I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!
We're playing the waiting game here- 5 nextboxes, 3 nests, zero babies. *sigh*! Although several aren't even technically overdue yet- I'm just impatient for babies!
If you guys know Brandi, think about her- she and her husband are both injured by accidents, and they just lost their sweet corgi Odie.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Happy Trails!
Good luck to everyone traveling to see family, be careful and stay safe :) Bigger good luck to those like us who will be risking life and limb at the after Thanksgiving sales (Black Friday- spoooky).
Quick bit of rabbit news- I was mistaken when I posted Tryon got a BOSV, he actually won BOV both shows, so he got two legs- and my little guy is now eligible to get his GC certificate! Hooray! :)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Quick bit of rabbit news- I was mistaken when I posted Tryon got a BOSV, he actually won BOV both shows, so he got two legs- and my little guy is now eligible to get his GC certificate! Hooray! :)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Changing the Holland Lop Classes
There has been consideration put forth to change the Holland Lop classes from Broken and Solid to Groups such as the Jersey Woolies have, or even Varieties like the Netherland Dwarfs.
I want to talk about this.
To begin with, a lot of folks feel the groups will promote colors as "torts only win". I find this odd- I've seen a smoke pearl take BOB, I won my first BOSB with a chestnut holland, my second with a broken blue tort. My sable point herd buck has two legs, and the broken siamese sable I sold to Mel in Oklahoma took BOSV- not to mention the various blacks, blues, smoke pearls, otters etc that have won classes or even varieties and breed!
Do "colors" win as often as tort? Of course not. ARE some judges colorblind (as in- if it's not a tort, it doesn't win)? I believe a few are. So what are we going to accomplish by changing the class configuration- sure you'll see a lot more colors, but I worry about the quality going downhill- how many folks will jump on the color band wagon perceiving an "easy win" or "easy legs", since all the group or color variety will need is 3 exhibitors and 5 rabbits. People can easily stack a class/color group to get that.
Secondly, if a colorblind judge is judging the breed, a tort is still going to be the only thing to win breed. So--- other than making it easier to get legs, how has that changed anything? Should an inferior animal get legs just because of the color? NO!
Do I think folks should promote the breed colors? Yes. I am not anti-color. True, if you come to my barn, the majority of my hollands are tort. I don't like REW. I'm not a fan of otter. Sorry. However, you will see sable point, blue tort and siamese sable. Some of my animals carry dilute, others carry REW. In a lot of cases, I'm a simple breeding away from all kinds of colors on *quality* animals. Will I keep them over a tort? ONLY if it's a superior animal in type. I can't stand the phrase "nice...for a color." So- it's an inferior animal, but oh, it's a COLOR so suddenly what would be a pet rabbit in a tort coat is worthy of not only keeping, but breeding? OH! And since the variety managed 5 rabbits and 3 exhibitors, this PET is a GC now? Meh.
Rather than address color concerns, let me raise a different way to change Holland classes- Let's make them junior, intermediate and senior classes.
Oh yeah, I said it.
Rather than keeping my juniors home for a year to a year and a half without being able to show them competitively against 3 year old monster-headed bucks, let's make it to where from 6-10 months, these guys can still show. Why not? There are plenty of other breeds that have three age classes.
In any event, there will be no changes to the Holland Lop classes in the near future. Discussion is still raging though. Where do you stand on the issue? :)
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
I want to talk about this.
To begin with, a lot of folks feel the groups will promote colors as "torts only win". I find this odd- I've seen a smoke pearl take BOB, I won my first BOSB with a chestnut holland, my second with a broken blue tort. My sable point herd buck has two legs, and the broken siamese sable I sold to Mel in Oklahoma took BOSV- not to mention the various blacks, blues, smoke pearls, otters etc that have won classes or even varieties and breed!
Do "colors" win as often as tort? Of course not. ARE some judges colorblind (as in- if it's not a tort, it doesn't win)? I believe a few are. So what are we going to accomplish by changing the class configuration- sure you'll see a lot more colors, but I worry about the quality going downhill- how many folks will jump on the color band wagon perceiving an "easy win" or "easy legs", since all the group or color variety will need is 3 exhibitors and 5 rabbits. People can easily stack a class/color group to get that.
Secondly, if a colorblind judge is judging the breed, a tort is still going to be the only thing to win breed. So--- other than making it easier to get legs, how has that changed anything? Should an inferior animal get legs just because of the color? NO!
Do I think folks should promote the breed colors? Yes. I am not anti-color. True, if you come to my barn, the majority of my hollands are tort. I don't like REW. I'm not a fan of otter. Sorry. However, you will see sable point, blue tort and siamese sable. Some of my animals carry dilute, others carry REW. In a lot of cases, I'm a simple breeding away from all kinds of colors on *quality* animals. Will I keep them over a tort? ONLY if it's a superior animal in type. I can't stand the phrase "nice...for a color." So- it's an inferior animal, but oh, it's a COLOR so suddenly what would be a pet rabbit in a tort coat is worthy of not only keeping, but breeding? OH! And since the variety managed 5 rabbits and 3 exhibitors, this PET is a GC now? Meh.
Rather than address color concerns, let me raise a different way to change Holland classes- Let's make them junior, intermediate and senior classes.
Oh yeah, I said it.
Rather than keeping my juniors home for a year to a year and a half without being able to show them competitively against 3 year old monster-headed bucks, let's make it to where from 6-10 months, these guys can still show. Why not? There are plenty of other breeds that have three age classes.
In any event, there will be no changes to the Holland Lop classes in the near future. Discussion is still raging though. Where do you stand on the issue? :)
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Sunday, November 23, 2008
A few pictures from the show!
The greatest gift of all- a rabbit that doesn't bite you when you dress her up :lol:
Keep's Tryon, a Thanksgiving Turkey for the costume contest!
(picture by Elizabeth)
(picture by Elizabeth)
BL's Down Town, looking IRRITATED as a trusty steed
(picture by Joni)
(picture by Joni)
Joni's little black wooly buck- I told her she needed my conditioning mix!
(Picture by Joni)
Keep's Angel looking fascinated by her first show- NOT!
What a lazy bum!
If you want to see more Shelby pictures, taken by Elizabeth and Samantha, please click here.
If you want to see more Shelby pictures, taken by Elizabeth and Samantha, please click here.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
End of Season Doldrums
End of Show Season that is.
With the probable last show of the year behind me, I'm sad. I love showing, but now I have to wait to show off my pretty little juniors- in fact some will turn senior without ever hitting the table! I've got to fight the culling bug, I definitely have a few animals I want to move out- not for any real reason, as far as I can tell, just because I'm getting down right anal about always having something available!
Ah well, on to the best news of the day- Keep's Tryon took a BOG and a BOSG in the two shows today! Hooray! I also got some really excellent comments on Forest and the two junior does I took along! YAY. The hollands did fairly all right. As I recall, Bart took 3rd in the first show and 2nd in the first- poor Zapp placed six both times, but I think it was a fairly large class.
I'm waiting anxiously for my litters to be born- I've got several due at the end of the month and running in to December. So much of raising rabbits is waiting- there isn't a lot of instant gratification in this hobby!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
With the probable last show of the year behind me, I'm sad. I love showing, but now I have to wait to show off my pretty little juniors- in fact some will turn senior without ever hitting the table! I've got to fight the culling bug, I definitely have a few animals I want to move out- not for any real reason, as far as I can tell, just because I'm getting down right anal about always having something available!
Ah well, on to the best news of the day- Keep's Tryon took a BOG and a BOSG in the two shows today! Hooray! I also got some really excellent comments on Forest and the two junior does I took along! YAY. The hollands did fairly all right. As I recall, Bart took 3rd in the first show and 2nd in the first- poor Zapp placed six both times, but I think it was a fairly large class.
I'm waiting anxiously for my litters to be born- I've got several due at the end of the month and running in to December. So much of raising rabbits is waiting- there isn't a lot of instant gratification in this hobby!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Friday, November 21, 2008
Last Show of the Season?
Tomorrow may very well be my last show of the season! It's definitely my last pre-planned show.
Shelby is a strange arrangement- it's a collection of breed specialities, followed by a general Best in Show at the end. Thankfully both Hollands and Woolies are sanctioned- Thriantas are not, but I plan on showing my junior buck anyway :). The Belgians are staying at home, because I don't want to stress either too much. Bandito has been to a lot of shows recently, ya know. Both he and Jasmine are looking beautiful- I can't wait to continue to show them off in the Spring.
It's been snowing all day here- the highest temperature I saw was 28 degrees. Brrrrrr. We're definitely going to have to have everything ready in the morning so that we spend only the least amount of time possible outdoors! Thankfully Shelby, traditionally an outdoor show, is indoors this go round! Woo hoo!
I'm so happy- almost everyone I wanted to take was in excellent coat (Tryon especially!). Since this could be the last chance at legs for some of my girls before going in to the breeding program, I'm especially glad they are looking nice.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Shelby is a strange arrangement- it's a collection of breed specialities, followed by a general Best in Show at the end. Thankfully both Hollands and Woolies are sanctioned- Thriantas are not, but I plan on showing my junior buck anyway :). The Belgians are staying at home, because I don't want to stress either too much. Bandito has been to a lot of shows recently, ya know. Both he and Jasmine are looking beautiful- I can't wait to continue to show them off in the Spring.
It's been snowing all day here- the highest temperature I saw was 28 degrees. Brrrrrr. We're definitely going to have to have everything ready in the morning so that we spend only the least amount of time possible outdoors! Thankfully Shelby, traditionally an outdoor show, is indoors this go round! Woo hoo!
I'm so happy- almost everyone I wanted to take was in excellent coat (Tryon especially!). Since this could be the last chance at legs for some of my girls before going in to the breeding program, I'm especially glad they are looking nice.
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
SNOW
Ugh- Snow. I love snow, don't get me wrong. But I'm not looking forward to frozen water bottles! I've knitted bottle covers, so I plan on giving those a shot, as well as some old socks pulled down over the bottle.
Can't hurt to try! Besides, even if it gives me just a 2-3 degree reprieve, anything is better than nothing!
Some folks switch to crocks this time of year and simply dump the ice out, making sure to refill the bowl several times a day. Tim is in charge of watering and he doesn't like this approach.
I've also heard of folks who remove all the frozen bottles, take them inside to thaw, then return them to the bunnies. They also do this several times a day, making sure the water is available to the rabbits more often. We may give this a try if the winter proves to be as harsh as the "wooly worms" say it will be!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Can't hurt to try! Besides, even if it gives me just a 2-3 degree reprieve, anything is better than nothing!
Some folks switch to crocks this time of year and simply dump the ice out, making sure to refill the bowl several times a day. Tim is in charge of watering and he doesn't like this approach.
I've also heard of folks who remove all the frozen bottles, take them inside to thaw, then return them to the bunnies. They also do this several times a day, making sure the water is available to the rabbits more often. We may give this a try if the winter proves to be as harsh as the "wooly worms" say it will be!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
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