Saturday 30 May 2009

Disapproval: Beth vs Haley

Meet Haley, the meanest buhny on the block. Haley has been totally hormonal since the moment she arrived at Meadow Haven. I guess the journey traumatized her quite a bit or she just doesn’t like me all that much. LOL!

Don't push it!

Don't push it!

Haley has got a few karate moves which includes deadly headbutts & lighting speed punches.

Besides the hot temper, Haley is one of the most beautiful Holland Lop I have ever seen. She has got a huge head and her fur is just fantastic. I do not love her less because of her bad temper but instead, I think she is super cute!

And this morning I was inspired to write about the disapproval face off between Haley and my little daughter of equivalent temper. This was the result.

Sparing mode

Sparing mode

Disapproving Toddler

Disapproving Toddler

Friday 29 May 2009

No Shame, Boo Hoo!

I did not know how hard it is to obtain an ARBA Judge License until recently when I started researching on it. I was going through ARBA.net for more information but I believe that they have since taken off the procedure. One of my search results returned this link, http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071009002034AAXOdwh. It is pretty much the procedure to obtain a Judge's License and I would like to paste the entire content here and highlight some of those that I would like to discuss.

---====START====---

GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS FOR A JUDGE'S LICENSE:

1. Be an ARBA member at least five (5) consecutive years prior to filing for application.

2. Hold a registrar's license for at least two (2) years and have registered at least thirty-five (35) rabbits if applying for a rabbit judge's license, or fifteen (15) cavies if applying for a cavy judge's license.

3. File an application with the ARBA Secretary, including an application fee. Application must be signed by at least twenty (20) ARBA adult members.(See schedule of fees below). There is no refund on this fee if the applicant fails the exam.

4. Complete examination, both written and oral, as soon as possible after making application. The examination must be taken and passed prior to officially assisting a judge at any show. No credit will be given for any show worked prior to examination.

5. Your ARBA District Director makes all arrangements for the examination. The applicant must pass the oral exam with a minimum grade of seventy (70) percent and the written exam with a minimum grade of eighty (80) percent.

6. If the applicant does not pass, he/she may contact the ARBA Secretary via telephone to review the questions missed. Another examination may be requested after a six (6) month waiting period but before a period of twelve (12) months has elapsed. A re-testing fee is required.

7. Assist at eight (8) all breed shows under licensed judges if applying for an all breed license and secure the endorsement of at least six (6) of those judges. Assist in the judging of the desired breed under licensed judges at three (3) shows if applying for a specialty license and secure the endorsement of at least two (2) of those judges. The specified number of shows are in addition to those worked while qualifying for a registrar's license. Applicant must assist with the placement of awards in at least one (1) class in each breed worked.

8. Secure permission from the show superintendent and the judge with whom applicant will be working, prior to the show. Applicant cannot work a breed in which he/she is an exhibitor. Applicant cannot work at an ARBA convention show. Applicant can assist at only one show each calendar day for official credit.

9. The examination must be passed and the required number of shows worked and passed within a three(3) year period from the date of application.

10. All licensed judges must attend an ARBA judge's conference at least once every five (5) years. An annual review test must be completed and passed, if required.

11. A judge must hold a registrar's license and keep it valid.

SCHEDULE OF FEES:

1. Application fee: $100.00

2. Re-test fee: $50.00

3. Annual renewal fee: Rabbit - $20.00 per year (3 years for $50.00,Cavy - $15.00 per year (3 years for $35.00)

4. All licenses are due and payable on January 1st each year.

5. If license is lapsed for a period up to two (2) years, the judge may be reinstated by the Board of Directors upon payment of all back license fees plus a $10.00 reinstatement fee. ARBA MEMBERSHIP MUST REMAIN CURRENT AT ALL TIMES.

6. If license is lapsed for TWO (2) years or more, a new license application is required.

IF FURTHER INFORMATION IS REQUIRED PLEASE CONTACT THE ARBA OFFICE.


American Rabbit Breeders Association, Inc.
PO Box 426 Bloomington, IL 61702
Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - Noon and 12:45 PM - 4:30 PM CST Phone: (309) 664-7500 Fax : (309) 664-0941 Email: ARBAPOST@aol.com

Source(s): http://www.arba.net/howtobeajudge.htm


---====END====---

As you can see, it is not an overnight process to be an ARBA judge. In case you didn't notice, the word REGISTRAR is very important. Registrar is a person who registers your rabbits for you. The rabbits that they register will have their details kept by ARBA. Show bunnies must be registered in order to be granded.

It would be nice to play pretend some day as an ARBA judge. But I'll be so ashamed to even touch someone else's rabbits as a judge if I do not even have a REGISTRAR license. Go figure...

