Wow, we had a great show in Taylorsville, despite some hiccups-
The building we normally rent was double booked, so we were crammed in a small out building they use for small animal auctions. Joy. Luckily, the woolies were outside under an overhang so we got a NICE breeze, which really helped the bunnies stay cool. We found out later the people who booked the building did it for an event Sunday, and took our building for an extra day so they didn't have to have a building that "smelled like rabbits." We contemplated throwing some fish in there to age for a day, or else dump our trays in to trash cans and drag it in to the building, but in the end we behaved. Blah.
Show A we had a judge I've never had before, Bill Geudren.
Keep's Poplar (Self Sr. B)- 1/4- BOSG- BOSB
Keep's Tryon (Shaded Sr. B)- 1/2- BOSG
Keep's Epiphany (Shaded Sr. D)- 1/4- BOG
Keep's KST (Shaded Jr. B)- 1/4
Not too shabby!
Show B we had Sue Rice, a local who has her judge's license now.
Keep's Panda (Broken Sr. B)- 1/4-BOSG-BOSB
Keep's Poplar - 1/4- BOSG
Keep's Tryon- 1/4-BOG
Keep's Epiphany- 1/4
Keep's KST- 1/4
Keep's KHB (Shaded Jr. D)- 1/5- BOSG
I was tickled! I put 6 rabbits up and 6 won their classes. That's what I definitely consider a great show day!
OH! I forgot to mention Keep's Ra, a blue otter newly senior buck, took BOB in Youth for his new owner. They picked him up today, put him in Show A and voila! Big shiny trophy :).
Tresia took a RIS with her Self Sr. Doe. The doe took a double BOB, which I know tickled her.
This is the last show for a good while. I'm probably going to go on and worm everyone. They'll be getting ready to blow their coats anyway, so I might as well help them along!
I have three empty holes now that I've moved out a good number of rabbits. I am so happy! They will be filling up again soon, since I have a few weanings coming up, but in the meantime, I'm just going to enjoy it!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Show Coming Up
The Taylorsville show is coming up! I'm excited, it feels like I haven't been to a show in SO LONG! I'm not looking forward to getting up at the crack of dawn (in Kristen world, that happens around 5:30 am) to get there, but it will be so good to see my rabbit buddies!
I'm taking six woolies to show. I wish this show had been a little later in the month, more of my juniors would be of size and age to bring as well.
I'm going to have a handful of rabbits for sale there. I am hoping I have room to bring everything I need! We really need a bunny van sometimes. We have come a long way from going to shows in my husband's Plymouth Neon though- talk about cramped!
I'm hoping to spend some time today printing out pedigrees, tattooing, and getting the carriers stacked up and ready to go. Since it's our 5th wedding anniversary today, I'm not sure how keen Tim will be on helping with rabbit chores, ha!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
I'm taking six woolies to show. I wish this show had been a little later in the month, more of my juniors would be of size and age to bring as well.
I'm going to have a handful of rabbits for sale there. I am hoping I have room to bring everything I need! We really need a bunny van sometimes. We have come a long way from going to shows in my husband's Plymouth Neon though- talk about cramped!
I'm hoping to spend some time today printing out pedigrees, tattooing, and getting the carriers stacked up and ready to go. Since it's our 5th wedding anniversary today, I'm not sure how keen Tim will be on helping with rabbit chores, ha!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Fooled Me!
Joni and I often say that the babies that run to the front of the cage are bucks and the ones that hang around in the back are does. It isn't an exact science, but it's fun to guess when they are tiny and I've found it's usually pretty accurate.
Not this time!
Lilly has 1 baby and 3 fosters. Her rew and a black are VERY in your face friendly, one of the otters is friendly and the other otter is standoffish. I figured the rew and Black were bucks and the other two were girls.
EHHHH wrong!
The rew and black are does, the two otters are both bucks. Hm.
Next I took a look at Flirt's kids. She has a rew foster child and five of her own- two torts and three blacks. I figured the rew was a doe, as were 2 of the blacks. Everyone else I suspected were bucks.
Wrong again. ALL FIVE of her babies are does, the rew foster child is a buck.
Geez, it's looking like our formula has lost it's usefulness!
I'm amazed at how many does are popping up. Last year was the Summer of the Bucks, it's looking like this year we had the Spring of the Does! Not that I am complaining, I have some very cute little bucks from late winter litters and I do have one more litter I haven't sexed yet.
Speaking of litters- I was thrilled to have Toast kindle 4 Panda babies! It looks like a REW, a Black Otter and two brokens- I suspect they are broken black, just like their daddy. Add this to the other litter just born, Cake's 4, and you can see why I'm having to move out a lot of adult stock!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Not this time!
Lilly has 1 baby and 3 fosters. Her rew and a black are VERY in your face friendly, one of the otters is friendly and the other otter is standoffish. I figured the rew and Black were bucks and the other two were girls.
EHHHH wrong!
The rew and black are does, the two otters are both bucks. Hm.
Next I took a look at Flirt's kids. She has a rew foster child and five of her own- two torts and three blacks. I figured the rew was a doe, as were 2 of the blacks. Everyone else I suspected were bucks.
Wrong again. ALL FIVE of her babies are does, the rew foster child is a buck.
Geez, it's looking like our formula has lost it's usefulness!
I'm amazed at how many does are popping up. Last year was the Summer of the Bucks, it's looking like this year we had the Spring of the Does! Not that I am complaining, I have some very cute little bucks from late winter litters and I do have one more litter I haven't sexed yet.
Speaking of litters- I was thrilled to have Toast kindle 4 Panda babies! It looks like a REW, a Black Otter and two brokens- I suspect they are broken black, just like their daddy. Add this to the other litter just born, Cake's 4, and you can see why I'm having to move out a lot of adult stock!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Friday, May 20, 2011
Why a REW is only a REW-
We always describe a REW rabbit as "throwing a blanket" over a colored animal. This isn't 100% accurate.
A question came up on a rabbit forum about how a Blue doe and a REW buck produced a Smoke Pearl. Mainly, the question was how the REW can be "black" underneath his REW, if what makes a black a black is the full color C.
The reason is very simple, but very difficult to explain.
The only difference between a Black and a Siamese Sable is what is carried on the "C". When you strip the shaded out (and a siamese sable is just a shaded black) and make it REW, it (for lack of a better word) defaults to black.
Or, to put it another way- the REW rabbit isn't *really* black. A REW is just a REW, even though we use the term "throwing a blanket over a rabbit" to describe it. My rule of thumb to figure out what a REW is, is to say "What happens if I give it a C." In this case, if we give your REW a "C" it becomes black.
If I give my REW herd buck a "C", he becomes a Chestnut that carries dilute and carries tort.
Why give it a "C"? Because that just allows the color to manifest. Black, to me, is the "base" color of everything. What is the difference between a black and a chestnut? Only what is carried on the "A" gene. It's the common denominator of all the colors. Tweak one thing and you get a different color.
This is why most folks tell you to breed a REW to a black rabbit to figure out what a REW is. You're just borrowing the "C" from the black animal to see what manifests.
I hope this makes sense!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
A question came up on a rabbit forum about how a Blue doe and a REW buck produced a Smoke Pearl. Mainly, the question was how the REW can be "black" underneath his REW, if what makes a black a black is the full color C.
The reason is very simple, but very difficult to explain.
The only difference between a Black and a Siamese Sable is what is carried on the "C". When you strip the shaded out (and a siamese sable is just a shaded black) and make it REW, it (for lack of a better word) defaults to black.
Or, to put it another way- the REW rabbit isn't *really* black. A REW is just a REW, even though we use the term "throwing a blanket over a rabbit" to describe it. My rule of thumb to figure out what a REW is, is to say "What happens if I give it a C." In this case, if we give your REW a "C" it becomes black.
If I give my REW herd buck a "C", he becomes a Chestnut that carries dilute and carries tort.
Why give it a "C"? Because that just allows the color to manifest. Black, to me, is the "base" color of everything. What is the difference between a black and a chestnut? Only what is carried on the "A" gene. It's the common denominator of all the colors. Tweak one thing and you get a different color.
This is why most folks tell you to breed a REW to a black rabbit to figure out what a REW is. You're just borrowing the "C" from the black animal to see what manifests.
I hope this makes sense!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Thursday, May 19, 2011
New Babies Born!
Bluestar's Cake gave me 4 healthy babies yesterday! Yep- another huge litter. Guess this means I need to make MORE cuts to the herd.
I'm not sure what the colors are- they are looking awfully pink right now, I suspect at least 1 is an AOV. I think one is definitely going to be either a sable point or a shaded baby of some kind, I'm hoping the other two color up a bit soon as well. I do not want a big litter of AOVs!
It's getting warm and the rabbits are starting to blow their coats. Just in time for the last shows. Hooray (not hooray).
I'm thinking about doing a lot of new things to my website- I just have to get up the motivation to do them!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
I'm not sure what the colors are- they are looking awfully pink right now, I suspect at least 1 is an AOV. I think one is definitely going to be either a sable point or a shaded baby of some kind, I'm hoping the other two color up a bit soon as well. I do not want a big litter of AOVs!
It's getting warm and the rabbits are starting to blow their coats. Just in time for the last shows. Hooray (not hooray).
I'm thinking about doing a lot of new things to my website- I just have to get up the motivation to do them!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Sale Page Updated
My Sales Page has been updated! I have 5 animals sold and I justed added two new ones- TB's China Doll (chestnut) and Keep's Dunno (black). I think they would make a nice pair together, if anyone out there is looking for a nice pair of woolers to get started with :).
I'm still making my mind up on some other animals. It's hard to let go the ones you've become attached to. However, I think it's high time that some of the animals move out, either to retirement homes or new breeding/show homes.
I've got to make room for these juniors somehow!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
I'm still making my mind up on some other animals. It's hard to let go the ones you've become attached to. However, I think it's high time that some of the animals move out, either to retirement homes or new breeding/show homes.
I've got to make room for these juniors somehow!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Flies and other things.
Ugh, the flies are out. I've employed my tried-and-true method of putting up fly strips. It doesn't help stop the problem, but it very satisfying to see all the little buggers dead on the strips. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. Ok, that's pitiful, but true.
I'm still looking around the barn for animals I can move out. I think Keep's Dunno will be going- he's a black senior buck. I hate to do it, but that is the curse of big litters (not that I am complaining)!
I also may have to let TB's China Doll go. *sigh*. I need to keep my agouti project small though.
I have definitely decided to move my shelves out of the rabbitry and put another 3 hole stacker there. This will finally let me get the last few bunnies out of the garage (with the exception of the pet, Scout).
It's a dreary, sunless day today. It's too wet and foggy to clean cages, though I shouldn't complain, it's also making it easier to keep the rabbitry cool! Until I finish "making shade" for it, the less hot days, the better!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
I'm still looking around the barn for animals I can move out. I think Keep's Dunno will be going- he's a black senior buck. I hate to do it, but that is the curse of big litters (not that I am complaining)!
I also may have to let TB's China Doll go. *sigh*. I need to keep my agouti project small though.
I have definitely decided to move my shelves out of the rabbitry and put another 3 hole stacker there. This will finally let me get the last few bunnies out of the garage (with the exception of the pet, Scout).
It's a dreary, sunless day today. It's too wet and foggy to clean cages, though I shouldn't complain, it's also making it easier to keep the rabbitry cool! Until I finish "making shade" for it, the less hot days, the better!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Mother's Day
First off- Happy Mother's Day!
I went out to the rabbitry to find that Keep's Encore, the 2 year old doe who had never kindled and had one tiny DOA baby earlier in the week, had passed two more.
She seemed exhausted and isn't quite herself, but I don't really blame her. I know the kindling was rough on her and at the end of it, she doesn't have any babies to take care of.
Rabbits get a lot of bad press on their mothering abilities, especially by people that don't know, to put it bluntly, what the crap they are talking about.
"Oh, if you handle them won't she kill them?"
"We found these wild baby bunnies, the mom abandoned them!"
"Well we never saw her feed them, so we rescued them!"
"The babies were running around all alone with no mom around!"
Rabbits are usually excellent mothers. Some will charge you for wanting to check their kits, some will fight to the death to save their offspring (both domestic and wild rabbits). Some does mourn the passing of their babies, or the weaning of their children. I had one doe who pulled herself bald to make a thick layer of hair on the wire, then huddled over her kits to keep them warm until I found them. (Nevermind that she had a perfectly good nestbox...) Rabbits are very good about sharing their love- taking in fosterlings of other breeds even. I have had some does go in to deep mourning when their kits are weaned- to the point I had to move a baby back in to her cage so she'd eat again.
Rabbit moms are the buffet bar for their kids, as well as a heating pad and even a lounger- I can't tell you how many times I've found the babies curled up behind mom's head asleep, while she is careful not to move so they don't fall off.
Encore knows she lost her kits. All it would have taken to convince anyone that she's mourning her loss was to look into her eyes the way I did. You could feel it the way she jumped in her box like she was feeding babies, then jumped right back out and looked at me. Even though she doesn't have any kits, she's curled up beside her box right now, not really ready to move on. She's accepted a little comforting, in the form of a head rub, which she doesn't often do.
I think Encore is going to be a fabulous mother next time. She's going to get a rest until she's feeling a little more like herself, then we'll try again. I've got a good feeling about her mothering abilities. I think rabbit mothers really aren't so different from other mothers- they have the same love for their kids and the same sadness when things go wrong.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
I went out to the rabbitry to find that Keep's Encore, the 2 year old doe who had never kindled and had one tiny DOA baby earlier in the week, had passed two more.
She seemed exhausted and isn't quite herself, but I don't really blame her. I know the kindling was rough on her and at the end of it, she doesn't have any babies to take care of.
Rabbits get a lot of bad press on their mothering abilities, especially by people that don't know, to put it bluntly, what the crap they are talking about.
"Oh, if you handle them won't she kill them?"
"We found these wild baby bunnies, the mom abandoned them!"
"Well we never saw her feed them, so we rescued them!"
"The babies were running around all alone with no mom around!"
Rabbits are usually excellent mothers. Some will charge you for wanting to check their kits, some will fight to the death to save their offspring (both domestic and wild rabbits). Some does mourn the passing of their babies, or the weaning of their children. I had one doe who pulled herself bald to make a thick layer of hair on the wire, then huddled over her kits to keep them warm until I found them. (Nevermind that she had a perfectly good nestbox...) Rabbits are very good about sharing their love- taking in fosterlings of other breeds even. I have had some does go in to deep mourning when their kits are weaned- to the point I had to move a baby back in to her cage so she'd eat again.
Rabbit moms are the buffet bar for their kids, as well as a heating pad and even a lounger- I can't tell you how many times I've found the babies curled up behind mom's head asleep, while she is careful not to move so they don't fall off.
Encore knows she lost her kits. All it would have taken to convince anyone that she's mourning her loss was to look into her eyes the way I did. You could feel it the way she jumped in her box like she was feeding babies, then jumped right back out and looked at me. Even though she doesn't have any kits, she's curled up beside her box right now, not really ready to move on. She's accepted a little comforting, in the form of a head rub, which she doesn't often do.
I think Encore is going to be a fabulous mother next time. She's going to get a rest until she's feeling a little more like herself, then we'll try again. I've got a good feeling about her mothering abilities. I think rabbit mothers really aren't so different from other mothers- they have the same love for their kids and the same sadness when things go wrong.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Friday, May 6, 2011
Older Does
I had a doe, Keep's Encore, kindle for the first time today. She is almost 2 years old.
Yup- first time kindler. She's never taken for me before. I normally don't hold on to does this long if they aren't producing, but for some reason, I'm a sucker when it comes to this girl. She's got a lot of really good characteristics and I knew she'd match up well with my bucks, if only I could get her to take.
Unfortunately, her single baby was a DOA. It looked stretched, which I can understand...after all, she's gone 2 years without kindling anything!
This past round of breeding has been the miracle round. I had a very old doe kindle, an older doe kindle, this 2 year old gal kindle and another doe who is a bit over a year and a half kindle.
I guess you can't ever give up hope, huh? I actually had put Encore and two other does on the "last chance" list. Now I guess she's given me enough hope for a live litter out of her that she'll get a reprieve. I'm going to try to repeat this breeding.
I am full to bursting right now as far as cage space goes. In fact, I just had two bucks go which left me room to separate an older litter, but I have two more litters that need to be split and zero empty cages! I have two more bucks sold, if they leave this weekend I'll be able to separate one litter... then I'll have to figure out what else I can do to make a little room.
It's hard, but I think my oldest doe may have to leave- I got her from a friend and was frankly shocked to get a litter out of her, she's 4! I only got one kit though and that may be the only one I'm going to get.
Ehhhhhh I wish I had 100 cages! Then again, I don't want to feed 100 rabbits or clean 100 trays, so I guess I'm better off staying where I am.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Yup- first time kindler. She's never taken for me before. I normally don't hold on to does this long if they aren't producing, but for some reason, I'm a sucker when it comes to this girl. She's got a lot of really good characteristics and I knew she'd match up well with my bucks, if only I could get her to take.
Unfortunately, her single baby was a DOA. It looked stretched, which I can understand...after all, she's gone 2 years without kindling anything!
This past round of breeding has been the miracle round. I had a very old doe kindle, an older doe kindle, this 2 year old gal kindle and another doe who is a bit over a year and a half kindle.
I guess you can't ever give up hope, huh? I actually had put Encore and two other does on the "last chance" list. Now I guess she's given me enough hope for a live litter out of her that she'll get a reprieve. I'm going to try to repeat this breeding.
