New Years Rabbitry Resolutions

Let's see-

Make a Final Decision on the Hollands
Grand a Keep's Doe.
Top 20 in JW Sweeps
BIS or BRIS with a Homebred


I'm giving the hollands one more year. One more year to rekindle my love with them, or I'm out. It's official, write it down and take it to the bank.

So close to Granding a Keep's Doe, I need to STOP taking them home and breeding immediately at 6 months. Keep's Epiphany is the latest in the long line of "sitting at 2 legs and likely to stay that way because I want babies" does. Ahh well :).

Top 20 in JW Sweeps- I did well last year, I want to up the ante this year!

BIS or BRIS with a Homebred- pretty self explanatory. I have taken 3 BIS and a BRIS with animals I've purchased. I picked most of them as babies, put 95% of the legs on all 4 animals. Now it's time to get one of my Homebreds up there! So, so close. :).

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

It's almost Christmas!

Almost Christmas Time!!

Unfortunately, we have too many bunnies to give the specialized treats and presents treatment.

As I sitting here typing this, I realize I have lost the puppy...excuse me.

I forget we have one (I found her, by the way). She's the last puppy from our AKC Mini Dachshund litter- a little short haired reverse red dapple.

If you're in love, you should be! She's available, if anyone is interested in a beautiful little puppy!


Anyway, I've got some exciting news! I'm entering a Holland Co-op!! More information on that soon, but I'm going down to just a couple animals, so even MORE are going to be available right after the turn of the year. I'm also letting some of my foundation stock in the Jersey Woolies go! Keep an eye out for that.

Merry Christmas guys!!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

Snow Bunnies

We've got 15 inches of snow here in Western NC, with more on the way tonight!

I'm loving the snow, but I know the bunnies sure aren't! It's times like this that I'm very glad we have such a sturdy rabbitry.

Last night, Tim shoveled a path from the back door out to the rabbitry. Unfortunately, the persnickety little dogs have been using it as their private poop path, so we're having to dodge land mines.

I've put out MORE poison, we saw a huge rat try to escape the snow by heading in to the rabbitry! OH NO!

We've got the lights running 24/7, hoping that it will help knock at least a little of the chill off the air in there.

So much for rebreeding all those does that missed! :(


-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

Sigh Sigh Sigh

My wooly doe Sunset had a live peanut and a DOA for her first litter. :( Ahh well, she made a nice nest and pulled some wool, so at least she's showing promise as a Mama!

Today is cage cleaning day. It's not going to be fun, but since the temps are in the 50s today, we have to take advantage of it! With all the litters born lately, hay is everywhere on the floors of the cages, which means they've been pooping on hay, which means- icky cages!

I'm hoping the warmer days today and yesterday will jump start the libido on the does! I really want some more juniors to choose from.

Speaking of- one of my wooly juniors has a hunk out of an ear. OH NO :(. The poor thing is definitely rendered unshowable. *sigh* So disappointed. :(

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

BRRR

Winter is definitely here.

The outside spigot was too frozen to give Tim water, so he's hoofing it in to fill up a 1 gallon jug from the kitchen sink.

OH joy. My hands are FREEZING cold from feeding!

I think it's time to break out the gloves and hand warmers!! I'm hoping to find a nice little cheap, enclosed heater than we can use to knock just enough of the chill off to keep the water bottles from freezing- more about that as I do my research.

Just had to share the misery!!!

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

Rest in Peace

Poor Wooligans Little Mama.

We found her dead in her cage today. She was due to kindle on the 15th and obviously had some kind of trouble, judging by her appearance when I found her. I believe she had a prolapsed uterus.

This is a blow to my heart and my herd. She was a very sweet doe, I wish I'd spent a little more time on head rubs lately.

Thankfully, I do still have two little doelings out of her. One was nearly sold at the show this past weekend, but I forgot to pack her. Maybe it was meant to be that she stayed.

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

Show Update

We traveled to the Columbia, South Carolina show this past Saturday. Well, it would be more accurate to say we went Friday night. We shared a room with Fayth and Lisa Young at Sugarplum Bunnies- it was so much fun! I love when I get an excuse to spend more time with my friends :D.

The hotel was actually pretty nice, it was the Riverside Inn located in Caycee- I would recommend it, it was inexpensive and clean- and SAFE! No drug deals in the parking lot, which always earns a 5 star rating in my book :).


The show started out promising- Tryon picked up another leg, even half in a molt and though Forest took 3rd of..9? I think, the judge said were he to pick a rabbit to breed to in the extremely strong self class, it would have been to the 3rd place animal. Awww!!! :) Thanks Deidre for repeating that comment to me, I sure wouldn't have wanted to miss it!

Rory took a thrilling 5/17 under Allan Ormond. I really like him as a judge, even though he wasn't a fan of my two young junior animals. You never feel like he's stretching or making up things to say about the animals- and NO ONE can ever accuse him of being color blind! A lovely blue otter and chestnut got rave reviews under him!

I think some day, I'll learn not to take molty rabbits or babies to shows. But every once in a while they surprise me- my little shaded junior buck, who has the most cottony coat right now thanks to being a baby, won his class in the second show! Wow :).

The show dragged on forever. It was 6:30 when we left, and there were still breeds being shown. In fact, hollands had just started broken senior bucks when I announced we were scratching our broken junior doe and hitting the road.

I enjoyed showing in a new area though- I met some great new folks who I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing again! Thankfully everyone I ran in to, at the tables or otherwise, were just SO friendly! I also found good homes for all the sales rabbits I took, except one little holland buck. I had originally decided to pet him out, but you know, he's REALLY shaping up to look like some kind of nice brood buck, so maybe I should hold on to him and try a breeding before I let him out the door.

OH! I got to see a squirrel wooly and a CHOCOLATE wooly! I don't see a lot of the fun colors in person and had never seen a chocolate, EVER. That was completely awesome.

Overall, I'd say it was a successful day, though we didn't bring home any of the top honors :).

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

New Show!

I'm heading out to the Columbia, SC show on Saturday! I'm excited, I've only been to this show once and it's been YEARS! It's a double open with a wooly specialty.. YAY!

Unfortunately, everyone has chosen this time to blow their coats completely. I've got a few juniors in slap uglies, a few that are too young to compete... and then I've got a couple I'm bringing anyway :). All the does of breeding age are pregnant or on litters. I'm trying out a new buck or two-

It should be interesting to see how everyone does. I may make a few last minute scratches based on coats...it's hard to know really.

Hopefully I'll be able to move out my last few sales animals as well! With winter coming up, I don't want to hold on to anyone that's not going to be a productive part of my herd.

That reminds me- need to print out pedigrees. Unfortunately, I'm having printer issues. It won't recognize my Evans software for printing, so I have to retype EVERYTHING out in Excel- which makes an ugly but function pedigree :(.

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

Not Bunny Related-

Let me take an aside to post a quick little blurb here-

Give more for the holidays! I am donating my entire commission for the month of December to the Haywood Christian Emergency Shelter. So buy with the link below and know that 30% of your purchase is going to help those in need have a safe, warm, dry place to spend the night this Christmas Season.

Click here to make your purchase!

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry