Goals

I really, really want to win a BIS or BRIS with a homebred animal.

Really, really bad.

I've taken RIS with a mini lop I traded for, BIS with a doe I picked out at 8 weeks old (she was a senior when she won), BIS with a mini lop I got as a young junior and BIS recently with Rory, the Holland Lop I purchased from Melanie because she loves me.

I've done my fair share of winning "the big prize". Never with a homebred, though I'm getting closer, I think.

I'd also really like to take BOB with a homebred doe. I think I tend to retire my girls too quickly once they hit senior. I'm of the opinion that I'd rather have babies than wins, but I've got a really promising little girl out there now...if things fall right, maybe I'll hold off on breeding her immediately and see how she does as a primed senior on the table.

I'm so thrilled with my current herd- the woolies are all looking great, the holland juniors are making me excited for the breed again, and I can't wait to see how the belgian babies shape up!

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

Fletcher NC Results

Jersey Woolies- Show A

Keep's Forest Self Sr. Buck- 4/4
Keep's Spazzoid Self Jr. Buck- 1/3
Keep's On A Lark- Self Jr. Doe- 2/2

Keep's Tryon- Shaded Sr. Buck- 1/1 BOG
Keep's Cairo- Shaded Jr. Buck- 1/2
Keep's Epiphany- Shaded Jr. Doe- 2/6


Hollands:

Lil Bit Farm's Rory- 1/2, BOV, BOB, BIS!


Show B:
Keep's Forest Self Sr. Buck- 1/4, BOG, BOB
Keep's Spazzoid Self Jr. Buck- 2/3
Keep's On A Lark- Self Jr. Doe- 1/2, BOSG

Keep's Tryon- Shaded Sr. Buck- 1/1, BOG
Keep's Cairo- Shaded Jr. Buck- 1/2
Keep's Epiphany- Shaded Jr. Doe- 2/5


Hollands:

Lil Bit Farm's Rory- 1/6, BOV, BOB


I was teasing Tresia in Show A that we'd let her BOB wooly take BRIS, and I'd take BIS- then we'd switch for the next show. It's something we do just to be goobers. Imagine our surprise when her wooly DID take BRIS! We were tickled to death.

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

Drenched

We're drenched. After repeated assurances that there would be no rain today, guess what happened? All five belgians were outside, along with 7 woolies, while their cages were being scrubbed when the pitter patter started. Several cages were dry, but most are sopping wet, which means the woolies are in some kind of odd contrivance.

Meanwhile, thanks to the constant rain the past 2 weeks, some dirty cages are staying very dirty. We did manage to scrape a stacker in the pouring rain, but that's just not going to work for the rest of the cages. If it stops, maybe we can at least get the last 3 of the dirtiest ones scraped and cleaned. I hope so anyway.

The good news is I also sterilized another cage, so I've got just a little more room :).

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

Rain Rain go away!

How exactly can I clean cages like I want to, when it is thunderstorming every day?! HOW I ask you, HOW?

*sigh*

A friend of mine asked if I had a wooly junior I could possibly donate to her organization putting on a fair. The purpose is to have a raffle with some nice animals, in hopes of promoting the bunny habit while making a little cash for the group.

I'm excited about this! I've got plenty of juniors with a ton of promise. I'll just have to decide which one will have the most "cute appeal", while doing well enough to hopefully hook a new breeder in! I actually have 2 bucks in mind.

I think it's important in situations like this to pick at least a DECENT animal. I've seen folks "donate" animals (this isn't locally, by the way) that were crap. Honest to goodness crap. Considering the quality of the animals the person shows, it was surprising. I can understand not wanting to donate your absolute best, but c'mon now, let's do a little better than a pet quality animal! You won't hook someone who's animal ends up dead last every time.

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

Talking to the bunnies?

On Rabbit Habbit, an interesting topic came up-

One of the members admitted that she spoke to her bunnies, talking about anything on her mind from politics to the weather.

The interesting thing was she realized that she speaks to each bunny in a distinctive voice- some get baby talk, some get "valley girl accents" and others get something entirely different.

It got me (and other members) thinking- and I realized I do it too!

Barbi gets called by her nickname "Barbi Girl" and is spoken to in what can only be described as a coo.

Rory gets an exasperated but loving voice- he freaks out over getting constant head rubs and tries to leap out of the cage.

The babies all tend to get the same drawling "Heeeey bay-beees" speech.

It's there though- I never really noticed it, but I can recall a rabbit and instantly think of how I speak to him or her.

Devon was wondering if she speaks to her rabbits based on their personalities, certain physical features, etc. I know I speak to mine based on those great (and very diverse) personalities.

Aren't rabbits amazing? They can make otherwise sane people break out the baby talk.

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

Moving on out

My sale animals are slowly moving on out!

I've got several senior and junior animals leaving on the 19th, and three that are definitely leaving by the 12th! HOORAY! More cage space :).

I've got so much grooming I need to catch up on. Several of my junior woolies are in between coats, which kills me. OF COURSE they are looking funky with the shows about to start! SIGH

I need to make final decision on a couple of animals I have. I could always use the space, but I hate to let anything go. I always see a lot of "what ifs" in my mind- what if I should have kept her and bred her to x. What if x. What if, what if, what if. One doe in particular has given me a proven female replacement for her, and I'm keeping another daughter out of her. How many do I REALLY need? That's what I keep telling myself, but there is always the "what if I sell her and didn't breed her to x buck and that would have been the perfect match?" Maybe I'll breed her one more time then sell her (LOL)

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry

Buyers

I'm up entirely too early for a bunny sale.

Ok, ok, so the poor guy coming to pick up the bunny is also a non-morning person. I've also only been up since 8:15, he had to get up much early then that. Still, I can grump if I wanna, it's my blog.

One of Rory's sons is going to a new home today. He's a well put together little thing. I can see a LOT of potential in him, but I can see a few worries too. He's a little big and his ears are a little long. Then again, with a dad who tops the scales under 3 lbs and a mom who isn't much over it, he's going to be a genetic freak of nature if he goes overweight.

Anyway, it's just a pre-sale "mind ramble" of mine. No matter how nice an animal is (remember Keep's Zephrim? He took a BOB recently), I always worry about disappointing the buyer.

I know others feel this way too, because we've talked about it (:D).

So, this is what I do- 100% honesty about the animal. I think EVERYONE should be this way anyway, but I tend to go above and beyond. I've had folks tell me NOT to list every fault the animal has "because it's the buyer's responsibility to ask."

Nope, not with me. If I think they need more HQ, I'm gonna tell you. If the ears are long for my taste, that comes out too. If I don't tell you about something, it's because I truly didn't notice it, or it's a recent development (like ears growing overnight...I swear it happens! Curse you uglies).

Ahh well, I'd rather be too honest and have it cut in to my sales, than to not be honest enough and have to live with that guilt (not to mention reputation!)

By the way- the new owner seems thrilled with his bunny :)

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry