I am enjoying having the website here on the blog! In less than a month, my official website will be gone.
I had to edit the For Sale page today- I will have two pet bunnies available once they turn 8 weeks old. I decided that the For Sale page title will simply be changed to include the date whenever I post something new!
I'm just tickled in general at how low maintenance this solution is going to be! Yay!
In other news, I have three does due on Thursday! My fingers are crossed for some babies!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Taking Notes
One fun thing about showing is we do it differently in different parts of the country. Here in NC, we don't use comment cards at the table. In fact, I had never used the cards until I went to PA to show.
I often hang around the table with my scrap piece of paper and my pen, taking down my own placements. I often can't remember from one group to the next how many animals were in each class or where my rabbits placed, so I have to do something! I got in this habit back when I was part of an active rabbit forum- folks always wanted to know how everyone who had shown that day did. I often had to say "Uhm...I don't remember. I won a BOB! I have no idea how many rabbits there were...sorry!" I was teased a bit for being so inattentive.
Several people I show with on a regular basis also take down their placements. One lady actually keeps a very detailed notepad, complete with judge's comments, instead of just placements. I tried doing this a few years ago but couldn't read my own chicken scratch as I frantically tried to write everything down as it was said. I definitely admire her note-taking abilities!
From what I have noticed, comment cards definitely don't replace taking your own notes/placements or just good old fashioned listening to the judge. By the time the poor writer finds the card and gets started, some of the judges are finishing up their remarks. Most of my cards (from the few shows I have attended that have them) just have a few hasty check marks and maybe a "nice" or "lacking" across a particular area of note.
So what about you? Do you write your own comments? Do you just take placings? Do you get comment cards in your area?
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
I often hang around the table with my scrap piece of paper and my pen, taking down my own placements. I often can't remember from one group to the next how many animals were in each class or where my rabbits placed, so I have to do something! I got in this habit back when I was part of an active rabbit forum- folks always wanted to know how everyone who had shown that day did. I often had to say "Uhm...I don't remember. I won a BOB! I have no idea how many rabbits there were...sorry!" I was teased a bit for being so inattentive.
Several people I show with on a regular basis also take down their placements. One lady actually keeps a very detailed notepad, complete with judge's comments, instead of just placements. I tried doing this a few years ago but couldn't read my own chicken scratch as I frantically tried to write everything down as it was said. I definitely admire her note-taking abilities!
From what I have noticed, comment cards definitely don't replace taking your own notes/placements or just good old fashioned listening to the judge. By the time the poor writer finds the card and gets started, some of the judges are finishing up their remarks. Most of my cards (from the few shows I have attended that have them) just have a few hasty check marks and maybe a "nice" or "lacking" across a particular area of note.
So what about you? Do you write your own comments? Do you just take placings? Do you get comment cards in your area?
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Monday, April 2, 2012
Big Congratulations!
The folks in Indonesia put on their first ARBA rabbit show this past weekend!
Caudill's Country Boy took a double BOB and a single RIS for his new owner! I know Brian is thrilled- how great for a wooly to strut it's fluff and take a RIS so quickly!
Keep's Kat took a BOSB in Show A for her new owner, while Lyle Creek's Kendra took a BOSB in Show B for her new owner!
How exciting! I am doubly shocked and thrilled, Miss Kat is a very molty girl right now, but her beautiful width and depth must have made up for the definite lack of wool.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Caudill's Country Boy took a double BOB and a single RIS for his new owner! I know Brian is thrilled- how great for a wooly to strut it's fluff and take a RIS so quickly!
Keep's Kat took a BOSB in Show A for her new owner, while Lyle Creek's Kendra took a BOSB in Show B for her new owner!
How exciting! I am doubly shocked and thrilled, Miss Kat is a very molty girl right now, but her beautiful width and depth must have made up for the definite lack of wool.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Babies!
Keep's Bee surprised me yesterday when she pulled a ton of wool. After a bit of a fuss in which she learned we nest in the nestbox and after I compromised and moved her box to the other side of her cage, I crossed my fingers and hoped that this first timer would get it right.
I ran out to the barn to check on her as I was leaving for work this morning- two beautiful babies, in the nestbox! They were on top of the wool instead of under it, but hey, close enough. I pushed the babies in to the back of the box and gave them a blanket of Mama's wool. A quick look makes me suspect they are both black. It figures. Bee carries shaded and tort, while the father to the litter, Keep's Tribute is a seal. Yet I get black.
Ahhh well, it looks like the selfs are slowly taking over the barn- the only other "babies" I have are a black and a broken black- both bucks. These two little guys are definitely old enough to show, so I guess I shouldn't call them babies anymore. They are young men at this point!
I'm going to rebreed all the girls who missed and I will try to palpate the ones due in April. I always forget to palpate them- it will save me a lot of frustration if I can go on and figure out they aren't pregnant now.
Edit: When I got home from work, Keep's Epiphany had given me four Panda babies! Eeek!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
I ran out to the barn to check on her as I was leaving for work this morning- two beautiful babies, in the nestbox! They were on top of the wool instead of under it, but hey, close enough. I pushed the babies in to the back of the box and gave them a blanket of Mama's wool. A quick look makes me suspect they are both black. It figures. Bee carries shaded and tort, while the father to the litter, Keep's Tribute is a seal. Yet I get black.
Ahhh well, it looks like the selfs are slowly taking over the barn- the only other "babies" I have are a black and a broken black- both bucks. These two little guys are definitely old enough to show, so I guess I shouldn't call them babies anymore. They are young men at this point!
I'm going to rebreed all the girls who missed and I will try to palpate the ones due in April. I always forget to palpate them- it will save me a lot of frustration if I can go on and figure out they aren't pregnant now.
Edit: When I got home from work, Keep's Epiphany had given me four Panda babies! Eeek!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Changes
I have decided to officially get rid of my website. I will be adding pages to this blog and you will still be able to come here via the www.keepsrabbitry.com link. I will no longer be maintaining a separate website, since maintaining has become exactly the problem!
I am excited to get the blog updated to include the new pages. I will definitely be keeping the "Bucks", "Does", "Sales", "Links" and "Pet FAQ" page. I may add an "About Us" page and perhaps a show results page- I am just not sure about that yet.
These changes will be occurring in the next few weeks, so if you try to come to the blog one day and it tries to redirect you to keepsrabbitry.com, don't be surprised!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
I am excited to get the blog updated to include the new pages. I will definitely be keeping the "Bucks", "Does", "Sales", "Links" and "Pet FAQ" page. I may add an "About Us" page and perhaps a show results page- I am just not sure about that yet.
These changes will be occurring in the next few weeks, so if you try to come to the blog one day and it tries to redirect you to keepsrabbitry.com, don't be surprised!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Hay time!
I bought the most beautiful bale of hay from TSC yesterday. It's green and absolutely gorgeous...and the smell! Oh the smell...
It was a warm day and we left the hay in the car while we ran in to another store. We came back and jumped in the car and it was filled with this glorious fresh-hay smell...it reminded me very strongly of green tea.
The rabbits are going to go nuts for this stuff! I always celebrate a new bale of hay by giving out a handful to everyone. It doesn't hurt that I usually have a little more than I can conveniently store.
Indiana hasn't had babies for me. I'm not completely counting her out yet, but I am definitely not expecting a litter anymore. The new bale of hay comes just in time to fill up nestboxes for the other girls. Hopefully I have better luck with them!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
It was a warm day and we left the hay in the car while we ran in to another store. We came back and jumped in the car and it was filled with this glorious fresh-hay smell...it reminded me very strongly of green tea.
The rabbits are going to go nuts for this stuff! I always celebrate a new bale of hay by giving out a handful to everyone. It doesn't hurt that I usually have a little more than I can conveniently store.
Indiana hasn't had babies for me. I'm not completely counting her out yet, but I am definitely not expecting a litter anymore. The new bale of hay comes just in time to fill up nestboxes for the other girls. Hopefully I have better luck with them!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Waiting on babies.
Erb's Indiana is due tomorrow! This is her first litter with me, I purchased her as a junior from Convention and I'm very pleased with her type and personality! She earned two legs as a junior but has gone a little overweight, so I am doubting I'll ever get the opportunity to grand her, which is a shame. However, I'd much prefer a good producing doe than a dozen champions that don't take care of their litters.
I'm out of regular hay, so Indiana is nesting in alfalfa. Hopefully she's nesting in it, anyway. I know it's going to be a very tempting snack, but hopefully she controls herself!
The next round of girls are due just five days after Indiana, then we have quite a break until April when the next round should be ready. Pretty much every lady of age in the barn is bred.
The few juniors I have are looking good. I am very pleased with what I'm producing right now- if only the girls will give me more babies! My litter numbers have been low recently- I don't know if I should chalk that up to the fact it's "winter" or it's just bad luck.
I am thinking Panda will be given a break as "Top Stud" in the barn. I have an unrelated shaded buck that I purchased at Nationals- I am definitely wanting to get plenty of offspring out of him to spread out mine lines a little before I start folding them back in to the tighter "Keep's" lines.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
I'm out of regular hay, so Indiana is nesting in alfalfa. Hopefully she's nesting in it, anyway. I know it's going to be a very tempting snack, but hopefully she controls herself!
The next round of girls are due just five days after Indiana, then we have quite a break until April when the next round should be ready. Pretty much every lady of age in the barn is bred.
The few juniors I have are looking good. I am very pleased with what I'm producing right now- if only the girls will give me more babies! My litter numbers have been low recently- I don't know if I should chalk that up to the fact it's "winter" or it's just bad luck.
I am thinking Panda will be given a break as "Top Stud" in the barn. I have an unrelated shaded buck that I purchased at Nationals- I am definitely wanting to get plenty of offspring out of him to spread out mine lines a little before I start folding them back in to the tighter "Keep's" lines.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
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