Game Plan!

Get pumped! Whoop whoop- ....or sit at your desk giving the computer a strange look, you know, whichever is your preference. :D.

I've been thinking about our mini lops and I realized I need a more definitive game plan when it comes to breeding them.

With the Jersey Woolies, because of incompatible colors, I HAVE to be more forced in who I breed to who- for example, Mr. Chester, the chestnut gets NO dates with the shaded ladies. Likewise, Chester's REW son gets no dates with the shaded ladies, because more than likely he's hiding Agouti as well. Now, it's entirely possible for me to test breed him to a Shaded gal. I'll know any REW I get are probably agoutis, and when I look at the color on the non-REWS I will know if I got a shagouti (unshowable). Believe me, eventually I WILL be doing that cross :).

But with the mini lops, I don't really have the same concerns. To begin with I have no shaded minis. I've got a lynx buck, a chinchilla buck and a GT Steel buck (who is for sale). As Doe colors go, I've got a 3 Broken GT Steels (1 is for sale!), a GT Steel, an opal, and a chestnut.

I need to look over my girls and decide (and write down) what each one is lacking. For some, it's a better head and a little more in the HQ. Some need a better topline, or more depth. Width does NOT seem to be one of my problems, for which I'm grateful. Hey, something is better than nothing! I need to decide what the strengths of each of my bucks is- and I'm so lucky that I do have such nice bucks! Without a good herd buck or two, you're in major trouble.

I've lost some ground this summer, with the lack of being able to get babies, and the deaths of one of my litters of mini lops (including a blue chinchilla doe! *sigh*). My juniors are the best two from a litter of experimental breedings, and two junior does out of two GC parents, one of whom I am selling.

Do you sometimes wish you could fastforward a few generations? Take this doe who's so cute at 2 months, move her up to 6 months, breed her, take her babies, fast forward them to breeding age, put them with a different buck, etc, until you see what your end result is? I do. I'm excited for the possibilities in my herd. It's just getting there...and they say that's half the fun!

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry