Tan Herd Sell Out!

I can't believe I'm doing this. As you guys know, my tan program is fledgling. However, I've been keeping a spreadsheet of rabbitry expenses and whoa.....yeah.... I've got to cut down the herd a bit. So, the tans are easiest to move out right now, because I have less work in them.


Keep's Yup- blue otter sr. doe- possibly bred, not available until after due date.
GC Byland's YES -(Smoke Pearl Marten) 6+ legs x Wendover's Napolean (black otter)

She's my POL, for sure. A really nice doe, I've shown her at only one show and she took BOG both times (no legs).


Keep's Maybe So- black otter sr. buck
GC Byland's YES -(Smoke Pearl Marten) 6+ legs x Wendover's Napolean (black otter)

MASSIVE head. Truly, truly massive. This guy is a bigger buck- I believe he's within showable weight, I'll check for interested parties. He's molting to the skin right now, and I had been selling him as a brood buck- but I recently pulled him out and decided no WAY was he going! He's really come in to himself.




WWR Still Fly- black otter sr. doe (has potential to carry dilute) - possibly bred, not available until after her due date.
WWR Audrey Kitching x Wooligans/WWR Ro Sam Bo
Lines, lines lines! She's a nice doe, I'd like to see a bit more width on her head and I'd like her to be a touch shorter. I need to go out and feel her again, to refresh myself on her strengths and weaknesses.



Available in Ohio: These guys will not be available until Ohio. Sorry




Keep's Burlington- Seal Sr. Buck -on temporary hold-
Woolians Raleigh x Hamilton's Lil Monty
Full Brother to Tryon - 2nd place Shaded Sr. Buck, ARBA Convention 2008.

This guy is an eager breeder and he's throwing me some goregeous babies. His son Durham took a Group win at this last show as a young junior. I love his head and ears. I'd like to see a little more width to his body, but he's throwing the width and very correct wool coats.

I have someone already interested in him, pending more offspring pictures, but please feel free to inquire.



Keep's Dreamer- REW Sr Doe
Keep's Ashe x Hamilton's California Dreamin'

This girl is small. Very small. She's a little cottony in her coat, but she's not had a good, full coat molt. Her ears are a bit thin, but beautiful length. She has a nice head for her body size. Very nice body to her! My biggest fault with her is that small size. Because of that, I dunno that she can ever be competitive as a senior, though she tore the table up as a junior.


Keep's Ashe- REW Sr. Doe
Wooligans Aspen x Hare's Chesterfield
Aunt/Half Sister to Keep's Forest, 4th place Self Sr. Buck ARBA Convention 2008
Brood doe! BROOD BROOD BROOD. She's a bit longer than I like, nice head and ears! She likes to keep her coat chewed short ( ). She produces nice babies! I've bred her one last time before she goes. Definitely produces better than herself and would be a nice addition.

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

Excellent luck

Wow, I had excellent luck out in the rabbitry today!

Tim VOLUNTEERED to clean some cages! I'm still shocked over that one, but we've got about 1/4 of the cages sparkling and pretty :).

I took out a doe to breed, just in case my new plan was working- within about a half hour, I have 6 does bred multiple times! The bucks were more interested and all except one doe lifted on their own! EEK!

Now, we just have to hope the does take this time! I'm hoping they will, especially with the Wheat Germ supplement!

I'm waiting on my Californian doe to kindle. A few babies may be for sale, but most are being bred for meat purposes. She's due on the 28th, so not much longer to wait!

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

Show and New Game Plan!

We had the mocksville show yesterday- where I discovered my rabbits are in bad condition! More about that in just a bit-

We went down Friday night and stayed with Brandi and Pete, who gave us the tour of their "temporary" new barn. All I can say is, WOW! I want it so bad. A nice, spacious barn, electricity, a beautiful outdoor area for the meatpens- it's beautiful! I'm planning on having Pete come out in another year and a half or so, when we move, and building something for me! WOWZA!

We all got up and headed to the show the next morning, where I officially discovered Keep's Durham is a black rabbit! I suspected this, since I flipped him Wednesday to check that all his equipment was fine for the show. Seals and Blacks are so close in color, I had anohter exhibitor ask me while my bunnies were on the table if Burlington was supposed to be in the shaded class! I appreciated it though, that would have been embarrassing to have him kicked off for being a self, but he was a seal, so in the right class :)

I lost quite a few placings on condition, but my highlights were still pretty good- Keep's Tryon took BOSG in the first show and BOG in the second, while Keep's Durham won his class the first show and got BOSG in the second! WHEE!

I talked with some folks who are interested in Belgian Hares, which is SUPER exciting! They also suggested writing up a contract that Belgians purchased at the discounted price must be shown for breed promotion- I LOVE that idea! I'm working on it right now!

Congrats to Brandi and Pete- who both won BOB, one is Show A and the other in Show B.
A huge congrats to their son Trace who took BRIS in both shows- with two different rabbits! He's not fit to be around right now!


So- the New Game Plan! As I've talked to folks and we've considered all kinds of factors (feed, weather, worms, etc) I believe the culprit is a combination of the flip flopping weather and frozen water bottles, leading to partial dehydration, despite our best efforts to ensure everyone got enough water.

I'm mixing oats and sunflower seeds back in with the feed (Purina Fibre3) and I plan on bringin in some Wheat Germ to help with production.

I'm also about to treat the entire herd with Corid. It's going to blow their coats sky high, but I'm hoping at least some will recover in time for the State Convention in March. If not, oh well, I've got my eyes on Ohio anyway!

So, wish me luck on my journey to get the condition back up on the herd, as well as getting BABIES!!!

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

My Harrowing Adventure

Well, yesterday, I got a message from Susie out in California- the shipment of rabbits we've been planning were on their way! HOORAY! They were scheduled to be in Atlanta by 3:17pm, so we planned on arriving around 4pm, knowing it takes a while to get the cargo unloaded and to the shipping offices.

As we left our house, it started to snow- and for the first time this year, it started to stick!

We met April of Silver Maple Rabbitry there- this shipment was split among four folks, in hopes that we could offset the considerable costs of shipping in stock!

I talked a bit with some ladies shipping in puppies (that were adorable! A Bull terrier pup and an english sheepdog) and endured some eyerolling from the man behind the counter that we were waiting on rabbits. Ahh well, he didn't have to like it, he just had to tell me where to sign.

Around 4:30 or so, FINALLY, in come our rabbits! I'm always a nervous wreck when shipping, so many things can go wrong! Everybunny looked well, from the quick check we could give them- it was FREEZING outside!

April got her starting wooly herd, including Yes! I think we're going to have to watch her tan patterns, from what I've seen of her new buck and doe, coupled with Yes...she's got the potential for some killer animals!

We start back home, and outside of Atlanta it starts snowing. And starts laying! Uh oh. Around 3 hours from home at this point and it's snowing? Not good.

It proved to be not good at all. We hit some hairy sections that required speeds of no higher than 30 mph, but the worst came from the idiots that wanted to blow past in trucks- fishtailing the whole way!

What would normally be considered "30" minutes away from home, we came to a dead stop. It was the second wreck we'd seen, but it wouldn't be the last. We were stuck, dead still, for 30 minutes, and finally when we were able to move on, the roads had gotten even worse. On the last big mountain before home, we saw another 4 wrecks, the car slipped and slid, even going the blazing speed of 25! On our exit, there was yet another wreck.

Thankfully, we made it home safe and sound. The bunnies are hanging out in the living room, taking turns in a playpen- though as my girl Vixen and a doe I'm "babysitting" Honeybee learned, if you jump out of the pen, you go back in. Do it again, and you lose your play time!

Here are the pics! Starting off with Vixen!

Mystic Moon

Little Steps

Constant Comment

As you can see, they won't be hitting the show tables any time soon, but that's ok :)

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

So excited!

My first show of 2009 is less than week away! WEEE!

I'll be eyeballing everyone tonight as I feed, trying to decide who to take! Entry fees are $3.50, so I surely can't take everyone I want to.

I'll probably take the belgians- it's almost a waste of a fee, because there is never competition- but at the same time, they need to be seen! That's what breed promotion is about- bringing them even though there IS no competition! It will be Jasmine's first show as a senior! I can't wait to see how the judges think she's developed.

I've got a ton of woolies to take- a senior that has finally molted her baby coat, a junior who's shaping up really nice- well, let's suffice it to say there are definitely "several" coming with me :).

As for the hollands- I've got a blue tort doe I'm dying to show- hopefully it will also help get her in the mood! We'll just have to see with the hollands. Part of me is saying "meh, leave them all at home and just show the woolies and belgians!", while the other part says "who cares if he's granded! Bring him! Who cares if he isn't mature enough? Bring him!"

I guess it will all depend on how much my entry fees end up being. I always start out with a list of EVERYONE I want to show, then cull down from there based on the maximum I'm willing to spend in fees!

Not to mention, with five sale woolies and two sale hollands, space could easily end up an issue!

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

GC Wooly Does for sale-

and some brood bucks..... :)



GC Byland's YES - Smoke Pearl Marten doe 6+ legs
Proven Doe, 2 1/2 years old.
Rosewood's Luke (1 leg) x Rosewoods Mariah- out of Erb's and Sloan's lines.

I got a beautiful litter of black and blue otters out of this girl, nice big heads, good wool, good bodies- 2 of the 3 were shown and got EXCELLENT comments- won BOV and BOSV as juniors. She's had her face chewed off, so she's not in a show prime, though she is still showable.

GC TB's Pretty Snow- REW doe
Proven Doe, 2 1/2 years old, Red/White Seal Registered
McKies Zrue (3 legs) x Erb's Pretty Baby - out of McKies and Erbs lines.

Pretty Snow is a larger doe, though still within show range- she can be shown still. She is proven, and is a great looking doe and excellent foster mother. Could carry dilute. She was Brandi's "ringer"- she ALWAYS placed well on the table.


Keep's Wishful Thinking- REW sr. buck.
Keep's Ashe x Hamilton's CA Dreamin' - goes back to Caudill's, Hare's lines- lots of nice animals in the pedigree.

This guy is a brood buck. He's got a very nice H/E, nice wool- generally a nice body, but he's a bit long for my taste. Has the potential to produce nice offspring, he's the nephew of Keep's Forest (4th place Self Sr. Buck ARBA Convention '08) and his dad keeps bringing up an EXTREMELY close 2nd to Keep's Tryon (2nd place Shaded Sr. Buck @ Convention).


BL's Attitude- REW Sr. buck
Rosewood's Luke (1 leg) x BL's Phoebe (3 legs)- goes back to Sloan's, Erbs lines. Grandson of TB's Pretty Snow

This guy is nice and small! He's not a pocket wooly by any means, but he's definitely downsized from Pretty Snow. I like his nice, small ears. Wish his head was a bit bolder, would like him to be a bit shorter His sister has won 2 BOBs and a BRIS- AS A JUNIOR! So the potential to produce nice is DEFINITELY there. Would be a good investment to get some excellent lines at lower price.

Will be attending Mocksville- can meet you on my way to Georgia on Monday as well.

It's Freaking COLD!

We're in single digits with a negative windchill here tonight, and have been for hours. Thankfully all the rabbits are locked up tight in their rabbitry.

Unfortunately. I've got four does due- one appears to not be pregnant, though the other three at least have a chance at kindling. I stuffed their cages extra full of hay, so all I can do now is keep my fingers crossed that they make good nests and check everything out in the morning! I'd definitely not be upset if they went late.

Due to the extreme cold, I relented and gave everyone 1/2 cup of pellets. It's just too cold to chance the does losing too much weight!

I'll hopefully have some exciting news to share in the nest few days- no promises because there are some variables, but I'm optimistic it will all work out!

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry