time or enthusiam I once did, and I think this is for the best.
Tristyn is continuing with her rabbits (whoville) and I think she's going to do very well. (She is the same age I was when I got into rabbits over 6 years ago.

So good luck to her, and this doesn't mean I wont be going to shows, someone needs to cheer her on.

arghhhhhhhhhhhhh

The rabbits hate me I swear!
2 does due on the 18th both bred to different bucks and I saw them breed. Neither of them caught. There goes my doe and litter for Baxter... Which gives me today to have a doe and litter for the Centenial Show. So Tristyn will get to breed one of her rabbits and I'll breed at least 2 of mine seeing as they all hate me and I probably wont get a litter, but if I breed more of my does they'll probably all have litters, it's a lose lose situation here.

Hurry up show season!

I'm super bored right now, and my first show of 2009 isn't until April 11th (Baxter)

Sooooo anyhow I am making a list of who to breed to who to get what and when for certain shows.

So thinking along those lines I just checked to see when to breed for Doe and Litter at Baxter...I missed the deadline...then I realised, wait, no I didn't I have 2 does due on the 18th which will give me *hopefully* 2 litters that will be 7 1/2 weeks at Baxter. The standard for doe and litter (fancy) is a doe with her own litter of 3-6 (no extra credit given for more) between 6&8 weeks old. The litter is supposed to be uniform is size and have no DQ's. WOOT I must of bred those does on a subconcious level of knowing.

I missed the Centennial Show deadline, darn.

Schomber is May 31st which means I should breed by the 18th of this month.

Powassan is June 13th which means I should breed by April 3rd or so.

Now that is all sorted out I can sleep easier at night.

Happy Valentines day.

Well Daisy had 1+ 1 peanut *does happy dance* butttttttttttttttttttt, despite looking after it SOMEONE decided to put it out with a certain Mini Rex litter without asking my permission. Daisy was looking after it, she does have milk, and now she's depressed and she hasn't been eating or drinking so I'm really worried.

Anyhow today's to do list:
Clean trays
Tattoo Jr's

Sounds fun doesn't it?

Wow this year:

Ice T will be turning 6
Sundown, Raven, Pizza the Hut, and Odie, will be turning 4
Boston wll be turning 3
Alaska, Smoke Baby, Ice Baby, and Noirette, will be turning 2.

Stardust, and Juno, will be turning 6
Charlie, Cicada, Starshine, and Dawson will be turning 2.

and me, I'll be 18... wow I didn't realise how old I was. Come July I'll finally be able to buy rabbits from myself. I also finally got my drivers licence, so about in a year I'll be able to drive myself to rabbits shows (mwahahaha)

...omg...

Could it be?
Yesterday when I went out to feed rabbits I discovered the one thing I've been hoping to see for a VERY long time. Starshine has made a nest. The impossibly gorgeous, Starshine who after being bred a billion times never had a litter has finally shown signs of actually being pregant (there were tuffs of fur pulled too *dies of joy*) She's due at the end of the week, and if she is pregnant I have mapped out various scenarios that could happen and I'm totally prepared for anything (including bottle feeding, even if I have to bring them to school to do so) and if she eats them or has dead babies at least I know she is fertile.

As for other news...nothing much. This Spring Pirelli will be headnig to Nova Scotia.

*Sigh*

Please if you're not serious about getting a rabbit, or if you don't have any legitimate rabbit related questions Do not e-mail me. It is really annoying when you ask about a certain rabbit, then after a few e-mails drop off of the face of the earth.

From now on all e-mails about pets I will respond with my phone number, and if you don't want to call go somewhere else.

Wow.

So just today I've had e-mails from at least 3 different people looking for Jersey Woolies. So as of now I only have the following available:

DevonGlen's MoonShadow
Smoke Pearl Sr Buck

Blue Moon Bunnies Dawson (smoke pearl) X Oswald's Stardust (3 GC Legs) (Blue Tort)

Moon, has a good head, and ears. Good shoulder, he is a tad long in the midsection but has a nice hindquarter. His wool has good substance, texture, desnity, and fairly good length. He won Best Of Breed, Best Fancy, and Reserve in Show at Powassan (DR&CBA) beating my all time favourite Mini Rex doe Mercedes.

DevonGlen's Mrs Lovett (Not Mrs. Mooney)
Siamese Sable Sr Doe

Sunny Height's Bala (Black) X Little Schoolhouse's Charlie (Sable Point)

Mrs. L has a good head ear, shoulders, midsection, and hindquarter, she's just lacking in the length of her wool but does have excellent density and texture! She placed, I believe 7th Shaded Jr Doe at the Convention in Louisville Kentucky.

