Growing them out

I got a REW buck as a 8 week old from a friend. She was sweet enough to let me pick out of her litter, I don't remember why (we wheel and deal a lot lol).

Anyway, we both thought this rabbit was Top Half of the litter. Thick, thick ears, promising head coming in, good baby wool and just a really short, cobby rabbit overall.

I tried showing him a little bit as a junior. The judges HATED him. I even told my friend I had no idea why- we still thought he was a cute rabbit. He hit junior-senior uglies and I left him in his bottom cage.

I'm not going to lie, I kind of forgot about him. Oh he got fed and watered, I just didn't take him out and pose him up a lot- right after uglies came a terrible molt, then came winter where it was FREEZING cold in the barn, and he just kind of slipped through the cracks.

Fast forward to Nationals. While she was visiting, I pulled REW out and showed him to her. He's still looking good to us, but of course, he's molting again.

Fast forward to today- I realized I need to do SOMETHING with this rabbit. If not show him, breed him. If not breed him, he needs to go back to his breeder (I told her she had first refusal on him since we worked out the deal where I got to pick a baby).

As I put a doe in with him to breed, I really started studying him. Ear length is terrific- but his ear THICKNESS is what gets me- they are wonderfully thick. His head- oh gosh his head has finally popped. It's taken him a while, but oh my, I thought I was looking at Forest, who I judge all my REWs by. His width of chest is amazing, his legs have bone that I wouldn't be ashamed to see on my hollands (who put a lot of emphasis on SHORT, THICK, STUMPY bone).

I'm thinking perhaps forgetting about him for a while was the best thing I could have done. While he was nice before, he's REALLY blooming now. I may have to give him a spin on the show tables and see if the judges still don't like him. Regardless- I'm happy to say we're expecting babies from him soon, and there will DEFINITELY be more does in his future!

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry