THE Main nut...

Monday, March 16, 2009

Bunny breeding and Insanity



Sometimes it just seems as if all go hand in hand. Breeding for that "perfect" bunny can be a challange, in the beginning "Hit & Miss". OR maybe in my case more miss than hit... So what better way to do it is doing the bunny dance as I "pray" to the almighty bunny god...LOL ~' ~'




Brokens are indeed my 1st choice. Only because the markings must be just so. They can be a challange to achieve just the right balance in markings. The unique balance though is a breathtaking beauty especially when attempting to achieve perfection in bone structures as well.

So without delay Viv (my Fawn doe) and T-Bird (my broken Fawn buck) were rebred. In hopes that a glorious doe (like Hopscotch) would soon join us. His picture is above, all dressed up and no-where to go he says.

I'm now questioning if I'm the only one that is going through all these "road bumps" as I begin the wonderful endevor of breeding to acheive the "perfect" French Angora for myself. Has everyone gone through all of this too?

Monday, March 9, 2009

Coming together...& learning as I go...

After three shows I've come to the conclusion that it really sucks trying to move travel carriers individually! So like many other exhibitors I've finally jumped (LOL) on the platform cart... I think it will help alot with the moving carriers and supplies for us. (It came on Tuesday). So with the next show I too shall have mine on a cart. I've also ordered (it should be here on Wednesday) a digital scale so I can read it and not guess so much as to how much buns weight. I believe it will help when trying to decide who to show or not. Now after my last show I came home to see my precious T-bird's coat really butchered by my oldest son attempting to get out his matts... very sad! Total bald spots (clear down to the skin!) and then not bald spots with an 1 or less of wool left. So I felt the ONLY way to get him even at all is going to be clipper him carefully. So I've ordered my clippers and they should be here late this week OR early next. No amount of trying to even it out myself will help him, it's that bad! Emily had it so much better. She looks like a bunny again instead of a poodle with a very bad haircut.


I've learned that plucking (although it takes more time) gives the best appearance and most even coat and that scissors and I have an agreement~ ONLY use them when very necessary! Mostly I'd have to say that the plucking is very relaxing. But when there are soooooo many bunnies blowing at the same time I'm not quite sure this is very feasible for me to sit for 7+ days in a row at 3+ hours at a clip per bunny patiently "plucking" coats although I do admire the results more.



I've also learned (from the last show) , that blowing bunnies while someone holds them is electrifying...LOL. I thought I fried Scott's blue-tooth headset when he was holding a FA and I blew out the bunny...after I was finished, he walked out from under the metal livestock pen and got zapped...not good! It quit working right away...BUT when we got home he plugged it in and the next day it worked. What a relief... As a result, Scott is now (with limited equipment), building me a blowing & grooming table. He hopes to be able to have it finished in time for the Columbia City IN show, but with the temperatures projected to drop today he's concerned he won't be able to get it sprayed before the final assembly... So it may not be ready until the Portsmouth OH show.


I'd have to say more importantly than any of the above is the importance of having correct ear tag numbers matching on the Judges remark cards! It wasn't until the Columbia City show that I discovered (with the "help" of a judge") the error of my ways...! I was elated to have received a leg for my Sr. Black buck, but unknowingly had listed his ear tag number wrongly at the Lebanon Ohio show that he received it at. Unfortunately it was not caught until the Indiana show and now I don't know IF I can correct it somehow! I'm pretty sure that this is a "lost" leg and needless to say I will be much more careful when entering my pedigrees into my software program!! Anyone know how to make a 6H into a SH??? LOL, darn that it depressing.

Something else I've learned, is that 1 judge may not be as particular about toe nails as another Judge and it's up to me as a breeder to be hard on my Bunnies when it comes to this... I must somehow learn what is the perfect specimen and although I do have that right now my hands haven't "learned" how to tell yet! LOL Hopscotch is perfect in every way according to 2 Judges so far and somehow my hands half to figure out how to "know" the bones. Hopscotch is my chance to Learn...Perfect, so I'm told...but with all things it will take time, comparison and much training and memory.

I hope that I get better at this as I go, for right now it all seems like a "hit or miss" with me.

Blessings be to the Bunny gods!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

In the Beginning...


I believe I may have finally found something "new" to obsess over with the beautiful French Angora. Although I have many (many, many) interests/hobbies and (Mom & Hubby say) talents this could very well test my determination to achieve perfection. It's one of my down falls... OCD. It's got to be perfect OR I keep working on it till it is (occasionally becoming frustrated in the process). YEP, I tend to over-do alot and go over-board occasionally...But that's me. I'm blessed with an ability to "know" when something is close to being ideal (regardless of what it it), kinda like an instinct I guess...

When I began this "little" endeavor I thought Just 1 was all I wanted...that's when Lisa of the Somerhill lines came into the picture. I was graced with the most BEAUTIFUL French Angora I'd ever seen, Emily. She's a lovely broken doe that has not had a huge success at delivering or raising a full litter of babies. Lisa placed her with me so I could begin to learn to spin my own fiber on a drop spindle (another adventure still in the works). Well, as unexpectedly as a tornado, I got pulled in to wanting to have many more and I decided I wanted to show & breed them as well. I felt the need to add a broken buck (who came from Georgia) and picked him up from (what seemed like the entire planet had been taken over by Lagomorphs/rabbits ((my first experience)) the ARBA National Convention. WOW! If shows were going to be this big maybe I should reconsider...! LOL

That was not the case as I quickly added many more...I've rescued champions whose coats were blown and came off in 1 piece and so thin you could almost touch you fingers around their spine. They are absolutely breathtaking now from constant extra care and are ready to be bred (maybe) and have their coats harvested for later spinning. I've searched and traveled more in the last 6 months than I have in the last 5 years!! just to learn about/touch, breed & show some of the most unique Angora I've ever encountered! I've met some totally awesome people along the way who I now consider part of my family! Would I trade this for any riches other than what I have now? NO way!!

Since I started this I now own 8 bucks (boys) and 6 does (girls). 4 of them are 8 week old bunnies, I will be selling 3 of them (I hope). I've (well, Viv my fawn doe) successfully raised our first litter of beautiful babies. I've had all but 1 (still a little small) judged on the show table and did well. Pictured above is the only doe of the litter...an absolute sweetheart!
I've been to three shows now that I've actually participated in. My third show I was blessed to win Best of opposite Sex Variety (BOSV) with 1 of my Black Bucks, Best of Breed (BOB) with my Tort Doe & Best of Opposite Sex Variety (BOSV) with my Junior broken (8 week old) buck. Not to bad, kinda impressive I think...AND VERY, VERY addicting!! LOL...Great something else to add to my addictions...LOL So I think I should be adding more pictures of my winning group...course I have to take some of the Junior first...I don't think anyone wants to see "baby" pictures...LOL Off to get the camera and do a little work...
Have fun following in this little adventure with me, I'm sure it'll be hoppy (sorry, couldn't resist) experience...