Rabbit & Cavy News

The two Polish does I bred last month each had their litters over the past few days!  Finally I’ll have some Polish babies - I am so excited!  I was worried that the one doe could have some lilac babies with the coloring in both her and the buck’s backgrounds, but the kits are all black. 

Sweety doe, Jody’s Holland, also had her litter.  She had 5 babies, but crushed two of them and one looks like it was pulled apart at birth (perhaps she had trouble delivering this last one, it looked abnormal) but the two remaining are doing fine.  We should of bred more Hollands along with her, but I wanted to treat all the other rabbits for coccidia last month so no others were bred.

Kelly hasn’t wanted to rebreed any more French Lops.  I truly think she is easing back on her rabbits - and already has a lot of them to care for.  I can’t fault her - she seems to know when she is nearing her limit of animals to care for and refuses to breed more.  She’s got the last two litters still; none of them have been shown yet because we haven’t been able to get to any rabbit shows in April! 

Well I am just excited to actually have my own Polish babies - I’ve always wanted my own rabbits to show myself.  Soon I’ll be able to attend rabbit shows, even when the kids can’t go! 

I suppose I can bring a few Hollands along to show also, since Jody and I ‘merged’ all our Holland stock at the beginning of the year.  Jody and I are now just one ‘open exhibitor’ as far as the Hollands go.  Jody hasn’t much interest in showing anymore, but does not want to give up his funny Hollands - he still cares for them every day without fail.  I have to say, the Hollands are the funniest and most personable rabbits I’ve ever seen - they captivate us daily with new antics. 

Each rabbit has a distinct personally and is so different from the next one; Little Bear is so spastic and never stops running back and forth for attention - if you listen closely to him, you can hear him humming loudly and blowing air out of his open mouth - while he runs back and forth in front of you!  “Prairie Dog”, a younger buck out of Shorty, is always sitting up on his hindlegs while he eats his hay every night, and of course, Wire, or ‘Musso’ as Jody calls him has to have a fresh piece of cardboard every night and he’s specific about it - the cardboard must be approximately 4″ square and we must put a small hole in the center so he has a ‘handle’.  In response to anyone talking to him, Wire picks up his carboard piece and carries it around his cage, whirling in small intricate circles, all the while making sure his audience is watching him.  He is truly insulted if we give him a too-large piece of cardboard, or an awkward-shaped piece and admonishes us by stuffing it in his water bowl instead of carrying it around. 

We were planning to attend the Sunday Tri-County Rabbit Show held in Jefferson, Wisconsin tomorrow, but it looks like I’ll be in Illinois again instead.

Jody is in a huge soccer tournament this weekend in Rockford - in fact we just got home after a long day in brutal freezing weather! 

He plays again early Sunday morning then possibly in playoffs, we’ll have to see.  Either way, we can’t be at two places at once, so the soccer tournament wins this time.

Kelly has some nice juniors to show - hopefully we will hit a show or two in May.  I also have a few Polish and a Holland due within the next few days and I can’t wait, especially for the Polish babies!

Well, goodnight all.  I can’t wait to climb into my nice warm bed and sleep away any thoughts of today’s bone-chilling wintery winds.

Cathy

We may be moving our rabbitry soon!  Currently we are pretty space restricted and it takes us more time to get to the rabbitry, than we’d like. 

The place we have in mind is much closer to home and is larger so we can spread out a little more!  I don’t mean more rabbits….I just mean it will be easier to work in the barn when we have more room to maneuver!

A few more details to work out yet - but it looks good!

Cathy

Well it seems that it was so long ago that we finished up with our huge Badger Rabbit Breeder’s show, but in reality it was only a few short weeks ago!

During March and April of each year, my personal (or family) appointment books seems to just explode - all of the sudden spring high schools sports take off with a flurry of activities, rabbit shows heat up and just general chaos.  This year I have one graduating and getting ready for college, and one right behind him too, so I’ve been really busy!

Finally, we just got our  juniors tattooed today - a task I never look forward to even though it never turns out badly.  I just don’t like the idea of it so I tend to procrastinate as long as I can.  

Kelly’s last two litters of French Lops are looking nice - all finally getting their adult coats in.  A few are already nearing the top junior weight and still have a few more months to go in junior age.   Kelly thinks every single rabbit from both litters are all does! 

I have two Polish and one Holland bred - all due around mid-month.  I should of bred a few more Hollands along with this group, but wanted to treat everyone for coccidia so I decided to hold off till April.

Looks like we’ll miss all the rabbit shows in April; Jody has two out-of-town soccer tournaments in April, and the other two weekends are, well, Easter and then airsoft games.

May looks brutal also - I am hoping to make at least one show during May, or rather, I am determined to make at least one show!

Enjoy the weather while you can!  

I already posted some details in another post, about our 50th anniversary rabbit show coming up this Sunday, March 11 at Jefferson, Wisconsin…but….I thought I’d also throw in some good reasons for joining our rabbit club, or a local rabbit club near you.

All the rabbit shows that us rabbit breeders enjoy and faithfully attend are put on by local rabbit clubs.  These clubs vary from small, loosely-knit organizations, to large, highly-organized clubs that operate under parliamentary procedure, and of course there are clubs that fall in-between these two extremes. 

Any way you slice it - it is by the hard work of these rabbit club members that rabbit shows are successfully carried out. 

A wonderful by-product of this hard work is the social aspect; through meetings, group discussion and planning, and working together at a show, rabbit breeders have the opportunity to come together for a common cause.  Actual fun has been known to occasionally break out amidst all the work being done.  Many life-long friendships have evolved from working together through rabbit clubs.

These clubs ensure our hobby’s future!

Consider donating your time or expertise to your local rabbit club today - almost any contribution will be highly appreciated; arranging or running group meetings, providing refreshments for meetings, making or sending a club newsletter, tracking expenses, even making or maintaining a club website just to name a few things that can be done with minimal time commitments. 

For those who like the physical end of rabbit shows, the jobs are plentiful; setting up and tearing down at a rabbit show, clean up, handing out ribbons, organizing a raffle, taking or sorting entries and ramrodding classes at busy shows, and not to forget; writing for judges!  All these tasks, and more, are important for a rabbit show to run smoothly and each takes people-power!

The cost to join is usually minimal or non-existent.  If you are a rabbit breeder, there is no good excuse why you could not donate just a little time to help out your local rabbit club!

Badger RBA has been around for 50 years!  This is due to the focus of our founding members and the commitment of those who’ve joined since.  If you are in southern Wisconsin, join us today and plan to be part of our 75 year celebration!  I might be crawling in the door by then, but I’ll be there, hopefully with a nice show string of Polish by then………

And, if you are not in southern Wisconsin, look for a local rabbit club near you - if there isn’t one, start your own club!

Make a difference and help keep our hobby alive!

Hope to see you at the show this coming weekend - feel free to talk to any of our members for more info on how you can help our rabbit breeding hobby! 

Cathy

I recently heard that those rabbit breeders attending the 2007 ARBA Convention in Michigan, will need to have interstate health certificates for rabbits entering the state for exhibition. 

Here is the link to read more:

Michigan Rabbit Regulations

Now, after hearing this, I naturally though the cost of getting these was going to prevent our family from attending the convention, but my vet, here in southern Wisconsin, said it isn’t too expensive - one certificate costs about $8.75 and lists 5 rabbits.  My vet said he’d charge either an hourly rate to come to my barn to inspect all our convention-bound rabbits for their certificates, or I could save $$$ by bringing them into his office for a total office ‘exam’ charge of approximately $35-$45. 

This breaks down into a couple of bucks per rabbit, so it won’t be as bad as I thought. 

I have heard from other breeders in other states that they won’t have it as easy as I do - some will cost upwards of $15 per rabbit, and some vets that are willing to issue these certificates are not located close enough to easily obtain certificates.

Not sure how all this will play into our upcoming ARBA Convention.  I’ve heard it is really nothing to worry about.  I just think that having the knowledge ahead of time help with planning…….

Join us this year on March 11 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds (503 N Jackson Ave, Jefferson, WI) for our rabbit club’s 50th anniversary show!

Yes - the Badger Rabbit Breeders Association is celebrating it’s 50th consecutive all-breed rabbit show here in southern Wisconsin.  Special Best of Breed awards, a huge raffle and some other surprises are planned for this big event!

On Saturday March 10th, be sure to attend the specialty shows for the following breeds; Netherland Dwarfs, American Fuzzy Lops, Dutch, Holland Lops, Mini Rex, Angoras, Checkered Giants, Rex, Havanas, Mini lops, New Zealands, Satins, and Silver Martens. 

Cooping is available for Friday and Saturday nights at 50 cents per hole, but you must email to Tom to reserve your coops:  tachrist @ wisc.edu   (remove the spaces in the email address)

The Sunday all-breed show starts promptly at 9:00 am and the open starting breeds are: Checkered Giant, Britannia Petite, American Sable, Creme d’Argent, Jersey Wooly, Dutch and Belgian Hare.   The youth starting breeds are: Palomino, Flemish Giants, Mini Satins, French Angoras, and Havanas.

All breed classes are still only $2.50/ea and fur classes are $1.50/ea. 

Now this being a very popular show, we tend to really get crowded so don’t bring your chairs and grooming tables because there is no where for you to use them! The showroom opens at 6:30 am on Saturday and Sunday.

If you are coming from out of town and need ‘people cooping’, here are phone numbers for some of the local motels and inns:  

Days Inn (Johnson Creek) 920-699-8000
Rodeway Inn (Jefferson) 920-674-4404
Comfort Suites (Johnson Creek) 920-699-2800
Best Western Courtyard Inn (Ft. Atkinson) 920-563-6444

If you need additional places to try, email me at racefan24@verizon.net  for more info!

DON’T FORGET!!!  Saturday night is daylight savings time - set your clock AHEAD one hour!  Oh good, we’ll all be tired……..

If you are looking for a rabbit club to join and help out with, we will certainly welcome you!  We could use more people to help set up and tear down our show each year, work at the show, help organize community or educational seminars for adults and youth alike, and we can always use new ideas! 

Contact me for more info racefan24@verizon.net  We meet sporadically throughout the year, usually on Saturday evenings at the Culvers near Newville. 

If you have questions about the show, just email me and if I can’t answer your questions, I’ll surely put you in touch with someone who can!

Cathy   : )

This, being the first rabbit show of the year for us hardy Wisconsinites, is always an exciting one!  Bitter cold, as usual, how could we expect anything different? 

We got to the show about 6:45 so we could get a decent spot in the ‘cold room’  (the attached cattle stall barn that is unheated), somewhat near the warmth of the main showroom. 

Only Kelly and I went today - Jody stayed home nursing a cold.  Turns out this was a great decision anyways - Kelly’s French Lops were all finished by 11:30 today and we didn’t have to wait around to show Jody’s Hollands as it usually turns out.  I think this is the earliest we’ve ever gotten home from a rabbit show.

This show is held in a fairly small building and is always tremendously crowded, but I think there were fewer people this year than in the past.  Navigating through the crowds just seemed a lot easier for some reason. 

Kelly only brought 6 French Lops to show, and one was coming because her new owner was picking her up at this show.  This group of French Lops just turned senior so they were at a bit of a disadvantage competing against more mature seniors, but Kelly’s rabbits did well anyways.  Her senior broken buck, LaReau’s Bacon, won his class, best opposite of variety and went on to win Best Opposite Sex, so this was exciting and I thought unexpected (well at least according to me, if you ask Kelly, she’ll tell you he’s a really nice rabbit….and who am I to know this?)

It is always wonderful to see all our rabbit friends and rabbit people again after the long winter and holiday season - my gosh how the youth breeders change from year-to-year!  I am starting to feel old or something.

Well I am off to get caught up on some rabbit chores here.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

 Cathy

What a crazy week this has been!  First of all, we had the arrival of our new computer, thanks to my friend Robert up in Alaska.  I’ve spent a couple days now setting it up and tweaking things so it is the way I like it - and boy, is this thing fast!  I didn’t realize my other computer was such a dinosaur until this arrived!  Well I now have no excuse to begin working on the websites again, that is, when I can squeeze out some time……

Saturday there is an all-lop triple show in Rockford, Illinois that we were planning to go to, and of course, there is the Lakeland Rabbit Breeder’s Association show at Elkhorn, WI on Sunday. 

We are leaning towards just going to Elkhorn at this moment - my life seems to be busier than I can manage lately and right now I don’t want to be gone for both weekend days.  Kelly also was invited to play lasertag Friday night, of all things, and there is also a high school dance Saturday night that all three kids want to go to.  Who am I to argue?  Actually I am looking forward to working on the computer for at least some of the time the kids are gone.

When we narrowed it down to one rabbit show this weekend, we at first were going to go to Rockford just because it is a triple show, but Saturday is just not looking good for any of the troups to be semi-awake after the Friday late night lazer tag.  Oh well.

I can say that the Miller’s, who are purchasing Emily from Kelly on Sunday, are getting a top notch show doe - she is just awesome - and we even venture to say she could win a best in show the way she is put together.  I am sure the Miller’s will be happy with her.  Kelly is happy she is going to a good home, but also a little regretful of selling her I guess - after all, she’d make a good showing at this year’s ARBA convention!  We hope the Miller’s will show her and gather some good points with this lovely doe! 

Recently, I quit smoking, hopefully for the final time.  This past month has been absolutely brutal for me - I’ve lost every iota of ambition that I ever had and it has been difficult to concentrate on just about everything - hence the lack of updating or working on our other website The Rabbit & Cavy Directory as I had planned.  I’ll get around to it soon since now I have the computer at my disposal.

The cold snap continues here - I think it came with my computer from Alaska….LOL

Happy weekend to you all.

cathy

Kelly and I were thinking of attending the rabbit show in Princeton, Illinois today, but the weather made us decide not to go.

It’s below zero right now and just downright brutal outside.  The show building is supposedly heated - but it can be hard on rabbits who are used to the cold, to be brought into a warmed building, then thrust back outside afterwards. 

Plus, there is always the concern of car trouble from this bitter cold weather, and who wants to be stranded somewhere in this?

Oh well, a triple lop show next weekend and Elkhorn - we are trying to decide which one to go to, as it looks like only one will fit into our busy schedule.

Stay warm!   Cathy