Little Schoolhouse's Charlie
Sable Point

I'm selling Charlie to a pet home only. He has a good head, ears, shoulder and midsection. He's a little rough over the hindquarters and lacks in wool length. Charlie is also one of the friendliest rabbits you'll ever come across.

I also have 2 junior does (11 weeks old) out of Blue Star's Cicada and Oswald's Stardust. Beautiful girls, lots of spunk, tiny too. They're both unrecognized colours but should make excellent pets, brood does or even 4-H show animals!

All are on a first come first serve basis.

That is all the Jersey Woolies I have available. Please don't ask about Pirelli, his sale is already pending to Steven on the East coast.

Due to the lack of having any live litters born this past week, I no longer will have juniors to show at Nationals besides the 2 does I'm keeping out of Cicada's litter. So none of the rabbits listed on my Bucks in Does pages will even be considered for sale until at least June, if at all.

As for Mini Rex
I still have a ton for sale all $25.00 each

This really sucks.

Mrs Lovett had a litter of 4 dead on the wire. She made a nest, and pulled fur in the corner of the cage not in the box. Then went and had her babies inbetween the nest box and her nest. There was a blue tort, a siamese sable, a black, and a REW. Like Hype this was her first litter, and both her and Hype's mothers' didn't have successful litters the first time either. Oh well what can you do? There is always next time. At least I know now Stardust carries REW, (which is a good thing BTW in my opinion).

That leaves Juno. She quite possibly isn't pregnant at all seeing that she's going to be 6 this year, and has shown no interest in her nest box at all.

So much for having Juniors at Nationals.

Bleh.

Hype has had one DOA peanut so far which isn't the greatest of news, but I palpated her and did feel more babies.

It's cold as in -32*C cold. Of course it decides to be cold the week I have does due.

For Sale Page updated!!

2 months left till Mexico, I'm dying.

Survey

Well, I took this from Keep's Rabbitry blog who took it from 4 Kings Rabbitry Blog :)

1. How did you deceide the name for your rabbitry?
When we raised Jack Russell Terriers our Prefix was DevonCourt, (after Devon England, not me) so when I got into rabbits I kept the Devon part (It is my name after all) and added Glen (Because Glen's run along side valleys and etc.)

2. Youth or Open?
Both. Depends on how I'm feeling when I enter.

3. How long have you owned rabbits?
Six years straight now, though I do have pictures of some "Australian" Dwarfs we had when I was younger (I don't remember them at all, so I'm not certain how long we had them)

4. What's the biggest win you've had so far(not that winning is everything!)?
-Best In Show

5. What's the most embarrassing or 'Ah Ha' moment with rasing rabbits?
-When Sweeney turned into a girl on the judging table

6. How did you decide what breed to raise?
I wanted a Dutch, but fell in love with a Tri-Colour Mini rex doe instead when I first started looking at rabbits. The woolies because my mom got interested in them (they were smaller and easier to care for then she thought) so I got some.

7. What is your current 'set up' and how many cages?
I've got about 40 holes. In my Rabbitry which is fully insulated.

8. What's your short term goal (now to June 2009)?
Go to the Ohio Mini con, and Jersey Wooly nationals :)

9. Long term goal?
Show waaaay more in ARBA shows

10. Anything else we need to know?
Nope. Unless you want to buy a Mini Rex.

weeeeeell

2009 Rabbitry resolutions (I made these a while ago and have finally now posted them here)

-Go to more ARBA shows.
I went to a grand total of three ARBA shows last year

-Register my rabbits
I keep meaning to do this...

-Get a litter out of Starshine
It will happen!

-Sell the rest of my Mini Rex herd
I really want to concentrate on Woolies.

-Grand a rabbit or two
This means Registering them, AND going to more ARBA shows

-Not forget any rabbits at home when going to shows

...it only happened once.

bebees!!!

I palpated Juno, Hype, and Mrs Mooney, and either they ingested some marbles or there are going to be some babies by the end of the month! Yeeeeaaaaaahhhh Juniors for the nationals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also at nationals I am hoping to purchase either a broken buck or agouti buck (maybe a broken agouti?)

2009 Show team:
Sr's:
Lunatic Fringe.
Valhalla
Pirelli
Daisy
Starshine *** (If she doesn't take I'll show her this spring, if she does I'll show her in the fall)
Daisy *** I figured I'll show her a bit before breeding her, she has been bred before

Jr's:
Fearless
Blue Parade
& What may pop up in the upcoming litters