Lyle Creek Rabbitry

It has been a cold, cold week.  We have had frost most mornings.  So far the water bottles have not frozen.  That is the part of winter I dislike the most.

Two of QT's babies started to "Fade".  I loaded them with hay and kept a crock full of water as well as their water bottle.  The two are doing much better and looking like they will make it.  I am convinced some babies are lost from dehydration.  The water crock is easier for babies to take in plenty of fluids.

I also opened my email the other day to find a catalog for a show in Taylorsville on Jan. 2nd.  Since I was already going through show withdrawls, I was very excited.  Some of my juniors will be just old enough to show so I will be able to get comments on them.  I need to start working with them more and get them tattooed.

Hope everyone is staying warm!!

      The cold of winter has set in.  This morning cars, buildings and the yards were covered in white frost.  It almost looked like it had snowed overnight.  I like winter time but it does make it harder to enjoy spending time out with the rabbits.  Yesterday I got the cages cleaned before the cold rain set in.  I still need to get some juniors tattooed but with the next show being the end of January I have plenty of time.

     Yes January will be my next show.  Sigh.  There is a show this weekend in Columbia SC, but I have two rabbits who are not molting, pregnant or on a litter.  The show is 2 1/2 hrs away and I just cannot justify the drive even as much as I want to go. 

     I have two litters of babies that are 4 and 5 weeks old.  Both babies in the Wooly litter look very promising.  The Holland litter is also looking nice and chunky.  Hopefully there are some future show bunnies.  Of the other Does that were due one missed and the other had a litter of DOAs.  I still have three Does due so hopefully will have some more babies to adore. 

    Stay warm!!

The rabbitry facelift is almost complete.  The new floors for the cages arrived today.  I was hoping yesterday but some things cannot be controled.  I managed to get five of the nine cages complete.  The new floors look great!!  It was actually very easy as soon as I figured out to twist the old ringer off instead of trying to cut it.  The new floors were just as easy to install.  My hands are sore from the work so even if time allowed today my hands were done.  I will finish the last four floors over the next couple days.

With Thanksgiving here I felt I should post about something I am Thankful for.  I am thankful for many things but feel I should keep it rabbit related since this is my rabbitry blog.  I am a very shy person who finds it difficult to do things outside my "safety zone"  I have to force myself to do new things, go new places and to meet new people.  I am very thankful to my rabbit hobby for making me live outside my "safety zone" .  I drive further than I ever would to new places, I have met many many wonderful people, and have done new things like going to Nationals last year. 

I hope everyone has many things to be Thankful for this year.

The rabbitry is getting a face lift!!  The linoleum floor I originally purchased was not very thick, in fact liquid tended to soak through it.  I removed all the old linoleum and put in a nice wood plank floor look linoleum.  The linoleum wraps up the walls about 8 inches and is then sealed with sealing tape to the wall.  This makes the floor of the shed like a large tray.  It looks beautiful!!!   My other project in the face lift is my three sets of stacking cages from TSC.  All nine of these cage's floors are rusty.  I looked into purchasing wire as opposed to ordering precut 24 X 24 replacement floors.  The replacement floors were only 2.50 each and there is no wire waste for me in cutting the wire.  I went with the precut floors and am hoping they will be delivered Monday.  The other two -6 hole stackers will get a good pressure washing today to be ready for winter.

I spent yesterday in Asheville visiting a friend and going through her rabbits with her.  I had a blast and was able to hone my skills in looking at what faults or qualities a rabbit had.  I finally feel like I am able to look at a rabbit and ignore color to look at type first.  I still love a rabbit with short wide ears and a larger head.  In Hollands I LOVE the massive look in a small rabbit.  I want to pick up that rabbit and feel like it has mass to it, not like it is weightless.  I love the "bull dog" look to a good Holland.  In Woolies I love the short ears on a rounder shaped head.  I like the body to be equal in depth, width, and length.  A coby look.  I had a great visit and really enjoyed spending the day talking rabbits without a show to interupt the visit.

Now I need to go through my own Hollands and woolies and do a hard cull.  The only way to move ahead is to keep only the best of the best.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.

Yesterday's show in Taylorsville was alot of fun.  Woolies and Hollands were first up so that gave us a nice break inbetween Show A and B to visit.  After the show was over I was able to get Onyx and Mo registered.  I was hoping to send in their three legs as well to grand them, but was told I had to wait til the registration paper comes back then apply for Grand Champion. 

I was able to move out some rabbits and ended up bringing in two new bunnies.  A nice little Broken Black Doe from Tresia.  It is borderline Charlie marked as it would be very very close to the 10% color rule, but I got her to produce broken colored Woolies so she will do quite nice for me.  She is out of Erb's Lilly Bell, a doe of Tresia's that I love.

I also brought home a cute little blue buck from Brandi and Pete of BL's bunny barn.  I'm such a sucker for blue and this little guy is nice.  He is out of Shazaam a buck of BL's that I like.

Charmed and QT's litters of babies continue to do well.  Charmed's babies are out of the nestbox and are adorable.  Both have chunky bodies, tiny ears and big heads.  Hopefully they will continue to develope into nice Woolies.  QT's babies are too young to tell anything about them, but the two broken torts are nicely marked.

