Choosing Show Entries

Howdy folks, I thought, with show season looming closer (since the summer heat will HOPEFULLY go far, far away soon), I'd talk about how I choose my show entries.

Usually you don't have to send your entries in until Wednesday night, late. I take full advantage of this. *Note the Greensboro Catalog says the entries are due Tuesday night!*

I start out with a general idea of who I want to take, that is who is of competitive age and at "fighting weight". As I feed the week leading up to entries, I take note of who is molting, who let their neighbor chew their face fur off, etc.

On the Entry Deadline Day (DDday lol), I go out and pull most folks from their cages to get a good impression of them. I suppose I need to add weighing to that list, since Joe went mcfatty-fat-fat on us last show, being DQ's both times for being overweight. I write a list out of folks I want to show.

Depending on entry fees, some rabbits will stay at home. I set minimums and maximums- I won't got to a show with less than 5 rabbits (gas is so expensive and it's usually a 2 hour drive!). I also won't spend every penny I have on entries lol. I always prefer to take juniors over seniors, because chances are I know how a senior will place, or I'm taking them for a chance at legs. I take my juniors to get evaluations from the judges and other breeders, to help me decide who to keep and who to move on.

If I have to cut someone from the list, I go back over and try to figure out wasn't perfectly primed- or who was in the worst coat, depending on the season (right now I have about 2 rabbits in coat). I make sure my juniors have a chance of competing (it's so frustrating to get "nice but it's a baby" comments!)

If someone just needs that last leg to grand, I definitely try to take them! On does, my policy has been as soon as they grand, they go in to production. I don't want to waste them too long on the tables, and have something happen to them, or they don't want to have babies.

Finally, I get my list of rabbits I just HAVE to take- and if it's still too much, I'll only enter select ones in select shows. For example, if I have a solid senior doe that I don't think can beat the other SSD I'm taking, #1 may only end up in the first show, but not the second one. :)

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry