A good portion of the population is right handed, and would thus pose their rabbits with the head at their left hand, and the back end at their right hand. This is how the rabbit would be then evaluated. When I evaluate a rabbit, I feel the body, I look at it, and 9 times out of 10, I don't look at the right side of the rabbit since being right handed and having the left hand side facing me, that will be the side I evaluate.
So I put this rabbit into 5 shows. 4 Shows it does extremely well. The 5th time the rabbit completely bombs. Upon investigating why, I find out the first 4 judges, like me are right handed therefore will pose the rabbit and evaluate it form the same side I do. The 5th judge, is left handed, and is seeing the rabbit from a different perspective. Remember, you can only feel so much when visualization is your main sense.
This is where the saying "Get my good side" for photographs comes in. Rabbits like people, may have a "better side" because one side, may not be the exact mirror image of the other, and this tends to be overlooked, because lets face it, trying to pose a rabbit with the hand that isn't dominant, is hard. So what can you do? Well you can have a friend evaluate from the opposite side, or you can do it the easy way, place a mirror behind the rabbit and get a good look for yourself. You may be surprised.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
heh heh oops
Never name your food right? How about never let random strangers passing by know that those 7 fluffy little bunnies on the front deck are going to become food.
My mother wanted to see the Harlequin doe and her litter, so being a nice day I stuck them all out on the front deck since the dogs were out on the back deck. So there they are, a enormous white and brown striped Harlequin doe and 7 solid brown babies all running around like lunatics on the deck. Of course it is going to attract people walking by, it's almost Easter, who can resist baby bunnies? So this lady comes up and starts oohing and awing over them. She asks questions like how old are they, is the striped one the mother, do we own the father...4 weeks, yes, yes... Then the "What are you going to do with them?"
"Eat them, duh." Which I said in my head, I almost said it out loud, almost. I must have stared at the lady awkwardly for a few moments before mumbling something about "pets". Had it been one of my neighbours I would have probably shrugged and said have a nice BBQ. Except I had never seen this lady before, and you just never know who you meet on the streets. It would have been rather daunting to have to explain why anyone would want to eat those cute babies.
All I have to say is, they're not as cuddly as you think.
My mother wanted to see the Harlequin doe and her litter, so being a nice day I stuck them all out on the front deck since the dogs were out on the back deck. So there they are, a enormous white and brown striped Harlequin doe and 7 solid brown babies all running around like lunatics on the deck. Of course it is going to attract people walking by, it's almost Easter, who can resist baby bunnies? So this lady comes up and starts oohing and awing over them. She asks questions like how old are they, is the striped one the mother, do we own the father...4 weeks, yes, yes... Then the "What are you going to do with them?"
"Eat them, duh." Which I said in my head, I almost said it out loud, almost. I must have stared at the lady awkwardly for a few moments before mumbling something about "pets". Had it been one of my neighbours I would have probably shrugged and said have a nice BBQ. Except I had never seen this lady before, and you just never know who you meet on the streets. It would have been rather daunting to have to explain why anyone would want to eat those cute babies.
All I have to say is, they're not as cuddly as you think.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Bucks...
So this morning I went out to the rabbitry to turn the light on, and Donatello was soaking wet and his water bottle was empty. He apparently spent all last night pacing which involved rubbing against his water bottle and thus creating a curly disgusting mess. I can't really blame him though, he was right smack dab in between two lovely does. Now he's a rather annoyed buck all by himself on the bottom row. At least now I have two does who will no longer be annoyed.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Just a little update.
I live with a 7 year old Mini Rex buck in my room, he's currently running around like a terror in my parents' and sister's rooms, occasionally stopping back in my room hoping for a treat. His treat of choice? Not the $3.00 pack of yogurt drops I bought for him. Nope, he wants Vanilla Shreddies. He'll do anything for those Shreddies. Rather he knows how to make me give him Shreddies. Having a rabbit lick you is cute right? Not when he's licking your toes while you're trying to work on the computer, and will not stop. Or how about when he climbs my leg, hops into my lap and stick his big ol' mug in my face. If that doesn't work he'll run circles around me and will not stop. I've learned that in order to be a happy owner, you need a happy rabbit. In order to have a happy rabbit you have to appease him and bend to his every whim. Who owns who?
Scarlett's litter. Some of you may not be aware of who Scarlett is, she is a chocolate magpie Harlequin doe. I bought her to be a meat production doe because my Aunt and Grandma are feeding their dogs the RAW diet. I realized that with my Bruns I wouldn't always have a steady supply being that I want to keep some to show, sell some to promote the breed, which leaves me with not very many for meat. So I bought this harlequin doe, Bred her to my Brun buck. She currently has a 3 week old litter of 7. 7 little brown babies 6 does, 1 buck. Except two are slightly different. One has a white streak on his head, the other has what looks like a white VM on her nose which I find interesting. From what I've gathered about the silvering gene in Argents these babies will most likely all be Bruns when they're older.
My First all Brun baby, is starting to get his silvering in. Each time I go out and look at him he has more and more silver. Prima Donna has been re-bred to Santos, and this time I hope for more then one baby.
Next Weekend I'm going to the DR&CBA memorial day auction and meeting. I don't have anything to put in the Auction, since I have pre-sold 5 rabbits leaving at the auction, and have another 5 pre-sold for my first show of the year which will be in St. Hyacinthe Quebec.
I have 2 Mini Rex does due In a week. One has been bred to my Shreddie monster, the other bred to my new buck.
So that's pretty much what is going on right now. The rabbits are definitely enjoying the nice weather. I know I am.
Scarlett's litter. Some of you may not be aware of who Scarlett is, she is a chocolate magpie Harlequin doe. I bought her to be a meat production doe because my Aunt and Grandma are feeding their dogs the RAW diet. I realized that with my Bruns I wouldn't always have a steady supply being that I want to keep some to show, sell some to promote the breed, which leaves me with not very many for meat. So I bought this harlequin doe, Bred her to my Brun buck. She currently has a 3 week old litter of 7. 7 little brown babies 6 does, 1 buck. Except two are slightly different. One has a white streak on his head, the other has what looks like a white VM on her nose which I find interesting. From what I've gathered about the silvering gene in Argents these babies will most likely all be Bruns when they're older.
My First all Brun baby, is starting to get his silvering in. Each time I go out and look at him he has more and more silver. Prima Donna has been re-bred to Santos, and this time I hope for more then one baby.
Next Weekend I'm going to the DR&CBA memorial day auction and meeting. I don't have anything to put in the Auction, since I have pre-sold 5 rabbits leaving at the auction, and have another 5 pre-sold for my first show of the year which will be in St. Hyacinthe Quebec.
I have 2 Mini Rex does due In a week. One has been bred to my Shreddie monster, the other bred to my new buck.
So that's pretty much what is going on right now. The rabbits are definitely enjoying the nice weather. I know I am.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Seeing past colour
This is for Annette :)
My tricks on evaluating Mini Rex based on type and fur alone:
Sit at a table, on each side of you have a basket. One for those who make it past round one and those who don't. Put all the ones you wish to evaluate on a table. Close your eyes or put on a blind fold. Choose a rabbit.
As you feel this rabbit if you feel narrow or long bony shoulders, if your hand catches hugely at the hips. Or just overall rangy and boney. Put it in the "pet" basket.
A keeper should feel very solid and smooth, you shouldn't get caught on any hips or feel any pin bones or narrowness.
Once you go through all the potentials this way, put the pets back in their cages then go back to the keepers. (You can take the blind fold off too).
Evaluating potential keepers:
1.) Fold one ear down the nose, if it is longer then the face stick it in the pet basket. (Most likely oversized, ears out of balance)
2.) Sit the rabbit facing away from you. Place your hands on either side of it following the hip lines. If your hands point out in a V stick the in the pet basket.(Pinched). Your hands should sit parallel
3.) Pose the rabbit. If you can get two or more fingers between the base of the ears and the rise. Place it in the pet basket. (Long Shoulders)
4.)Keeping the rabbit posed (making sure the hind toe is in line with the hip and all 4 feet are flat). Place a finger between the ribs and the hip. If you can get more then one finger between the ribs and the hip place the rabbit in the pet basket. (Long midsection)
5.) Now place a pencil at the hind toes vertically. The highest point of the black should be in line with the hind toes. If the highest point is infront of the pencil the rabbit peaks early and you tend to get a flat spot over the HQ. If the highest point is behind the pencil the rabbit will tend to have a longer midsection. The highest point should also be higher then the ears.
to be continued (with pictures later)
My tricks on evaluating Mini Rex based on type and fur alone:
Sit at a table, on each side of you have a basket. One for those who make it past round one and those who don't. Put all the ones you wish to evaluate on a table. Close your eyes or put on a blind fold. Choose a rabbit.
As you feel this rabbit if you feel narrow or long bony shoulders, if your hand catches hugely at the hips. Or just overall rangy and boney. Put it in the "pet" basket.
A keeper should feel very solid and smooth, you shouldn't get caught on any hips or feel any pin bones or narrowness.
Once you go through all the potentials this way, put the pets back in their cages then go back to the keepers. (You can take the blind fold off too).
Evaluating potential keepers:
1.) Fold one ear down the nose, if it is longer then the face stick it in the pet basket. (Most likely oversized, ears out of balance)
2.) Sit the rabbit facing away from you. Place your hands on either side of it following the hip lines. If your hands point out in a V stick the in the pet basket.(Pinched). Your hands should sit parallel
3.) Pose the rabbit. If you can get two or more fingers between the base of the ears and the rise. Place it in the pet basket. (Long Shoulders)
4.)Keeping the rabbit posed (making sure the hind toe is in line with the hip and all 4 feet are flat). Place a finger between the ribs and the hip. If you can get more then one finger between the ribs and the hip place the rabbit in the pet basket. (Long midsection)
5.) Now place a pencil at the hind toes vertically. The highest point of the black should be in line with the hind toes. If the highest point is infront of the pencil the rabbit peaks early and you tend to get a flat spot over the HQ. If the highest point is behind the pencil the rabbit will tend to have a longer midsection. The highest point should also be higher then the ears.
to be continued (with pictures later)
Friday, March 5, 2010
When I breed to rabbits together, I don't do it for the purpose of selling babies and making money. I do it to improve my own herd which means I get first pick. Because they just happen to belong to me I don't have to sell any in the litter at all. I cannot stand when someone gets angry at me because I will not sell a baby to them. I'm not being mean, by not letting them have it I'm just doing what I intended the litter to be for in the first place. My personal use. First pick does not mean I am only keeping one, it means I get to choose whatever ones I want to keep, and if there are any left over those will be the ones I sell, if you don't like the ones I'm selling it is not my fault feel free to go elsewhere.
I keep the best and sell the rest, and sometimes I'll keep an entire litter it's why I don't have a waiting list. I recommend people to other breeders instead of making them wait.
I keep the best and sell the rest, and sometimes I'll keep an entire litter it's why I don't have a waiting list. I recommend people to other breeders instead of making them wait.
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