Lana's Hip Hoppin Rabbitry

Week 2 Disaster

2012-01-21T11:11:00.000-08:00

Friday - Monday we got heavy snow. We're on the valley floor so this concept was alarming to the city. We didn't have school on Monday due to MLK, but Tuesday & Wednesday classes before 10am and after 5pm were cancelled. Wednesday it started raining and Thursday was simply wet, cold & very miserable. By Thursday afternoon many of our large rivers had flooded, closing many streets, evacuating many houses, and causing a lot of damage. School was cancelled on Friday.

Our basement flooded. We had ServPro come out and so far none is receeding back in, thankfully. It has continued to rain all of Friday and today, and tomorrow calls for heavy rains & wind as well. We still have power here on the west side of town.

Despite the crazy weather, Tuesday I have to make it out to the ranch to pick up about 30 heifers & cows for the calving season. They are set to start calving on Feb 1st, so we need them here on campus no later than Wed. A lack of sleep is in store for the next 4-6 weeks.

Not too many shows this year. Didn't get to CDA, won't make it to St. Helens. The first show I'll probably exhibit at might be Pear Blossom, as I doubt I can bring any other than sold animals to La Grande. Will be a light spring with my main focus on school and the activities here.

Other than that, I have no rabbits up here in Corvallis, thankfully. I do have a few does due here soon, I forget the dates but they should already have their boxes. I bred Gouda to Zoolander, Guido to Sergio, Nell to Hank, and I colony bred 2 or 3 Silver Martens, so I'm unsure of the results there. At any rate, I hope to have 3 nice Mini Lop litters though!! *crossing fingers*

So hopefully some baby updates in the next few days. :)

Welcome 2012!

2012-01-07T11:48:00.000-08:00

Well since I hadn't posted in forever, I figured now would be a good time before I start school again.

Culled a bunch of rabbits, bred a bunch of does. Have some promising juniors for spring shows.

Website is completely updated. For Sale animals are likely available in March, or can be held for WCC. All of my colored Mini Lops are up for sale, as well as any senior. I am keeping just 3 Silver Martens, so any of my senior stock will be available.

I will be down to 10 by June 15th. So if there is an animal that has your attention, e-mail me about it now, so plans can be made.

In for the long run!

2011-11-19T20:43:00.000-08:00

School!

Research started on November 11th, we're now at 23 calves, with a few more coming after the holiday. All has been well and just starting to work on my thesis. (what I can write for now).

Been doing the grad school search... so far there are 3 schools still in the running, with Michigan State, Kansas State & New Mexico State. Personal statement is being re-written & resume being edited.... then once I have that complete, I can get my Forms & Letters of Recommendation! yikes! I then have to send in Applications & GRE scores...

All seems like so much work, but I know by March or April I will be happy that this has been worth it. I'm currently in contact with NMSU that has a pretty good sounding project available!

Applied Reproduction is going well. AI'ing session was stressful (for many reasons, not related to school), but now that we're in Embryo Collection & Transfer, things have gone very well!

I have a midterm on Monday (I know, week NINE!), and two days of school. Then a break for a few days to pull it out for Dead & Finals week!

Wednesday when I get off work, I'll head north to pick up my carriers. And then leave and head all the way home (weather permitting) to spend the holiday with my family!!

I missed the Enumclaw show, and will be out of town for Monroe. I doubt I'll be able to head to Red Bluff, since getting additional hours at work is more important... I picked up 3 shifts today, so very excited about that :)

Not really sure where the rabbits sit at this point :/ I will definitely be letting go of some senior stock, just need to go through what I have and see what I can live without! I will be doing some breedings to keep these does active & working, probably just the Silver Martens for now. Though a ML might make the list.

We'll see. I'll know more on the 27th :)

A few Mini Lops for sale

2011-10-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

I have 4 Mini Lops --possibly 5 for sale. Priced to sell!

One is a senior doe (Pickles) and a 2 or 3 junior bucks & a junior doe -- from the Milkhouse's Sneakin (brother to Smackin) and LHHR's Tomato (Twitch x Brianna) litter. Sneakin' is out of Harmon's Murphy, the BOS ARBA conv winner. The type was complementary and looks to have worked out well; the lineage is a complete outcross.

The litter of 4 was VERY consistent and look great, and where I tried to find one to cull -- I couldn't; so I retained them to try to place them in great show homes! Short, deep & wides with excellent heads coming! Due to their current transition period, they are a bit soft; but hopefully by the December shows they will be ready to hit the tables (~4.5 months).

The website & facebook has been updated with some photos; though better ones are to come.

They can be delivered to Enumclaw & Monroe (possible transport fee req'd), or to Red Bluff, CA. Also a trip to Ft Collins, Colorado is in order in December as well. Please e-mail me for any of these transport opportunities and/or about the juniors. :)

Busy!

2011-10-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last blogged!

Simple answer, I've just been crazy busy!

RVRF show on 9/24. Nicole came down & she kicked butt. I gave her back Lincoln and she went home with Sergio and Kaylee. I received Nell, haven't decided who I will breed her to yet, but time will tell.

Bacardi won Best of Breed for his 3rd & granding leg! My first GC marten!

Also at that show, I came home with my Silver Marten Satin doe, CC.

Kennewick was on 10/15. The only bright things at the show were Sara & her family, Lisa & Diane to talk to. Talk about being glared at all around the show room, what a creepy feeling. Certainly other breeders must get lives! I met up with Maryann Preston and picked up my Martens. 4 does, 2 bucks. There are 4 GC's and the other 2 are registered. Very nice animals. I took them home on Thursday.

Dropped off my convention rabbits on Saturday morning; all 12 of them.

I will get back to breeding hopefully next week. Since their are a lack of shows soon, I will have to get these does into production! With feed now costing $19.50 a bag... there will certainly be some changes involved. Raising a meat breed is so much more promising than a fancy breed with prices this high.

Life!

2011-09-19T17:29:00.001-07:00

Life is getting back to normal. I think going to work Sunday night really "snapped" that into me, as all of the new students were moving in on campus. It was a long night; our boss even had to help us out! LOTS of new students, as usual.

Work is going great! I got my schedule fixed finally so now I'm the happiest kid on the block. I have tomorrow off, to spend with the roomates. And then I work all day Wednesday, and head home on Thursday. I have a lot to get done at home, such as cleaning the barn and getting every single convention rabbit ready! This means cleaning ears, giving tattoos, cleaning vents, grooming, trimming nails & marking cages. At this point I don't know if either I or my mom will be dropping off the rabbits, but either way it needs to be clearly marked!

So that's Thursday & Friday ... Saturday I will be at a rabbit show :) I haven't attended the RVRF show (my HOME show) in 3 years because of college, but this year -- I'ma going. :) I entered Hank Williams, Hades' Houdini (just for comments, they are young!) and Bacardi. I'm just going to the show to hang out & chill!

Working shows

2011-09-15T18:39:00.000-07:00

While talking with an aspiring rabbit registrar today, I realized that I never discussed my working of shows for my judges licenses, like I did when I went for my registrar's license. So here goes, months later :)

Obviously the first thing you do is STUDY and then take your exam [This concept is much harder said than done]. You then PASS your exam. While you are waiting to hear back about your results, you should come up with a list of judges you would like to work with.

I honestly think that selecting judges to work with, was THE hardest part. I ended up with a list of about 25 judges I had relatively easy access to, were the best of the best (where I would learn A LOT), and people that I knew I would feel comfortable working with. Working judges should not be picked because you know that they will pass you, or that they are easy to work under. There should be a level of difficulty involved.

Once you have your list established, the next thing is to Plan your shows. This will vary upon your location, and the time of year you take your test. For me, I had to take my test in late June, and by the time I had figured out my test results, paid my dues, and had my envelopes to work with, it was already late July. There are no shows in August for me, so I had to wait until the first weekend in September to start working.

When you go to work a show, you HAVE to e-mail/call the Show Superintendent FIRST. They tell you IF you can work, and their rules. Some can require you to work with a certain judge. Some will require you to work on a certain day (sat/sunday). Some shows only allow one applicant to work a show (either reg or judge). And some, can say no. The club has the final call! THEN, you contact the judge, gain their permission, and report back to the Superintendent.

Before the show, review your standard. Wash your apron. Pick out a clean, long sleeve shirt to wear. Bring your lop stick & hand sanitizer. Put your hair up & get ready to learn!

The shows:

1 & 2) Crescent City,CA. On Saturday I worked with Allen Mesick of California. It was a triple open, and I worked with 21 breeds! Here I worked with all of the Angora breeds, and learned about how to comment on the Thrianta red color differences. Sunday, I worked with Randy Shumaker of California. It was a double open, and I worked with 16 breeds. I think the most important thing I learned here was about the Dutch, in that if you have to spend time determining if it's a marking DQ, then to give it the benefit of the doubt.

3) Albany, OR. I worked with Jeff Jewett of Washington. It was a double open, and I worked with 9 breeds (larger breeds). I learned a lot about Britannia Petites from exhibitors, on how to pose & handle them correctly.

4 & 5) Red Bluff, CA. On Saturday I worked with Melissa Magee of California. I worked with 7 breeds (larger show). One breed we did do, were Holland Lops. All 150+ of them. There were 25 SSB's. I also learned a lot from judge Chris Zemny, even though I couldn't work with her, she assisted in my learning while working. On Sunday, I worked with Carol Green of California. I think the biggest thing I took home from this show, is make the show work for you. Carol is a very short lady, and YOU as the judge, have to accommodate yourself. If the table is too high (or too low!), don't wreck your back! Get ahold of the superintendent and have them fix it ASAP. A good show should have the ability of adjustable tables. If the coops are still too far away, bring them closer to you! Also at this show, I had an experience where an exhibitor made an attempt to influence the judge. And when questioned by the superintendent, I had to be honest; even though the exhibitor meant no harm. Also to end this show, I was bit by a HUGE Black New Zealand doe in her 5th show of the weekend. I always thought the little rabbit bites were the worst, but this one gave me a two week bruise!

In between shows 5 & 6, I realized that I would have to actually work with a judge that I didn't know. Preparing yourself for this is mentally exhausting. In the end, it all works out great. So DON'T stress ... about working with the ARBA President!

6) Couer D'Alene, Idaho. I worked with ARBA President, Mike Avesing from Iowa. I got to work with 10 rare breeds (I had made this request), plus Meat Pens and Fryers. I got to judge American Sables, Belgian Hares (which I learned how to pose!) and a really nice quality Silver! This was also my first show, ever, where an Unworthy of an Award was given. I felt, that this was very necessary. I will not name the breed, but it was very ragged, hutch stained -- it simply looked hideous... and the owner admitted to only entering him as a class filler to win a leg. This was also a "confidence booster" show for me, as Mike told me about how I passed, and how well I did. A lot of Holland breeders, and the show committee itself told me how well I had done, and my good handling skills. As an aspiring judge, these are comments that you want to hear!

By the time you've worked your 6th show, you get a lot of repeat breeds. And a lot of breeds you haven't worked with. By the end of my 6th show, I had just 13 breeds I hadn't worked with. E-mail your superintendents to see if you can get breeds you haven't worked with, and they will help you out!

7) St Helens, OR - I worked with ARBA Vice President Erik Bengston from Minnestoa. I was pretty nervous to work with him, as I had heard some stories ... and the first breed out was definately nerve wracking! But you suck it in, you work through it. And in the end it turns out fine. Here I learned about posing the animals both ways, (not just to the left!) and that I had good delivery in a loud show room.

and the final one -- the hardest!

Well I had a hard time, because it was my biggest gap -- January to April. There are no shows in February and in March, I had to fight for a position and gave up because the show committee was not welcoming. So number 8!

8) Central Point, OR. I worked with Ted Deloyola. I worked with 11 larger breeds, and completed nearly every breed to work with (I missed out on Checkers and the Chin breeds). It was a very nice show to end on, and I did learn a lot... Like how to measure a million English lop ears! :)

Basic concept to keep in mind. You can study all you want, have all the experience in the world. The idea to working 8 shows is to mold you into yourself, the judge. You learn A LOT. What TO DO, what NOT TO DO. You learn things you never knew before, and then it's also a chance to prove what you do know. I passed all 8 of my judges, all GREAT judges, in which I learned a lot. I had a lot of FUN doing it -- and If I could do it again, I wouldn't do it any differently. Pick your judges wisely... and make sure you learn in the process! :)

If you ever have any questions on how to study, or how the process works -- just feel free to e-mail me!

The Herd Update

2011-09-11T15:19:00.000-07:00

Keeping:

1) Rylee

2) Hank

3) Houdini *BJD

4) Gustavo *BJB

5) Kirby *SJD

6) Granite *SJD

7) RR2 *JD

FOR SALE:

Sergio

Tito

Pickles

Martens:

8) Bacardi

9) Pendleton

10) Marten - Silver Marten Satin Buck

Pending Sale/for Convention:

Lincoln/Kaylee

RR1

Summer

Wall E

Nigel

Hank Williams

Tomato

Sneakin

Amie

HZ5

RZ2

HZ2

Maddy

Badger

It's so sad to only be keeping 7 ML's. But I am replacing them with beautiful black & blue Silver Martens (and a Silver Marten Satin doe!) No regrets!

:) Website is completely updated!

Change is good

2011-09-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

Finally looking forward to the future with my head up. School should start well & work is going good!

I decided to sell an additional 8 rabbits, which will leave me with a handful of Mini Lops. The number is undetermined at this time, but it will be under 10, most definately.

Why the switch up? To sell off nearly the whole ML herd? Well it started with selling big for convention. And once you start selling you get in this 'mode -- of anything can go'.

It could be that a fellow SM breeder was selling out... and I decided to buy up her herd. This was a very quick decsion, but its the best one I've made in a long time. 15+ rabbits will leave in October, and I'll be filling 8 of those holes.

I am VERY excited & looking forward to my Silver Marten future. It will be sad to lose such a great breeder, but I would only want her wonderful herd to go to someone who needs/deserves these awesome animals --- which is me! :)

Babies!

2011-09-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

Pendleton kindled early.

About nine hours of delivery, 8 kits total in 3 separate deliveries. She ended up with 4 healthy kits!

Maddy kindled late.

Last Tuesday she went on a "barn adventure" and I thought for sure she would abort, but instead she just kept them in for a couple extra days. But, she kindled 5 healthy kits!

No more babies for a while. I do have a few breedings I'd like to do next month before bucks leave for convention, but we'll see.

Say one thing; do another

2011-08-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

August 1st I posted on my website that I would pre-sell & hold 6 animals for Convention. When I put up more than 6 animals for sale, I should have known what would occur.

First and foremost, I sell on a first come-first serve basis. Whoever puts the $ down first gets the rabbit. Tragedies happen, people don't get the rabbits they want. And when you sell good rabbits, a dozen people want them. It's always a hard task determining who sent you an e-mail first and who's actually serious about purchasing the rabbit.

I've sold 10 for Convention, and holding 2 more in the meantime. I've officially put my foot down; decided to keep the remaining Jr buck who didn't sell. (I'm really not devastated about that, Sergio is a nice junior! :))

All juniors have been photographed and all cages labeled. Got to get the barn "mom-ready", which means bringing in feed & hay and stacking & organizing my equipment that is now scattered all over the barn. With the current break in weather, I will take advantage of it and get that done today :)

Bring on the school year!

2011-08-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

I just have 11 days left at home & then it's back to Corvallis to start the new job and prepare for the school year.

I am VERY excited for the new changes and mindset... Graduating and getting into graduate school will be my main focus for these upcoming months, so there won't be many rabbit thoughts. I will attend a couple shows and send off stock to Convention. I am reducing my herd as much as possible just to be fair on them. I simply won't have large chunks of time to dedicate to this hobby. My research project will consume me. I'm just so happy to move forward! As far as judging requests, I have accepted a few, but a lot I have turned down simply because I know they will already conflict with school. I knew this would be a problem when I got my license because I knew school would always be my #1 concern.

I DO have a life outside of rabbits. A lot of breeders seem not to understand this concept. For many breeders this hobby is all that they have. School, family and friends will always come before the livestock, and with the livestock my cattle, horses and dogs still rate over the rabbits. My research project this fall deals with cattle, so if I have an overload of cattle information, forgive me now!!!

The website is getting minorly updated, I don't have good internet here so I mark animals on hold or make minor changes, but it needs to be overhauled soon; a lot of the information is outdated. Not like I have intentionally left out animals like other breeders I know, but I just haven't had the time to sit down long enough to work on it.

The best option is to e-mail me on my convention sales list. I'm willing to sell most of anything at a reasonable offer. My goal is to get down to 12-15 by November & so far I'm doing a relatively good job at achieving that number :)

Babies!

2011-08-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

Well, of 4 bred does -- 2 missed, 1 had 1 large DOA kit, and Tomato (the doe I was worried about), kindled her 2nd litter, 7 of 8 babies. Her first litter/kit of 1 of 7 babies, had to be fostered because her milk never let down. This time it appears to be different, as she is feeding them so far. Tomato's babies are sired by Sneakin, and type wise, we think it was very complementary. Lineage wise, we'll see if they cross well. :)

So I have 3 open does now, and 2 juniors that turned senior that I have no intentions on showing for a total of 5 does that need to be bred pending cage space and numbers. We have currently decided to put them on hold for a while, or may end up parting with them for convention. We'll see with time.

Speaking of Convention. I can't attend this year -- I have my research project plus in an advanced repro class, so it's simply out of the question. I will hold and send up to 6 rabbits through the transporter I used last year. E-mail me for more details, or my website will be updated soon.

A rabbit show!

2011-08-06T08:01:00.001-07:00

A lot of people don't know this, but I actually attended my first ARBA show before I ever became a member in 4-H. The show was one of our local double open's...Pear Blossom. I just celebrated my 11th year attending this show and hope to never miss it.

I didn't bring any rabbits to show. Rather I brought two rabbits for showmanship. There was a "Rabbit Rally" (where I later ended up running and even judging at) and at the last moment I decided to use my Dutch rabbit, Annie. I didn't know anything about rabbit showmanship, or even the questions I was being asked!

My cousin entered her Mini Lop in the open show, while I just watched and absorbed. Little did I know it would lead to so many great things! My cousin knew a lady that would answer our every question and show us around the room. It was so cool that we "knew someone".

Growing up as a youth, I always entered open shows. Until about 2005 (when I brought down good stock from Canada), quite frankly I got my butt kicked at every show. I always knew that I could never "keep up" with the open breeders because at this time, I was allowed 1-3 litters a year. (I now have this any given week!).

However, despite all of that open competition, there was never a breeder who was rude, disrespectful or downright slanderous at shows. You didn't hear of things that you see today.

2006 was really the turning year, where I got the "bug". I wanted to attend more shows, and got the notion to go for my registrar's license. I'm really not sure why I wanted it... other than reading articles in the DM magazine, but when Allen Mesick himself told me to go for my license, I ended up doing it.

2007 was the last year of the big wins, as I was a senior now and my rabbits further existence was up in the air. Before I went to state convention and Royalty for ARBA Convention, my parents had wanted me to sell out. When I sold 10 rabbits for convention that year and won 2nd place Judging, they knew in their hearts that making me sell out was not the right option. They sure were right!

It's so hard to look back, knowing that these past years have been excellent -- the climb to a peak, with the peak being college and my herd and the rabbit hobby going down the other side of the mountain, with little bumps and obstacles occurring every month it seems.

Rabbit Show Etiquette

Easily forgotten these days. When I first started in rabbits, I always heard of "rabbit drama" and whatnot, I even knew a lady who sold out because of it. She won every show, won everything in sweepstakes but people couldn't stand it. She had some of the nicest Mini Rex in the nation.

I never understood it then, but I do now, I suppose.

So what is rabbit show etiquette? Are there any set "rules" or standards?

Obviously, you have to follow the Rules & Guidelines set in stone that are established by the ARBA. I would link them here, but ARBA's website is getting re-done at this point.

There are MANY rules in this section, and not a lot of people know about them unless you've studied for a registrar or judges exam. They are also printed in the ARBA guidebook, that used to be given out free when you joined the club. But what about if you're not a ARBA member? They are listed online, but how many people take the time out to go and read them, and then to read them fully & understand them? Long pause... So with that in mind, with many breeders not knowing that such rules exist, or have taken the time to read through them thoroughly, leads to a bit of confusion at shows.

When to make a complaint about (or to) an exhibitor, a judge, a secretary or superintendent (per ARBA rules), is something we all stray from. One, it has to be done quickly (sometimes day of show), and two, it requires people willing to step up to the problem. Sometimes these complaints require money. Who has that these days? So a lot of the "bigger" moral problems, get swept under the carpet.

Aside ARBA's set rules, there are many unsaid "standards" that of course are going to range from breeder to breeder and state to state. It's basically what you believe in combined with, what show scene your're exposed to.

Saving spots for friends - How many times have you arrived the next morning to find your rabbits in the middle of a big square of people you don't know? The key to this solution is not to arrive too early, but to find a 'left-over' spot that is not taken. Now we all know that people like to save spots for their friends, but this is one of the most common complaints. That and not saving enough isle space, or creating enough isle space to begin with. It's not an ARBA rule, but its a Fire Safety rule, and when that club rents the building they agree to a code. The only way to solve this problem, is put up your chairs last, don't put up chairs saving spots for friends, ask the people around you if they have more people coming and what not. Just communicate! The person next to you isn't your enemy, or competitor, they are your fellow breeders.

The table crowd - Rabbit showrooms are getting smaller and smaller, or is it the shows are getting bigger and bigger. Either way, there's never enough room at the show table. For large breeds, lots of exhibitors crowd around their breed table, making no pathways for other exhibitors trying to get through with a rabbit. The rabbit is making a fuss after the fourth show it's been in and is kicking and scratching and all you want to do is get back to your carrier, but there's a brick wall of people in the way. Say excuse me in a snotty way? Yes, many people do it and many people understand the frustration. No one can really fix this problem, but if you see a person coming through the way with a rabbit tucked, try to help clear a pathway. This is a part of being multi-observant. You're eyes aren't only on your rabbit or the judge, keep a look out for exhibitors too.

So that's on the exhibitor side of the table, what about the judge's side? In reality, it should be the judge, the clerk and a ramrod. Sometimes at shows that are strained for help, you have 1 person doing the job. At shows with lots of help, sometimes you'll get a clerk, a writer, and a ramrod. When you have these three people who know what they're doing and can work in unison, the show sweeps by like a dream. This never happens, that's only in rabbit reality world.

Usually at shows, you'll have a person writing/clerking, with a new person learning. It's at upmost important that you know how to clerk and write for a judge. It's the best seat in the show honestly, you can see how the rabbit judges them, hear what he says and you don't have to deal with a dozen people on the other side. However, a lot of people crowd around the backsides of tables because of lack of room. Being a person who's been on the judges side of the table for the past year, I have come to experience this. It becomes crowded really and makes a judges work even harder.

Fellow breeders - Your fellow breeder and exhibitors are often the next best thing to making a rabbit show what it is. When breeders can stop the talking behind the back, back stabbing, selling cull rabbits as pets at shows, and abiding to rules and standards, putting a smile on their face and making the show what it is for everyone (not just yourself and your breeder friends), then you have a show. Many people head to rabbit shows after a stressful week of work or school, but don't unload this anxiety and stress AT the show. Work together! Offer to help out older breeders, by stacking their carriers or helping them load rabbits. Being a younger generation, I just don't know how my elders do it. It's hard work on a kid! See if there's any help you can offer to the secretary, raffle organizer, or offer up your work to the superintendent.

Congratulate the winners - Back to that rabbit show table, the person wins BOB/BOS or even a variety win. Heck it could be a class win with a youth exhibitor -- tell them good job, especially if they grew the animal up themselves. I always experienced and practiced this because it is what I was exposed to as a youth. Most importantly, its the right thing to do. Just recently I had a judge (Tex Thomas) find me after the breed was completed to tell me how he almost gave my buck BOB and how I had done an excellent job raising him as a junior and to keep up the good work. This advice doesn't have to come from a stellar judge, but rather a fellow exhibitor would do just the job!

Have fun - This used to be a requirement on the PBRBA's printed catalogs. I remember it because I always thought it was funny. I thought this was a "NO DUH" rule. Well after many "NO DUH" shows and years later, I now understand this concept. If an exhibitor doesn't comes/leaves to the show without a hurry, has a bad attitude, or doesn't bring their A-Game - they aren't going to have a good time, and won't make it pleasant for the others around them either. Come to the show on Friday night. Have dinner with breeder friends, or new people even. Get a good night's rest. Arrive to the show early with coffee in hand, water/feed your rabbits and find where you're going to be showing at long before the judges arrive and start calling rabbits. Go out to lunch, or support the local club's 4-H group by buying their food. Yes it's expensive, but if its a 4-H group, most definitely support them!!!!! Even if it's "not what you're in the mood to eat". Repeat these steps for show B, and.....

Stay until the show ends - So your rabbit didn't win BOB in the 2nd show and you have an hour drive home. SO WHAT?! So many people are just in a hurry hurry to get to the show, get it over with and HURRY back home. That is what ARBA shows are these days. I grew up with clubs with older exhibitors (the ones who tell stories about shows "back in the old days"), so especially for my local clubs, I always stay to the end of the show & help clean up. Who in the world wants to clean up after you've been showing or judging on your feet all day, especially after a two day show? Me? Yes. Picking up trash, sweeping, mopping up sticky areas, making sure there are no left over rabbits, making sure the secretary got all her paperwork, making sure judges didn't forget standards or aprons at the tables before you tare them down, emptying the coop trays and loading the coops and tables onto a trailer. There's more... but when you lock those doors and it's well past dark, then you can say ... shower then dinner? Dinner than shower?

If you are going to a show that's under an hour away from home, take the time to help clean up. If you have other obligations at home, see what you can do before you leave! Make sure your spot is clean when you leave, throw away your trash, etc.

Show a new exhibitor around the show room, offer to breed chair your breed (esp important at larger shows), offer your writing/clerking skills to the superintendent before you head to the show and of course follow all of the above.

There are many more "unsaid" standards to etiquette at shows -- perhaps shows are different in your area/state & I'd be more than happy to hear them :)

I won't give up!

2011-08-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

I won't give up. Mini Lops. They're staying -- through thick and thin.

The Silver Martens -- they're staying. Through loads of frustration.

Maddy missed again, but I re-bred her to Badger this morning and if she doesn't take this time -- she'll be leaving the barn for good. Either way, I'm looking forward to these two litters.

In 30 days, wishing to celebrate 4 Marten litters in one year.

Above pictured is Pendleton. She's a really nice doe from Badger and Maddy :) I got all new pics, and will upload them to the website next time I am able to.

Home is where the heart is

2011-08-03T20:47:00.000-07:00

According to my Google Chrome "auto-type-in, I've already had the topic title "Home is where the heart is" but it is fitting, yet again.

After a week in Corvallis, I couldn't handle it much longer so I prematurely submitted my research, packed up some stuff, grabbed my rabbits at the barn and headed home on Monday afternoon. This might prove to be difficult when school rolls around and I can't stand to be around the city that I live in!

The truth is -- nothing compares to home & no college student should ever underestimate it's comfort. FAMILY, friends, good home-cooked meals, plenty of chores, beautiful landscape, peace and clean air will never amaze me. After a week of staying up late and sleeping all morning, Tuesday's 6:30 alarm was ever painful. But it's pain lasted a mere minute.

At home I can work on research, ride my horses, scoop manure, play with dozens of rabbits, adventure with family and friends, read a book in the sun and play frisbee with my dog for hours. Home does have it's disadvantages as well. Atop daily chores arise limited internet access and no cell phone service. When you go months on end with these luxuries, being "out in the middle of no where" is somewhat discouraging.

It's nice being home. On the rabbit side of things, the Martens settled in well in their new cages. Since I moved up there, I haven't had all my rabbits home at once, but then again I haven't been home for an extended period of time. I have 2 open cages. Hopefully next week I'll open up 3 and in September I should open up 2 or 3 more. The more holes I open up, the more juniors I can keep.

When I mention empty holes, I also have 4 does due tomorrow and I bred one this morning.

What's an empty hole? ;)

It feels good to be home!!!

Pictures!

2011-07-25T20:14:00.001-07:00

LHHR's Easy Summer Breeze - enjoying being home.

LHHR's Pickles - a cute doe from Snowball & LHHR's Brianna

Sneakin' - A small typey buck from Lisa :)

LHHR's Nigel - a very promsing jr buck from LHHR's Rylee & Zeus

Smoke Pearl doe from Hillary & Zeus. A litter of color!

Bkn Choco Chestnut doe from Wall E & Seed

Houdini ! a very nice little doe from Isabella (Smoke Pearl) & LHHR's Hank Tank

Amie - from the Poseys. She'll probably be bred to Hank (for similar lineage) when we go home.

College & Rabbits -- Hand in hand

2011-07-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

A lot of "retiring youth" are forced to sell out of rabbits when they graduate from high school and/or go off to college. During my senior year I tried to downsize as much as possible, but when my family noticed it was taking a toll on me -- my mother decided I could keep a small herd at home. The rabbits (and animals) were the only thing that kept me out of trouble, kept me driven and without the hobby & 4-H I most certainly wouldn't be the young individual I am today. To take care of the rabbits was nothing new to my mom; she's been SO great throughout my youth taking care of the farm while I am off on travels or busy with school & sports. As a youth her and I traveled to so many shows together people practically considered a breeder. We worked it out to keep 10-12 holes open as long as I got Auto-water and came home every few weeks to check up on them.

Going to college was a preposterous idea for youth in my area. Back when I was a high school junior, I always had goals of attending college. I didn’t attend your regular urban college prep school or even a decent high school. The idea of going to college was outrageous, and not many in my graduating class did. As a senior, I worked my ass off and it paid. I received a lot of scholarships, including two repeating ones for all four years. It is that work that has kept me in college, otherwise – simply put, it’s too dang expensive!

My first year, I lived in the dorms and was sheltered from a lot of costs and expenses. After fall tuition was paid, I truly realized how expensive it was to live in the dorms and the only thing it boiled down to was convenience and security. From there I moved into a house with other roommates and we split costs as much as possible.

Monthly costs:

Basic Living expenses :

Rent $300 ($900 split 3 ways)

Electricity $10-20 ($30-60 per month, depending on season)

Internet/Cable $12 ($35 for the basic package)

Groceries; milk/bread/meats/common items $~50 (ranges from month to month)

Parking permit: $15

Books: $50

Additional expenses:

Random: $50 – shampoo, soap, etc.

Car payment $200

Car insurance $75

Phone bill $50

Gas $40 ( average city driving; no trips home)

1 rabbit show per month: $150

Rabbit feed: $80-100

Seasonal costs include: hay/grain, horse & dog medications etc

=$1097/month

Note I do not pay tuition because I’m basically on a full ride because of multiple scholarships; otherwise add in about $7K per term. I did not include any other rabbit expenses, such as purchases of animals or equipment. Working 12 hours a week (university limits 20) brings you $400/month. So with that and refunds from scholarships, I basically live off of nothing. There isn’t a lot of wiggle room for accidents or unforeseen costs.

One could easily claim that I would be better off without the rabbits, and in reality I would have a little more money to spend on ... what? The rabbits make me happy, is a nice side project and through thick and thin, years of college later -- they're still here. :)

The Challenging Silver Marten *edited

2011-07-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

After reading the SMRC's version of The Challenging Silver Marten, I decided I had my own version to write.

One year ago I discovered that my breeder friends Sarah Cleavenger & Nicole Velotta were dispersing their herd of Silver Martens. I had always admired their gorgeous Martens and it’s has always been on my list of breeds “I’d raise”. I took the news to heart, and with arising Mini Lop problems and passing my judges test, I decided to take on an additional breed.

I purchased 2 does and picked them up in September 2010. I had asked Sarah if she would breed them to their super buck Arson, before they left. A month went by and no babies. I was not able to purchase a senior buck until October 2010. I took MGD (purchased from Scott Rudolph) home and bred my does. Again, a failure. During that time I had taken the opportunity to purchase a Blue buck from Tex Thomas at convention. It was my first real sight unseen sale, I purchased a “name”, but I received a wonderful buck, Badger. Finally when I went home for Thanksgiving holiday, I bred the does again and they both took, giving me 15 Christmas babies. Of the 15, I narrowed it down to 4 by Spring break. I decided to keep a Black doe & Blue buck from Pyro, and two does from Maddy.

While Marten breeders were battling enteropathies, I was having troubles getting does bred. This has never been an issue for me with Mini Lops, so the concept is alarming. A doe has a certain place in my barn, she’s either a growing junior, being shown, bred, or on a litter. If a doe is none of those options in my herd she does not last long. Additionally, during the spring I was having troubles conditioning the Martens. Where my Mini Lop feed worked wonders on them, it was not suitable to the Martens. Not willing to run two different feeds, I will have to learn how to condition these muscular, firm fleshed rabbits on my feed and learn how to cull to it. Since I have no juniors to practice on, this concept is on hold.

In October I started showing the Martens & have exhibited 1-4 per show since. I have done pretty well, holding my own weight. In June I had my most well deserved wins at the State conventions; but some heartbreaks came as well. At Oregon State, Del Rio won BOB in shows B & C. I also won BOSB in two shows with Bacardi. After Oregon State, I felt the Marten pains as I lost Zinfandel. A week later I lost Del Rio. At Washington state, I scratched two black does. Pendleton was buried in a class of 15 with finish breaks. Badger was 1^st of 4 each show & Bacardi, he was my little star. He won BOV both shows with comments from both Tex Thomas and the Sunday show judge that he was an inch away from winning BOB, he just needed more maturity. It was especially nice to hear Tex rave about Bacardi. He even found me afterwards to tell me what a great job I had done growing him up. Marten breeders at the table surely thought he would win, but those shiny blacks are hard to beat!
With two does & two bucks, plus a Silver Marten colored Satin purchased at state, I am at a road block with the small herd. Maddy is hopefully bred. As soon as Pendleton gets home, I will be breeding her. I would really like to breed her to Bacardi, but my feelings are I should breed her to Badger and sell him & Maddy and move on with my line. I have molded what I want so far and only to move forward makes sense right now. Purchasing more Martens doesn’t seem pliable. After seeing what other breeders raise & offer to sell – breeding my own and achieving my own does to breed is the only way up. Unfortunately, that means getting litters from my does. Until this action happens, the Martens are currently less than frustrating. A good kind of frustration, I enjoy the challenge as long as I can overcome it :) The Silver Marten breeders in the pacific northwest (and nationwide) are some of the downright nicest breeders I've ever encountered and am happy to have the incentive to continue into the next year.

A break in weather

2011-07-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

These rains sure make doing chores a lot harder. Right now the ground isn't muddy, but that slippery texture where it makes everything you need to do a lot more difficult. So trays and rearranging cages will have to wait another day.

So today I am just catching up on rabbit records, doing pedigrees and cleaning my auto water system. My parts from KW finally arrived for the new cages and I am determined to get it back up in working order.

I guess if I have any regrets in the rabbit world, is buying this KW auto water system. If I could rewind time, I'd definately go with another company. KW tops all other equipment hands down, but there is much work to be done with their nivek watering system.

On a positive note, I sold 5 juniors yesterday. This leaves me with only a couple brood does for sale after the completion of their litters.

When I get back up to Corvallis on Sunday I will have lots of picture and website updates.

Summer time Bliss

2011-07-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

Summer has always been a time to relax between work days and accomplish all of those projects you've been meaning to do during the school year. This summer is no different. The hay has been put up, work is the same as usual & the rabbit barn is staying cool. We've had a summer rain and very few days over 100*. On the rabbit front... weaned litters are doing well. I've had the chance to go through them:

*Rylee x Zeus: I sold 1 of the 4 bucks to a youth breeder. I will go through the remaining 5 sometime next month and decide who to keep & sell.

*Wintergreen x Hank: 6 of 6 solid bucks. 4 chestnuts & 2 chinchillas. The best one in the litter has a chewed ear. It's very minimal, but the other chin in the litter is very similar. So we kept 1.

*Isabella x Hank: 3 does, 2 bucks. They were weaned today, and we will go through them next month. From what I can gather, I like this litter and nothing was worthy of a first cull.

Wintergreen leaves today for CA. I will be selling the extra Silver Marten buck (now a senior), and the rest of WG's litter. That will open up 2 holes.

I brought in a 3 hole stack from out behind the barn. With 6 holes empty at school, that's 6 less I have here .... so have to improvise.

Rylee is due today, with 5 litters coming around the beginning of August. I won't be home for those litters so updates will be slow on them.

No shows until September. So until then it's just going through litters and deciding what will get to stay for the winter :)

Updates

2011-07-09T20:28:00.000-07:00

Been home for a week.

New rabbits have settled in well. Lots of litters born.

Nemo x Hank Tank

9/9 -- all chestnut

Wall E x Sesame

5/6 + 1 foster. Has a bkn chocolate in the bunch.

Tomato x Hank Tank

1/7 (fostered) - chinchilla

Hillary x Zeus

6/6. Includes 4 bkn opals, 1 blue chinchilla & 1 mystery shaded

Bred 4 does on the 4th

Weaned a litter today. 6/6 bucks and 3/5 does in the 2nd litter.

Updates might be slow. Been busy since I got home.

Waiting for babies!

2011-06-29T11:39:00.001-07:00

What's always rough about college and keeping a herd is the continual "blindness". It's literally very hard to have a herd in two locations.

Thought my does were overdue and/or missed, but I looked at my calendar and we still have a few days :)

Due:

Nemo x Hank Tank

Linebred cross. Should be a thick, consistent litter. This is Nemo's 2nd attempt at a litter.

Wall E x Sesame

Outcross. Aiming for tons of width with good head/crown.

Tomato x Hank Tank

Linebred. Typewise they match up. Could be a little too line-bred; could be positive or negative.

Hillary x Zeus

Outcross. Just did this breeding for typey color!

Maddy x PM3 (Silver Marten)

Linebred. Hoping she took; young buck so no guarantees.

Washington State Convention

2011-06-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

Left Friday ~10AM. Loaded up the show & sale bunnies and headed towards Ellensburg. Good travel; no delays, traffic or stops. Made it there ~3pm. Unloaded the rabbits, set up my tent and attended the judges conference. Not a suberb/over-the-top conference, maybe I was just tired -- either way it was good to attend. Brushed my teeth & attempted to sleep. It was cold, and I spent the entire night just shivering to keep my body temperature up. I literally probably only rested my eyes about an hour. 2nd night wasn't as bad, because I learned and put on 3 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of pants, 3 shirts & 2 sweatshirts.

Saturday morning; started at 8am. Mini Lops were up first under Roger... again. I swear we've had him like 3 times this spring; but we didn't complain. 115 Mini Lops later with a break for lunch, Lisa won BOB with a solid buck and Becky Jones won BOSB with a broken doe.

Silver Martens were up under Tex Thomas. 47 entered! Classes of 14-15 in the Black Senior classes! WOW! My doe got buried with finish breaks, that and she was my 3rd best doe, with the passing of Zinfandel & Del Rio, I had no good blacks to show. I did win 1st Blue Sr Buck and 1st Blue Jr Buck. Tex raved about Bacardi, saying he almost picked him for breed & afterwards found me to congratulate me and what a good job I have done growing him up. Perhaps with a few months of maturity Bacardi will be a Breed winner. Either way he won 2 BOV legs this weekend. Show B in Mini Lops, dropped in numbers at 67... Twitch won his 36th leg for Nicole and Lisa won some classes too, BOSB as well.

Picked up my Silver Marten Satin from Scott, Amie from the Posey's and Lisa let me take home Sneakin' so I sold 4 but came home with 3. Oh dear! Full cages this summer !

Just going to take it easy this summer; no showing -- just judging and enjoying my summer. We'll pick up a bunch of shows this fall... I'm sure.

RIP Del Rio

2011-06-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

LHHR's Del Rio

Del Rio was the 2nd best doe out of the Maddy x Badger triplets. She was never shown until Oregon State Convention, Zinfandel had finish breaks and I decided to scratch her and enter Del Rio day of show. She won 1st in the A show, under Cathy S, Best of Breed in the B show under Allen Barr, and Best of Breed in the C show under Tracy Gouette. I had her entered as a Senior doe for WA State and had high hopes for her doing just as well.

Life happens. I've haven't lost an animal that I adored in a long time and it has taken me a bit to get over DR's passing. However; she was submitted to science and taken to the vet hospital for necropsy.

I am down to just 4 Silver Martens :( Hopefully Maddy was re-bred.

New Rabbits?

2011-06-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, the bottom line of a breeder is continual genetic advancement. Even when you have a good, well-established line, you are forced to add in an animal here or there. With a small herd, this happens often, as it's easy to have many animals closely related to one another.

Last weekend I picked up Velotta's Lincoln from Nicole. He was a buck I've always liked the looks of, and with her needing cage space she generously offered him to me. He is out of two beautiful rabbits, and contains a Gold star pedigree registration with all animals being Grand Champions, and all of those being Velotta bred animals. Now that's an accomplishment ;)

Yesterday I picked up a doe who was "disposed" of on Craigslist. A couple good breeders contacted me asking if I would want her back, and of course I did :) The previous owners kept her GC certificate, registration paper and legs won. Even though all of that work was rightfully done by (ME!), they decided they wanted to keep it for whatever reason. Pedigree forgery... jealousy. You name it, there's no other reason to keep it! :) She will likely be retired as a loving pet with one of my neices or someone who truly deserves her.

Next weekend I'm picking up Posey's Amie from Canada. The Poseys had to sell out, and where Nicole & Lisa grabbed up a lot of the very best animals, I had the wonderful opportunity to grab Amie. I've never had a Posey rabbit, but I do know that they use a lot of Milkhouse/Velotta in their stock, so I'm sure someway it will relate back to the herd to offer us something new to work with. Pictures will come when I get her home :)

OR State Day 3, + Home

2011-06-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

Show C went just as well, Del Rio won BOB again.

Twitch won BOB again, congrats Nicole. I registered a few rabbits and I was leaving the show room at 11:40 AM! WOW!

Went directly home. Was good to see baby bunnies and palpated does. Looks like mostly everybody took.

Bred Rylee, separated some juniors.

Zinfandel passed yesterday. She will was one beautiful Marten & will be missed.

Loaded up the 4 pre-sold rabbits and will head to Washington State after I get back from Montana. So you likely won't hear from me until then.

Website is updated.

Oregon State Convention - Day 1 & 2

2011-06-11T21:54:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon I packed up my rabbits, plus some Dutch and such and headed on down to Albany for the OR State Convention. I easily found a spot by friends and was able to relax before the Judges conference. I've been to many judges conferences, this wasn't the best one I've been to, but certainly a good one!! :) It was also my first official conference as a judge!

This morning started off well under Cathy S. She did Mini Lops first. I didn't have any entered but supported Nicole who brought down some excellent rabbits! Twitch won BOB!

Next were Silver Martens. Bacardi was BOSB!

A VERY deserving award was given out to Tom & Muriel Keyes just before BIS A, they are now Hall of Famer's. Tom is a great judge (esp with the youth!), and Muriel! Bless her heart all the work she has done with the Forestler fund and getting kids sent to Convention every year!

Show B started, Martens first this time under Allen Barr. He seemed to be a more structural judge and gave my juniors the benefit of the doubt even though their prime coats aren't there yet!

Bacardi won BOSB & Del Rio won BOB!

Mini Lops up under Cliff Dick & Twitch won BOB again!

I didn't attend the banquet this year. Feel bad, just too much going on and needed to get home. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings! :)

I have babies!!!

2011-06-09T19:33:00.000-07:00

After some rough months, I finally have live babies!

Milkhouse's Issabella (Broken Smoke Pearl) had 5 of 6 babies by LHHR's Hank Tank *GC 4 legs on June 6th, 2011.

MW Wintergreen (Ruby Eyed White) had 6 of 6 babies, also sired by Hank Tank

Also have a LOT of litters coming up in the next month:

LHHR's Nemo x LHHR's Hank Tank (GC 4 legs) - Bred on 5/29

LHHR's Wall E (3 legs) x LHHR's Sesame - Bred on 5/29

LHHR's Tomato (1 leg) x LHHR's Hank Tank - Bred on 5/29

Hillary x Zeus (GC 4 legs) - Bred on 5/30

Silver Streak's Maddy (GC 6 legs) x LHHR's Call Me Ugly - Bred 5/27-5/30

School year.... COMPLETE!

2011-06-09T19:28:00.001-07:00

I never thought I would be SO excited to taste summer! I finished out this morning as my last final was at 9:30 AM! Even though I don't have quizzes/midterms or papers to write, I am still studying for AQ and my GRE exam.

Tomorrow I am headed over to the barn to pick up my rabbits and head on over to Albany for the Oregon State Convention. I will also attend the judges conference. I entered 4 Silver Martens; I sure hope they look good! I'm also dropping off 3 pre-sold rabbits and will probably bring one to advertise for sale.

After the show, Monday, I am headed home for a couple of days. Gotta get some stuff done there and pick up some rabbits before I leave for more travels.

Tomorrow night I will decide who to enter for WSRBA Convention.

OR State here we come!

2011-05-23T17:17:00.001-07:00

Canby was a great time! Nicole came down to show her Lops & Dutch, and I had 4 Silver Martens to show. Nicole won a double BOB with Remus (a Stitch grandson), and I did okay with my Martens. I didn't win breed, but I did win BOSB with Pendleton both shows, and Bacardi beat out Badger for BOV both shows. Bacardi got a LOT of great comments so he just needs to mature more. My does are also noted as structurally correct, just need fur & flesh. So we will be working on that. Well run show, I was surprised by the size and organization. Great judges this year! And never a dull moment.

Next show is OR State Convention. I highly doubt I have any Mini Lops to show, I will look this weekend but it doesn't sound promising. So I will likely show 4 or 5 Martens depending on what they look like by entry deadline. I am registering one of the days, and will just be hanging out the majority of the time. I live about 15 miles from the show, so it's an easy weekend for me!

Tomato is due today/tomorrow. I'm not sure if she took because I never palpated her, and even if she did she hasnt started nesting yet. I will try to breed a few more does when I go home this weekend.

Website is updated. I also emailed webmasters of the state, district and ARBA to get my info updated. I will likely also post a Facebook album from this weekend. So just look for updates.

Show time!

2011-05-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

Housing 6 Martens currently for the spring shows. I will likely be making some changes Memorial Day weekend but for now thats where it stands.

I was able to get Issabella & Wintergreen bred to Hank. Crossing fingers for success this time.

Tomato is due next week -- pretty exciting.

Entered 4 Silver Martens for Canby -- we're just hoping for some good placements/comments & to go for fun -- to hang out with friends I haven't seen in a while :)

Baby Makin' Time

2011-05-01T11:26:00.002-07:00

Milkhouse's Monroe of Milkhouse Lops Rabbitry

LHHR's Tomato - Reg. 1 leg + ?

Mater' was bred to Monroe on 4/23.

Also upcoming:

1) LHHR's Lettuce x LHHR's Hank Tank - Bred: 4/10 (Wisconsin)

2) MW Hazel x Jones's Zeus - Bred: 4/10 (Wisconsin)

3) LHHR's/Velotta's Brianna x Jones's Zeus - Bred on: 4/19 (South Carolina)

To be bred: (5/7)

EE/MW Wintergreen x LHHR's Hank Tank (GC 4 legs)

LHHR's Nemo x Jones's Zeus

Milkhouse's Isabella x LHHR's Hank Tank (GC 4 legs)

LHHR's Wall E (3 legs) x Jones's Zeus (GC 4 legs)

Call me Crazy

2011-05-01T11:26:00.001-07:00

With any hobby, contains individuals with different views, upbringings and social groups. Unfortunately, when dealing with others, these ideas are often lost. There is always drama in any species. I have raised and exhibited many species over the years, and have obviously strayed from them for various reasons. Whether it be the people, the ethics involved in the industry, or monetary issues, there always are some barriers you encounter. After 12 years of horse showing, I retired the idea with going to college. I left my childhood mare at home to rest an easy life surrounded by children and other people who love her just as much as I do. Will I ever get into showing again? Perhaps, maybe when I'm older. I however will never forget the realm of youth and even open exhibitors I experienced over my 4-H, high school equestrian team and open showing years. But rabbits? seriously?

Pre 2010 era of raising rabbits, I had grown up through the hobby as a youth, a respected youth at that. I was highly active in 4-H, (actually started ARBA before even joining 4-H!), and participated in ARBA royalty for the last few years that I was able to. Due to my location, I hardly ever exhibited in youth shows (they are rare in our area), so I grew up competition against adults. Never in my 11 years did I encounter, or even hear of the stories that happen today in our hobby. I suppose one could say that I had a "blind eye" to it, or I am now just getting older to finally understand it all, either way ... it's not right!

If you have to ask yourself if this is "not right", there's a high probability that it's not. We were given a conscience for a reason, to recognize it and use it! What’s most easily lost is sportsmanship. People obviously show rabbits to get judges opinions, to hang out with friends, but for the small group of people who are ‘in it to win it’ never get the best out of the hobby. Buying up stock to try to win on the tables? Have we forgotten what “Breeding” is all about? Making your own winners feels a lot more rewarding in the end than animals you have purchased. In the meantime, culling effectively will make sure those inferior animals don’t make it in the hands of a youth or prospective ARBA member. To do well on the tables is a two way street. Perhaps examine what the winners are doing (right), rather than cringing at them every time they beat you at a show. It’s only common courtesy to congratulate a winner, shake their hand (or rabbit hugs these days) to let them know that you’re just as happy for them as they are that they won.

Not everyone at that show table is "in it to win it", whether it be for Club points or winnings. I'm not a part of my breed association. I don't see the point & I never have. I don't care who can gain the most points under sanctioned shows, or who can get the most quality points for a single rabbit. What does that tell you? Nothing. One person can show 1 rabbit who wins a few nice shows, or one person can show 20 rabbits at a dozen shows and get the same amount of points. It tells you nothing, it's just a title you can display.

There is a rare group that is in it for fun. We go to shows with good judges, have good locations (fun stuff to do outside of the show), have fun time with friends & chat with breeders you haven't seen in a while. Who’s the crazy goon that will travel 13 hrs one way to head to a show with 2 rabbits entered just to see her friends? Call me crazy.

That’s just the “physical” side of the rabbit hobby. With hotmail, facebook, twitter and other social networks – comes the “non-physical” rabbit drama that creates even as much drama. Don’t get me wrong, networking is great. I sell a lot of animals because of my website & Facebook & am in constant contact with other breeders in breeds that I don’t raise. I do it for a learning experience – I enjoy seeing baby Tans, beautiful winning Mini Rex and the proposed Lionheads – they’ve come a long way!

However some breeders take the ‘non-physical’ communication a little too far. It’s VERY hard to read expressions or meanings through type. They can easily take a comment way too far. To be regarded to slanderous, slime ball, toxic, backstabber, having a miserable life … I’ve even seen & heard worse. They’re pretty low terms if you ask me. Disagreeing with a judge’s placement or comments is very common. We all do it. However if you brush it off your shoulder and respect that ‘it’s their opinion’, then that’s the best that you can do. To trash talk about breeders behind their back (especially when you don’t even know them) is the lowest things I think a person can do. It makes it worse if they don’t even know the correct version of the story. It’s these people, who continue to make deadly mistakes that will cost them in the end. Even if they have nice rabbits, their ethics about the hobby won’t take them very far. Usually these breeders eventually give up hope & sell out. In the meantime they make the rabbit hobby an uncomfortable place to be in. Remember, they only talk about you because they’re jealous – and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Rewinding back to my youth days, as I mentioned before I only met GOOD breeders and people that were willing to help. I continue to withhold that idea; I cull inferior animals and sell only the best stock. I offer youth discounts and am willing to sell bred does in either breed (Mini Lops or Martens). I hold true to attending shows for fun (Note: I do not show rabbits to win – how can I make that clear?), I stay until the show is over with, even if I don’t have a BOB winner on the table. If my friend has a contender, I stay to see the show through & will be right there when she wins. Call me crazy, but it’s the RIGHT thing to do. J

Rylee's 3rd litter is here :)

2011-05-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

Rylee blessed us with 6 kits on April 25th. There are 4 Brokens & 2 Solids, they are likely all chestnuts -- but they will carry dilute & chocolate! Ry is doing a GREAT job with them & being the great mom that she always has been. Just a little over a year ago she won back to back Best in Shows, completing her showing in July - so her short motherhood so far has been devoted to breeding to ONLY the best bucks. This litter she was bred to Jones's Zeus, a GC with 4 legs I picked up from Becky (Jones) Gandy last fall. Zeus was sold earlier this year because I couldn't get him to breed a single doe, but when the breeders sold out of Mini Lops he returned a "buck" and got him bred to 3 does this spring. (Plus 2 others for other barns).

We're pretty excited -- I am not sure what my plans are for the 6 kits... I certainly can't keep all of them so they will likely them through the summer and then start selling them. If you are interested in this litter, send me an e-mail message. mymorgan928@hotmail.com

Last Free Weekend

2011-05-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend is my last "free" weekend in a while. Granted I still have to study and do my barn duties, but I am home.

5/7 - Southern Oregon Junior Classic
5/14 - LBCC/OSU Classic
5/21 - Canby - Crazy 8 RBA
5/28 - Portland? / Memorial Day weekend with the family
6/4 - Finals weekend
6/10-12 - OLCRB Convention
6/18 - Moving
6/19-22 - AQ in Montana
6/24-26 - WSRBA Convention

So I pretty much don't get home until June. No complaints, it will be a fun-filled 2 months :)

I go home next weekend. I need to bring a couple Mini Lops home (one is bred, one is done showing), and bring a Marten doe home to compare her to my other litters. I can only come back with 3, so that means one of the juniors is staying home. I'll also look at a few juniors to see the likelihood of them competing at the state shows.

Bremerton, WA 4/23/11

2011-04-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

Saying "Good-Bye" to Brianna! Long road-trip ahead.

Replacing Brianna with her beautiful daughter Tomato!

Probably the greatest rabbit show of the season so far. I decided to go on Monday, entered my rabbits on Tuesday & found out Lisa was going on Friday. Upon waiting until 7:45am, I was surprised to see that Lisa had invited Sara to come along last minute -- great idea! Show A my two does were 2nd to Lisa's does. Show B my does were 1st to Lisa's does. Brianna won BOV in B. I handed her off to Tiffany and they will head to South Carolina next week! I decided to keep Zinfandel around another month & watch her mature. Bred Tomato to Monroe :) Oh & Lisa won BOB/BOS both shows & Reserve in Show B! How awesome is that?!

I'm a Judge!

2011-04-18T20:29:00.000-07:00

I finished & passed my ARBA licensing requirements :) Endorsed by Allen Mesick, Randy Shumaker, Jeff Jewitt, Melissa Magee/Chris Zemny, Carol Green, Mike Avesing, Erik Bengston & Ted Deloyola.

I visited some really awesome shows in OR/WA/CA & ID, got to judge nearly every breed (minus the Chinchillas) and met & learned from some of the greatest exhibitors. If I could list you all, I would :)

Just waiting to get my card back from ARBA and I can start judging shows :D It will probably take a few shows for the news to sink in. Especially since school pre-occupies most of my time!

2 weeks down!

2011-04-08T21:21:00.000-07:00

2 weeks of school down & I am already so drained. But in 8 weeks I will be able to "somewhat" relax, meaning I will be out of school, but still studying for AQ and my GRE test.

Yakima, WA show is tomorrow, as is Mini Lop Nationals. Too bad I couldn't go this year, but next year for sure. I want to wish Nicole & Lisa good luck, as well as to other regions and breeders as well. :)

Next weekend is Reno. I can't personally be there this year, and not sending any rabbits to show. So highlights from last year's BIS simply lurk in my mind, but I wish all my good friends good luck! I am sending 6 pre-sold. 2 Mini Lop does to Michelle Wojick of Wisconsin, 2 Mini Lop juniors to Roxanne Shumate of CA, a Rylee daughter to Karen of Arizona and a Silver Marten buck going to a breeder/judge down in CA.

In two weeks I will pick up the 2 Mini Lop does being transported to Ohio, to their ideal end location being South Carolina to go live with Deb Dolph. I am VERY sad to let Brianna go, but I feel as if I have many good replacements out of her. Her daughter Tomato is a spitting image, if not looking better :) I will also bring up 4 show rabbits, likely 1 Mini Lop & 3 of my Silver

Martens to show in May.

The barn clean last weekend was entirely stressful and painful after 4-H judging on friday night and finishing my last show for my judges license on Saturday ... but I got it done. Above are pictured the 9 new holes from KW cages. I also purchased new feeders (since my other feeders were misc. sizes and brands). I now am using 24 holes at home, with 6 at school, to make it an even 30 working holes. Hope to plan to move some rabbits out in the mean-time to open up a few holes since I do have 4 litters upcoming:

Rylee x Zeus

Nemo x Zeus

Wall E x Zeus

Isabella x Hank

No marten breedings until July or so. I just don't have the space, nor the feed to be pouring into those juniors. They eat a lot! And keeping 6 will be a chore, so I will likely end up selling a junior doe later on.

And just to re-emphasize, I worked the last show for my judges license on the 2nd. Now just the long wait to hear back from ARBA.

Busy!!!

2011-03-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

Finals ended! Kennewick show was GREAT! Definitely one I'd go back to. Tomato took 2nd in B and 1st in A of good sized competition (the 1st place in A was the BOB winner), so I am excited to have debuted her. The Martens took BOSB in both shows.

Spring break was NOT long enough. I did order my cages from KW and bred 4 does: Rylee, Wall E, Nemo and Isabella.

17 pending sales for the month of April, so lots of details lining up money and transports for WCC and Ohio Mini Convention.

Website is completely updated, and will likely remain where it is now, because I wont have much time on my hands as I start spring term tomorrow!

Since I have some down time ...

2011-03-06T08:50:00.001-08:00

Week 9 ended on Friday. Tomorrow starts dead week and then a week of finals. I only have three, but they will all be painful. Plus, I have lots of projects and papers due on top of that in combination with everything else.

Saturday I went to a horse show instead of one of the 3 rabbit shows I could have gone to. It was a nice relaxing event but probably not good on my cold that I currently have.

Friday I picked up a little junior buck from Amy. The timing was perfect as Scott was coming down for Myrtle Point so I didn't even have to stress about finding transport or driving up there. He is out of Angel Dreams, a broken chocolate, who is out of Angel Wings, who was a LHHR Buster Blue daughter. I never kept anything from Buster, so I saw this opportunity to bring those lines back that I truly missed. This guy is a cutie, I decided to name him Ruben.

Matt, Tango and I checking on the heifers.

Our bull was sent back to the ranch this last week... That means breeding season is here :)

Our steers enjoying the "white stuff" during our city snowstorm.

Andd...... Denver. Was a great trip with three of the best people ever. We had so many great memories :)

Back to rabbits?

When I go home, I will try breeding Nemo to Zeus and Lettuce to Hank. Been meaning to get litters out of them.

Pyro, Maddy and Wintergreen get their boxes this week. I am hoping the Martens re-bred off their litters, because their first litters weren't all that impressive. I culled out a lot due to some early nest box problems, but I am left with some does to work with. I will be culling those litters and Brianna's litter of 8 when I head home for spring break...

which may not start till Monday, the 21st, possibly later. I also have to Powerwash and spring clean the barn, since I wont get to go home spring term, and it sounds like I may not be home for the summer.

so... look for some updates at the end of the month :)

I'm still alive

2011-03-01T15:36:00.000-08:00

Busy. An underestimated word of my life, currently.

The rabbits --

I am getting Zeus back on Friday. :) Also on Friday I am picking up a junior buck from WA.

Got 2 Martens and a ML due next week.

Decided to head to the Kennewick show the Saturday after spring break. So I'm currently excited for that :)

Got a lot for sale to send to Ohio Mini Convention or West Coast Classic in Reno, Nevada.

Travel here, travel there

2011-01-14T07:11:00.000-08:00

Seriously, this term is FULL of traveling. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it ... but sometimes being gone every weekend is stressful, especially after a long week of busy school. Not to mention, calving starts soon, as well as lambing -- so my weeks will be stressful with lack of sleep!

My calendar:

1/14-15 - Coeur D'Alene, Idaho - rabbit show

1/20-22 - Pendleton, La Grande, Baker City, OR - cattle conference

1/28-29 - Saint Helens, OR - rabbit show

2/1-6 - Denver, Colorado - cattle conference

2/11-13 - Home :)

2/18-20 - Scottsdale, Arizona - rabbit show

2/25-26 - AQ competition

3/5 - WA - rabbit show

3/12 - dead week; studying for finals

3/19 - WA - rabbit show

So hard to imagine that I am only on the first weekend of the term, and that I have many more to go before I can relax for spring break!

This weekend I am showing Wall E & Badger... There will be some Silver Marten competition, which I am excited for, even if Badger is still young. Wall E, I am somewhat not sure, because I feel judges see her differently than I do -- however she is in great condition. 2BT2 is going to Sara, I am getting a chocolate chestnut and a REW daughter from Melinda x Stitch breeding. I also have 2 of Jill's Dutch and 2 of her Thrianta's... so I have a full load :)

So if I don't post much...I'm just busy -- however I hope to keep up to date with my travels :)

Getting back to "normal"

2011-01-07T20:12:00.000-08:00

One week of school has kickstarted me back into gear. Thoroughly enjoying this new term, I am just so happy!

Probably does help that I dropped the Holland project, and I sold my Checkered Giant pair. I was searching through my "spam box" and read an e-mail that shouldn't have been sent there. It worked out the lady's friend was up in OR at the time and was willing to bring them back for her. So I lost a cage and a carrier in the mix, but i have my two big cages back and now I am down to just the Mini Lops and my small Silver Marten project. It feels so good to be back to normal!

I am down to just 14 rabbits:

Stitch

Hank

Brianna

Lila

Montana + 6

Lettuce

Rylee

Nemo

Wall E

2BT1

Badger

MGD

Maddy + 7

Pyro + 8

Certainly a more manageable number for these busy times!

Coeur D'Alene, Idaho show next weekend! I'm showing 2 rabbits... making the 16+ hr RT trip just to work with an out-of-state judge :)

2011 Goals

2011-01-03T14:36:00.001-08:00

I said I would post them... so here goes:

*Obtain my judges license

*Start showing & raising Silver Martens actively.

*Attend atleast 5 shows

*Reduce on numbers, getting back down to the bare minimum

*Apply for graduation

*Raise my GPA (I have a set number in mind)

*Pass Repro & Advanced Repro with atleast a B

*Payoff the loan I'm taking out

*Get a good summer job/internship

*Find a career goal by June

annnnnd that's it for now. All of them are pretty obtainable I suppose :)

Much over due

2010-12-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't posted since convention!

At any rate, I finished fall term. Longest 10 weeks of my life... ever!

Went to Red Bluff... I worked Saturday and Sunday. 3300 rabbits.... great people, great show! I don't exactly know my results, but I do know my martens took BOB all 4 shows, and Wall E won BOSV in show D. Also got some 1sts in the other shows.

Litters! After the recent catastrophes with the birthing problems, low numbers and does missing, I now have some on the ground and on the way!

Silver Martens:

Maddy & Badger - 7 on 12/26

Pyro & MGD - 8 on 12/26

*have 5 or 6 blues, rest are black

Checkered Giant:

Robin & Bruce -- due today :)

Mini Lops:

Montana x Hank Tank - due 12/29

Lettuce x Hank Tank - due 12/29 or 1/18

Brianna x Casper - due 1/18

Rylee x Casper - due 1/18

Lila x Zeus - due 1/21?

Have less than a week of vacation left. I return to school on Saturday. I won't be bringing many up to Corvallis. Don't have much to show and everything else is bred or on a litter.

CDA is coming up on 1/15. I am making the long trip to work for my license. Will have to flip a coin to decide who. Good lineup! I will probably only show 3 rabbits, I will have others showing for me so I want to make it easy :)

After CDA is a road trip for the Or cattlemens assc, then St Helens rabbit show, then going to Denver, CO for a cattle convention... after that I'm not sure whats on my calendar but I do have march shows planned. Just not sure which ones yet :)

Going to establish some 2011 goals... I didn't really set much last year and this year surprised me... in many ways. :) Will get them posted as soon as I figure it out.

Convention Purchase

2010-11-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

I've always sold for conventions, I've never purchased.

Back when I thought Maddy & Pyro were bred, I figured to purchase a buck for later use. So I decided to purchase from either Tex Thomas or the Riddles, but I discovered I had plenty of Riddles lines in my does, so I went with Tex Thomas.

It was an easy ordeal, I simply put in my reservation, paid the rest for convention and a few days after convention ended I traveled north to pick up my buck.

Keep in mind this picture is after he traveled over 2500 miles, but hes in great condition, just didn't want to be messed with that much! He traveled well, eats good & I can't wait to get him home to get my black doe bred to him!

Hopefully we will have some Marten babies on the ground when I go home for Thanksgiving, Pyro is due 11/24 to MGD.

Yelm, Convention & more

2010-11-08T18:19:00.000-08:00

Yelm show was a BLAST!

I did not work for my judges license, I transported sale & convention rabbits, I hung out with good friends, and I came home with a ML doe.

Hank Tank won BOSB in Show B, 4th leg. Rudolph's MGD won BOSB in A & B.

Jill's Black Dutch doe won BOB in A, and honorable mention in show.

Terisa & Jeff won BOB with their Checkers in A & B and RIS in show B.

Melinda & Lea Ann left with Shonna Ausborne to go to Convention. From there they are going to Tennessee.

Theodore left with Scott to get shipped out to go to Vermont.

Convention!

Started today.

Melinda won 5th of 88 BSD's. Keep in mind she is 4 years old, has had 4 or 5 litters, 2 this year, and got weaned off her last litter on 10/23. She's a doe, that's for sure. But best wishes to Amy Terry!

Velotta's Twitch got 3rd of 69? BSB's. We have some good offspring of him, so congrats Nicole!

Other than that, school is just rollin on by. Week 7 started today. I am registering for my next terms classes soon and have it all figured out, figured out that I will have NO life.

I am missing the Monroe, WA show next month, so my next show wont be until mid December unfortunately.

I have Pyro & Lila due on Thanksgiving. I hope to get a bunch of other does bred then as well!

The story of the Uglies

2010-10-20T19:43:00.000-07:00

~ 8 weeks... Looking good right?

8/16 - He was a JERK to pose. The whole inability to pose was the sole reason I almost didnt decide to keep him.

8/2 - Here he stopped posing at all, and I was only able to get a head shot.

9/12 - Hank refused to pose in show A, but show B, the judge worked with him a little bit and got a glance of him. He won BOSB under Kevin Stanford.

His head shot at 4.5 months :)

10/15

LHHR's Hank Tank looking good! This was the night before the show.

In A he won 1st of 8 under Roger Hassenpflug, and in B he won BOSB under Tracy Gouette.

He is now an RGC in just 2 shows. The shortest GC earned for me in quite some time. I am just so proud of my new little herd buck. I would have never imagined the Kitsemble's Melinda & LHHR's/Velotta's Matthew cross would turn out so good :) I can't wait to get some does bred to him!

Albany ... success

2010-10-17T18:50:00.000-07:00

Hurried to the barn Friday afternoon after my test.

1200 Entries. 8 specialty shows each with pleasing numbers. LOTS of out of state breeders, GREAT quality rabbits. Success? Very much so :) Huge kudos to TCRBA and Jeff & Terisa Silbernagel for running a SMOOTH show, no problems!

I worked with Jeff Jewett on Saturday. Thanks to Sara Marshall/MoonWillow Rabbitry for showing my Mini Lops for me :) Hank got 1/8 in A, and BOSB in B. He picked up his 2nd & 3rd legs to Grand! Lila got BOSV in A for a leg.

I dropped off Madonna. I picked up Casper, my new Holland Buck General Lee, and a new Silver Marten buck. The Marten buck is especially docile, and I am very happy to breed that into my does.

Headed home on the 22nd to breed some rabbits, pick up some convention sales & transport animals.

The Rough times

2010-10-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

I already miss home, school is life, and the bunny life is rough. Plus the disgusting weather is creeping closer, yielding for some sour moods.

School. Hate my classes, dislike my professors and there is nothing to "look forward to" for the next 9 weeks. Week 1 was rough, and this weekend was much appreciated.

The herd reduction is doing alright. I am down to 18, with some sold, and some bred. Most sadly, the Martens failed to produce, so now I am stuck with 2 open does, neither of which I can breed back, nor show. So I'm pretty depressed, ready to give up.

Mini Lop breedings, Lea Ann is due on the 9th, to Dominic. Brianna is due on the 12th to Twitch maybe. And for upcoming breedings, Rylee will be bred to Zeus and Lila to Theodore on the 23rd. Lila will go home, Theodore will head north. As far as other sales, we have one possibly pending, and one pending. If Lea Ann failed to take, I will be parting with her as well. The other juniors that will head back with me on the 24th trip are Wall E and Nemo, who are Rylee & Melinda jr does. I also have space to bring up 1 or 2 more, but I will keep them open for now.

I am transporting for reputable breeders to the Convention pickup. I am not advertising my trip because I only need to cover my gas, which isn't that much because I'm only traveling 4 hours. I may also be traveling with a friend, which will cut gas expenses in half.

My next show is Albany, OR on 10/15-16. I'm not exactly sure what I am doing with the show just yet, whether working and showing and whatnot. Either way, its in my backyard so I have to attend, and I have no other commitments for that weekend.

That is about all of the rabbit news... except that I am brining home an addition on the 30th :) I don't want to jinx anything, so I am keeping my mouth shut for now!

My last 2 weeks of freedom!

2010-09-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

La Grande was amazing! To clarify, I went for fun. I went to show rabbits, hang out with friends, transport and register. I did not work for my license, I did not bring sales animals and I did not let any drama effect me.

Thanks to Tracy & Sara for letting Nicole and I sleep on your floor. We'll make reservations next time, ha ha!

In the A Show, Nicole won BOB with Nell. In the B show, I won BOSB with Hank Tank. My Checkered Giant was the only one, but I entered him for breed exposure only. Jill's blue Dutch doe won BOB both shows. Nicole & Sarah's Silver Marten by Pyro won Reserve in Show in B. Not too shabby right?

I also picked up my Silver Martens; Pyro and Maddy. They are bred to super Arson. I can't thank Sarah & Nicole enough for doing that for me. Hopefully, if they take & kindle successfully, I should have a good start to the breed. I am picking up a junior Marten at Convention from a breeder to be discussed later ;)

I also picked up a colored ML buck, from Becky Jones. He is a GC Bkn Opal, who isn't too shabby. I can't wait to breed Rylee to him :)

I picked up 6 plastic J feeders from Tracy. I needed them for my stacker in Corvallis. Jill was kind enough to make space in her barn so I don't have to do the 6 hour RT drive to pick up rabbits to show at the northern shows.

I have 20 holes at home. Here is what should be staying there :

Rylee

Brianna – due 10/11

Lea Ann – due 10/9

Wall E

Stitch

Zeus

Maddy – due 10/1

Pyro – due 10/1

Robin (DOB 3/19)

Bruce (DOB 4/8)

For my 6 holes in Corvallis:

Hank & Lila

Dominic

Melinda & Nemo

Madonna

After culling, I should have 10 holes open to grow out juniors in. That is without sales, so if I sell what I have for sale, that should give me an additional 3-4 holes or so.

So.... that's really the lay down before I start my 3rd year of college. I'm only taking 12 credits, but they are grueling, so if I don't post often, you'll know what I'm up to :)

Ready to go!

2010-09-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened since my last post.

Most importantly, I worked my first 2 shows last weekend at Crescent City.

I didn't enter any Mini Lops, there simply was no competition. I worked under Randy and Allen, where both days were equally stressful, I learned a lot and walked away a happy kid.

Tuesday I packed my car. It included 3 double stackers knocked down. a 4 hole, 3 3 holers, and a single. Plus feed, my duffle bag me and lots of other misc. things.

I put my cages together Wednesday afternoon. It didn't take me all that long, but when the night was done, my lops were in their cages, fed, watered and happy.

Today I reorganized my car, got my stuff ready for the weekend.

Leaving for La Grande tomorrow. Dropping off some Satins and picking up some Mini Lops before I get on I-205. Once you get on I-84 the scenery is BORING and so I have my tunes selected for a solo 5 hour drive over to the east side.

I'm showing 2 Mini Lops, a Checkered Giant and 3 Dutch for Jill. Dropping off some EL, picking up some HL. I probably won't head down south until Monday mid morning, so in the meantime I will work on my cages and groom some bunnies.

I am picking up a new ML buck from Becky Jones and 2 Silver Martens from Sarah & Nicole. I also bred Lea Ann to Dominic yesterday... so will have lots of litters upcoming!

Home is where the heart is

2010-08-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

I've been home for a week now, hard to believe.

Friday I took my final, I did so well & was just entirely happy to be done.

I sold my car that afternoon.

Saturday morning I went down & got a new car. I drive the one home I wanted from the start :)

Sunday & Monday were primarily to relax even though both of those were filled with work.

Tuesday I went down to county fair. I went all day Wednesday to help out. I even got to pick Best in Show. I skipped Thursday, I had to get other things done. I went all day friday and half of Saturday. Through this week I discovered that I am getting old, that just two years away from fair is too much and I needed conditioning! I surely missed it though but had such good times :)

Saturday I did some judging stuff. Today I used what I learned and went through my litters again. I started with 10, ended up with 3. 2 broken does from Briana and 1 solid doe from Madonna.

Rylee is doing good with her litter. Finally out of the box and active.

Melinda! I put her box in on the 18th, rather late as she was due the 19th. She never attempted to nest, pull fur, no blood or placenta. She is on a 3rd level cage, so I never checked up on her because I simply thought she missed. I'm willing to admit that, everyone makes mistakes.
I went to remove her box today AND.... she has 2 babies. A solid and a broken. Since I never bumped her feed up, they are rather small/weak, but I'm hoping now that I know that they are there, they will get a good feeding tonight and start improving. I'd hate to lose them.

It's odd for Melinda, her only having 2. And not making any attempt at a nest. It has been cooler weather and she is a 5 time great mom, so I'm not sure what's up!

Just doing some show planning and trying to reduce numbers still. I lost my convention transport so I have some animals in need of quicker sale.

That's all I have for now. I will be busy with cleaning the barn(s) and regular life these next few weeks, but I thought I would update!

1.5 weeks left!

2010-08-04T20:41:00.000-07:00

Almost done with summer session. Took midterm 2 today, so that leaves me with my final next Friday. I probably won't rush home, but I'm certainly anxious to get back :)

I went home this last weekend. I culled out 13, 4 older juniors and 9 babies. Madonna has 6 of hers, and 4 of Brianna's. Giving Bri a break in hopes of showing her in the near future.

Hank Tank & Grizz are going through some junior uglies. I put them in bottom cages and told myself I wouldn't look at them for 2 weeks (which I can't!)

Rylee is due today. I am quite positive she is waiting for cooler weather, though I am very anxious and nervous for her!

2 seniors leave on Sunday, that will give me a few more holes to work with.

and.... still working on this judging work stuff... I wish superintendents would get back to me, so that is my biggest struggle right now.

I bought 2 silver marten does. I'll pick them up next month.

The website went under a complete overhaul, so did the blog. So you should check it out :)

4 more weeks to freedom!

2010-07-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

I passed the first section of Organic Chemistry. It was a brutal 4 weeks.

I celebrated by going HOME and seeing my bunnies! I was able to sell 3, and get a peek at my 19 babies. I have 3 to cull, and will cull all of the bucks of my 19 babies -- because I am SO buck heavy. I don't even want to be tempted with them.

I have a really nice Broken Junior buck for sale out of Melinda :)

I bred Melinda to Dominic. I really wanted her to be bred to Dream Maker before he leaves, but he just would not breed! Oh well.

I am in the process of deciding on who I want to work with, and figuring out what shows they will be at and what shows I can attend. So far, it looks like I could finish around Feb 2011. It would also only involve going to California 3 times.... lol

I have 4 more weeks of school. I'm already stressed out just 2 days into it, but I hope that it goes well :D

and....

2010-07-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

I passed my ARBA judges test :)

The Homestretch Rant / Rave

2010-07-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

Just one week of O-Chem 1 left. 3 days of lecture, review & final on Friday morning. I'm doing reasonably well... I'm certainly not going to get an A, but I have met my minimum goal, and with this series, that's all I can hope for!

Tomorrow I am headed to a friends to relax and register some rabbits.

Sunday morning I am headed to a nice breeder's barn to register some more rabbits.

All 19 of my babies are still alive and doing well in the heat. It really makes me happy when I have big thriving litters, but at the same time its stressful worrying about them and always having to worry about cage space and feed bills. There will be lots of culling going on, sad, but it has to happen for the improvement of the herd. Some people do not understand this logic. There is a difference between successful culling & regular culling, and culling successfully takes you a lot farther in the rabbit hobby these days.

My last rave is, if you haven't looked at the May/June issue of Domestic Rabbits yet, DO SO. It's more than excellent & improved.

The above are my raves.

Now for my rants.

For those of you who are wondering, no, I do not know the results of my judges test yet. I do know, from a breeder who called the office, that they did not pass, and that only one of the five applicants passed. That increases my chances to 25%, but I honestly don't think I passed, especially after hearing about the politics of the oral examination. For any of you considering to be registrars or future judges, I warn you... don't do it unless you are 100% dedicated and serious about it.

I have heard a LOT of youth say that they want to get their registrar's license, and I have heard a lot of the reasons being for the title and or to register their own rabbits. That is NOT a reason to become a registrar or judge and you will fail if you have that outlook on it.

It is something you something you earn and achieve because you deserve it.

I have also heard a lot of people say "Oh just re-take it" next time will be a piece of cake.

This is probably my biggest pet-peeve. One, it's expensive to retake it. Sure the re-take fee is only $50. But since our states are so large, arranging an exam and TRAVELING to the exam is expensive. It has been the theme that these are done at state conventions. The next one isn't until next year, and you must wait at least 6 months to retake it. I could see the earlies re-take being at Frozen Friends if they allow it. I spent a lot of money just to take mine at Ellensburg, and I transported to offset the costs of it. Two, it won't be a piece of cake the next time you take it. You get a different exam each time. They are equally as hard. Just because you pass one the first time, doesn't mean you will pass it the next. Who knows, the next time you could fail the oral! and Third, as I found out the hard way, they throw curve-balls at you, and even when you think you can/or have passed, you don't. I don't understand the whole thing still, when I figure it out, I'll let you know.

I do know that, the exams were mailed today. Which means I could hear as early as Wednesday, or as late as next Friday. I am saddened by the delay, and the time it has taken ARBA to get materials mailed back, but I am not going to be a sour member and complain. I can't understand the economy or the lack of hands/people and I respect the organization I belong to. I have heard a lot of members trash the office back in Bloomington because it takes them 4-6 weeks to get a registration back, or 8 weeks to get a membership card. Sorry folks... shit happens. Get used to it.

MY LAST COMMENT:

Voting ballots come out July 15th. Mail them in ASAP. Don't wait until the deadline.

I don't want to stray your decisions, I want you to make an educated vote, read the articles in the DM or see the wonderful website off the ARBA link.

I am voting for Mike Avesing for ARBA President

I am undecided yet on Vice President. I know Joey personally, yet I think Erik is very qualified/has lots of energy & new ideas to fullfill the position.

For District one, undoubtedly I hope that you vote for Roger Hassenpflug. I sure hope I don't have to explain that one.

That's all I have :) Thanks for reading.

300th post!

2010-07-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

I just want to brag that it's my 300th post in oh.... in 4 years. Sad? Much so.

I have completely updated the website. I didn't have time to do it, but I did it anyways.

I have the new Checkered Giant page up and a page up for Convention Sales.

Madonna had 9 babies to Dominic. And Brianna (the smallest doe in my barn) had 10 babies. Pretty even distribution of solids & brokens.

I also bred Rylee to Stitch on the 3rd. I am very excited for this, and hope Stitch is not sterile :D

I spent Saturday making a run for the Checkered Giants and making their cages higher. I also went on a feed run, so my one day home was well worth spent.

Waiting to hear back from ARBA. Once I do, I'll know if I'm staying home these next weekends or get to head to Monroe.

That's all. Back to studying!

Washington State Convention

2010-06-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

WOW. What a weekend.

Thursday night I left for my barn, and to pick up some transport rabbits and culls. I fit about 25 rabbits in my car comfortably, which was pretty impressive! I put them in Jill's barn for the evening and left Friday around 1. I got stuck in traffic in Salem, Wilsonville and when I got on I-205 there was an accident. I was about an hour and a half behind I figured. Somehow, I still made it there around 6:40, unloaded my rabbits and attended the judges conference. That night I set up my tent, studied for an hour and tried sleeping. Tried, being the key word.

Saturday, I made the whole effort of waking up at 5 am, had breakfast at 6. Fed/watered rabbits. Figured out and exchanged all my transports. Bought my checkers, a new carrier, Susie's ND buck, and did all that before 9 am. Took my test. That took a whole 2 hours. I was then able to show my Mini Lops.

Rylee was 5th of 21 in A, 1st & BOSV in B

Lea Ann was 3rd of 22 & 6th of 18.

There were about 150 Mini Lops entered (2000 for the whole show)

I wasn't even out of my test a whopping 25 minutes before I experienced the lowest filth of rabbit exhibitor conduct in my whole 11 years. These people know who they are, what they have done, the enemies they have created and the fools they have made of themselves.

At any rate, Velotta's Nell won BOB in show A. The Posey's chestnut buck won BOSB in show B.

My Checkered's... My new buck was 3rd in his class, and my doe, was 2nd in her class. She ended up beating the doe that the Silbernagel's are keeping. I am very happy with my purchase and my new direction. I can't thank Jeff & Terisa enough for this beautiful pair!

I culled out 2 Mini's, and I managed to come home with no new rabbits except for the new breed.

My trip home was entirely painful. I was hoping to get out of there around 10, but I was leaving WA around noon. That is after I had to pump my own gas. :)

Got stuck behind an accident/fire on I-84. I had to keep the AC on but when I had to shut off we were in the shade of semi trucks. I made it HOME before 9 pm, and then got into Corvallis about 12:40 this morning. I woke up at 7, so I didn't get a whole lot of sleep :(

Took my o-chem test at 10. If all goes well, I might go home Friday. I need to work on my checker run and cages, look at my new babies that are due soon, breed Rylee and perhaps another doe.

The website is currently being updated. Then it's back to studying!

Ouch!

2010-06-17T21:42:00.000-07:00

WA State is next weekend. Test is in 8 days. Am I prepared? Slightly. I won't ever feel 100% prepared.

I have only entered 3 for WA State. Rylee, who is still holding that darned coat! Lea Ann, who looks very nice, and Compulsive Addiction, who is loosing his junior coat, but his new coat is coming in nicely. I don't think that should affect much... I am so happy with my replacements for Kristie, I don't feel bad for parting with her now :)

I am home from school, been here since Sunday night. I haven't really accomplished much except relaxation.

Today though, I got my rear in gear and cleaned half the barn. I cleaned all my carriers and equipment. I got out my tent, chairs and sleeping bag for WA State. Got the 5 big holes burned, scrubbed and pressure-washed. I have the two 6 holes and the one 9 hole'r left for tomorrow, but it was so nice getting those cages back and ready to use.

After all the cages get burned, scrubbed and pressure-washed tomorrow and put back in, I'll then blow out the auto-water line and get it hooked back up. It's due for a cleaning.

I spent a good portion of the morning building a run in the rabbitry for the Checkered Giant I am getting from the Silbernagels. I've always wanted one, but never had the gusto to actually go ahead with it. Owning a wooled breed inspired me to try something new out.... I think it will be an especially good experience to get a taste with the running breeds (which to be quite honest... I don't have a lot of hands on time with them).

I am getting some Dutch and Thrianta experience this weekend. I was also supposed to get really good Holland experience but I have postponed that until after WA State convention.

It's all a funny story, because I didn't forsee myself going for this goal until after college. But, college has been SO rough lately I need something to look forward to!

On the topic of looking forward, my juniors from Melinda amaze me! It was definitely a good cross, because I just can't get over this litter! Since Melinda is older, I won't feel bad if this is the last litter from her, though if she stays in good condition, I'd like to try one more time! I don't know if that would be greedy though.

Of the 7, I had a hard time cutting the litter in half. I was able to throw out a chestnut doe & buck, they were not "as nice" as their siblings. 1 Broken doe I am holding that I promised to a local breeder friend.2 Broken does, I like one over the other, but the second best doe is still really nice too.The Broken buck, is very nice! I want someone to buy him and respect him.

The Chestnut buck, OMG! I told myself I "had to atleast take a look at him, and not judge him by the fact it's a buck". Jaw dropped, he's gourgeous and I am keeping him!

I weaned Obnoxious's litter somewhat early. OBN is leaving on Friday to Karin Vail and I wanted to make sure her litter of 8 was well on it's own. So the 5 I'm not keeping are in with the 2 I'm not keeping from Melinda's litter and the 3 I am keeping have a cage to themselves.

Madonna & Brianna are fat, I can't wait to give them their boxes when I come home!

I'll be getting pictures before I leave, that is after the barn is spotless :) I'm sore, but tomorrow will be even worse!

I don't have anything else to add, other than trying to figure out how to fit all these rabbits in my car, moving my new roomate in on Sunday, and starting school on Monday... one week break was just NOT enough!

Just thinking

2010-06-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

Topic: early culling / not growing out every rabbit in a litter

Rylee was the ugliest baby at 10-12 weeks. Deciding between her and her sister was hard because they each had their ugly parts, and deciding which was worse was hard!

She was ugly until about 6 months. Then she blossomed. How? I don't know.

Her parent's weren't that spectacular. I just bred the doe to the buck because he was being sold. Her parents were half siblings (both had the same sire).

She is now a (colored) 2 x Best in Show Winner (both at big shows/ with incredible breeders exhibiting (Betty Chu, Shumaker/Mesick, Webb, Peralta, Cathy S, etc)

If she doesn't win (BOB), it's mostly because she's under a judge who doesn't know where the points lay in ML's. Oh "this doe is "soft" in condition". Condition is 5 points out of 100. The icing on the cake. But when the animal who wins clearly is not as good in General Type (80 points) it makes you bang your head against a wall.

Rylee's show days are over with. She's now gotten a little soft in condition (no longer "tight"), but I know her type, her body are so irreplaceable. I will be breeding her after WA State Convention and will await her to give me her first litter. I had "bred" her in January to Stitch. I tried breeding her to Dream Maker when I got him. She hated him and smashed her butt on the cage floor. That was the good lord's sign that I needed to SHOW her so that she could bring me sheer happiness. It's Rylee, and her success this year that has drug me out of the hole of nearly selling out last November!

Now, almost didn't keep anything in Rylee's litter. Infact I culled everything but her sister because I had her sold. She now lives in WA somewheres. So does her mom, Mia. Her dad lives in CA with Bob Tapp. If I ever want Mason back I can get him from Bob (or any of his offspring, I currently have a Mason daughter).

How many of these early culls, would have gone on to be big winners like this? I almost culled Rylee, but I didn't because I felt the urge to keep "something" in the litter so it wasn't a "waste".

I went through one of my old CD's and pulled off pics of their Grandsire Keepsake, mom Mia, dad Mason and baby pictures of Rylee. The rabbit in the top of the post. Yeah, that's Rylee!!!

What was I thinking, right? :)

Pretty much done!

2010-06-10T16:56:00.000-07:00

I have a final tomorrow, but I can fail it or get an A on it, and still get a B in the class. So I'm just going to relax a little since there's nothing really I can do about it.

I passed Stats (a relief!), got A's all so far. I'm pretty alright with how things turned out.

Oregon State Convention!

Was alright I suppose. Judges weren't great in A & B. In C Rylee won 1st & BOV. I'm not exactly sure why the Broken doe beat her, but I'm over the complaining stage, she's won far too much for myself to care. Compulsive Addiction won 3rd in his class! Lea Ann won her class of 9 or 10. The judge loved her and saw her promise!

I got rid of Sid, and came home with a little chestnut jr doe. (and my mom bought a Chinchilla, not the color but the rodent) I was able to get out of there early enough to make it back home before dark.

My next show is Washington State Convention. I entered 3. The same from this weekend. I am also camping. I can't afford a hotel, so $24 beats $200 :)

After tomorrow morning, I'm cracking down hard to study for my judges exam. I've never been so worked up about a test before, academic or not!

I can almost taste it!

2010-06-02T23:12:00.000-07:00

Just one lab tomorrow and 4 classes on Friday left!

After my last class on Friday, I'm flying south for the Oregon State Convention. This is the first year it hasn't been in Newport and it will feel weird not going to the coast. I entered Rylee in all 3 shows, and I entered Compulsive Addiction and Lea Ann in Sunday only. I can't afford much, and they are still young.

Oaks Park was decent! Vern Palmblad judged the A show so Tricia & Coley won with their buck Alf. Rylee won Best of Breed in show B under Cliff Dick. She got mentioned for BIS, but she's just too soft after being shown so much! The Satin that won was stunning though!

I picked up my bunnies from Emily. I missed Dominic more than I realized. Carly is a cute doe, older, proven, but I think she will re-coop well to where I can breed her soon. Thanks to Tricia for picking them up and bringing them down for me :)

I can't party too much this weekend, I have 2 finals on Monday. Monday night I need to take another final (flexible due date) but I want to work all day Tuesday so that would be my time to get it done and over with! I then don't have another final until Friday at 7:30 am. Talk about a weird finals week. I am sticking around for Graduation.... I then plan on going home for a little bit. Summer session starts back up June 21st. Too soon; 1 week is NOT enough!

Above is a beautiful sunset that caught my eye while studying. :D

Website is updated. All new pictures/info.

Planning!

2010-05-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

Obnoxious has 8 babies, not 7. 4 solids, 4 brokens. They sound like steels :D

Rylee is housed at Jill Pfaff's barn until State Convention. I visited her yesterday and she looks like she is settling in well.

I turned in my application for Steer A Year. I am running for the Foreman position.

Tomorrow are elections for Agricultural Executive. I am running for Director of Correspondence, Public Relations Officer or the New Fields Editor... but I hope to get New Fields. I know it would be a LOT of work, but I think it's a great opportunity and would be something completely new.

I also received an invitation to the Celebrating Student Excellence dinner; I applied for a scholarship through the College of Ag and this is what this is for.... so I'm pretty excited about that. If I get elected for Ag Exec I'll have to go anyways. That would be the Thursday before I leave for Oaks Park.

Speaking of Oaks Park, I have entered Rylee in the double open. I'm just going to go for a few hours, hopefully pick up some bunnies? We'll see about that.

I will spend the rest of the Saturday in Canby at the Spring Classic as a part of the Clackmas County Stockman's Association. Some of my 4-Her's decided they wanted to participate this year, which means I have go go.

I am still figuring out Oregon State Convention entries. All I know is I'm entering Rylee and would like to enter Lea Ann & Compulsive Addiction, potentially Puerto Viejo if he comes out of his uglies. I'll have to wait and see how big they are in a week or so though. I need to save money.

Saving money.... Hardly possible when I am sending out my judges application here soon. I have it completed, sitting on my desk with the envelope addressed and stamped, but I have to fork out $100 to take the test. There is a $50 re-test fee. You talk about ridiculous. I am a broke college student... so it's been a hard decision to write the check. I need to do it soon though.

The website is 100% updated. Please check it out and let me know if you like the new look.

I have nothing else to report. Gotta get back to procrastinating!

Canby!

2010-05-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

Yreka was last weekend. It was a blow other than Rylee's 1st place win in C. The judges weren't all that great, but I managed to sell a pair, register and have fun. I also watched a jackpot show!

Obnoxious kindled to 7 babies, on the 12th to Henry. Roxy never kindled ;(

Canby was today! Rylee was brought up by our friend Jennifer, and she ended up winning Best of Breed in A!!! There was a good amount of Mini's (70-80 or so) so it was all decent. She went up for BIS and she was a top contender but Judy Atchison's Mini Rex & Larry & Sharon Webb's Satin were just too hot to beat!

I got rid of another pair and managed to get home pretty early. Need to relax; have to get up early tomorrow. Another jackpot show!

Monday starts week 8... not ready for it at all. :(

to California this weekend!

2010-05-04T19:19:00.000-07:00

Melinda had babies on the 25th, 6 or 7, I still havent heard back from my parents. Sired by Matthew.

Obnoxious is due on the 11th to Henry.

ROXY is due to SIDNEY on the 11th and from the sounds of it it looks like she took! I am uberly excited for this. I just wish I could be there :(

Rylee's success has kept me going with the rabbits. I honestly thought about selling out a couple times last fall, and I am sure glad I didn't! I've sent in my Yreka entry... I am showing Rylee in the Specialty and in the double open. I am also going to show Matthew in the double open as well.

A good friend Mary, will be taking Rylee down Friday evening for the specialty, I will arrive there a little late unfortunately. I have to go to an awards ceremony because I am receiving a scholarship from the Animal Sciences department! :)

OSU fall registration happens in a couple of weeks. I have to wait till the 24th for open registration for my summer courses. I still need to find a summer job, but I have put in some applications, and will put in some inquiries through the department to see if there is anything I'm not thinking of.... This fall I am taking Nutrition, Genetics, Organic Chemistry, Spanish & a Statistics lab. I am soooo not looking forward to that but life goes on. I am taking the Spanish to be very competitive for a internship that I want, and Spanish exposure is a crucial pre-req.

I got roped into doing Agricultural Executive next year, an officer position (which I don't know what I will get elected for), but either way, with this, my Steer A Year officer position, 4-H leader and my classes & everything else I have going on (club lambs, collegiate 4-H, judging, purebred cattle etc) I will an even busier kid with a lot more stress :(

I am VERY excited for Yreka this weekend. It will be a good relaxer... this term has been a killer! I have a midterm on Monday, but I've lost all hope for the class... so i'm hoping to get in some study time on Thursday and make do :(

:D

2010-04-26T22:38:00.000-07:00

Best in Show @ West Coast Classic! Picture from Betty Chu (Her blog is: http://ncag.blogspot.com/) Judges Roger Hassenpflug & April Wright. Matt Gholden (our good friend) stood in with Rylee.

Best in Show! (again!)

2010-04-25T20:02:00.000-07:00

LHHR's Rylee wins Best in Show in C at the West Coast Classic in Monterey, CA! Judges were April Wright & Roger Hassenpflug!

She went up for the "Best of the Best" table, but Alison Votaw's buck DeSurra's Gabriel (Youth BIS) won it :)

Thank you to Susie Cederlof & Jill Pfaff for showing & transporting her! You guys are the best! I will have pics as soon as Jill gets back home to Oregon!

Rylee also won BOSB in Show A & B. She is now a Grand Champion and has a couple more shows ahead of her!

I'm still on cloud nine! This is Rylee's third BIG win in TWO weeks! I am *very* thankful she didn't take to Stitch or Dream Maker (as I tried breeding her in January and March.....) I think that was the good lord's sign she needed to be shown!

Rylee's next show is a Triple Open in Yreka, CA on May 8th. Not very prestigious, but good competition for all breeds and a great showing of ML's every year. Two weeks! I can't wait! [And yes, I am making the LONG drive down on a Friday afternoon to get to northern CA on time for the breed specialty!]

I can taste the weekend!

2010-04-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

Week 4 is almost to an end, just 3 more classes tomorrow!

It's been a long week. Lots of sheep stuff.... Birthed twins today and cleaned up the barn a little, amongst applying to the community college so I can take some summer classes, getting my scholarship application finished, homework, work, labs, job searching, midterms and taking care of some bunnies!

Rylee left for Monterey this afternoon. I am not really so excited anymore because I checked with Rita and there is an embarrassing number of ML's entered... I guess that really shows you everyone has pretty much sold out :( At any rate, I'm still very glad she gets to go.

Melinda got her box yesterday; she is due on the 24th. She was bred to Matthew... I bred him to her because it was complementary & at the time he was going to be leaving this weekend, but the buyer had some issues so he's still for sale! [A very nice buck I might add :)]

At some point next week I'll enter for the Yreka show. They accept pretty late entries so I'm not too worried (already know who I'm showing) and it will be a great showing at that, always lots of Mini's here. :) Plus there is a specialty! Woot!

Just powering through spring term... Can't believe we're almost half-way done :D

A small break

2010-04-17T17:55:00.000-07:00

3 weeks of classes done.

Very exhausted from work & extracurricular activities.

Midterms are coming. I have one Monday night and one Wednesday morning. I'm really not prepared for either one of them, so this post will be short.

Headed out the sheep farm for our 8-midnight shift. Get a 4 hour break and then do another from 4-8am. I also feed steers at 7am. It will be one long night/morning.

The good thing is I get to sleep in an extra hour on Monday!

Sent in my WCC entry. Can't believe its next weekend already!

Back to studying... well... to start studying I guess :)

Best in Show!

2010-04-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

LHHR's Rylee (LHHR's Mason x LHHR's Mia) wins double Best of Breed, 1st Runner up in Show A under Randy Shumaker and Best in Show B under Jeff Jewitt at the Pear Blossom RBA on April 10th!

Her next show will be the West Coast Classic in Monterey on April 24th & 25th :) I don't mind how she does there, I just want to get back in the mood of showing. I miss it!

Wow....

2010-04-07T18:06:00.001-07:00

This week, I spent 11.5 hours working & 18 hours in class. I also spent a number of hours out at the sheep farm on Tuesday & Thursday.

When Friday rolled around, and I got done with post-op cleaning after work, I was *exhausted*. No words described my week.

I had an interview on Tuesday morning. It went very well; I'm highly qualified, but they are only hiring 3 people of 15 who applied. Last time I applied they hired 2 out of 20 (and I didn't get it due to my fall-term schedule).... but I am hoping for better this time... I really want/need this job and don't want to have to search for Plan B/something I don't want to do.... I don't find out till the 16th so in the meantime I am trying to come up with some back-up ideas. Being in a statistics course this term, I really don't like my odds!

*If* I get the job, I will without doubt, be taking credits at our local community college. I just want to finish up with my Bacc Core courses & there are a few I have left I just haven't found the time to cram into my schedule yet.

The Rabbits!

Show this weekend! I'm going home Friday afternoon. I was going to head home after my last class, but I just got notified of an employee meeting at 3... so that kinda blew my Friday plans before the show... Even if you plan something out in detail, there is always something that comes in your way!

Saturday, Kristie is leaving with Kim to head down to Utah where she will have her new home with Tanner. She will do a lot of good there.

I am taking Sid to sell (if Roxy takes) and Matthew. I had an inquiry on Matthew, but the breeder has since fell off the face of the planet. Due to this, I will be revising my sales policy & sales page a bit... I was doing so well but I hate it when people spoil things. I doubt I will sell him there though, as I am firm on his price. Henry is on hold, so that leaves me with a junior doe from Maid Dignified to sell. I thought my parents were going to give her to the breeder who took in the litter and took care of them for 5 weeks, so I don't know if they did that.

I will be breeding Obnoxious to Henry on Friday. And Roxy x Sid, so those are the only litter possibilities in addition to Melinda that I am expecting.

I am hoping to jet out of the showroom quickly. I want to do my Friday plans on Saturday... Knowing my luck, that won't happen.... I really wanted to land a truck deal this weekend, since it will be the only weekend I'm home in a while... but maybe this is a sign I should wait a little while longer. I really haven't found what I'm looking for yet anyways, so I should just settle... go back to my homework.... :(

And school begins again....

2010-03-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

I am not ready for tomorrow to come; I am not ready for spring term to start! April is going to be one long month. On Monday, Wednesday & Friday I have class from 8am to 1pm. I then go to work from 1pm to around 5 pm (or later, depending on the day). On Tuesdays & Thursdays, I am TA'ing a few labs, so I'm busy from about 10am, have a break at 3, have a course lab at 4pm, and then my Steer-A-Year starts from 5:30-8pm or later. Thursdays its the same only I'm done at 5. All of my weekends are full from this weekend on.

Today is my last day of "freedom" because even if I'm not in class, working, doing an academic related extra-curricular activity, I'm busy in interviews, 4-H meetings or traveling. If there has been one thing I've learned @ college it's been time management.

So as I gather my stuff and prepare for tomorrow & the weeks to come, if you don't hear from me in a while, it's because I'm busy --- not because I fell off a cliff. Perhaps I will get too stressed & have to vent :)

The website is updated. Take a look!

Sid!

2010-03-27T11:52:00.001-07:00

The only shot of Sid even half-ways sitting still. He is so curious & loves to move!

He's such a pretty boy! We tried breeding Roxy to him but she was not interested, so hopefully when I go home next time she is! I really want little Holland babies!

Bunny Updates!

2010-03-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

Did a photo-shoot while I was home. Everyone was in need of a new photo! Website is updated.... but I wanted to show them off with my thoughts!

Stitch - looking pretty good for his old age!

Melinda - was bred to Matthew for an April litter!

a cute little buck!

Rylee - just one shot of her.... so beautiful! Will be shown @ the PBRBA show on 4/10. Then will likely be bred.

