Saturday 29 November 2008

Holland Lops Availability

Noobie's expected due date is on 22nd December 2008. Her kits will be 8 weeks old come 16th February 2009.

On the other hand, Holly Hope have not been mated as yet so I cannot give an exact date on the availability of her kits. Furthermore, she being a first time mother I am not too sure if this litter would be successful.

The reason for this post is to let those who might be interested in getting a Holland Lop know so that they have time to plan out everything before bringing the buhnies home.

Also, I may consider letting go some of my existing rabbits. Do inquire if you are really interested.

Thursday 27 November 2008

The most expensive nesting materials...EVER!

I have 2 packs of hay at the moment that is turning really yellow by the minutes. I was really supportive of this brand initially but somehow the quality has dropped. And it is not cheap to get these hay and I sometimes wonder if it is insane to pay so much for just...GRASS!

A pack of the 40oz hay in question is priced $39.90 and Skor alone leaves the grass untouched mainly because it is no longer fresh.

Since I have got no use for them and I am expecting litter(s) soon, then I might as well use them as nesting materials. But don't you think that it is a little expensive to use them as nesting materials that later go into the dumptruck?

I believe my mama raised me right not to waste so I ain't gonna buy those hay no more...unless they are green and fresh again...

Honey Song A Buhny Love to Hate Part II!

It has been daily flirting with Holly Hope and Skor. Now another song that I hate can't stop playing over and over again on my mind.

"Sometimes I run, Sometimes I hide, Sometimes I'm scared of you...."

Yeah, Hope seemed to allow Skor to mount her, but she runs away after a while....
AaarrggGHhhhhHHhhhHhhh........

I wish some cool bumpin' and grindin' R&B/Hip Hop music plays on my mind because I want Skor to get this BOOTY covered!

Wednesday 26 November 2008

Rabbits not Money

Time and time again, I will revisit this juncture where I ponder and wonder really hard how some people can actually make money out of rabbits. I really do hope that my blog do not give the wrong impression that I make a living out of my buhnies.

I do have a day job mind you. I struggle like anyone else to upkeep my passion and the entire household. Sometimes it is not easy at all with so many bun-mouths to feed. LOL. But that's because I choose to give them the best and it is definitely worth it!

I do not know about others but this is what I notice. There is a really huge movement of people in the US that breed and show rabbits. Whatever breed it may be, they is a high degree of appreciation and showing rabbits has become apart of the culture (correct me if I am wrong).

Now, compare that with the situation in Malaysia. The group of people that truly appreciate pure bred rabbits is growing but very slowly. Most of the time, owning a pet here is a luxury. Something that people will not NEED. When they have extra, they will indulge. So that being said, the price tag makes a huge difference in terms of their decision making to get a rabbit be it a pet or whatever reason they want a rabbit.

We also have a group of people that wants to make a little out of the poor rabbits. Some breed whatever they can get their hands on and whether or not the specimens are genetically sound does not matter at all. As long as they can produce and make a few dollars.

I find this really disgusting. People just do not want to accept the fact that breeding any pets be it rabbits, dogs or cats do not make them millionaires. It never will.

Until today, I cannot figure out how can someone earn so much if they are feeding and caring for their pets the right way. I do not know about others but the cost of feeding a rabbit for me is on the average RM2.50 per day. That's RM75 a month for food alone per rabbit!

So a good and responsible rabbit owner that cares about his/her rabbit will spend RM900 for 1 bunny a year.

Let's say some breeder wannabe does the same and breeds his/her rabbits. An average viable litter may yield 4 kits. A kit will fetch about RM80 (non-pedigree mixed). In a year let's say a doe needs 1 month for gestation and 2 months (8 weeks to weaning - IF he/she is that ethical), that would mean the doe will have kits every 3 months so 4 litters of 4 kits a year. That will come to about 16 kits a year? Alright, 16 x RM80 would give him/her RM1280.

Alright, you get about RM380 pocket money a year. Please bear in mind that RM900 is the minimum to upkeep 1 bunny a year. If you do not have a buck, how do you get those kits? Please don't tell me it's miracle conception. Bunnies are superb animals but they are not godly. So in fact, your expenses is RM1800 a year for a pair of breeding rabbits.

So the real deal is, you get a deficit of RM520.

Now now, I know your mind is working much faster than mine. Instead of having 4 litters, you can increase it to 12 litters a year right?! Because we know well enough that a doe can get impregnated while nursing? I am not going through the figures now because that will definitely blind you from reading what I have to say next.

The quality of the offspring will definitely drop having litters back to back and the doe's life is definitely threatened. The only reason I can see how breeders can make tons is that, they breed their rabbit more than 4 times a year.

And oh, how stupid I was not thinking that you can have more than 1 doe. Now, no wonder there is a brand that uses rabbit to promote its lewd magazines/products. We can have one super stud buck shared by 10 does? Then we shall have 160 kits a year!

But at the end of it all, those rabbits will always be treated as.....just an animal of no value. Breeding machines assisting human in their quest for worldly riches. Please bear in mind, rabbits that are not handled regularly can be very docile and dislike being picked up or even become stress with human presence. I believe strongly that a skittish rabbit can pass on that trait to its offspring.

I am not too sure how to apply ethics into rabbit breeding but for me, it is very plain and simple. Humans are govern by conscience. My conscience tells me that childbirth is a very taxing and stressful process for both animals and human alike. And there is a high risk attached to it. If you really have compassion for an animal, you would feel the pain too.

My point here really is in fact, in my opinion, breeders that actually earns from rabbits either overbreed or overprice their under quality rabbits. The latter actually makes me feel sad to see ill informed buyers being conned. This also encompasses the possibility of them not feeding the proper diet due to increased cost of feed. Some may not be given hay at all and breeding rabbits are always caged up without any stimulation or whatsoever.

It may seem cruel but if I have a choice to choose between the possibility of passing my rabbits to these irresponsible breeders' hands and supplying my culls as animal feed (humanely put down), I would rather opt for the latter. I rather them die a fast death than a slow and torturous one. Then again, this is Malaysia. And I would say more often than not, if I pass my culls as animal feed, they may end up being sold as pets with a higher price. That is how you can be screwed by opportunists.

There is no point breeding without providing proper care. Though breeding for quality should be one of the objectives, being fully responsible for what you breed/produce is extremely important too.

There are so many things to take into consideration as far as breeding is concerned. Let's say you are a breeder and you felt that after reading what I wrote above breeding seemed to be a lucrative business, I have more points for you to ponder. For me, if the following is not taken care of, the breeder is unethical.

1) Ignoring the fact of kindling mishaps:

You may lose a doe during kindling if kits get stuck in the birth canal. Totally denying this fact and telling yourself that it is fated for the rabbit in question to die in such a manner is really inhumane. Breeders that believe that rabbits are born to breed or die is unacceptable.

2) Ignoring genetic problems:

Breeding rabbits with genetic problems such as splayed legs, malocclusion and passing on these rabbits carrying the gene is totally irresponsible. A breeder should always research and improve knowledge pertaining to genetics. Even color genetics can drive me nuts!

3) Over supply

The target group appreciating rabbits is very small but the supply is just too overwhelming. I really wonder where do unsold rabbits go? Do you ever wonder where your kits will end up and will the notion of them being neglected send chills down your spine?

4) Lack of knowledge of the general public

Are you knowledgeable in the first place and willing to share your knowledge with those bringing your rabbits home? Are you still caring for your own rabbits just like how the ill-informed pet shop assistant has adviced you initially? It is always the blind leading the blind and in the end the pet suffers the most. Please bear in mind compassion and passion for money has got a vast difference. I am not labelling all pet shops as ill-informed but most are to be honest.

Alright, I have spend too much time on this post that I believe not many would come to appreciate. So I shall stop here for you to ponder and perhaps, drop me a comment to tell me what you think.

Whatever your thoughts, please don't tell me that your buck is lonely and you want him to enjoy the act of mating. That is just too primitive! If you have not heard or read, only dolphins enjoy the pleasure of mating. The rest is solely for procreation. And why not allow nature to take its course? The answer is very simple. A pair of rabbits can produce on the average 16 kits a year and multiply that with a thousand rabbit owners sharing your thoughts!