I am hoping to have something to show at the Columbia, South Carolina show.  This weather going from warm to cold and back again is not helping coat condition.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.  I know I am thankful to have my family coming up to spend a couple days with me.

"Breeds like Rabbits"

     Hmmmm, must not be show rabbits that they were talking about.  You breed a rabbit and 31ish days later a cute litter of babies.  At least one of those babies turns out to be a fantastic show rabbit!!  Well at least thats supposed to be how it works.  Seems like if you are breeding for a specific show season or show this does not work.

     This morning I went out to what I thought would be two more litters of babies.  One Doe had one DOA and the other had two DOAs. "sigh"  Its sad to see this, but part of breeding dwarf rabbits.  The very chilly nights do not help out and the fact that we are breeding during a time when Rabbits do not usually have babies.  I also have one other Doe that had one DOA earlier this week.  I left her nestbox in because I felt more babies in her.  (Well not being great at palpating, I "think" I felt more babies)  Could have been full intestines.  Anyway I left her nestbox in and this morning she has pulled a bunch of fur for the box. 

     On a good note, Charmed's two babies are growing and now have their eyes open.  The sablepoint/smoke pearl (?) looks very very promising.  QT's four are also doing well.  All are fat little babies and growing fast.

I have two more rabbits due but not for three weeks.  The Does that had dead litters will be rebred.

     I am also looking forward to next week's show in Taylorville.  It will be so good to talk to friends and show some rabbits.  I really need to trim nails of the rabbits I will be taking. First  I need to get a list going of the rabbits I am taking as.  I pretty much have in mind who will be going but need to check them to be sure. 

Congratulations to all the winners at Nationals in San Diego!!!!  Wish I could have been there.  Going to a convention one day is on my list of "things I want to do". 

2010 will be MN and 2011 will be Indianappolis!!

I have not had much to report being in between shows and not having any Does due.  This past Sunday I did have a Doe poduce a litter of babies so thought I would post my upcoming litters.

Hare's Mystic Moon (smoke pearl) X Lyle Creek's Charmed (REW)

Born Sunday a litter of two.  One REW and one Smoke Pearl (?)

Jersey Wooly

Keep's Burlington (Black) X Wooligan's Delaney (siamese Sable)

Due Nov. 7

Holland Lops

Lyle Creek's Quizno (black) X Lyle Creek's Opal (tort)

Due Nov. 7th

Lyle Creek's Deja Blu (blue tort) X Lyle Creek's QT (broken tort)

Due Nov. 5

The Nature Trail's Crazy Horse (broken tort) X Keep's Salsa (seal)

Due Nov. 5

I have two does that did not take and need to be rebred, but the above breedings will hopefully poduce some nice juniors for the Spring shows.

I have plans to replace the linoleum floor in the rabbitry.  It was cheap and thin and is not holding up well.  I plan on buying a thicker gauge linoleum and replacing it during some days off work next month.  I am even concidering another pressure washing of cages before winter sets in.  The weather right now is beautiful with cooler nights and absolutely gorgious days. 

I have a small rabbitry, only 21 holes.  I still like to label each cage with the rabbits name and tattoo.  I can look at each rabbit and know who it is, but there are times  that other people have to care for the rabbits, for this reason cage tags are important.  If there is a problem with a rabbit your caregiver can let you know who it is, instead of "the brown rabbit in the middle cage".  I can also leave a note on who does not like a hand in their cage.  I have one Doe who is cage aggressive excpecially when she has babies.

I also like to make up my show list in the rabbitry where I can check the rabbits to make sure they are not molting.  Having the tattoo handy means I can make up a complete list that is ready to email in to the show secretary.

I tried a couple systems before I found one I like and that the rabbits cannot reach to destroy.  This system is magnetic so if I move a rabbit from one cage to another I can easily pull the tag off and move it with the rabbit.  If I sell the rabbit I can glue a new paper over the old and have a new tag ready to go.

First off I purchased these metal name holders from a cage dealer.  They are not real expensive and are attached to the cage with metal tabs that you bend around the wire.

For the name part I went to K-Mart and purchased magnetic business card holders.  They come in a package of 20 or so.  They are actually made to pull the cover off and attach a business card to.  Instead I cut paper to the size of the magnetic back and put it on.  I write the rabbits name and at the bottom their tattoo.  More information could be put on as you like.  You could also have a second tag holder for breeding information.

I have a dry erase board where I keep due dates written so don't have that on individual cages.  So far this system has worked well and I have not had a rabbit be able to get to it to distroy the tag.

This Saturday is the GAA show in Taylorsville.  I just sent in my entries and am ready to go.  The weather is cooler and should make a very enjoyable show day.  I don't have a lot to show but am excited about the ones I do have to show.

Everyone is tattooed so all I need to do is check toenails and get the carriers ready.  I have a lot of rabbits to take so labeling the carriers is always a big help. 

The extra latch on Quizno's cage has worked in keeping him in his cage.  I did not mind him out so much but worried about him jumping from his cage to the floor, he's on the second level.  I am trying to give him more time out of his cage to make up for not allowing him to escape.

The baby bunny who is a fader is still hanging on.  I am only giving it oats, hay and water.  It's mom has pellets so it can eat pellets if it wants.  The crock of water is always almost empty so they do seem to prefer that to the bottle.  I'm still not sure its going to make it, but it does have a strong will to survive so I am trying to help it as much as possible.