Brianna - will be shown @ PBRBA on 4/10

2 Chestnut Does from Kristie & Money Maker

Buck (left) & Doe (right)

Funny story about this buck.... I had to cull half the litter. I decided I wanted to keep a doe since I was buck heavy... so I threw out the boys... but then I said "What if?" and I pulled this little guy out & the very first time I looked @ him I said "a baby Twitch" and he went back in his mommy's cage! Kristie is Twitch's mom, and Money Maker is Twitch's son, and I think it was an *excellent* cross :) He doesn't look as good in this picture as the first time I posed him up, but you get the idea :)

Kristie - looking beautiful on her litter

Theodore :)

Dream Maker - my new buck from Amy! He carries chocolate and we have intentions of breeding Rylee to him!

Matthew - will be leaving for WCC @ the end of the month. So we bred him to Melinda :)

Henry - will be for sale after we breed his mom to him (which we think will be a nice cross).

Madonna - my new doe from Amy! She was bred by Lisa & is out of Bam-Bam and Dagwood. Can't wait to use her!

Obnoxious - looks funny in this picture but she wasn't too cooperative. Will be breeding her to Henry probably sometime in April

Spring Break!

2010-03-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

Seattle, WA

Space Needle

LOVE the zoom on my camera.... that's my car (the silver one) from the top the Space Needle!

Started Friday morning :)

I went to WA to see my sister. We ended up going to Seattle for the day :)

Stopped on the way back & got a pair of Mini's from Amy :D

Sunday morning I left for home. Monday the lady who is buying my horse came over & I decided it was legit... no tears came. She won't be leaving right away, so that is good!

The rest of the week yielded work.... But I did get time with the bunnies!

My spring break was NOT long enough.... but I got my bunny fix & decided who I am going to show at Pear Blossom. Also culled the litters in half so I am still at a reasonable amount of bunnies :)

Registered a ton of rabbits yesterday... have to re-order & hope they get to me in time for the show.

Almost done!

2010-03-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

4 finals down, with 1 to go on Thursday evening! So far this week has gone well, but now begins studying for my "real" final that's left.

On Friday, I will be driving up to Beaverton to drop off my roommate. I will then head through Portland to drive up to central Washington to see my sister and nieces! I think it will be a good relaxation/fun couple of days. On my way home, I am stopping to pick up a pair of Mini Lops (will have more information soon :) ) to add to the herd. So I'm pretty excited about that.

Sunday morning I will leave Corvallis bright and early to head for home. I am so excited to see my rabbits! I will also be meeting the lady that is potentially buying my horse.... it will be a sad day, but hopefully & truly it is the right home.

During spring break, I will be truck shopping with my dad. I need a new vehicle, and I need a truck in general, so we're going to go 'shop' but not buy yet. I think I might have some good news by April 11th or so in that department though! Just got to wait until after tuition is paid before I know how much I can spend.

April 6th I have an interview for a summer job up here in Corvallis. Wish me luck as I hope I really get it! Also by then, we hope to hear back from the sheep unit pertaining this fall for living & work status. I can combine this deal with where I'm currently working.

I found out I can take some easy required classes at the community college, and their summer prices do not increase and its cheaper than the university so I hope to take about 7-10 credits while working full time. I also already know which classes I am taking this fall.

Having things planned out, even just the 'big' details makes life SO much SIMPLER (for the already stressed college student). I hate going around not knowing what my plans are, but now that things are falling into place I feel so "secure" and feel that not even a second of my time here is wasted.

That's all. Just a procrastination post... but back to studying!

11 days until Home!

2010-03-08T13:20:00.000-08:00

My oh my am I exhausted! School has just ripped me apart these last few weeks, combined with work and all of my other activities when next Thursday evening rolls around there will be reason to celebrate! I am most definitely excited for a break, and not ready to start another 10 weeks, even though it will be a very good 10 weeks (I hope!). I am starting my new job (working at the university meat center) as a TA for 3 classes and working regularly the other 3 days of the week. I am done lambing, so no more waking up early!

Relating to rabbits.... first off, no I am not going to Myrtle Point next weekend; though many of my friends are, so I wish them good luck. I have 3 finals on Monday, so there is just no way I can afford to go.

I am fearing that I might have to re-home Sid, at least with one of my 4-H'ers. Potty training him has not been successful, with rising temps keeping him indoors is just no bueno! Plus I had to scrub off the walls as I don't think he sprays, but since he won't urinate in his box, he gets it on his feet and then flicks it off... Embarrassing I must say, but I don't know what else to do; I can't keep him outside. I am hoping I can convince the roommates to let Roxy have her litter here.... I will have to buy a bigger kennel, and figure out how this can work out!

Kristie has 8 of 9 babies. My parents sent me some pics, they look mostly like solid & broken chestnuts, though there might be some chins? That is the quality of phone pictures, but it does for now! I am so happy she is being a great mom, and I can't wait to see these little guys in person!

My dad picked up my remaining 4 of Maid Dignified & Dominic's babies. There are 2 blacks, a Chestnut and a Broken Black! I haven't had a Bkn Black in forever, so maybe this will just be the one! I don't know sexes, and I do have some pictures!! I am just so happy to see them home and in good hands now. They get oats and lots of hay, so hopefully even with the rough start they will start growing like weeds now.

Thats all I have... I am so excited for dead week and finals week to be over with. Wish me good luck on finals! I won't post till I get back home in Corvallis, as I will be far too busy at "home home" relaxing. :D

We have named him Sid!

2010-03-01T20:24:00.001-08:00

"Lucky Lop's Abraham", now named "Sid" is here! We just picked him up... thanks to Tricia & Vanessa & mom for picking him up from the CA St. Convention show, and to Susie for letting me have him! :) He will be a great addition to our place.

Right now he is growing some wool back on him and going to let him settle in before I breed Roxy to him. Roxy will be headed home in a couple of weeks and will remain there probably until the later half of spring term... we'll see how things go. With my current living situation, we just can't have two bunnies, so Sid will stay here.

I did hear back from my parents that two of Maid Dignified's babies passed away. The foster mom wasn't producing enough milk for my piggish babies, but now the remaining are on KLH milk replacer and hopefully when they get on pellets they will just be going home and getting lots of oats and grass hay. It's been a long journey for them into this world.

Kristie's are still doing well. I can't wait to go home and see them!!

Week 9 has started... I am SO ready for this term to be over with! On the happy side of things, I am only taking 15 credits next term, so I will be a lot stressed out... and will have a lot more time on my hands. :)

The work does not end!

2010-02-25T17:49:00.000-08:00

This morning, I woke up at 3am, to be to work by 3:50. At 3:57 an ewe had been in labor and and dropped her twin lambs (pictured above!!) Both are cute little wethers, and are oh so cute! This was my first actual solo lambing; I have missed quite a few give birth or had others alongside me.

The bigger boy, was up and nursing within minutes, but the second lamb was a slow starter. Mom was slow to clean her, but finally she got licked dry and stumbled around for a bit, but I held him up to nurse, got some IG's in him and he was good to go! Just an hour before I arrived, an ewe delivered triplets as well! One of our show lambs had a single and all 12 jugs were full of lambs, singles, twins & triplets! We have a handful (aka "several") ewes still to lamb.

At 7:45 I hurried to class. I park at the beef barn (a mile from my class) but was able to make it to class on-time. A 2 hour lab, an hour to study, and a midterm at 11. But, I am done with studying and exams for a week! (kind of!)

Tomorrow we begin the AQ contest. It starts at 5:30pm tomorrow and we are doing the written exam and group presentation part.
On Saturday is fully the Lab Practical and the Quiz-bowl, which should last from like 8am-6pm. We get fed dinner tomorrow and lunch on Saturday so not half bad right? Plus if we win here, we go to regionals in Utah!

Small Updates

2010-02-21T18:23:00.000-08:00

Kristie has 5 Broken & 4 solid :) (Yes it takes me that long to get info from my parents!!)

Here are some shots of the sheep I shot at 3 am!!! I am running out of energy doing this, and I can't imagine doing it full time next year... but I am getting used to it. Tomorrow I have an exam at 7:30pm, and as soon as I get home, it's bedtime... up at 3 am again!!! The first is a little wether that was born on the 19th and the second are two club lamb wethers out of our Club Lamb Show project. They are about 2.5 weeks old and very nice looking! I can't wait to show them this summer! We still have lots of ewe's to lamb. One of our ewes made the state newspaper (link here: Drama at the OSU Sheep Center) because she lambed in front of a HUGE crowd in the day (which is rare for sheep, they like to do it at night). Thankfully, she lambed healthy twins!

Back to the rabbits.... and something I am very excited about.... I am getting a Fuzzy Holland Buck from Susie Cederlof (Wooly World Rabbitry: link). He will be coming on March 1st. When I go to bring Roxy home for spring break, I will breed her to him. He will then continue to reside up with me at my house @ school, since my parents are very dead set against a wool rabbit. I've always wanted one though!

That's all I have for now. School wise, it's Week 8. Two big exams and three big papers due this week.... *sighs!* But, I have my next term's schedule planned out and I should have a relatively easy(ier) term! YAY!

Kristie kindles!

2010-02-17T15:05:00.000-08:00

Kristie kindled yesterday to 9 babies! There are some brokens but that is all I know for now.

I have news on Maid Dignified's litter... my parents get updates every 3 days or so. There are 2 brokens, 2 steels and 2 blacks. They are starting to hop out of the box!

My non-rabbit related rant +

2010-02-17T13:26:00.000-08:00

Roomates!

I've had my share since coming to college. The good and the bad.

Last year, I was supposed to move in with someone from Texas. She was a very nice gal, but her hometown, Houston, got wiped out by that Hurricane -- so she went home, like two days before school started. I moved in with friend since I've known since kindergarten. It wasn't a bad roomate situation, but she took the "being away from home" very hard and wasn't very sociable. So I moved in with a girl who I had met at the beginning of the year. She was in my major and we got along very well.

In May, us and another girl had decided to move in together. We wanted a 4th roomate so we searched all summer and our friend had found a girl who needed a place very bad; we were her only option.

So, that we did. And it was soon we discovered our friend was not exactly the best roomate. So, in less harsh words, we made her move out. It was a mutual decision and it was rough; but it was something that needed to happen. That was around winter break.

Now, in the meantime the girl we picked as our 4th roomate wasn't the best either, but we lived -- because she was doing a lot better than our friend. But now new things have been arising and I'm not so sure if I am willing to replace these two with two new roomates, people we wouldn't know that well....

So.... I'm going to announce it, with hopeful wishes that my roomate and I can become the Sheep Unit Herdsman for this next year! I have already talked with the current herdsman and the manager, so they know I want it, but they don't make any final deicsions until spring break or so. Wish me luck! It's a bittersweet job, but its something I'd rather have than what I have now! If that happens, I won't be going to Michigan State this fall... which makes me sad, but its something I could live with.

Pictures!

2010-02-04T14:52:00.000-08:00

I'm always picture heavy, but these last couple of trips we were far to busy "going going going!" with little time for picture snapping!

The college-age folks at the Pacfic Northwest Young Cattlmen's Tour! There were 120 "young cattlemen" who went on the Industry tour, probably 80% of those were university students. At the cattlemen's college on Saturday, there were over 400 people present as that's how many seats they had and there were still people standing. Thanks to the OCA, WCA, Simplot, Beef Northwest, Northwest Farm Credit Services & the many others involved for making this trip happen! 1/21-24/2010
The Alamo, in San Antonio, Texas! We were in Texas for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Convention from 1/27-31/2010. It was a very informative convention, filled with lots of fun and city sightseeing. We also visited Dallas & Houston, so I got to see some of the biggest cities in the US all in one weekend! Thanks to the YCA for helping us with our expenses. Sadly, Oregon State lost to Kansas State in the Academic Quadrathon, but we tried our hardest. We had a rough first round about 'history & politics'! The cattle judging was also very unique, a lot of classes with breeds we don't see up in the northwest.

Another 4800 miles.... Texas trip!

2010-01-31T19:18:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, I and 10 others left for San Antonio, Texas. We went there for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Conference.

On a very short note, I had a GREAT time :D Really didn't want to come home -- especially since the stockshow was right around the corner!

Relating to rabbits:

Dominic & Tiffany left on Friday to go live with Emily Brown of WA. Thanks to Teri & Tricia for transporting them.

Rylee missed. I don't know if Stitch is sterile, because she "should have" taken. I will re-breed her soon, and hopefully he's not. At any rate, I lost my foster doe.
Maid Dignified kindled to 6 on the 28th. 5 steels & 1 Broken. They are living with a nearby breeder until they are 6 weeks old.
Maid Dignified and Money Maker left on Sunday with Teri. Money Maker is going to go live as a 4-H/Show rabbit in Gilroy, CA and Maid Dignified is on her way to live in Flagstaff, Arizona.

I am down to 9 rabbits :) I decided to put Matthew up for sale, I hope to breed him to a doe before he goes, but if not, oh well. Kristie is due to Money Maker on the 17th, so with two litters on the ground we need to keep it slow for now. I am hoping something in Kristie's litter will be worth keeping, I think it was a good cross.

School -- it's week 5 already. I have a make-up midterm tomorrow, other than that it's a week to catch up and prepare for my next two midterms next friday. Pretty soon it will already be time to be registering for next term's classes. :D

I don't know when my next rabbit update will be.... Perhaps when Kristie's litter is born or when MD's litter gets back home. :)

2010 rolls in nicely!

2010-01-14T18:39:00.000-08:00

Just two weeks into the year and it's already started out nicely!

School! I'm taking 18 credits, and so far I like all of my classes... they are all lecture/exam types so not a lot of busy work but a lot of studying to do. I didn't have to buy any books this term so I was *super* excited! I have already had to move 3 exams and a lab due to travel, but hopefully it will all work out nicely. It's the first time I've had to do it!! At any rate, after two weeks I am exhausted, so I will be headed home tomorrow after my last class.

4-H! We had our first meeting of the year and it was pretty good, rather smooth. It's kinda nice having less kids this year, that way we can focus more and get a lot more accomplished. I've been very busy or on the road, so I've missed quite a bit of stuff, and I do feel bad. We are loosing our county extension agent, and it looks like they will not look to replace her until the Fall. I know this fair is smaller, but the agent is the glue to county fair, and I am interested in seeing how it will work without her.

Animals (non rabbit)! The steers and bulls have been doing well. The bulls arrived at the barn in December. We are just feeding them up until we have to sell them. The 25 steers are doing well. They are now on full-feed. We recently implanted them, so we are excited to see bumps in feed gains. I plan on signing up for Lambing crew, those little buggers should be hitting the ground soon and there are sooooo many of them to be born! Also, our meat lab should be opening back up soon, so I imagine there will be work to be done there. AND my family is getting a llama hopefully this weekend, so I might have news to post next week about him!

Rabbits! So basically the rabbits are back on the UP side of things! and I am rather pleased!

This weekend, Lila is leaving to go live with a 4-H'er. In two weeks, Dominic and Tiffany will leave to go live in Washington. Also, Maid Dignified will leave to go to Arizona. We will then be at 11 rabbits (-1 (Stitch = retired pet) so actually we will be at 10.

*Rylee is due on the 23rd to Stitch

*Maid Dignified is due on the 29th to Dominic.

We will be fostering Dignified's litter, so hopefully that works out well.

I will proably be breeding Kristie to Money Maker. I have been thinking about it, and I think they would match up very nicely, plus I want to move Money Maker on... He deserves to be in a good show home!

I am missing the St. Helens show because I will be in Texas, so the next show after that isn't until March, which is right before finals (and I have THREE finals on MONDAY...) so I won't be headed to the show, not that I have anything to enter anyways.... Skip! It's likely I won't get to a show until Pear Blossom, and that's in April :D So much time for "show withdrawl"!

At any rate, I'm going home -- fixing up some nestboxes & getting my rabbits ready for transport. I will also have to clean some trays and... hopefully I will get new/updated pics of most everyone (minus Dig & Rylee). If I get any good ones I'll update the website :)

until later.... Pictured above is ROXY -- my house pet up here in Corvallis... she has been the best pet rabbit I've ever owned and my roomates and I love her to bunches! She's headed home with me this weekend because no one will be at the house and it's easier to drag her home than to find someone to take care of her.... She's one traveling bun!

Goodbye 2009!

2009-12-31T16:42:00.000-08:00

2009 was a rough year, I'm happy to say goodbye to it and have open arms for 2010!

I spent my last couple of days on my 'To Do' list. Of these, the biggest was fixing the auto-water. Simply enough, the tube came unhooked from the bucket, but the whole system needed cleaning anyways, so I scrubbed it all out nice and clean! Now I can remember when I did it last!!!

I moved the young seniors to bigger cages, with dividers. I am going to prime them up and hopefully show them in March! I also bred Maid Dignified to Dominic, she will be due on the 28th.

I had to do a feed run today. I got 3 bags, I used about 5 gallons for Roxy, as I have no clue when I'll get home next.

I hope to sell a trio for St. Helens. I will then be at 11 rabbits, and only 10 of those count since Stitch has his permanent place here in the barn.

10 rabbits... It sounds so nice... yet so sad!

At any rate, I'm saying goodbye to 2009 tonight, and headed up to Corvallis bright and early in the morning. I have soooooo much to do when I get up there and prepare for school and what not.

I don't know when my next update will be, most likely after the Industry tour & Texas trip :)

Rabbit News & Winter Break

2009-12-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the lack of rabbit news I've given lately -- When I see my rabbits once or twice every three months, it makes it hard to give updates!!!

I guess the news is... I can't sell out. It's been too frustruating trying to deal with the whole issue so I've deciced to "ride out the wave". No matter how long this dry spell is, or how rough things get, I can't give up on these Mini Lops; i've worked far too hard on them.

At any rate, I sold my BEW project. It made me very sad, but it was the right thing to do, for the project. I am down to 14 rabbits:

Bucks:

Stitch - retired
Dominic - For Sale
Theodore
Henry
Money Maker - For Sale
Matthew - For Sale

Does:

Maid Dignified
Obnoxious
Kristie
Melinda
Rylee (available after litter)
Brianna
Lila - For Sale
Tiffany - For Sale

I bred Rylee to Stitch on the 22nd, because I found myself needing to breed a doe in order to consider myself "still a rabbit breeder". Plus, Stitch is the closest buck I own to carrying chocolate, I don't want to purchase or loan a chocolate or carrier buck unless I have to. I still haven't found one I've liked.

With time, I will be selling the others as well. I would like to breed those does, to the bucks I have for sale. I do want replacements out of them.

With a positive note, I have found a cull buyer. Not a local one, but it will work until I can find something more permanent. I have it worked out, that Rylee's litter will just be ready to sort through by Spring Break. That seems so far away, but in reality, it's right around the corner in a college student's life.

My break has gone well. I left early from Corvallis to head home, and I've been here about a week. I am leaving on Friday. I *need* to leave sooner, but I *need* to spend time at home... I have a lot of stuff to get done still! The auto-water system gave us some trouble during the freeze, it's not broken but it got air in the system so I just shut it off and went to bottles for a few days. With the holidays & friends & family I needed something I knew would work.

Overall, 2009 has been a rough year for the rabbits. I am hoping 2010 will lift my spirits and bring some new changes & improvements, even if they are slow. I am ready for another term of college.... I am taking 18 credits (a load and a half...) amongst two planned trips already, my extra-curricular activities, and a job... I am hoping for good to come out of it. Though it is a load of classes, I only have 10-13 "real" credits, because the other classes are easy/or lecture classes.
Enough to keep me on my toes!

Happy New Year everyone!

Pictures from Michigan State :)

2009-12-16T22:21:00.000-08:00

Cow-Calf fields
The famous Tower

Inside their NEW & VERY NICE Livestock Pavilion

Winter Spectacular!

I miss it.... already! Such a beautiful campus!

Finals --> Michigan --> Washington --> HOME!

2009-12-16T22:10:00.001-08:00

Finals came & went. I did very well & raised my cumulitive GPA. Next term I am taking 18 credits.... wish me luck!

I left for Michigan on Thursday. During my visit I met some new family members and visited with my aunts, uncles and my grandma. On Saturday, I visited Michigan State University. It was the highlight of my trip. I must admit, the campus is bigger/nicer and their Agriculture Department.... boy oh boy I am SO jealous! Great set-ups, barns and there was even a Beef show going on when I was there. I got to visit it! I am in LOVE, and wishing I could go there. We'll see, it might be something I bring up to my advisor in my next meeting with him. Out of state tuition is pretty expensive, but I imagine myself looking into it further.

I got back on Tuesday, and then I drove to central Washington to visit my sister, brother in law & two neices! I even go to go to my neice's school play. It was very nice to spend the day with them. Driving home in the dark, pouring rain was not fun; I think I hydro-planed more than I was actually on pavement, but I made it home safe & sound. I am glad the weather has warmed back up into the upper 40's and low 50's. It makes it a lot more comfortable here.

I had to go on campus today and do some work for Steer A Year. I am feeding later this week and will be headed home either Saturday night (if the weather is good) or Sunday morning. I am excited to go home and see my bunnies!

I am down to 14. I need to cut a few more, I can't make a cull run until I get a carrier back, but hopefully I will be able to be down to 10 or less by the new year. We'll see.

Flight & Hotel booked for San Antonio! I am not too excited to be flying again, but I am excited for NCBA!

I might post some updates next week, if I have any.... until then.... Happy Holidays!

Procrastination

2009-12-06T22:50:00.000-08:00

As I write this, it is FINALS week :) I am very excited for this week, particularly because it means it's the end of a term. I am not very worried about my finals, I have done good in my courses to where I have minimal studying/reviewing to do. I'm very happy about that.

Next term I am currently signed up for 17 credits but I need to take 18. So either one of those will be an animal science upper-division credit or I will take a physical activity course. At that point I will be half-way done with my undergrad! So hard to believe!

Last week rolled into a great weekend! I and a handful of friends headed over to Bend, Oregon for the Oregon Cattlemen's Quarterly Convention and I had some great times, learned a LOT and made some great contacts with BIG name people! We have a great opprotunity for an industry tour the 3rd weekend in January to visit a lot of neat places, and the best part is it's free! The last weekend in January, I am going to San Antonio, Texas!

Relating to rabbits, I was able to send one up to WA and 3 are headed to CA this weekend. That leaves me at 14, but still too many. I need to sell 3 or 4 more for my parents to be happy. Currently they are battling the "frozen tundra syndrome" where it has been getting obnoxiously cold throughout all of Oregon. It's sad when I'm leaving for Michigan this Friday and the weather will be warmer there than it is here!!!

So in the midst of packing, and getting the house ready for all of our absences, I will study... later. Too much left to do!

A long post, sorry in advance!

2009-12-02T15:51:00.000-08:00

To be entirely honest, my Thanksgiving break was fully deserved and I was *very* thankful for it. I hit traffic on my way home, but I was able to roll in around 4 or 5 pm. I missed my rabbits, very much. Along with my dog, my mare and well.... my family!

I have 3 juniors waiting to go to Red Bluff. I am just going to throw them in a raffle, because I lost my cull buyer. And about that, after 3 long years with this person I am very depressed to have lost who has kept me in the business these past few years. Without culling, my herd can not go on. I don't have the space to keep up with breeders who push 75-100 rabbits (or even 50 for that matter!). I have culled hard and heavy these past couple of years, setting up a keep-cull system unique to me. I've improved my herd immensly. As far as other cull-outlets, I don't know of anyone in my area to buy my excess stock :(

I have 15 rabbits. And where that sounds minimal, family problems have arisen and the ability for my parents or even other people to keep up with the livestock is just not happening. Furthermore, my show year, well I'm even embarassed to talk about it, but other than Nationals placements, I haven't done anything on the showtable. I've granded some rabbits and earned some legs, but recently the shows have been all about selling/'aka' giving away rabbits and chatting with friends. I love the social aspect of it, and it makes me happy to see my stock or my stock's offspring go off and win, but I like to win here and there too. Don't get me wrong, that may sound whiney, but going from an A+ year to like a C average is well, dissapointing.

The rabbits have outproduced themselves, having very close to 100% survival rate on a good number of babies for 2009. (and I don't have that exact number but its somewhat like 75 or 80).

So when you look at my last year of raising rabbits, it's not fun to look at. It doesn't make me feel too good either. I have considered selling out. And where I haven't made any "final" decisions yet, I don't have any reason to still be in rabbits, except that I love the hobby.

I have, considered the mere factor of getting down to 10 Mini Lops (hardly anything to work with) and getting back into the Satins full swing. I have a perfect cull outlet for them, and it's a great one. They pretty much pay for themselves and I don't mind showing those guys, the people are just as friendly there.

We'll see. First, I have to get through dead week, my weekend trip, 4 finals, my trip to the East Coast, and then, I will think more about the rabbits.

In the meantime, the website is fully updated with new pictures & info :) I have 6-7 animals to sell, and I would like to sell them before Frozen Friends. I'll even drive there if I can sell them all.... :)

Pictured above first is Kitsemble's Melinda, a doe I adore and will be retiring soon. She is older and doesn't deserve to make another move after her long trip here.

Second is LHHR's/Velotta's Brianna - a junior/senior doe which, well her picture says it all ;) Lets just say I should have sent her to San Diego.

Bring on Week 9

2009-11-22T19:55:00.000-08:00

The school year has got the best of me. Life has been stressful. I have been trucking through, but entirely too exhausted as come Friday.

Saturday I went to a rabbit show in Albany, OR -- the Fall Warren. It's a double open with a bunch of specialities. I missed entirely too much of it, having to do my dairy milking on Friday evening and had to register for classes on Saturday morning, so I didn't arrive there until around 11 am. I did however, catch up with friends, and manage to find a couple quality animals for my 4-H'ers to start them off right! Thank you Mike Misner & Abby/Jeena Corliss! I skipped the 4H banquet to work on homework, which it was worth it as I got about half of it done. :)

This morning, my roomates woke up bright an early, and headed on our "Term Getaway Trip". We headed north to Tillamook, and visted the Tillamook Cheese Factory! We also visted the Blue Heron Cheese Factory and then headed toward Lincoln City. We stopped in Depoe Bay for some *amazing* wave photographs. I have been getting some tips from photographers and took some awesome photographs! We then traveled south to Newport. We rolled into the Yaquina Head Lighthouse at 4:52 and ran ip 181 stairs to catch some photos and get a cardio workout ;) We then watched the sun go down, and travel 53 miles in thick fog back to Corvallis.

Most of our calves have arrived... just a few drop off's left. We're headed over to Bend after thanksgiving to give our presenation. Also that week is the Civil War. OSU vs U of O... if we win, we go to the Rose Bowl! So pretty excited for that.

I go home Wednesday morning. I am entirely too excited. To see my family... and my bunnies.

I will be doing some culling, and possibly some breedings. We'll see. At any rate, I'll have lots of updates!

Week 5 and counting

2009-10-25T22:20:00.000-07:00

Week 5 is here and almost gone. The time has flown.

I had an interview last Wednesday for an internship.... and I found out yesterday that I recieved it! I am pretty excited, and this will be a great experience for me!

Tuesday I had a presentation and a midterm, but they both went well. My cattle classes that night went well too! Even though I have less credits this term, I am more involved. Next term I will be back up to 18.... but only 14 of those "actually count" so I will be working, busy with extra-curricular activties and keeping my GPA up!

Friday morning the rabbits leave for San Diego. I did mark the cages so my parents knew which ones to send.

I won't get to see my rabbits for another 3 weeks. I'm going to make a trip south to pick up 3 rabbits to show at the Fall Warren show, I'd rather have someone transport them but I'm afraid I won't find that.

For now.... LHHR's Rylee, our only colored rabbit in the barn is looking pretty impressive for a future brood doe. We have completely updated the website with most current information and pictures.

Velotta's Kristie is due on the 9th to LHHR's Titan!

Getting over it

2009-10-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

I'm slowly getting over the fact of my absence at Convention. It hit me hard, but luckily I was able to get over it before midterms came.

The end of week 3 is tomorrow, I have 2 classes and then I am rushing home. I have a *lot* of stuff to do at home, most importantly getting my wisdom teeth pulled... I let them go too long. I really didn't want an appointment this soon, but oh well.

I also need to cull some juniors and evaluate my older juniors. I am considering showing a few at Fall Warren. I could pick them up on Friday and bring them home on Wednesday.... I just don't know if I want three more rabbits in the house! We'll see how they look.

Obnoxious is due a couple days after I return, so I will give her a bigger cage and build up a good box for her.

I might be breeding my BEW pair if they are mature enough. I haven't seen them in ages so I really don't know how far they've come, but they are 'old enough'.

I will spend a few hours getting my older seniors ready for their long trip down to San Diego. I want them to arrive in Arizona in good condition so they can be bred right away for their new owner.

I have to change my plane ticket. I guess I'm going to Michigan in December after finals. It's the only thing I can think of to do with my ticket.

I will have lots of PICTURES to post when I get back... I am excited to get to see my bunnies!

Ups and Downs

2009-10-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

I was adding up convention costs yesterday, trying to tie up transportation ends, when my transporter tells me she has no record of my confirmation e-mail.... I lost my convention transport. So I scrambled and found someone else, more expensive but just as good. Thanks Scott!

I'm not going to send ANY rabbits to show at convention. period. And I'm not going either. So now I have a $350 ticket in lingo... what to do with it.

This year has been pretty hard on me, I've been to a few shows and failed them all (I have not gotten a BOB all year), which is the first time in like, hell along time (5 or 6 yrs or more). I did pretty well at Nationals, so I bred 10 does for Convention, so all of those babies were non-purposeful since I'm not going now. The offspring I did get was amazing, so I don't regret that.

I haven't been able to sell rabbits. Period. I've culled more than I like to JUST because I can't sell. I realize culling IS essential, but not when it means dead-ending animals just because the economy blows (which is what I have blamed it on).

I don't have the money to invest in shows, when they are not beneficial finacially anymore. And I'm not in it for the money, DO NOT get me wrong, but I am a college student, and I have LOTS of bills to pay!

I have, considered, the possibility of selling out.

I cried last night for a few hours until my roomates came home, because it was very hard to consider. I have come SO far these past few years, creating a good line, having great rabbits and a hobby I truly enjoy! I became a registar because I eventually wanted to become a judge, and still do have that goal but maybe just not right now.

I have tried the herd reduction thing, and still... just not working. Granted I did manage to sell a couple for Convention... seniors too, but it still is just not enough. I will be updating my for sale page either today or tomorrow, visit it, and e-mail me if interested. Prices not as important as finding them good homes.

Week one complete!

2009-10-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

Don't let anyone try to fool you that college is easy, because it's quite the opposite.

My first week back to college was stressful. Monday was my birthday and well, it didn't go all that great and I ended up going to bed early because I wasn't feeling well.

Tuesday was suicide. I have my first class at 8 am. I then have a 2 hour break where I can go home. But then I have to be back on campus at 11 for a 3 hour Bio lab. And, I really hated it because they "monitor" labs so you can't go at your own pace and get out early. It was really frustrating having to power-walk to my next class. My next class, was an Education class for my Agriculture Education minor. It is also, 3 hours long. I got out a little early since it was the first day, but that still left me running home, grabbing my keys and having an off-campus Steer A Year meeting in the nearby town. That alone was another three hours, so I didn't "land" until almost 10 pm. Every Tuesday will run like this.

Wednesday was short, but filled with work, readings and home work. Thursday was short, just a class and a two hour lab at the ranch, but I had errands to run and lots of stuff to do. So when I rolled out of bed this morning to go speak to a class, and then two hours of class, I was very excited to believe it was FRIDAY!

As far as the rabbits go, I really don't know how they are doing. I have plans of showing 4-6, I want to sell 2 but *if* I don't go, I'm not going to send those 2. That would leave me showing a SJB, BJB, SJD & a BJD. :)

As far as convention goes, yes, it is now less than a month away. I still have my ticket, which has gone un-changed so far and with only one week of school down, I can't say if I've made a decision. I had changed my mind and decided to go, and educational wise I could go now, taking less credits. And, monetarily, I could swing it. But, I should probably save my money, I just spend about $500 in books and still have two more months of rent, electricity, internet, groceries and gas to pay for. We'll see. Hopefully I would have made a decision by next week.... :(

I might go home next weekend, cull some more rabbits and make my convention entry "final".

Well...... Bring it on

2009-09-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

So today is Sunday, the day before school starts.
And yes, Oregon university schools start at the end of September, we are weird, we know.

I start my 2nd year up here, I am almost a junior credit wise and I still don't know what I want to do with my college career.

I had an advising appointment on Friday with a different department, Agriculture Education. Where it sounded intriguing in May, it still stands in my "number one" career interest spot, so I'm just going to follow through with it. It's not a lot of extra work, just a few extra classes to fill the basic requirements and pre-licensure core.

In all of the years that I spent thinking 'what I would be when I grew up', becoming a teacher never occured to me, I never even considered it. But, I do realize, I love interacting with kids, and I love teaching, which is really the reason I became a 4-H leader! So I guess it's in me, its possible and it's within my reach. Here goes to the next four years!

Anyways, tomorrow is pretty easy, classes @ 9 and 10 am and a short Livestock Evaluation meeting at 3.

And.... It's my 20th birthday tomorrow, and I have to go to school... great eh? :)

Junior Selections

2009-09-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

I love how 53 yielded babies, just 6 of them will make it to convention.

1 SJB - Matthew
1 SJD - Brianna
2 BJD's - Ashlyn & Lila (for sale)
2 BJB's - Henry & Money Maker (for sale)

I made some cull selections out of Kristie, Taylor and Melinda's litters.

I got rid of a SJB out of Taylors litter, a SJD & 2 SJB's out of Kristie's litter, and three from Melinda's litter.... I also got rid of Chestnut & Theodore's little broken doe, and Tessa and Kiah... I could not pose them at all and Henry is just so nice it wouldn't be advisable to keep a doe too.

After all of that... I am down to 29 (including babies). Several of those I will chuck when they get older and make my permanent selections and some of them are for sale. I am keeping just under 20 until the spring.

oye.