Ultimately, for my closing I would like to say that the FRUITS of your actions of breeding whether it is your rabbits' natural instinct or yours, are hundreds of PETS ending up having temporary homes because they grow out of their cuteness. The reasons I say temporary homes because, some dumbasses never thought they will be busy at work before buying on impulse and one day just decide to abandon their pets. There will always be a "valid" reason because a rabbit is just.....plainly a RABBIT. An object of temporary joy and short lived happiness.

Monday 24 November 2008

Tridus & Tinga

I just received some photos of Tridus & Tinga from Daphie. Tridus has been recently neutered and now he's housed together with Tinga. It is quite rare to find owners like Daphie who enjoys her rabbits as they are and takes the effort send Tridus for neutering. I have high regards for people with very clear objective and purpose for their pets. If they do not intend to breed, they will put their feet down and opt for neutering/spaying.

Unfortunately, I can't say much for some people that I have came across in public forums and blogs, they always make me wonder if their libido/desire is much higher than their rabbits'. It is really sad to read about people that cannot even control their own lives trying to raise pets the correct way.

Oh well, I guess it's better for them to learn the hard way. And with that said, let's brighten our day with some photos shall we?

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"You're In My Basket!!!"

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"What kinda DBF is this?"

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"From the front!"

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"Handsome BOY"

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"The night before the neutering"

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"Out from the OT"

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"First sip of water"

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"It's still spinning mommy!"

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"My first meal"

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"This is Tridus not Skor!"

For a moment there the last photo really made me think it was Skor. Such a close replica and resemblance!

THANKS DAPHIE!!! Thank you for being such a great owner to these 2 buhnies! As I said, it is people like you that makes fighting for a good cause much more bearable and worthwhile.

Saturday 22 November 2008

Hopeful

No, this post is not about Holly Hope. It is a post bigger than Holly Hope, bigger than LIFE itself.

It is very hard in this lifetime, to fight for a good cause. Tru-Luv Rabbitry started off with one main intention and objective which is to promote RESPONSIBLE RABBIT OWNERSHIP & BREEDING. Along the way thus far, all I have written is leading towards this main goal and objective.

As the end of 2008 draws near, like anything else, I have to re-evaluate my achievements against the objectives set earlier. I must say that Tru-Luv has gone through a lot of tears, sweat and headache with a fair share of joy, happiness and satisfaction.

I must also say that this blog has also brought tears and adrenaline rush to some. I am not sure if that should be taken as an achievement but I am happy and thankful to some who have shown and shared their heartfelt feelings with me.

Sometimes while in the midst of fighting for a cause, I see a total backfire. For instance, the more I wrote about planned and responsible breedings, the more people cross breed their rabbits. Some intentional just to satisfy their desire to see baby rabbits, to earn a little pocket money or for some other invalid reasons. Whatever reasons, as long as they do not improve a particular breed saddens me greatly.

Perhaps some may perceived my behavior as selfish in the sense that rabbit breeding is only for a selected few. But for me, the intention behind actions speak much louder. There can be many types of breeders as well; some are responsible and some are not. And the definition of a good breeder is just so subjective for each individual.

It is never my intention to impose my expectation on another but to share my ideology. I really appreciate and am very grateful for those who share the same sentiments and ideology and through that, I did made quite a number of great bunny friends with a few of my readers.

Because life is so short and I might not be able to say this (at the same time do not want to regret it if i don't get to), I just want to take this opportunity to thank SB, Daphie, Lindsey, Susie, Nico, Kak Azian and all fellow bunny bloggers for affirming to me over and over again that my effort is not in vain.

You guys appreciate LIFE so much that it makes me feel that it is all worth it! Thank you so much for sharing your life and bunny(s) with me! You guys made my buhny year 2008 a superb one! God bless your good hearts!

Friday 21 November 2008

We've got a HIT!

I am quite proud to say that today was the first time I mated a doe
by judging the redness of her vent. A few days back I did mention that
Noobie has got reddish vent. I wanted to wait for a queue from Holly
Hope but today being the day before my "deadline", she was still not
interested in mating. I realize that I do not need to have 2 does
kindling on the same day in order to foster kits. As long as I have a
nursing doe it will be sufficient. I am sure Noobie wouldn't mind
fostering since she is a great mum.

So I decided to let Skor enjoy himself after being rejected so many times to rekindle his glory & self esteem.

Without
surprise, Noobie was all willing. What surprises me most is that she
lifts her bum so high that it almost touched the SKY! If you want a
perfect example of 2 rabbits mating, I believe Skor & Noobie is
definitely the perfect example. They took below 10 seconds to finish
the job as usual! Skor's tribal cry and the "twist" indicated a job
well done.

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"I just can't wipe that grin off his face thereafter"

As for Holly Hope, I am seriously wondering if she has
got no chemistry with Skor. I do hope she comes into "season" soon.
This goes to show that contrary to popular belief that rabbits are
induced ovulators, they do come in "season" or get in the mood for
mating.

And the term breed like rabbits do not apply to this Hallmark Breed called the Holland Lop.

With that said, Noobie's expected kindling date is 22/12/2008! Stay tuned!

P/S: I got a shot of the session but am not sharing the private photos :P

Encounter with the 3rd kind...

Guinea Pigs are always related to rabbits and in fact, ARBA standards include guinea pigs as well. And you will notice many rabbit breeders also breed guinea pigs as well as showing them. But for me, I prefer to refer to them as the 3rd kind.

Have I tried my hands on guinea pigs?

I certainly did many years ago and it turned out to be a huge DISASTER!

Turned out, I have guinea pig allergy! After holding a guinea pig, I'll get rashes all over my body and my face will swell like a melon. Since then I have never touch a guinea pig...will never EVER touch another one!

I attributed the allergy reaction to the type of mites that live on guinea pigs. I suspects that is the main cause of my rashes and swelling. I stumbled across a write up on these creature on another blog I visited recently.

What made me wanted a guinea pig in the first place?

dolittle

Exactly, I was so inspired by RODNEY the guinea pig in Dr. Dolittle!

Tuesday 18 November 2008

Honey Song A Buhny Love to Hate!

There will always be some artistes singing songs that we hate to hear but yet, the lyrics somehow get stuck to your brain like fly on dung!

Today was Nth attempt to get Holly Hope "covered" by Skor. I can imagine Skor's frustration of feeling the "so near yet so far" kind of disappointment. Skor is so experienced that he will never mount a doe if she isn't ready and he is very good with testing the doe. He will mount but not go to the next level if he thinks that it will never be a good try.

I guess he is just the sharp shooter he is and I dislike wasting his time.

Holly Hope's vent is still very pale today. I hope by Saturday she will be ready and if not, we shall be having a delayed litter. Not forgetting the possibility of unsuccessful first litter syndrome!

And coming back to the song/artiste I love to hate, presenting Britney Spear's.....

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"I Am Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman...."

P/S: Please get that phrase outta me MIND!!! It just can't stop playing over and over my mind each time the mating session fails!!!!!

Monday 17 November 2008

Mo Trances On Moday!

It was Moesha's turn to have a run in the house today and as I was cuddling her, I realized how stiff she could be in trance mode. She is such a cutie pie. I don't think her head will continue filling in because it doesn't seemed to have much more room left. LOL. I still have a lot to do with head massiveness.

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"Are we there yet?"

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"You're making me blush! Stop that!"

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"The official bun-chill position"

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"Bun-sense Part I - I see dead bunny..."

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"Bun-sense Part II - It is staring at me!"

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"Something's cookin', slurrrrrrRPPpppppppppppp..."

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"Shall we go for round 2?"

Sunday 16 November 2008

Officially Disapproved!

I am very glad to announced that Holly Hope got picked as Saturday bunny over at Disapproving Rabbits!

Thank you so much Bill and the rest at Disapproving Rabbits for picking Holly Hope as one of their disapproving lot!

Now that Holly Hope's being picked, I am in big trouble with the rest of the herd. Nothing to worry about though as I have papaya cubes to put a grin on every buhny's face!

Saturday 15 November 2008

Update: TLR PeeGuard V2

The 2nd version is definitely sturdier and looks nicer! And as usual, for something better, what can you expect? It cost more! LOL!

Yes, the prototype is working very well and as the final product, TLR PeeGuard V2.0 will cost RM25 for a pair of 12 inches steel plates to help cover the corner your rabbit love to relief itself in the cage. For a set of steel plates to cover the entire perimeter is just too costly and definitely not cost effective since most rabbits will have a favorite corner.

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What's up Doc?

It's been a long while since I posted up photos of the buhnies. Here they are with some captions to brighten up your day!

First of all, greetings fron Eclipse & Charlyz courtesy of Azian:

charlyz

"Do not disturb, I am following the latest news"

ec

"This couch is MINE"

As usual, the theme for today is, CHILLIN':

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"Don't I look like my mum, Noobie below?"

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"How may I help you, SIR?"

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"I am not in the mood of lifting up my bum for Skor"

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"You can try but I do not think I'll fit into the screen there"

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"aaa a aaahhh I I amm amm ha ha vin' anxieeetieeEEe att aattt attack!"

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"Pheromones overdose"

Author's note: Skor is surrounded by 5 does.

Wednesday 12 November 2008

Tears From 2 Worlds

I tend to be quite a pessimistic person. Knowing how much Holly Hope means to me and submitting to the fact that nothing is 100% safe in raising rabbits was what inspired the title of this post. Like any other title to my blog posts, each brings profound meaning to me. This one I thought of using in near future if anything bad should happen. But my memory capacity would not allow me to store it till the time something happens. So I am using it now for this post.

Sometimes negative thoughts can be very overwhelming. At the moment when I was thinking about this title, I had a thought flashing through my mind. As I have already mentioned in my previous post, I have decided to breed both Hope and Noobie to Skor. I hope both are receptive when the right time comes but Hope will be the determining doe and Noobie will act as my contingency plan. But she also must be in "season" for this to happen as well. The timing is very crucial here.

So when will tears from 2 worlds start to flow?

I believe it will happen when ironically, something fatal happens to Noobie after her having the most beautiful chocolate kit and Hope on the other side failed to kindle viable kits. Well, in case you do not know, shit can really happen when you raise rabbits. The more chocolates you desire, the more life will be like a box of chocolates (as Mr. Gump used to say)!

That would be such a huge blow for me and I am not too sure if I am prepared for it at all.

Last but not least, I would also like to ask everyone's prayer for Lindsey of 4 Kings Rabbitry. Piper has finally kindled and she doesn't seemed to be interested in the kits. I hope that Lindsey will be able to help the 2 out of 4 surviving kits to make it through successfully. I understand how much this litter mean to her and it would be great for them to thrive because it would also mean a lot to a little girl. Yes, Lindsey's little daughter Hannah has grown quite attached to the little kits and for them to die on her would be a very devastating news. We try not to disappoint the little ones because they are such innocent and sweet children. I am also praying that if it should happen, Lindsey will find the right words herself to console the little broken heart while she find comfort and peace herself. Just want to let her know that tears will indeed be flowing from both sides of the world and once it stops, we shall all pick up and move on again.

My prayers goes out to all those trying their very best to revive another kit struggling in the barn.

There are many good hearts in this world. Ultimately that is what I choose to believe. Amidst the crime, the hatred, the killing, the devastated & oppression, THERE IS HOPE!

Tuesday 11 November 2008

TLR is FRIENDLY, remember?

I just realized the date is 11/11/2008. What an auspicious date it is. No, I am not mating Noobie or Holly Hope to Skor today. Maybe I should. LOL....

Anyhow, just want to mention again that Tru-Luv rabbitry started off with the objective of being a very friendly name. As at the end of the day, it carries the word LOVE.

Throughout the years, I have been promoting nice pet shops to help people along with their pets' needs.

Today I would love to make a mention of a local online store (they ship internationally too). It is the Chubby Pets Garden. Although I do not normally get my supplies from them, I love what they carry in their web store. There were a few interesting things that caught my eye. Not to mention the owner of this web store has got quite a nice collection of Chinchillas (I sometimes get an urge to own one of these. LOL!).

I believe the rabbit market is growing as I write this post and since it is a free market, I hope a big portion of my 5000 odd daily visitors will have a go and try out these online shops. All the recommended shops and vets are listed on the REFERENCES page if you have not already notice by now.

We normally reap what we sow. And Tru-Luv Rabbitry like any other, like to reap some LOVE through friendships made through this thing called INTERNET!

I think we just cannot contain the entire world to ourselves as we move in circles. Instead of spreading animosity (sounds like some black pea?), we should spread the LurveeEEEeEeee.....

Sunday 9 November 2008

Gold Card From FurryButts!

The nice buhny peeps over at FB (not FaceBook) gave all of us on their blogroll a BFF Gold Card. Thank you so much buhnies and humans!

I just received it and sent all buhnies at Meadow Haven for a holiday. They forgotten their camera, and I apologize on behalf of them for not posting any photos but this Gold Card I've received.

Thus, I am passing on this card to everyone on my BLOGROLL as well as all rabbit bloggers near and far. Claim it you guys!

bff_goldcard

Saturday 8 November 2008

Tru-Luv PeeGuard V2

I am in the midst of prototyping a new set of pee guard with stainless steel material which is much more sturdy and durable. It will cost me a bomb and I am starting to wander if it is going to be cost effective or not.

I need to learn where to get stainless steel sheets, cutting and lastly, bending them. Definitely can't bend them like Beckham but in order for me to cut the cost, I must get all these done first.

Also, I just realized that I do not need to install the guard all around the cage. I can opt to just install at the corner where my rabbits has chosen as their toilets. This could help me reduce the cost as well since I can just make a bulk of generic pee guard with fixed measurement.

It would be a little messy with younger rabbits but I believe this solution will come in handy once the rabbit has established its corner.

I shall be posting photos of the new pee guard next Saturday and if all goes well, I shall be working on marketing it locally.

The new pee guard will come in pairs of 2 (12 inch long) pieces of stainless steel plates. I will no longer produce plates at various lengths as by having generic plates, I am able to cater for cages in different dimensions.

Friday 7 November 2008

Please Blow Me Blog Away!

The last time this blog went interactive was when I included a couple of polls on it. Let's try something out here.

I am not gonna ask you to flood my blog with comments. I just want to try out an exercise to blow the daily counter away.

So if you're game, click on every post that I have written! LOL...

I want to see how much you really enjoy this blog. Well, I guess this is much easier than writing a comment for me right? Prove to me that I am right. No comments, just mouse clicks!

Thank you very much!

Thursday 6 November 2008

Let The Fun Begin

I was thinking of pushing Holly Hope's kindling date earlier after anticipating some tight schedule ahead.

So after going through careful calculation of estimated kindling dates, I realised that it was good to get her mated with Skor on one of the 3 consecutive Wednesdays. Yesterday being one of the good day to get her covered, I tried putting her with Skor.

I could see that it was an instant failure because, instead of allowing Skor to cover her, she "covered" Skor. LOL!

I am not too good in looking at the color of her vent and it was a little reddish though. But it is quite obvious that she wasn't in the mood because she have not been lifting her buhny bum up whenever I go near her cage lately. She used to circle around in her cage with her bum high up a few weeks back.

Rabbits are induced ovulators and so, by having some introductions between her and Skor should stimulate her enough to be covered. I have 2 more weeks to try out before my dateline of 22nd November. In short, I need to get her covered by 22nd November if I want to get kits before Christmas 2008.

I wouldn't want to have the kindling date too near Christmas fearing that I would be busy or the vets would be closed just in case of any emergency.

I am also hoping that Noobie would be ready to be covered the same time so that she could be my fallback doe should there be any problem that may arise.

Let's hope & pray for some good news soon!

Wednesday 5 November 2008

Moult One Moult All

I have been so lazy these days to write. I am going through a lot of reflection on personal matters and trying to work things out. It is a very crucial period for me personally.

The buhnies at Meadow Haven are bored. LOL! I believe they felt the laziness too. Skor's going through a light moult, Moesha has been moulting quite badly and Noobie's going through this massive moult. The amount of fur flying around the house is almost overwhelming.

For some apparent reason, I am keeping a close watch on the elections going on in the US. It is quite a historic one because the outcome of it will be a real determining factor of the overall mentality of the US citizen. I am hoping to see a truly democratic nation that could be the leader in the world to look beyond the skin color. If every human has got values regardless of race, then Obama should be the next US President. I have not gone through their contributions or whatsoever thus far, but Obama at first impression, gives me a very good feeling. He looks like a champ and has got the aura to be a PRESIDENT. McCain on the other hand reminds me of mini me of Austin Power movie. One that will continue monkeying around with the land of milk and honey. LOL...

Very sorry if you are a supporter and I know politics should not be part of what I should be writing.

Anyhow, personally, I hope to go through a moult. I hope the entire world goes through a moult so that the old can be shed and the new hope shall be a brighter future.

In case you have not shed, it is time to go through a major MOULT!

Sunday 2 November 2008

The 2 Jrs @ TLR

These 2 are still friendly. They are the 2 remaining juniors in Meadow Haven.

Aren't they cute or what?

Saturday 1 November 2008

How It All Started?

A friend asked me recently how this Holland Lop hobby started for me. Well, here is the story or should I say history. LOL...

Pets has always been a part of my life as I was growing up. Both my parents love having pets around and has been very supportive of me having my own pets. We had our first mixed Spitz puppy when I was 5 years old and Puppy (as he was named) became the foundation of my interest in keeping animals as pets. I cannot remember if there was any period of time that we did not have any pets in the house. Puppy was replaced by many other dogs that came and left us - some living their full terms and some wasn't as lucky. My dad taught us to be kind to animals and on many occasions we would rescue stray puppies on the streets and they came and stayed with us until some other good Samaritans came along.

I remembered there was this female mixed Spitz dad found sprawled in a pool of blood (victim of an accident). Dad brought her to the vets and paid for her medical bill. She recovered and we kept her and gave her the name Ruby (she had ruby red eyes). A neighbor fell in love with her and took her home a few months after. She lived full term and passed away in good hands. We were there when our neighbor buried her in their yard.

My interest for pets somehow became an "obsession". LOL. Petshops interest me more than anything else. But being a child I couldn't afford those "expensive junks" offered at the petshops. LOL. Mind you, they now have quite competitive quality pets to offer.

So what about rabbits? My first pair of rabbits were gifts from a best friend in primary school. Apparently he bought them from this breeder a few doors away from my house and brought them over for me one fine Saturday morning. They were New Zealand Whites. I was 8 years old then. As usual, my dad helped me build this cool triangular hutch with an attached run. It was based on the sample showed in a rabbit book I had back then (I still have that book with me on the shelves in my studies!).

That pair of rabbits gave birth to a litter. My first litter of rabbits at 8 years old. Like many inexperienced kid, the doe seemed to be acting nasty towards the kits and naturally, I separated them. I cannot believe now, that I actually learned how to restrain the doe to allow her kits to suckle at that tender age and that is a valuable skill that has helped me in most of my breedings recently.

So throughout the years, I have kept many rabbits and other pets. I always return to having rabbits as pets and I was particularly drawn to the lops. Personally, I hate joining the bendwagon and dislike stereotypes. I like things that defy the norms and those lop ears actually attracted me because they were different.

I had my first local lop ear rabbit when I was 16. My then girl friend (now my wife) named her Lola. She was quite an elderly doe when I got her and she died 2 years after. When my last rabbit died, I stopped keeping rabbits until two years ago. I guess when we are all grown up and earning our own living, we tend to walk down memory lane and try to materialize something that we once passionate about but could not really afford.

The internet has helped me realize my passion. To be very honest, I fell in love with Holland Lops the moment the image of Laurie Stroupe's rabbits loaded on my screen that faithful evening in 2006. There and then, I told myself that I will start working towards the standard of perfection.

Holland Lops - The Hallmark Breed indeed.

And that my friends, is how Tru-Luv Rabbitry was born...