Thursday 28 May 2009

I Needed Fiber, Guess What I Did?

I am always curious about the taste of the food my rabbits eat. Some of my friends know that I have tasted rabbit pellets before. I once chewed on the locally milled pellets and tasted sand in them. That was when I decided to switch feed immediately.

It was stocking up hay day today and like the usual, I bought a packet of Timothy Hay and also the freshness of the Bermuda Hay caught my attention so I decided to bring home a packet of it too.

It smells so good and I just couldn't resist. Curiosity got the best of me. I always wanted to know how these grasses taste like. I have tried Timothy Hay and it tasted good (I believe anything named after me is good stuff!) - LOL!

So I decided to grab a couple of green Bermuda Hay strands and shoved it into my mouth. I didn't taste much for the first few chews but thereafter, HeavenNNNnnnnNnnn.....

You know what it tasted like? If you have ever drank Green Tea at Gengki Sushi, that's how the Bermuda Hay tasted like.

I bet it'll be easier for me to ease myself tomorrow morning when I sit on my throne. Loads of fiber in there!

What exactly did I buy?


Tuesday 26 May 2009

The Art Of Palpation

Practice, practice and more practice! Try feeling a pregnant doe and try feeling a non-pregnant doe. That was what I have been told to do and that was exactly what I have done.

Palpating is a very valuable skill for breeders. It helps us determine if our does are pregnant at least 10 days after mating. And since the gestation period could go a little beyond 28 days, it helps us to decide if rebreeding should be done without having to wait another 18 days more.

What can I say about my palpation experiences? I don't have much to share since I am only beginning to learn this valuable skill. But I would like to share the most hilarious parts of the learning process.

Bearing in mind that fetuses after 10 days should feel like marbles or grapes, I put hands into practice.

There was once that I tried palpating my does and felt a PEARL NECKLACE in her! I was ecstatic! I thought I hit the jackpot. But when I palpated further, I realized that these little pearls are very close to each other. Trying to be optimistic, I just made a mental note and went to bed that night with a joyful heart. I tried again the next day and realized that my pearl necklace was gone!

As I looked into the doe's litter tray, I realized that what I felt the day before was now in it. I was actually feeling her rectum where all the poops were. LOL!

So basically my first lesson was to differentiate between poops and kits.

I have also read about breeders mistaken the kidney for a kit. When I palpated my non pregnant does, I felt the kidney in one of them. It is very hard and rounded in shape just like how a fetus should feel like.

Wish that I could have more does to palpate in order to improve this valuable skill.

Friday 22 May 2009

Get a Box of Pro Optimum & bring Thunder home today

It's been a month now that I have fed my herd Pro Optimum. I noticed instant results after 2 weeks of feeding. I have less waste and the rabbitry is 95% odorless (to be 100% is impossible).

I know most of you love Thunder very much so, by purchasing Pro Optimum, you are able to bring him home. I don't mean the real Thunder but the Thunder on the cover of Pro Optimum. It is a super premium rabbit pellet. Very nutritious filler to go along with daily feeding of HAY.

You can either order online or grab them at the nearest Pet Lovers Center outlet near you. Pet Lovers Center have 2 outlets namely Ikano Power Center & Sunway Pyramid (opposite Giant supermarket).


Thursday 21 May 2009

Types Of Lops

I have written a post regarding this topic but unfortunately have been set as private. Most of the photos on that post has been removed and therefore, I found it inappropriate to publicly publish it.

Today I would like to write about the different types of lops that has been named differently between the US and UK.

I want to thank a friend named Phil Batey for inspiring me to write this. Phil has written many articles over at his website Ruskin Miniature Lops. I have even copied his entire article regarding the History of Lops in one of my posts. Most of the lops available in Australia today came from Phil as he used to ship there before the importation of rabbits into Australia was banned.

Here is a list of lops that I would to talk about:

1. Holland Lop (US)

2. Miniature Lop (UK)

3. Mini Lop (US)

4. Dwarf Lop (UK)

Miniature Lops are actually the UK equivalent of the Holland Lops of the US. One major difference is that, the Miniature Lop tops at approximately 3 .2 lbs whereas the Holland Lop tops at 4 lbs. The way Miniature Lops are posed during show also differ from how the Holland Lops are posed in the US. Phil has written about Miniature Lops and even have photos at the end of the article depicting the different ways of posing. Click here to read.

On the other hand, the Mini Lops of the US are the equivalent of Dwarf Lops in the UK. Isn't it funny why they call them Dwarf Lops when in fact they are bigger than the Miniature Lops? Basically there is nothing Dwarf about Dwarf Lops and in fact together with the Mini Lops (US), they are not considered as a dwarf breed. Their top weight could reach 6 lbs.

That is how confusing the lop world is. To make it simple, just remember these equations:

Holland Lop (US) = Miniature Lop (UK)

Mini Lop (US) = Dwarf Lop (UK)

Simple isn't it?

Wednesday 20 May 2009

TLR Referenced

Nothing makes me happier to have my articles referenced by others.

Just found out that Barrow Bunnies referenced to my Normal, True Dwarf & Peanut post.

Glad to share and this is also one of my favorite topics.

Thanks Barrow Bunnies!

Monday 18 May 2009

Taking A Break

My dear readers, it is now time for me to take a short break from posting. Please do take time going through my older post as I take a short "vacation".

Here are some of my favorite posts:

1. http://truluvrabbitry.com/2009/01/01/how-does-a-8-weeks-old-look-like/

2. http://truluvrabbitry.com/2009/02/03/reminiscence/

3. http://truluvrabbitry.com/2009/03/03/scott-rodriguez-kay-miller-teri-reymann-you-3-had-me-in-tears/

4. http://truluvrabbitry.com/2008/04/17/i-cant-take-another-death-anymore/ (GRAPHIC!)

5. http://truluvrabbitry.com/2008/04/18/my-pd-little-hope/

Happy reading everyone!

Sunday 17 May 2009

Mystifying Ms. Holly Hope

Remember the last post I wrote about Holly Hope? Back then she was just coming out of her molt. I believe she's a stunner now. Her color is definitely something that I would like to work with in my herd. As far as her overall conformation, I must say that a total revamp is needed.

Chocolates and Lilacs shall be my little project on the side line. I am hoping to concentrate on the torts and priority would be given to the tort. On the other hand, my good friend over at LazzyBunny will be working on the Blues.

I can't wait for have a chocolate colored Thunder or Clark. Just imagine how intriguing it would be to have a lilac Thunder or Clark. Simply irresistable!

For the rest of the post, I'll let Holly Hope charm you with her magnificient color.

Striking a Pose
Striking a Pose
Chilling on a Sunday morning
Chilling on a Sunday morning
Getting inquisitive
Getting inquisitive
What's up?
What's up?

I must add that Holly Hope is much smaller than Haley & Carmel. I believe she's the 90's edition of Holland Lop. Back then most Holland Lops seemed to be the lop version of Netherland Dwarfs. They do not look massive due to their small built. These days, Holland Lop does are much bigger looking like bucks.

Personally, I wish to retain her size, add more fillings for massiveness and definitely retain her color. It would be really nice to have these minature bulldoggish Holland Lops.

Saturday 16 May 2009

Brushed Bunnies: The Chinese Brush Painting

If the human genetics is as simple as rabbit genetics, I believe both my parents have each contributed half their creativity gene to me. I attribute all the crazy ideas I get while raising Holland Lops from my dad's artistic traits. As for the problem solving skills, I believe that trait came from my mom. She is a pure innovator I tell you.

My dad paints during his free time. Now he is enjoying his retirement doing what he loves most and to be very specific, Chinese Brush Painting. As our culture slowly fades away, so is the appreciation for the Chinese Brush Painting. I must admit that I draw superheroes using pencils and never the brush. It is something that I just couldn't inherit but I do hope my daughter would be able to pick up the skill.

Though painting is just a hobby, my dad has many proud moments in his passion too. He had a few exhibitions in his younger days and his art works appeared on many major dailies. You will most probably see his works during the Lunar New Year. He fills the newspapers with colorful paintings of the year's zodiac. During the year of the Dog, he drew pedigreed dogs such as Golden Retriever, Boxer and Poodles!

A Golden Retriever with her pups
A Golden Retriever with her pups
A Pair Of Golden Retrievers
A Pair Of Golden Retrievers
A Pair Of Poodles
A Pair Of Poodles

Last year, during the year of the rat, he painted a piece that has got 100 Chinese characters denoting the word rat.

100 Chinese Characters To Spell RAT
100 Chinese Characters To Spell RAT

And since we have the rabbit as one of the zodiacs, he painted one with a couple of bunnies too.

Lops & Kits
Lops & Kits
A Sow & Her Babes. Year of the Boar 2007.
A Sow & Her Babes. Year of the Boar 2007.
Year Of The Ox 2008
Year Of The Ox 2008

While he paints everything with passion, my personal favorite would be his paintings of chickens. His paintings of roosters have a lot of emphasis on the comb. I am particularly drawn to his chicken paintings. Most probably it is because I was born in the year of the Rooster. I find the chicks that he paints rather cute!

Rooster & Chicks
Rooster & Chicks

He now paints exclusively for people who appreciates his work. Most of the time, he paints in accordance to the needs of the requester. Recently, I was inspired to get some paintings done on the Holland Lops. I pestered him to help me paint a few and the results were marvelous! I kept on reminding him to think of bulldogs while he painted my rabbits.

Check these out:

Thunder
Thunder
Clark
Clark
Carmel
Carmel
Haley
Haley

Many people have approached him to paint their pets as keepsakes. If you need anything of that sort, please do email me. I'll be more than happy to hook you up with my DAD!

UPDATE: My dad's weblog is finally up and running. For those who enjoy good art, please visit http://simonchanart.wordpress.com.

Friday 15 May 2009

Anything Bred For Food Will Never Extinct

I want to thank Keat for inspiring me to write this post. Very interesting and accurate theory.

While the conservationists around the globe struggle to protect endangered species, many other animals are thriving beyond recognition. So much so some even become pests in certain countries. Have you ever taken a step back and think about it?

Do you notice that animals bred for food more often than not remain prolific? This may just be the solution to revive the endangered species. Are we talking about breeding Tigers as pets and for food? And can we accept breeding Mountain Gorrillas for food?

I know it is hard to imagine but this seemed to be quite a valid point for us to ponder. Something not done or tried but as the saying goes, "if you never try you'll never know".

There's this country that is well known to gobble up everything that they get their hands on. If this theory is being practiced, I believe this country will be the next Jurassic Park. LOL!

Not too sure about you, but I sort of enjoy pondering about this and let my imagination run wild.

Thursday 14 May 2009

Lifestyle

This is definitely not something new when it comes to keeping pets as a hobby. Before you think about keeping any household pet, you should think hard about your own lifestyle and if bringing fluffy back would complement your everyday life.

Your pet's life must blend into yours and not be an obstruction. For example, if you travel a lot, rabbits are definitely not suitable for you. Let's take a look at the minimum requirements a rabbit needs.

1. Daily feeding

2. Grooming (at least once a week)

3. Cleaning the litter pans

4. Interactions

5. Daily Exercise

I believe for someone that works a lot and hardly stay home, the best pet for you could be snakes. They are known to thrive on a rat once a month. So while you're spending time working, your snake hibernates at home. The least you can do is play with your snake the only day of the month when you feed it. LOL!

My point is, try to understand the needs of an animal before you bring fluffy home. It does not matter what pet you are considering. Even different breed of dogs have different needs and functions. Learn more about their behavior too.

Once you are well aware of their needs, it will be a very fulfilling experience for both you and your pet. Always remember that they should complement you and not the other way around.

Hope you make the right choice, right from the start!

Wednesday 13 May 2009

My Priority Wish List

Holland Lops are not rabbits just like some who regards the Saluki as not a dog. I don't know why they say Saluki is not a dog but I could easily attest why Holland Lops are not rabbits.

Holland Lops are not rabbits mainly because the saying "breed like rabbits" DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT APPLY to them.

I am sure most breeders (especially those with small herds) would agree with me if I say, most of the time spent raising Holland Lops are time spent WAITING. Whether you have kits in the nest boxes or not, you still have to wait. I am starting to believe that Holland Lops are very suitable for those who work as IT Engineers. The IT Engineers spend most of their time waiting for system to be booted up, installation to compete and for the system to crash again so that they can continue waiting - LOL!.

And since we cannot run away from the fact that we solve most problems that we create, I have thought long and hard on the solution to help ease the frustration of waiting. Unfortunately, none of them is feasible.

My first proposed solution for those who are able to try is, breed your rabbits and go to sleep for 30 days. When you awakes, you will either find next boxes filled with fur and kits or empty nest boxes with all the does grinning at you.

My second proposed solution is to reduce the gestation period of Holland Lops to let's say 10 days. How amazing it would be that even before you can palpate the does, you get kits popping out? Isn't this brilliant idea? I think this should go to the standard committee to be passed so that everyone can start breeding Holland Lops that kindles after 10 days of mating. How much "down time" we can reduce with this method.

As compared to the first method which has got a 30 days "down time" literally, I would prefer the 2nd method if it is feasible.

Isn't it very frustrating reading this nonsense post?

Now you understand how most Holland Lop breeders feel don't you?

Holland Lops RULEZZzzZZzzzzz!

Tuesday 12 May 2009

Updates On Tattoo

This is a post requested by Mr. Darma. He told me that the word "tattoo" seemed to be on his mind and wanted to know how the tattoo turned out thus far. I was kind of disappointed with Truffles' tattoo as I though his was the best.

I believe single digit is one of the reasons why the tattoo seemed to have faded. If I have 3 or 4 digits, they would be a little more legible.

Can you see 1?
Can you see 1?

On the other hand, I expected the least from Seychel's tattoo but it turned out much legible compared to Truffles'.

Can you see 2?
Can you see 2?
I hope Mr. Darma is happy with this update and thanks for the suggestion.


Monday 11 May 2009

The Unsung Heroins

If you notice, 9 out of 10 rabbitry websites that you visit, you will only get to see photos of the finest, the prettiest and the many grand champions the breeder has. Ever wonder where all the best came from? You will be surprised how valuable brood does are to rabbit breeders.

They produce many and has got tons of milk to raise kits, brood does seldom get their due credits. The next time you visit a rabbitry website, try to look out for grand champs with their parents listed. Most often than not, you will find the sire to be a grand champion but the dam is an unknown doe.

Brood does are indeed very valuable hosts that bear and raise kits. Most of the time brood does are made up of 2 normal genes. There are high chances that they will bear normals too. But the trade off would be that it is unlikely for them to produce peanuts. This gives you more viable kits in the long run.

Just wanted to dedicate this post to all the unsung heroins in our rabbitries and barn. The true life bearers!

Sunday 10 May 2009

Seychel's Staying

Seychel was scheduled for spaying in July and then passed on to her new owner Farah a week after that. Due to the reason that I needed another brood doe for the rabbitry, I had a little discussion with Farah and she ended up offering me to keep Seychel instead.

I am truly grateful to Farah for her understanding and I am very happy to be able to keep Seychel with me.

Thanks a million Farah!

Saturday 9 May 2009

Truffles, I thought you look good today

I was cleaning cages when I noticed that nice pose Truffles was in. I thought to myself that he is looking kind of cute. So I decided to take some pictures of him and that lead me to judge him based on my understanding of the SOP. I am sure you'll agree with me how cute this little fellow is.

Putting On The Cute Look
Putting On The Cute Look
One of my favorites
One of my favorites
Close up on the head
Close up on the head

While I was being so engrossed in looking through the lenses, out of a sudden, I saw a pair of chopsticks! It was Beth! She thought Truffles' eye looked delicious and wanted to try practice her motor skills picking out the eye using the chopsticks. I stopped her while laughing hard rolling on the floor! ROFL!!!!

Yummy Truffles?
Yummy Truffles?

I normally do not bother my ugly juniors that much although they get their usual run time, I do not judge them. Being a "show" breeder, I have learned to be extremely fussy with how my rabbits look. There are definitely exterior traits that I look out for in each and everyone of my rabbits. I must say that most breeders expect much more from their rabbits compared to a real judge. I believe it is inevitable. To stay competitive, the breeder much ensure their rabbits are up to the competition come what may. You will not be surprise that breeders judge their rabbits the hardest.

As for me, I do have my own preferences eventhough we are yet to have any ARBA sanctioned rabbit shows here. I simply get the thrills from comparing my rabbits to those from top breeders in the US. Although I am not a judge, the photos below would be points that I will look out for if I am one.

Please note that this is my own personal opinion based on my own preferences and what I share here does not reflect in anyway the opinions of a professional ARBA judge. Feel free to comment.

Let's do a point to point comparison. Truffles is almost 4 months old. I hope he'll improve through time. It may be unfair for him that I used a GC as a point of reference but I just wanted to share what I look out for personally.

Let's walk through the crown. It is very obvious Clark has got a very prominent crown. It is one of the things I like about him.

DSC03489I strongly believe that in certain cases, the crown is so badly slipped behind, it pushes the ears down making them look extremely long. This is one of the strong point to prove the Summer ears theory wrong as genetics is still the prime determinant of ear length.

DSC03500

A HL's head should be 50% to approximately 67% in length compared to its body length. That should give you a ratio between 1:1.5 and 1:2.

DSC03467

You may have heard breeders mentioning the "DEPTH OF CHEST". The depth of chest is how the head rest on the rabbit's shoulder. In the HL, it is highly desirable that the rabbit seemed to NOT have a neck. The chest is exactly where the chin should be resting.

DSC03479

A lot of emphasis is placed on the HL's head alone. We always strive to have the massive look and most of it comes from the head. The head should be wide and to judge that, the width between the eyes must be as wide as possible.

DSC03462

The width of the shoulders also determines the massive look. Truffles do have quite narrow shoulders for now. I hope he grows up with thicker bones although not likely. LOL!

The front legs should look like a stump, short and thick!

DSC03520

Please correct me if I have used the wrong terms. If not, basically these are the things I look out for in a Holland Lop.

Hope you enjoyed my sharing. Holland Lop rules!

Friday 8 May 2009

Goodies Day!

It felt like Christmas today. I have never receive so many gifts in a day before. I was expecting a package but they all came on the same day.

First of all, I would like to thank Aunt Karen and Uncle John for sending me a HLRSC T-Shirt (in my favorite color - blue!) and the 2009 ARBA Year Book. I enjoyed the yearbook although I was not listed because I am a first year member. I fit into the T-Shirt perfectly and I love the LOGO! Thank you so so so so much! Love ya both lotsa!

My HLRSC T-Shirt & ARBA 2009 Yearbook
My HLRSC T-Shirt & ARBA 2009 Yearbook
Don't you just love the LOGO?
Don't you just love the LOGO?

Next, thank you Kak Azian for sending me Woody Pets pellets. Now my rabbit will be completely odorless and squeky clean!

Pos memang Laju...
Pos memang Laju...
Lastly, I received the Spring 2009 issue of The Hollander. This issue is dedicated to the colored Holland Lops. There are a few photos of absolutely stunning colored Holland Lops from all my favorite breeders. I am definitely staying up late to read all the wonderful articles in there!
The colorful Hollander!
The colorful Hollander!


Thursday 7 May 2009

Tails From Meadow Haven Chapter 9: Mirror Mirror On The Wall

"Hey you there!"

"I said, hey you there!"

"Oh man, there's this one that looks exactly like me staring at me each time I stared at it"

"I noticed that too!"

"Oh really? All I can see from here is some dark thing moving around. Those belong to you both?"

"Did someone just said something?"

"I thought I heard something to but the mouth isn't moving"

"Let me trying moving a little"

"My goodness! It's following you!"

"Maybe its on the other side"

"No, it smell exactly like....ME!"

"You can actually smell it from there?"

"Yeah, but this is the smell that I smell all day all night. Is it me or you?"

"Whatever!"

"I can't take it anymore!"

"Take what?"

"I just can't take it anymore knowing someone's staring at me!"

"What ya doing bout it?"

SPLAT! SPLAT! SPLAT!

"Oh no! Don't tell me you did what I think you did. That is so not cool. You should only do that to something you like"

-GO FIGURE-

Wednesday 6 May 2009

What Does It Really Mean Breeding The Best

We have heard it a million times. Breed closely to the standard of perfection. That is just about a very small percentage of what breeding the best is all about. Breeding closely to the SOP is just in the form of outlook as in how a rabbit should look like on the exterior. Ever wonder about the inside?

Even the famous computer manufacturer would want you to know what's INSIDE right? That's why you see the I*tel Inside whenever you purchase a computer. That's because as nice as the exterior looks, your computer should have the substance to help you browse through Facebook in the speed of light. LOL!

The quality of rabbits do not depend on the type of food given or how well they are groomed or conditioned. Everything lies in GENETICS. With good genetics you get resilient, tough and very healthy rabbits. And how far are we trying to achieve this? You'll be surprised if I say to the point where the rabbits can be champs eating junk pellets. Yes, that is exactly what good breeders are trying to do. The rabbits should be as good inside out!

There are many diseases that a bunny owner fear. We often hear about the silent killer called G.I. Stasis and others similar deadly problems in our rabbits. These are but a few problems that has not been bred out. I believe very much that well bred rabbits should be free from it should be the priority of breeders to get strong rabbits.

If you think about it, it totally make sense because if you breed something that heavily depends on let's say a certain brand of food, what happens if the rabbit goes to a place where it is impossible to get hold of the same brand? It will certainly not thrive. Therefore, adaptability must also be a trait breeders strive for in their breeding programme.

It may sound cruel to discard the weak but if we think hard, it is totally necessary. For example, I am sure most of us like our lamb chops in certain texture. If the farm produces lambs with bad flesh, most likely it will cease to exist. And likewise, you wouldn't be patronizing products from it as well just because you want the farm to continue its operations.

When we start off producing the best, in the long run we get to minimize out input and still maximize the output. That is what it means to breed the best. We minimie in terms of labor attending to sick animals, minimize medication and also the mortality rate. With that, our products are of quality.

With that said, there are may factors to determining quality in everything. We have been emphasizing the importance of Hay in our rabbits' diet. It is not wise for us to go to the extreme of feeding our rabbits just hay and at the same time, it is also not wise for us to go to the extreme of feeding just pellets as well. But for now, I would like to touch on the topic of hay.

I believe we all know that hay comes in season. They are harvested in different seasons and that determines the quality of the hay as well. Same species of hay planted and harvested at different times may yield different results in terms of quality. It is said that most hay that are harvested during Autumn have the best quality.

So what actually determines the quality of hay and how do we judge as consumers. There are generally 5 determining factors namely time of harvest, the leaf & stem ratio, color of the hay, the smell of the hay and the presence of foreign objects (I once found a huge locust in my bundle of hay). Four out of five points that I have listed above could be ascertain by the consumer. It is quite difficult for us to determine the time of harvest unless we have seen how the hays from different harvest times look like.

Hay with a lot of leafs on thin or fine stems are considered as good hay harvested at good time. I am sure some of us have had the experience of getting a bag of alfalfa filled with thick stems with little leafs.

Fresh hay should be brigh green in color (though some are known to have been dyed). If your hay is light golden yellow, most probably it has been sun bleached and this reduces palatability and carotene. Still, it can be used nonetheless. Dark brown, black and brown hay should be avoided as these may be indication of rain damage or heat damage. Heat damaged hays are brown in color because of microbial (mold) growth. It means that the hay has gone moldy.

The smell of hay is another good indication of its freshness and I am sure this can be easily sensed.

And of course foreign objects can determine the quality of hay. Having poisonous plants in the packet of hay is highly undesirable while getting a locust in the hay may be an indication that it is so good that the locust can't resist it (no scientific evidence on the latter though and the rest are sheer common sense).

Our rabbits has been domesticated for many years and to emulate their wild cousin in captivity would be something quite ridiculous. Little or more, we should believe in that there could be a slight alteration in their digestive system. And another factor to consider is that, we will never be able to stimulate the natural form of diet in captivity. Thus, we have pellets to balance things up. Pellets are of course made of hay. If you have researched on the way rabbit pellets are made, you should know that basically alfalfa is being grinded into fine powder, added to fillers and more materials to form the pellets. In feeding pellets, we can be sure that our rabbits are able to consume nutrients in a consistent manner unlike being dependant on hays which varies in quality based on the determining factors discussed earlier.

But of course, it is undeniable hay works in more ways than providing nutrients. They also act as roughage and helps in keeping our rabbits' teeth short through the chewing process.

Coming back to the point of breeding the best, what I can say is that, the food does not and should not make the rabbits but, it matters what the rabbits make out of the food.

Lastly, I would like to share with you a story told to me by a dear friend I call Keat. It was told to him by a farmer.

Once upon a time, there was a shepherd with his flock of sheep. One of his newborn lamb is not doing well. He can hardly walk and his mama sheep rejects him. So old shepherd gave it a shot of whiskey. Sure enough, the lamb got stronger. The shepherd didn't mind cos he now has a drinking buddy. Come time for slaughter, that weak lamb is not the biggest & the friendliest. So he survived the trip to the stockyard. Next year, all the lambs are sired by this handsome ram.

Shepherd now realized, he got nothing but a whole flock of whiskey drinking sheep. So, moral of the story....

We all have whiskey lamb for dinner! LOL...

That was my version of the moral to the story.

The real moral of the story is, the shepherd has bred weak genetics into his flock. They can't survive without Whiskey!

And how true it is...

Tuesday 5 May 2009

The Way I Groom It

Most of my time is spent grooming my rabbits. I groom them in a weekly basis. I just like to share with you although as simple as it is, the way I groom my rabbits.

Firstly, I groom my rabbit in all sorts of positions. Some people find it hard to groom their bellies but it is quite easy for me. I believe that top of the rabbit's body is the easiest to reach and can be easily done.

For the bellies, I usually trance my rabbits. Likewise, I also clip their nails in that position with ease. Maybe all my bunnies are very well behaved or perhaps they are extremely comfortable with me. I prefer the latter.

Now as for the tools I use. For a rabbit in molting season, I prefer to go through him or her using the Furminator. This will get rid of tons of fur. I normally have a vacuum cleaner on as I groom so that the fur would get sucked in right away without having any going into my nose (very irritating!).

For a normal grooming session, I love using the slicker. I have 2 slicker brushes with metal bristles and one of them is a Ball Pin Slicker. I usually use the normal slicker brush on areas with thicker fur because rabbits skin is very sensitive to scratches. I have scratched a few of my bunnies accidentally and though they usually recovers fast, I get a heartache.

As for the face, paws, tail and thigh areas I use the ball pin slicker because the fur in those areas are thinner. Even with a ball pin slicker, their skin will get red if too much pressure is used while brushing.

The thing I like about using slicker brushes is that, their fur get fluff up and they end up looking like ball.

A well groomed bunny is a happy bunny. Hope this helps and happy grooming everyone!

Monday 4 May 2009

Congratulations to Teri Reymann!

As you all know by now, I share the joy in knowing how well my friends do on the show table in the US. Over the weekend, Big Valley Rabbit Association organized a double open show and over 1200 rabbits were shown.

I want to congratulate Teri for coming up victorious with her Netherland Dwarfs, siamese sable Sonshine's Kashmir and her blue eyed white Sonshine's American Woman.

americanwoman5-3-09
Sonshine's American Woman

Both of them won Best Opposite of Variety & Group under renown judge Doug King while Kashmir went on to win Best Of Breed under judge Manuel Hidalgo.

kashmir5-3-09
Sonshine's Kashmir

Teri's Red Eyed White nethie Sonshine's Ice Cream Man won Best Of Variety in Show B under judge Manuel Hidalgo.

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Sonshine's Ice Cream Man

I am as ecstatic as Teri herself. LOL! Don't I make a good rabbit show commentator?

I must also add that there is something about Teri's principles that many breeders should emulate. She believes in taking pride and merit for showing rabbits that she breeds and not win off a rabbit that she buys from others. I really respect her for that although there is nothing wrong showing something that you bought from a fellow breeder.

I really can't help being happy for her! Congratulations once again, Teri!

Sunday 3 May 2009

Variety of LIFE

All around us, we see so many colors, different faces and a great deal of abundances. As I went through the children section in the bookstore last evening, I found this wonderful book simply entitled "Wildlife Atlas: A complete guide to animals and their habitats" by John Farndon. In the introduction section, John Farndon's first sentence were "Perhaps uniquely in the universe, our planet teems with life". In that sentence alone, I could relate to Mr. Farndon right away and I could not agree more.

The cover
The cover

As you can see, I was going through the children section to find something interesting for my little baby. I like the children section because it is where innocence and creativity can be found most. I find myself going through less complicated materials and it brings me back to the basics. I found this book very interesting because the author has carefully included very accurate and detailed information of animals and their habitats accompanied by very nice illustrations of them too. I then asked my wife what she thinks about it and how our little 21 months old daughter would like it. She said bluntly that Beth may take another 2 years or so to understand it. I made up my mind right away that I have got to get this book. Why?

I told my wife that, based on her response, I felt that it has become mandatory for me to get this book. It is very simple. In another 2 years time there would be a new edition of this book and Beth would only be able to see 50% of what the author has written thus far. You see, in another 2 years time, it would be quite possible that half the species featured in this book may well be extinct. And the reason I must get this book is because, in the next 2 years when my daughter is able to understand, I would like her to know how abundant our earth was 2 years ago when I bought this book.

The book writes about how each species is important to the larger ecosystem and each species has a role to play in our planet. I guess the greatest role and responsibility lies in the hands of us, humans. We have seen documentary after documentary telling us about 1 thing - Global Warming. At this very moment, I must say that we are experiencing the warmest temperature for the longest time thus far. I am personally feeling the heat in the heart of urban Klang Valley. And if you ask me, without a doubt, it bothers me very much.

I believe very much that though very different we are as individuals, like every species of animal, we have a role to play. We could do our very little and collectively contribute a great deal in the larger picture. For the past months, I have seen a great deal of variety of ways people raise rabbits. We have the politically corrects who are quick to jump on their wits when rabbits were abused or used as delicacies to breeders culling for perfections and farmers raising rabbits for food. At each different spectrum, every individual have their own stands and judgments. If you think about it, even in rabbits, there could be so many varieties and this is but a small part of how multi faceted our lives are. Taking away the varieties could mean a life less colorful.

And then we have road users who love to throw bottles out of their car windows and dog owners that do not pick up after their dogs. Well, it takes a lot to make a civic minded community. Our lives still go on as much we hate the fact that there are people with different ideologies around us. As long as we do not impose our ideologies into another, I believe our lives are otherwise peaceful.

What I really trying to say here is that, we could always move forward to make our lives and our earth a better place no matter how different we are. We just need to do certain things in different ways to achieve the same objectives. There are more than 1 way to recycle a bottle as long as we do not throw it out of the window while we're driving. There could be more than 1 way we could pick up after our dogs as long we do it. There is definitely more than 1 way to keep our rabbits healthy as long we do it.

We could save our planet we call home as long as we reduce, reuse and recycle.

Or else there could be more than 1 way how we leave this planet - we starve, we suffocate or we melt to death?


Saturday 2 May 2009

Carmel Sweet As Caramel

I totally adore this beautiful girl. She's blowing coat at the moment due to feed change. Hope she blooms and get her condition back again soon!

If you haven't notice, she's a natural poser!
If you haven't notice, she's a natural poser!
Any photographer would enjoy working with this doe!
Any photographer would enjoy working with this doe!
It is because she's molting!
It is because she's molting!
Listening intently...to the sounds of the camera clicks
Listening intently...to the sounds of the camera clicks
Hmmm...
Hmmm...

Friday 1 May 2009

My Haley Girl!

I used to watch this TV Series called One Tree Hill. I like the name Haley played by Bethany Joy Galeotti. What a coincidence. I now have both Haley & Bethany under my care. LOL!

My favorite photo thus far!
My favorite photo thus far!
Cute eh?
Cute eh?
Massive?
Massive?
Buck or Doe?
Buck or Doe?
Another cute pose!
Another cute pose!