I am full to bursting right now as far as cage space goes. In fact, I just had two bucks go which left me room to separate an older litter, but I have two more litters that need to be split and zero empty cages! I have two more bucks sold, if they leave this weekend I'll be able to separate one litter... then I'll have to figure out what else I can do to make a little room.
It's hard, but I think my oldest doe may have to leave- I got her from a friend and was frankly shocked to get a litter out of her, she's 4! I only got one kit though and that may be the only one I'm going to get.
Ehhhhhh I wish I had 100 cages! Then again, I don't want to feed 100 rabbits or clean 100 trays, so I guess I'm better off staying where I am.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Babies!
I'm so thrilled!
Keep's Puzzle, a black doe (she took 4th place self sr. doe at Convention, which happened to be her first show ever) finally has kindled live kits for me! She has two out of Keep's Triumph, a siamese able buck that I'm test breeding to see if I'll be keeping him or not. So far, his other kits are promising, I can't wait to see if Puzzle's turn out beautiful as well!
I had an older doe kindle my first Keep's Panda babies! One looks to be a black (the doe is a siamese sable) and the other is a broken! It's going to be faulted for it's poor nose marking (we have a large spot in the left whiskerbed only) but overall it has gorgeous markings! I'm so thrilled to finally have Panda babies- so far every doe he was bred to kept having DOA litters or tanking them.
One of the other does, BL's Jiggy, pulled a little wool but hasn't done anything beyond that- Keep's Fiona was nesting like CRAZY when I first gave her a box, but I haven't seen anything from her at this point and she seems less interested in her box now. Lyle Creek's Kendra looks like she isn't going to take this time, I'm thinking she will be one of the animals for sale at the May 28th show.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Keep's Puzzle, a black doe (she took 4th place self sr. doe at Convention, which happened to be her first show ever) finally has kindled live kits for me! She has two out of Keep's Triumph, a siamese able buck that I'm test breeding to see if I'll be keeping him or not. So far, his other kits are promising, I can't wait to see if Puzzle's turn out beautiful as well!
I had an older doe kindle my first Keep's Panda babies! One looks to be a black (the doe is a siamese sable) and the other is a broken! It's going to be faulted for it's poor nose marking (we have a large spot in the left whiskerbed only) but overall it has gorgeous markings! I'm so thrilled to finally have Panda babies- so far every doe he was bred to kept having DOA litters or tanking them.
One of the other does, BL's Jiggy, pulled a little wool but hasn't done anything beyond that- Keep's Fiona was nesting like CRAZY when I first gave her a box, but I haven't seen anything from her at this point and she seems less interested in her box now. Lyle Creek's Kendra looks like she isn't going to take this time, I'm thinking she will be one of the animals for sale at the May 28th show.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Monday, May 2, 2011
Waiting...always waiting
I'm waiting on 5 does to pop. So far, 4 of the 5 have made hollows in their nestboxes and one lady has pulled a little bit of wool. I'm hopeful for some babies!
The chestnut and REW bucks I had for sale are gone, which is nice. That opens up a little cage space. I have a broken chestnut and a black otter that will hopefully be leaving soon, which will open up MOOORE cage space!
I've decided to really make some cut backs on the herd, sooner than I had anticipated. I will definitely have stock available at the Taylorsville show at the end of the month :). Right now I'm not sure what all I will have for sale though, I'm hoping to get my numbers down for a little while.
I'm finally making headway with my feed issues as well- I'm going to make the leap and get off Purina and start feeding PenPals! Thank you so much to Brenda Smith of Narrow Gate Farms who will be letting me join in on her shipment. I'm excited, but also very nervous- feed changes are scary!
Unfortunately, it will be a month or so before I can get the new feed in, but hey- at least I have a game plan now!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
The chestnut and REW bucks I had for sale are gone, which is nice. That opens up a little cage space. I have a broken chestnut and a black otter that will hopefully be leaving soon, which will open up MOOORE cage space!
I've decided to really make some cut backs on the herd, sooner than I had anticipated. I will definitely have stock available at the Taylorsville show at the end of the month :). Right now I'm not sure what all I will have for sale though, I'm hoping to get my numbers down for a little while.
I'm finally making headway with my feed issues as well- I'm going to make the leap and get off Purina and start feeding PenPals! Thank you so much to Brenda Smith of Narrow Gate Farms who will be letting me join in on her shipment. I'm excited, but also very nervous- feed changes are scary!
Unfortunately, it will be a month or so before I can get the new feed in, but hey- at least I have a game plan now!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
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