Today marks the "Only Two Weeks Until Nationals" point! I am starting to make decisions on who will be going and who just won't be in coat for the show.
Keep's Puzzle (BOSG at Convention) kindled three beautiful babies to my buck Keep's Tribute. I am beyond excited for this litter, both parents are just beautiful! It does mean Puzzle won't make it to Nationals to show, but I'll take a healthy, gorgeous litter over being able to show her any day!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Busy busy!
Wow, so much has to be done between now and March 10th, it's almost overwhelming!
I've got several friends coming to stay at our house for Nationals- I can't wait to have our "bunny sleepover", but it means I've got to get the house cleaned up and better organized before they arrive! With a rambunctious puppy, it can be hard to keep her toys from littering the entire floor.
I am a Youth Assistant and this year I am in charge of creating the Youth Royalty tests. This has been a particular challenge because I don't own a Standard of Perfection and I don't have access to last year's test- so I'm flying blind on this one! Thankfully I have wonderful friends who are willing to help me figure out good questions to ask. This has managed to up my stress level a little though- ack!
There is the usual amount of rabbit chores to take of- cages to be cleaned, carriers to be cleaned (I tend to get hay all over mine, I should move them...) and speaking of hay, I need to go buy a new bale. Tattoos need to be touched up and I've just given up on doing a sales list and pictures! I've been talking about the animals as people contact me looking for something.
I've been grooming the baby woolies and trying to work with posing them. I'm hoping some of the juniors will make it to Nationals, but I'm not sure right now who I will be showing. With there being 5 shows, entry fees are going to add up fast.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
I've got several friends coming to stay at our house for Nationals- I can't wait to have our "bunny sleepover", but it means I've got to get the house cleaned up and better organized before they arrive! With a rambunctious puppy, it can be hard to keep her toys from littering the entire floor.
I am a Youth Assistant and this year I am in charge of creating the Youth Royalty tests. This has been a particular challenge because I don't own a Standard of Perfection and I don't have access to last year's test- so I'm flying blind on this one! Thankfully I have wonderful friends who are willing to help me figure out good questions to ask. This has managed to up my stress level a little though- ack!
There is the usual amount of rabbit chores to take of- cages to be cleaned, carriers to be cleaned (I tend to get hay all over mine, I should move them...) and speaking of hay, I need to go buy a new bale. Tattoos need to be touched up and I've just given up on doing a sales list and pictures! I've been talking about the animals as people contact me looking for something.
I've been grooming the baby woolies and trying to work with posing them. I'm hoping some of the juniors will make it to Nationals, but I'm not sure right now who I will be showing. With there being 5 shows, entry fees are going to add up fast.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Nationals Approaches!
We are just barely more than a month away from Nationals.
I am so thrilled that it is in North Carolina this year. Not only is it close, a lot of my far-away rabbit friends are coming! I'm happy that they will get a chance to show down here and see how we do things. NCRBA State Convention is one of my favorite shows already and to get to share that with people I very rarely get to see just tickles me to death!
I haven't even started looking at who I plan on showing. I'm hoping the weather picks a temperature and stays with it so we can get coats grown back and condition put on.
I wish the people coming out had longer to stay- the NC Zoo is so great to visit and it's not too far away from Greensboro, where Nationals will be held. I would love to take some of the friends around town, but I think we are all probably going to be exhausted by the time the show is over each day. Ohh well, since I won't be attending Convention this year, I'm just happy to see the out-of-towners for the little bit of time they will be here!
-Kristen
I am so thrilled that it is in North Carolina this year. Not only is it close, a lot of my far-away rabbit friends are coming! I'm happy that they will get a chance to show down here and see how we do things. NCRBA State Convention is one of my favorite shows already and to get to share that with people I very rarely get to see just tickles me to death!
I haven't even started looking at who I plan on showing. I'm hoping the weather picks a temperature and stays with it so we can get coats grown back and condition put on.
I wish the people coming out had longer to stay- the NC Zoo is so great to visit and it's not too far away from Greensboro, where Nationals will be held. I would love to take some of the friends around town, but I think we are all probably going to be exhausted by the time the show is over each day. Ohh well, since I won't be attending Convention this year, I'm just happy to see the out-of-towners for the little bit of time they will be here!
-Kristen
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Barn and Babies
Nova kindled two beautiful babies and a peanut. She had a gorgeous marked broken black and a solid black. I am hoping for does, but the way my luck has been running, these will both be bucks. I am still waiting on Snow, Bahama and Muse (Muse is now overdue and probably didn't take).
I have decided to completely rearrange my barn. I plan on permanently removing at least another two stackers (which will be for sale along with some single holes once I finally get pictures).
I've also decided on a few more rabbits that will be for sale, along with a "?" list where I need to commit to either keeping them or not. After Nationals, it's very definitely going to look a little bare in the barn!
Oh well, it just makes more room for new babies.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
I have decided to completely rearrange my barn. I plan on permanently removing at least another two stackers (which will be for sale along with some single holes once I finally get pictures).
I've also decided on a few more rabbits that will be for sale, along with a "?" list where I need to commit to either keeping them or not. After Nationals, it's very definitely going to look a little bare in the barn!
Oh well, it just makes more room for new babies.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Waiting on babies
I'm waiting on two does to give birth- they were marked as due yesterday, which means they could go any time. I'm hoping both took!
Keep's Bahama, my top producing shaded doe, is looking miserable. She is due on the 30th and for the past few days has been lying around looking like a swollen, fuzzy balloon. I'm very excited for this litter, the father is a gorgeous little buck with beautiful wool and these teensy little ears framing his huge head. Bahama produced Keep's Panda, the RIS buck- here is hoping for a few that look just like him!
I've been trying to get pictures of the rabbits I'll have for sale at Nationals- it's an ongoing process, which is why I start so early! It's looking like I won't have as many shaded bucks to go around as I have folks looking for them, but I guess that's a good problem to have!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Keep's Bahama, my top producing shaded doe, is looking miserable. She is due on the 30th and for the past few days has been lying around looking like a swollen, fuzzy balloon. I'm very excited for this litter, the father is a gorgeous little buck with beautiful wool and these teensy little ears framing his huge head. Bahama produced Keep's Panda, the RIS buck- here is hoping for a few that look just like him!
I've been trying to get pictures of the rabbits I'll have for sale at Nationals- it's an ongoing process, which is why I start so early! It's looking like I won't have as many shaded bucks to go around as I have folks looking for them, but I guess that's a good problem to have!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Saturday, January 21, 2012
What to name it?
Nope, this isn't about Fluffy or Sir Sprays a Lot the III- it's about what comes BEFORE the name of the rabbit- the Prefix!
Generally, it's not a big deal. I take my buck, my doe, breed them together and my litter gets the prefix Keep's.
Duh. :).
What happens when the situation is more complicated? What if I breed a doe you've bought from me (which I don't do, but we're going hypothetical here). Who gets the prefix?
What a sticky question. First of all, I highly recommend letting the person know beforehand your preference and only do it for folks you know well. I also recommend that if someone does this for you, to abide by their wishes.
Some breeders will want their prefix on the litter. After all, they own both parents and are doing you a favor.
Others don't want their name on it at all- they don't know how the babies will turn out and don't want people buying a "Keep's" rabbit as a show animal that might not make Keep's Show Animal Standards.
Still others are happy to do a split litter- I'll call my pick Keep's, and you can put your name on the rest.
There is still one more option. You can always do a split prefix- Keep's/Friend's Fred.
I want to stress, I do NOT feel that it is up to the buyer to choose which option is right. I think it should be the decision of the person who sold the bred doe and once it's decided, that's it. Sellers, you can't say "Oh no, name them your prefix" to your buyers and when the litter turns out to be gorgeous, suddenly want it only your name.
If you purchase a bred animal and the seller didn't state their wishes, just ask! It's much better than to have a misunderstanding arise and cause a strain in a friendship.
The same rules *basically* apply for borrowing a buck- some folks do it by whoever owns the buck. When my friend and I would trade off holland breedings, we played it by whoever owned the doe. It's really just up to you and the other person to decide what works best for you!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Generally, it's not a big deal. I take my buck, my doe, breed them together and my litter gets the prefix Keep's.
Duh. :).
What happens when the situation is more complicated? What if I breed a doe you've bought from me (which I don't do, but we're going hypothetical here). Who gets the prefix?
What a sticky question. First of all, I highly recommend letting the person know beforehand your preference and only do it for folks you know well. I also recommend that if someone does this for you, to abide by their wishes.
Some breeders will want their prefix on the litter. After all, they own both parents and are doing you a favor.
Others don't want their name on it at all- they don't know how the babies will turn out and don't want people buying a "Keep's" rabbit as a show animal that might not make Keep's Show Animal Standards.
Still others are happy to do a split litter- I'll call my pick Keep's, and you can put your name on the rest.
There is still one more option. You can always do a split prefix- Keep's/Friend's Fred.
I want to stress, I do NOT feel that it is up to the buyer to choose which option is right. I think it should be the decision of the person who sold the bred doe and once it's decided, that's it. Sellers, you can't say "Oh no, name them your prefix" to your buyers and when the litter turns out to be gorgeous, suddenly want it only your name.
If you purchase a bred animal and the seller didn't state their wishes, just ask! It's much better than to have a misunderstanding arise and cause a strain in a friendship.
The same rules *basically* apply for borrowing a buck- some folks do it by whoever owns the buck. When my friend and I would trade off holland breedings, we played it by whoever owned the doe. It's really just up to you and the other person to decide what works best for you!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Thursday, January 12, 2012
When Does a Line Become Your Own?
"When does a line become your own?" is a question a lot of breeders ask. Obviously, if you start out with a rabbit here, a rabbit there- then the mish-mashing of lines is uniquely yours.
I brought in most of my rabbits from one line- Wooligans. I think working with a solid foundation in that line has definitely helped me get my quality where it is today, though I have other friends who provided me with solid animals that really allowed me to build on that foundation.
However, my line is my own.
Why? Because it's several generations MINE now. I've added in a buck from here, a doe from there- I've made the decisions on who to keep and who to cull and who to breed to who.
I once heard someone describe lines this way:
Imagine you're making a cake, and you use someone's recipe. In my case, Wooligans. If I never make the cake any different, it's always Wooligans' recipe.
However, if I start playing with that recipe, adding a little of this, taking out a little of that, then what started out as the Wooligans recipe becomes Keep's recipe, with my own unique twist and flare.
I think that this is a very good description of what we as breeders do. We take the best parts of the "recipes" (or rabbits) we can get our hands on and we mix them together. We try a little of this, a little of that and sometimes we fail epically.
I'll never forget the first time someone described an animal as having "the Keep's look". It helps that it was a highly complimentary comment about the consistency and quality of my animals. It also made me realize that I had moved past being "that girl who has this line".
Now, I'm watching people take my recipe and start changing it and adapting it in their own way and developing their own lines. I'll never forget all the folks who helped me get started in the breed, but I'm proud to say I've made these woolies my own.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
I brought in most of my rabbits from one line- Wooligans. I think working with a solid foundation in that line has definitely helped me get my quality where it is today, though I have other friends who provided me with solid animals that really allowed me to build on that foundation.
However, my line is my own.
Why? Because it's several generations MINE now. I've added in a buck from here, a doe from there- I've made the decisions on who to keep and who to cull and who to breed to who.
I once heard someone describe lines this way:
Imagine you're making a cake, and you use someone's recipe. In my case, Wooligans. If I never make the cake any different, it's always Wooligans' recipe.
However, if I start playing with that recipe, adding a little of this, taking out a little of that, then what started out as the Wooligans recipe becomes Keep's recipe, with my own unique twist and flare.
I think that this is a very good description of what we as breeders do. We take the best parts of the "recipes" (or rabbits) we can get our hands on and we mix them together. We try a little of this, a little of that and sometimes we fail epically.
I'll never forget the first time someone described an animal as having "the Keep's look". It helps that it was a highly complimentary comment about the consistency and quality of my animals. It also made me realize that I had moved past being "that girl who has this line".
Now, I'm watching people take my recipe and start changing it and adapting it in their own way and developing their own lines. I'll never forget all the folks who helped me get started in the breed, but I'm proud to say I've made these woolies my own.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
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