Welcome To The Rabbit Geek!

Britain's Rabbit Grand National Show

2012-01-29T19:37:00.000-08:00

Britain's Rabbit Grand National Show features the best of Britain. See the article:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2093389/Burgess-Premier-Small-Animal-Show-2012-Rabbit-Grand-National-attracts-best-Britains-bunnies.html

Caught on Web

2012-01-27T19:53:00.000-08:00

Caught on the Web - Sites of Interest

40 Interesting Facts about Rabbits

This list is posted at Three Ladies Rabbitry

http://www.threelittleladiesrabbitry.com/rabbitfacts.php

#8 ARBA recognizes 47 breeds, not 45 breeds

#39 I don't agree with. Sweaty muzzles are a sign of heat stress.

Information on the internet should always be tested with logic and your experience. Your rabbits do not read the internet so they do not know all that information applies to them.

Rabbit Farm in the news

Champlain Valley Rabbitry, Vermont USA

http://www.7dvt.com/2006/rabbit-run

New processing plant in Marion NC

Will handle poultry and rabbit for local producers

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20120110/NEWS/301100018/Poultry-processor-open

Bologna Sandwiches and Roasted Rabbit by Habeeb Sollum

Includes roast rabbit recipe

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/salloum61.html

Alebrijes Mexican bistro serving unique dishes with lamb, duck, rabbit, Lodi, Calif.

http://www.lodinews.com/dining/article_d7403966-48fe-11e1-a67b-0019bb2963f4.html

Have a good day!

The Christmas Bunny

2012-01-19T19:00:00.000-08:00

On Facebook, the creator of the movie "The Christmas Bunny" apologized to the House Rabbit activists for basically not living up to their expectations. I say those expectations are unreasonable and illogical. See some of the comments at "A Message - The Christmas Bunny"

Some of my postings follow:
As a former 4H rabbit project leader, I'm glad that you showcased a educational farm where rabbits are raised. Not only do they help educate thousands of visitors each year, they helped YOUR film project. Your film even helped the House Rabbit Network chapters that sold copies of the DVD to raise revenues. You did nothing wrong. In my book, you don't need to apologize.

The bad breeders that are mentioned represent a fraction of a percent of all breeders. Most breeders are responsible. There are millions of rabbit born on farms in this country. Rabbits provide food and employment for many people in this country and in the world at large! Rabbits feed the world.

I do surveys on rabbit breeds and populations. I trade information with thousands of 4H and FFA rabbit breeders every month. And the commercial rabbit breeders I trade info with tell me the showbunny population is only a small percentage of all the domestic rabbits. The number of "bad" breeders are still a small fraction of a percent of all breeders. The number of rabbits in shelters are only a tiny fraction of the total population.

... saying that some breeders eat the reject showbunnies is a statement of truth. The truth is not going to hurt breeders. Because if one believes in science then the fact is that rabbits feed the world. Food chain! Food chain! Food chain! Rabbits eat grass. They get eaten by other animals. The amazing birth rate of rabbits is because so many get eaten. Most rabbits in the wild get eaten before they are a year old. Breeders who eat rabbit as food are fulfilling the purpose of the rabbit on this planet. Rabbits feed the world.

USDA is not the final authority on rabbit nor should they be. They are a federal agency. State and county regulations and codes often classify rabbits as livestock. State and county regulations also require that rabbits/livestock be cared for humanely. Animal herdsmanship standards require that rabbits be cared for humanely.

Have a good day!

Savoury rabbit stew

2011-12-28T20:33:00.000-08:00

Savoury rabbit stew recipe.

From Brandon Sun newspaper
http://www.brandonsun.com/lifestyles/breaking-news/savoury-rabbit-stew-with-blueberries-a-warming-meal-after-outdoor-winter-sports-136334023.html?thx=y

Have a good day!

Bob Whitman

2011-12-08T18:53:00.000-08:00

Bob Whitman wrote the book "Domestic Rabbits and Their Histories:Breeds of the World"

Bob got his information from the ARBA library as well as from his own collection
of rabbit books and memorabilia.

I just found this link to a youtube video showing his collection
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n398Sg-6C2k&feature=player_embedded#!

He was also director of the botanical garden in Beaumont, Texas.

Have a good day!

New Zealand Rabbit Colors

2011-12-04T06:56:00.000-08:00

Photo: 3 NZ Bucks-Big Daddy (Black), Johnny (White), Snavely Buck (Red)

The New Zealand breed rabbit was created in USA. Red was the original color recognized. The White and Black varieties became recognized later. The White dominates as a color of choice for meat processors while the Black provides a dense, deep color fur. The Red also provides a deep color fur and I would consider it a "Heritage" variety of a USA rabbit breed.

Photo is from the rabbitgeek files.

Have a good day!

Sprang Unsprung on the bus

2011-11-24T07:25:00.001-08:00

You can see more of the unsprang bag at my other blog:
Franco's Fiber Adventure

http://francosfiberadventure.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html

Have a good day!

Meat Rabbits from Auction or Breeder

2011-11-20T13:24:00.000-08:00

People ask "Can I buy meat rabbits at the auction?"

If you mean you are buying rabbits for meat because you are going to eat them, the auction is okay because all rabbits are made out of meat. If you are buying rabbits to breed more rabbits to eat, I recommend buying breeding stock from a breeder. Otherwise one could be breeding auction rabbits that won't get pregnant or won't raise their litters.

After a few missed cycles of breeding and waiting it could be four to six months down the road before realizing that the auction rabbits aren't going to produce. Then we decide we need to buy breeding stock from a breeder. When I buy from a breeder I am relying on their experience in producing rabbits that will produce more rabbits.

While I hear a lot of stories about buyers getting crappy rabbits from known breeders, I hear even more stories about buying auction rabbits and getting no litters. The exception to this would be when you can buy live meat pens or fryers from 4H or FFA breeders at the County Fair auction. Usually those rabbits are descended from good breeding stock.

Reminder for newbies: All rabbit sales are "Caveat Emptor" or Buyer Beware! Do your homework before shopping for a rabbit.

Have a good day!

Rabbit as food

2011-11-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

Find these news articles delicious:

Charlestown City Paper

Eat This Tonight: veal, eggplant, rabbit, and pork belly
Braise the Roof
by Ryan Overhiser

Wall Street Journal

Paneed Rabbit with Citrus, Sage and Caper-Butter Sauce
The last of four easy-enough recipes by Stephen Stryjewski

Have a good day!

Sprang Unsprung on the bus

2011-10-18T22:01:00.000-07:00

Starting a new Sprang project for Weavolution's "Halloweave" challenge. My first challenge is to unsnarl the start of this cotton yarn. I'm planning to make a small bag and the only time I can make for this is during my commute to work.

I'm using a small booklet to wind my yarn in kind of a figure 8 pattern. See the new book by Carol James titled "Sprang Unsprung." Sprang as traditionally taught is done on a continuous looped warp. But in Carol's book, the first thing we learn is that sprang can be done with free ends. That makes my project possible on the train/bus/train routine of my daily commute!

At work during lunch break I cut one side of the V shape loops. This gives me yarn ends that are roughly twice as long as the booklet. Which is the size I wanted for the bag.

Using the Sugar and Creme self striped dyed yarn allows me to work with stripes in shades that mix well with each other. That cardboard on left is my frame for this work. I'll loop a string around it to hold my sprang.

Here I have hung the yarn on the header string. The cardboard frame is 4 layers of 8-1/2 by 11 inch card stock (thick) that I taped together. I also cut some narrow strips of cardboard to help keep the different rows of sprang separate. See the "safety string" that gets pulled through as I work to help keep the rows separate.

Back on the bus, all the elements are in place. And now the goal is make a bag out of plain sprang. More to follow later.

Have a good day!

Mission Manna in Haiti

2011-10-16T07:11:00.001-07:00

MissionManna.org is training health care workers in Haiti and teaching people to raise rabbits for meat. This June post from their blog shows hutches, rabbits, and a garden. Bravo to Mission Manna for teaching Haitians to care for Haitians.

http://missionmanna.org/2011/06/an-update-from-montrouis/

Have a good day!

Hawks Go To Church

2011-10-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

crossposted 10/13/11

(click pics for larger image)
Morning comes softly over the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Sacramento. And now the drama begins.

The pigeons on top of the tower are flushed by a Red Tail Hawk (red arrow) trying to grab a fly by breakfast. Unsuccessful.

Here comes the other hawk (red arrow) hoping to nab a pigeon who hasn't seen the memo about the breakfast fly by. Again unsuccessful.

The pair of Red Tail hawks are having a meeting in a nearby Sequoia tree to discuss the breakfast situation.

As the pigeons settle in catch some more rays on the roof of the tower.

They are once again disturbed by a hawk on another breakfast fly by, note the dark blur on the left side of the pic.

Once again. Unsuccessful. I expect the hawks can do this all day. I want yell at the pigeons. I want to tell them to become Catholics and move to the roof at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament!

10/15/11 Edited to add this sequence:

A new morning. The hawk does its breakfast fly by.

And snatches a pigeon off the roof of the tower.

And flies off with it to a nearby tree. Pigeon fans do not fear. Because a few moments laters the pigeon broke loose and flew out of the tree. Hopefully wiser.

I like my new camera. Its a Lumix with 16X zoom and a bunch of features that make it a little magic picture box.

That's my corner of the world!
Franco Rios

For Five Days

2011-10-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

88th American Rabbit Breeders Association Convention and National Show
October 29 to November 2, 2011

Good luck to everyone who is going!
http://racetoindy.com/

Oakland urban farmers fight for right to raise food

2011-10-09T08:36:00.001-07:00

Urban farmers fighting to take back their right to raise their own food in Oakland!

"Should Oakland's backyard farmers raise and kill animals for food?"
Article: Sacramento Bee 10/9/2011

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/10/09/3970061/should-oaklands-backyard-farmers.html

Be sure to add your comments to the article if you feel inclined to do so!

Have a joyful day!

Rabbit trips up chef

2011-10-08T07:13:00.000-07:00

News from MasterChef Ireland contest.
I wish there was pictures but just the brief description makes me want to go to Dublin.
Have a good day!

Click for article:
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/kfqlauaukfid/rss2/

Beagles are legal

2011-10-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

Beagles are legal for hunting rabbits in California.
In case you don't want to use firearms.
Have a good day!

Click for article:
http://www.willows-journal.com/sports/fish-7285-legal-asked.html

ARBA is us!

2011-10-02T21:54:00.001-07:00

ARBA is comprised of all the the dues paying members. Those of us who are ARBA need to get involved. When California Senate Bill 917 putting restrictions on rabbit sales went to the legislature for a vote, ARBA President Mike Avesing heard about it from ARBA members and issued a call to action requesting all ARBA members to contact the California legislature to lobby against the bill. We are ARBA. We are mobilizing. We are going to take action. Mike Avesing is with us and so are other leaders, directors, and committee members. If we want ARBA to get more involved then we need to get involved with ARBA.

ARBA is not there to do things for us, ARBA is us. We need to do these things. Contact your director today. Contact the clubs you belong to and the clubs where you show rabbits and cavies. Get involved with running the shows. Help with setting up and taking down. Help with watching each other's animals.

Roll up your sleeves and become an ARBA activist.

Have a good day!

Red American Rabbit

2011-09-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

(photo: Red, White, Blue American rabbits, photo by Allen Mesick used by permission)

I saw a picture posted by Alan Messick on Facebook showing a Red, a White, anda Blue American from Chris Hemp displayed at Crescent City CA rabbit show.

The American rabbit breed is one of the rarest in the USA and only is recognizedin Blue and White. Some people have been suggesting the development of a Redvariety in the breed so the American breed could come in Red, White, Blue whichis the colors of the flag of USA! Seeing an actual Red rabbit from the American breed is a surprise and a delight!

Some people think we should practice saving the white and blue and perfecting it before bringing in another variety. They are a very rare breed and we should do everything to help bring there numbers up.

People are breeding more Americans than they were before. The current crop of American breeders are saving the blue and white by driving breeding stock all over the country in the last two years. They have adopted strategies like using blacks as blue carriers to increase the number blues. They have been crossing whites and blues then culling out the unwanted colors. They are working the breed like crazy. If somebody wants to push the envelope and develop a new variety then more power to them. Chris Hemp has been promoting Blues and Whites for about six years. So if anybody knows how to make a Red American it would be Chris. I applaud her efforts! Look how excited people are about a possible new variety of American! That's how to promote a breed.

Well done Chris!

Have a joyful day!

Space Rabbits of Brocklevoons

2011-08-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

One of the fun things about the internet is finding links to wacky things
that will tickle one to the core! Have a good day!

Space Rabbits Of Brocklevoons on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz_X4LW5dyY

Space Rabbits of Brocklevoons', by Kate Rowe and accompanied by Ryan
Morrison. This was filmed during their Australian tour, at Albêdo in
North Lake, Perth, on the 9th May 2009. Kate Rowe is an Australian
songwriter from the Blue Mountains in NSW. Ryan Morrison is from W.A.
and also performs solo and with the Spooky Men's Chorale

Rabbit Agility

2011-08-21T21:40:00.001-07:00

Rabbit Agility - In the real bunny world, the rabbit is a runner, a jumper. The rabbit is fast and nimble. The rabbit has a thousand enemies that will catch it and eat it. But first they have to catch it. Using the natural talents of the rabbit there are events called Rabbit Agility or Rabbit Show Jumping. You can find some information in facebook, and great stuff on youtube.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rabbit-show-jumping/112136552139311?ref=ts

Youtube videos
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rabbit+show+jump&aq=f

Have a good day!

Soylent Green Anyone

2011-08-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.examiner.com/pets-in-oakland/soylent-green-anyone
"Soylent Green Anyone" by Sami Segale
Oakland (CA) Examiner

All pig breeders and rabbit breeders need to read this article. It talks about freedom to produce our own food. Starts talking about raising a market pig then discusses Debe Bell's rabbits in Colorado.

Have a good day!

Real Bunny World

2011-08-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

When you go to Facebook, search for REAL BUNNY WORLD which is my new Facebook group where rabbit breeders and pet owners can share questions and answers in a open group format.

In the real bunny world, rabbits feed the world. Rabbits were carried by sailors and soldiers everywhere to feed travelers.

Rabbits are a multpurpose animal. We need to embrace the rabbit for what it is.

https://www. facebook. com/groups/ 125157017579447/

And our numbers are in the tens of thousands. ARBA has over 23,000 members. Not to mention many times more that are rabbit keepers.

We can move hundreds and thousands of rabbits for rabbits shows, fairs, and demonstrations. We can move tens of thousands of rabbits for national shows.

Talk to your family and friends. Talk to your friends in law enforcement or that work for the county. They'll learn that rabbit keepers are not part of a problem, we're part of the community!

Have a good day!

How big is too big?

2011-08-13T19:19:00.000-07:00

Rabbitgeek posts from Facebook:
"One immediate problem is that small breeders often find themselves in trouble with the zoning department. If rabbits are protected as livestock, many times there is the requirement for acreage to serve as a buffer for neighbors. In one area, one needs 1/2 an acre to qualify for "incidental agricultural" use. A common size lot single family dwelling is 1/8 of an acre."

"Laws that get passed do not affect big guys and little guys equally. The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) would apply to all animal raisers but while small farms have to pay a per animal license (expensive) the big operations get to buy a site license for pennies per animal."

" I have no problem with somebody who has 500 working does. Or even 1000 working does. What I don't want to see is laws that require us to have 500 working does before we are considered "legitimate" farmers/breeders. If small farm/homesteading/urban farming is going to be successful, we need some parity with the big guys. But if the big guy is Cargill, I'm gonna be toast. No, I'm going to be the shadow of toast."

"Like the recent laws in Calif about chicken egg producers required to use bigger cages or pen or range feeding. If big rabbit producers are forced to use huge cages, we will all be redesigning our rabbitries. Other issue is that some of us have raised small rabbits for meat (Dutch, Standard Chinchillas) and those should not be forced to use larger cages."

Have a good day!

Electrolytes and Vitamins

2011-07-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

*from rabbitgeek notes Aug 21 2007
I use the electrolytes/vitamin powder you buy for poultry, swine,
etc. I use 1/2 teaspoon to 5 gals of water. My rabbits are on water
bottles so I fill a 5 gal water cooler and fill from the bottle from
the little spigot because it's easier than using a hose. It's also
easy to mix electrolytes in the water cooler. I fill the water cooler
with a garden hose and spray nozzle.

If you use an auto water system may want to pre-mix the powder and
some water in a plastic bottle,shake it to mix, then pour the
concentrated liquid into your tank.

The water should look like pale yellow gatorade. When water starts
appearing clear again time to add more mix.
Have a good day!

Percent Protein and Hay

2011-06-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

Question: Another question on hay... I am unhappy with the level of protein in the local pellet feed. Not a single kind is 18% and the %17 percent cost almost twice what 16% does. Typically I mix a 12% with the 16%. I have heard that American rabbits do very well on closer to 18%. I wanted to supplement their pellets with alfalfa hay. Is this OK or would that be too much protein? I only feed them a little alfalfa currently. But they really like the alfalfa.

Response: American breed rabbits should do well on 16% feed. There should not be a need to have special feed formulas to grow them into proper weight range.

Americans were developed to be meat and fur rabbits. Selective breeding will give you rabbits that thrive on 16% feed.

The commercial rabbitries typically feed 16% feed to bucks and non-nursing does. Nursing does and growing meat pens get 18% feed.

One commercial breeder said that as he pushes his feed cart down the aisle he would look for the nest boxes and if there was a litter they get 18% feed. Everybody else gets 16%.

Because 16% feed usually costs less than 18% feed. So 18% feed is reserved for nursing does with litters and for growing out meat rabbits.

I fed a lot of 16% feed (Purina Complete green bag) to my Americans. Later I would mix 18% feed (Purina Professional grey bag) and 16% feed to make an average 17% feed. That was because of our mixed herd of four to ten different breeds at any one time. That seemed to cover the higher protein need of litters and big rabbits like French Lops and Angora rabbits while not overwhelming the little Holland Lops, Netherland Dwarf and Polish. I could feed them all from one barrel and it worked!

Sometimes we would feed 16% Purina Show blue bag because of the extracts and oils they added but mixed with the 18% feed or mixed with the 16% Complete green bag to cut the costs down.

Those changes were to accommodate some of our other showbunny breeds, not to affect the Amerians.

For basic feed a breeder can use 16% feed. When our budget would get tight we would use all 16% feed and use oats for supplement. For nursing litters supplement with a tablespoon of Calf Manna or Animax each day. I used crocks to feed so it was easy to put the supplement on top of the pellets.

I want to breed rabbits that thrive on 16% feed with some supplement for does with litters. Some people say that meat pens should grow on 16%. Maybe with some oats or corn/oat/barley/molasses (COB).

Having said that, for individuals who are not quite reaching show weight, I found that Barbie Brown's conditioning mix supplement is very good for filling out the body.

As we grew and selected our rabbits for body type and size, there was less need for the conditioning mix.

As for hay, we used oat hay or grass hay because it has a good fiber content and is cheaper than alfalfa. Rabbits get plenty of alfalfa in the pellets. As rule of thumb, good horse hay is good rabbit hay. So we would buy hay from feed stores that cater to horse people.

Rabbits can adapt to alfalfa hay if they have to. If alfalfa hay is low cost in my area I would use it. I would like to have rabbits that thrive on feed that available locally and would feed it consistently.

We would also use the hay to stuff nest boxes. It gives the kits something to nibble on and I only had to store one bale of hay instead of a bale of hay and a bale of straw in my small rabbitry.

Just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.
Have a good day!

Can't Find White Buck

2011-06-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

Problem: I lost my buck awhile back, and can't find a White New Zealand buck to breed my White New Zealand buck to. Every one wants to sell me a Black New Zealand.

Response: In Rare Breeds we run into this issue with shortage of breeding stock. If the BNZ has good body type, breed to WNZ and save a color cross buck to grow into a breeder. The color cross will have one white and one color gene. When 5 or 6 months old you can breed the young buck to a White doe. You should get half White and half Color rabbits in the litter.

So if you bred a BNZ and a WNZ today you could have a new litter with WNZ in 6 or 7 months with some color cross for the freezer.

Save more than one color cross buck and keep checking in case the Sex Change Fairy visits your rabbitry.

Have a good day!

Stray White Hairs

2011-06-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

Question: I'm trying to find out if there is a genetic reason for stray white hairs in black rabbits (New Zealand Black)? I have two youngsters that just developed patches of scattered white hairs (enough for a Disqualification DQ on the show table). I had high hopes for these two because of their body types - but don't want to perpetuate the bad color if it's genetic.

Answer: The Stray White Hairs (SWH) are a genetic issue. I believe the stray white hairs are a separate gene.

It is not caused by breeding to Ruby Eyed White (REW) unless the REW happens to have the SWH gene, which would be hidden under the white coat. Some Black Dutch rabbits will have SWH. Dutch are NEVER bred to REW. Some breeders will use tweezers to pluck SWH before a show although it is against the rules.

Stray White Hairs are an issue in American Blues, which has been fighting SWH since the beginning of the breed in 1917. The issue can be improved by breeding away from SWH, only breeding those rabbits with excellent body and fur and minimal SWH, to overcome the SWH fault.

I believe most of the breeds with solid colors recognized have a Fault for stray white hairs which becomes a disqualification (DQ) if 3 white hairs are found together in a colored fur area. My advice is try to find mates that do not have SWH to breed to the youngsters with SWH. Then maybe you can get some offspring with the body type and less SWH.

Have a good day!

Rabbits for Independence

2011-06-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

Amherst family subsists on home-grown rabbits
In pursuit of independence
http://www.gazettenet.com/2011/06/11/in-pursuit-of-independence

Have a good day!

NCAG CoCo NZ

2011-06-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

NCAG - CoCo County Fair, New Zealand 2011 Rabbit Convention

The New Zealand 2011 Rabbit Convention is featured in pictures on the web log of the Northern California Angora Guild. We mean the country of New Zealand, not the rabbit breed.

Betty Chu is the manager/editor of the NCAG blog and has assembled a great group of pictures from the NZ Convention. Follow this link to the articles

http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=new+zealand

Something I did not expect to see was a picture of Enderby Island rabbits on the the show table. Enderby Island rabbits are unique to the country of New Zealand, having developed by natural selection on Enderby Island.

Also featured this week is the rabbit show activities at Contra Costa County (Calif.) Fair.

http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=contra+costa

Great snapshots of a traditional county fair that keeps to the basics.

While you are at the NCAG blog, bookmark it so you can visit and check out what Betty has found.

Have a good day!

See the Rabbit Breeds

2011-05-20T20:14:00.000-07:00

To see all the rabbit breeds

Visit the American Rabbit Breeders Association website to see pictures
http://arba.net/Breeds.htm

The pictures are linked to the rabbit breed specialty club if available.

Have fun clicking!

Have a good day!

English Angora Rainbow

2011-04-29T05:35:00.000-07:00

Cruising the internet when I saw this link and clicked it.

Bumblebee Acres - English Angora Rabbit, Colors of the Rainbow

http://www.bumblebeeacres.com/EnglishAngoraRainbowofColors.htm

This is an astounding pictorial of the many colors found in the English Angora Rabbit as seen in the USA. Many pictures of the kits and some adults display different types and lengths of wool to demonstrate the fabulous colors.

Go there! See it!

Bravo to Bumblebee Acres!

Have a good day!

Linebreeding

2011-04-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

Line breeding is controlled in-breeding. It's used to reinforce genetic traits. So when you have a great rabbit, it's a proven way to almost "clone" that rabbit. But care must be taken to cull any rabbits that don't meet the mark since any undesireable traits will also be reinforced by linebreeding. Line breeding is common in many types of livestock.

Have a good day!

It Lives In The Bloodlines

2011-04-09T20:32:00.000-07:00

The bloodlines are the important thing. Individual bunnies can be dear, but because rabbits have such phenomenal birthrates, the bloodline has a life of its own.

One of my favorite rabbits was a Blue Dutch buck named Schettlers Chevy. We picked him up in a raffle. We called him Baloo because he was big. He was a big Dutch with a lot of rabbit personality. Always glad to meet you when you came to feed or visit and he never bit
anybody.

Baloo never won a leg, too big, kept getting DQed for being overweight. But he did produce 3 Grand Champions among his offspring. A long line of offspring including Dust Bunny, Lulu, Shirley, Catalina, Blue Betty, Blueberry, and the last of his line, Blue Berry Bonds, a Blue Dutch Buck with 15 Grand Champion legs.

Blue Berry Bonds passed away in 2005, but we will remember Baloo and his children forever.

Have a joyful day!

Complete Angora Person

2011-04-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

Looking at the Domestic Rabbits magazine from American Rabbit Breeders Association, the Nat'l Angora Breeders Club Club Report (Mar/Apr 2011), Betty Chu says:
"A show exhibitor is only half of a complete Angora person, the other half is the fiber artist who works with the Angora wool; and vice versa. It takes both showing and utilizing the wool to totally appreciate the beauty and functionality of Angora rabbits."

I have to agree with Betty. My lovely wife Tracy and I started as Angora exhibitors. We used to throw away the wool we gathered on the slicker brushes during grooming. Then we discovered that people will pay $5-$6 dollars PER OUNCE for raw angora wool.

So we started saving it. I learned how to spin angora wool on a homemade drop spindle which started me on a fiber adventure that continues to this day. I've spun angora, alpaca, and sheep wool. I learned about knitting and weaving.

My lovely wife Tracy would blend it with other wool on a drum carder. She would spin it into yarn and ply it with other yarns for "art yarn" or "novelty yarn." Then she'd knit it into hats and scarves.

I've met many competent and passionate Angora rabbit exhibitors at the shows. I'd say over half of exhibitors I've met USE the wool.

The reason the Angora rabbit exists is for the wool.

To fully appreciate the Angora, one has to use the wool. To understand the structure of the wool, one has to use the wool. To appreciate the differences in Angora wool, one has to use the wool.

If one does not use the wool, they are missing out on the full Angora experience.

Have a good day!

Favorite Awards At Rabbit Shows

2011-03-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

What is your favorite award at rabbit shows?

I like the coffee mugs, ball point pens, aprons, ball caps for Best of Breed and Best Opposite Sex of Breed (BOB/BOSB).

I like to see carrier cages or folding chairs handed out for Best In Show and Reserve In Show (BIS/RIS).

At Livestock Nationals at Cow Palace, San Francisco, they handed out stadium blankets one year and little duffle bags on another year for BOB/BOSB for all the breeds entered!

One more thing.

Would rabbit clubs please include the rare breeds in the BOB/BOSB awards/prizes?

Many clubs do not give awards if there are less than 8 or 10 entries.

I know it is hard to justify a fancy award for a breed with a few entries, but if you could hand out a flat ribbon or something it would be much appreciated by the rare breed exhibitors.

Even if there was only one entry in a breed, it would be nice to get a flat ribbon for Best Of Breed. If clubs need to save the coffee mugs for the bigger entries that is understandable, but a flat ribbon doesn't cost that much.

It would be encouraging to the rare breed exhibitors and I think clubs would see an increase in the entries from these minority breeds. That would make for wider variety in the judging for Best in Show. In Calif there are 35 to 40 different breeds hitting the BIS judging table.

At one Youth show, there was a single Standard Chinchilla entry. That doe went to the BIS table and took Reserve In Show. She did not win a leg toward Grand Champion but she did win the RIS award (carrier cage from KW cages). And it made a youth exhibitor very happy.

So please remember the rare breeds when handing out BOB/BOSB ribbons.

Have a good day!

Rabbits Make Good Stew

2011-03-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

This post was seen on rabbitsonline.net -

Someone said it to me again today. Whenever someone finds out I have a pet rabbit, they tell me that rabbits make good stew.

Well I tried! I got a good recipe, bought all the ingredients and put them in the kitchen with Hershey the rabbit.
...
He didn't make anything!

Rabbits can't make good stew!

Rabbit Fever on Today!

2011-03-10T05:45:00.000-08:00

Rabbit Fever is everywhere!

NBC Today Show has booked Amy Do, director of the film "Rabbit Fever", to appear on the show on Friday morning this week.

Betty Chu was also invited to appear with her English Angora Lilianna and Lucianna, both multiple Best In Show winners.

Please watch the program on Friday morning. Betty will have reports of the trip and appearance on the blog http://ncag.blogspot.com when they fly back on Friday night.

Rabbit Showmanship

2011-03-04T20:01:00.000-08:00

Question: Where can I find info on Rabbit Showmanship? Videos? Lots of details?

Answer:
There are some good showmanship videos on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5DaZtQQ-dE&playnext=1&list=PLF9145829B3D34ABC

Check out examples 1, 2, 3 showing 3 members doing their presentation.

There is also an ARBA Showmanship Standard
http://arba.net/PDFs/Showmanship.pdf

There is an older standard with a score sheet that is handy that you can download from the 4HRabbitList yahoo group files area
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/4HRabbitList/files/Showmanship%20/

Have a good day!

Low House

2011-02-26T21:22:00.000-08:00

*from rabbit geek notes Dec 31, 2004*

8 ft by 4 ft roof 50 inch high, Inside measure 90 inch by 40 inch, the cages rest on 2x4 boards that rest on a couple of slats on the sides.

The house is made with 4 sheets of 48 x 96 inch OSB. Cutout front door and side window. Back is solid. The panels are screwed at the corners.

Roof is covered with a piece of vinyl flooring wrapped around the sides and then stapled.

It was painted to make it weather resistant. A plastic tarp is pulled down at night and tied down for extreme weather. Shed is located under a large shade tree.

Have a good day!

Cold weather - SoCal Style

2011-02-25T09:25:00.000-08:00

A friend in Southern California asked about expected low overnight temp of 30F degrees, which is low by So Cal standards.

My reply:
As long as the rabbits stay dry and out of the wind, 30 degrees will not be a problem for them. Some rabbitries are in locations where they get sub zero overnight, so 30 degrees is okay, although your rabbits are probably not used to it every day.

So the precautions you took are reasonable. Be sure there is some ventilation because rabbits need fresh air or they tend to get sick.

Be sure they have unfrozen water during the day. Not hot, lukewarm or cold is okay, just not frozen.

If you have the hay to use, go ahead and give them some extra for bedding or use pieces of corrugated cardboard boxes for them to sit on. Any hay or cardboard that gets soiled should be removed in the morning.

That should cover it!

Have a good day!

Breeds For Beginners

2011-02-20T08:58:00.001-08:00

Rabbit Breeds for Beginners
(from rabbit geek notes 12/27/09)

Welcome to the group.

Are you planning to raise meat rabbits? Are you looking for strictly for show? I'm glad you are asking now because the first rabbit you buy will likely be with you for its whole life.

For meat pen rabbits, see my website with meat pen info
http://www.rabbitgeek.com/meatpennotes.html

For "fancy" rabbits strictly for show this is my suggestion for new members or beginner:

Netherland Dwarf - Lots of competition, but because the dwarfs can compete for first place in dozens of colors and groups, there is a lot of chances to win a blue ribbon. Small rabbit, small cages, small feed bill.

Polish - Many of the same advantages, not as much competition.

The prices for ND and Polish rabbits are not terribly high. We've even found good rabbits in these breeds in the raffles. Our first showbunny was a Ruby Eyed White Netherland Dwarf we bought in a feed store. He often won first place as a REW Sr Buck.

Stick with solid color ND & Polish, not the broken pattern markings which can be a problem at times.

We had good luck with Dutch, but the marking requirements can be very frustrating for a beginner so avoid them the first year or two.

I would avoid Holland Lops. They are very popular, very cute but in show there is a limited number of colors to show in. At shows there are literally hundreds of rabbits competing for a small number of first place ribbons. Because of the popularity and the intense competition, the prices for Holland Lops is much higher than for other breeds.

It can be very frustrating for children to be told their rabbit won 10th place out of 27 rabbits.

I would also avoid Lionheads. While they are definitely a popular breed, as a showbunny they are not officially accepted in the ARBA Standard. So this means that from year to year, your rabbit may or may not be showable because of color or they may change the working standard and now your rabbit has too much wool on the flanks or not enough wool on the head. So beginners should avoid Lionheads. It also means that Best Of Breed Lionhead cannot compete for Best In Show in an ARBA show. That will not go over well when you have to tell the kid all the other kid's Best of Breed can go to the Best In Show table, but not theirs.

Himalayan - Another kid friendly breed is the Himalayan. Small and generally docile they are easy to handle. 4 different recognized colors give some flexibility for competition.

If you shop for rabbits at a rabbit show, before you buy, ask if you can take the rabbit around to get opinions on it. Sometimes you can catch a rabbit judge taking a break and ask if the rabbit has any disqualifications on it. Judges usually try to be helpful to beginners and will give you a good assessment.

Also, I don't expect people to sell me a rabbit guaranteed to win rabbit shows. I want one that will not be disqualified in show.

Rabbit should have a tattoo in the left ear and the tattoo should match the pedigree.

Get the pedigree at time of sale. Be sure the pedigree is SIGNED and has all the weights written in. There are hundreds of people who were told the pedigree would be mailed and it never was. No pedigree, no sale, walk away. If the seller really wanted to sell the rabbit, they should have brought the pedigree.

Having a pedigree is not required to show, but is required to register the rabbit with ARBA and to apply for Grand Champion for a winning rabbit. ARBA membership is also required to register a rabbit or apply for Grand Champion certificate.

Having a pedigree solves a lot of issues if you decide to breed the rabbit. Pedigree also makes it easier to sell or trade the rabbit if you decide to.

Above is my standard spiel on rabbits for beginners.

It's just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

Have a good day!

Rabbits and Chickens

2011-02-20T08:31:00.000-08:00

Found this link to a picture of a Salatin Rabbit/Chicken house,
Rabbit cages are on the left of the picture
http://polyfaceapprentice.blogspot.com/2009/01/rabbits-and-layers.html

I believe there is netting above the rabbit cages that keeps the chickens from roosting over the rabbits.

This blog also has some pictures of rabbit harvesting.
http://polyfaceapprentice.blogspot.com/search?q=rabbit

Have a good day!
Franco Rios

Cleaning Rusty Cages

2011-02-04T18:51:00.001-08:00

*from rabbitgeek notes june 2006*
I use "cold galvanizing" spray paint for cleaning up rusty cages.

You can get this spray at Ace Hardware and other stores.

It leaves a coating of zinc on the metal to fight rust.

I use a propane torch first to burn off the fur/wool. Do not let the
wire turn red from heat as this will weaken the wire. Burn fur/wool
off before washing or will have clumps of wet fur on the wire that is
hard to burn off.

I wash the cages really well with a hose, a power washer works
good. Wet cage down then wait to soak for a few minutes then start
washing. Use a brass wire brush or barbecue cleaning brush to knock
off the rust and any dried on waste. Let dry.

Spray with the cold galvanizing spray. Be sure to cover bottom and
sides of the wire. Let dry overnight.

There will be a little residue that comes off at first but otherwise the
paint stays on wire for a year and will need some touch up.

If the wire is seriously corroded paint is not going to help, you need
to replace the wire.

NOTE: I'm told that chain link fence paint works well and costs less
when cleaning up a lot of cages. A $20 can of fence paint can do
over forty cages with a paint sprayer. Two $5 cans of cold galvanize
paint was enough to do two or three cages.

Have a good day!
Franco Rios

Year of the rabbit

2011-02-03T21:13:00.000-08:00

Celebrate Year of the Rabbit!
Eat More Rabbit!
Chinese Lunar Calendar and Horoscope
03 Feb 2011 to 22 Jan 2012

Red New Zealands

2011-01-07T22:17:00.000-08:00

QUESTION: You also raise NZR correct? Could you give me some tips on looking at stock for them? I am interested in raising them. Is it a must to breed red to red? If you breed red to white will you get brokens?

ANSWER:
My lovely wife was the New Zealand wrangler. She had Reds that would run the other colors off the show table. With New Zealands, they have Black, White, and Red. The Red was the original color. The White and Black came later.

New Zealand breeders generally keep all the colors separate, treating them almost like separate breeds. Many NZ breeders will not buy a rabbit if it has other colors on the pedigree. It should have all black, all white, or all red.

When selecting for Red, look for color that goes all the way down the hair shaft to the skin. You want a nice bright reddish color, but not dark red like mahogany. The belly can be lighter shade, but not white.

Breed Reds to Red for best results. The theory is that there are red factors that can be collected in the bloodline as you breed and weed out the weaker red colored rabbits.

Look for a rabbit top line that peaks just at the midline of the rabbit.

If you breed red to whites you will not get brokens. You need to breed a broken into your lines to get brokens.

If you breed red to white you will have to wait and see because you don't know what is hidden under the coat of the white rabbit. White is albino that covers the true color of the rabbit. When you cross the white with the color rabbit, the colors gene under the white coat will now come into play, no longer hidden by the white coat.

Broken pattern is a gene that comes from the from the English Spot rabbits, the gene is even notated as "en".

You are welcome to join the NewZealandRabbit group on yahoogroups.
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/NewZealandRabbitList/

Have a good day!

Picking an American

2011-01-07T21:46:00.000-08:00

QUESTION: What should I look for when picking my kits? What should the body type look like? What should I look for in the fur? Obviously I should pick the deepest blue color I can find correct?

ANSWER:
Look at my rabbitgeek american rabbit webpage
http://www.rabbitgeek.com/abwrc.html

See the old book with the sideview of a blue doe?
http://www.rabbitgeek.com/abw/bluedoesml.jpg

That profile has been my goal when selecting for rabbits. I like to see that shape when I look at a rabbit that is relaxed and sitting flat in the cage. As you see the round part of the topline peaks toward the back of the rabbit. That's the mandolin type. That is different from commercial type body type where the roundness peaks more in the center.

Look at this Convention Youth Best of Breed from 2003
http://www.rabbitgeek.com/ybob2003sml.jpg

There's the topline peaking past the midline.

Check out the white rabbit from the Can-Ams
http://www.rabbitgeek.com/amrewbuck.jpg

Topline peaks past the midline.

The last two pictures on the webpage are two blue grand champions.
http://www.rabbitgeek.com/pics/dwight.jpg

http://www.rabbitgeek.com/pics/amrehgsml.jpg

The last picture is a doe that was born at my rabbitry who made it to grand champion.

Look for color that goes down to the base of the hair shaft. And look for friendly rabbits that come to the front of the cage rather than those that cower at the back of the cage.

Put your hands on the rabbits and feel for muscle tone. It would be good to feel a hefty body that feels heavy for its size.

Avoid biters.

Have a good day!
Franco Rios

California X New Zealand

2010-12-31T09:02:00.000-08:00

California X New Zealand rabbit is often quoted as the best cross breed for meat. It's almost like a magical combination in the minds of some people.

There is a catch. You must have a good Calif and a good NZ to breed together to get the best effect of the cross breed vigor.

You also have to maintain separate lines of Cals and NZ to cross for meat. So you have to select breeders from two different breeds to maintain separately for your meat crosses.

Instead, I suggest using a single meat breed of rabbit and using selective breeding to develop your own bloodline of highly productive meat rabbits.

In UK, I would look at a meat breed like the Beveren. Raise them for production standards with linebreeding and eat or sell the culls.

When you develop a line of rabbits that reliably produce large, healthy litters you will find people searching you out to buy rabbits from you for breeding.

Have a good day!

electrolytes/vitamin

2010-12-28T06:34:00.000-08:00

from rabbitgeek notes 8/21/07
RE: Need Advice on Rehabilitating a Badly Abused Satin Doe

Good luck on your effort to rehabilitate this rabbit.

Although the teeth may not be misaligned due to poor nutrition. It may
be bad teeth.

Litters can take a lot out of a rabbit. I would put some electrolytes
and vitamin in the water.

I use the electrolytes/vitamin powder you buy for poultry, swine,
etc. I use 1/2 teaspoon to 5 gals of water. My rabbits are on water
bottles so I fill a 5 gal water cooler and fill from the bottle from
the little spigot because it's easier than using a hose. It's also
easy to mix electrolytes in the water cooler. I fill the water cooler
with a garden hose and spray nozzle.

(note: Ray Stacy recommends 1 tablespoon per 1 gallon of water)

If you use an auto water system may want to pre-mix the powder and
some water in a plastic bottle,shake it to mix, then pour the
concentrated liquid into your tank.

The water should look like pale yellow sports drink. When water starts
appearing clear again time to add more mix.

With that many problems, I would have the rabbit put down.

Good luck!

That girl should not be allowed in animal projects unless she gets a
mentor who can visit her animal to check on their welfare. It would be
better to keep her under the 4H umbrella and teach her proper animal
care then to chase her off. It's more work, but it would be better.

Have a good day!

Designer Yarn From Junk Wool

2010-12-12T06:44:00.001-08:00

Betty Chu is the breeder of top of the line English Angora rabbits. She is also an accomplished spinner, knitter, weaver and designer of custom yarns.

Betty takes wool from combings and clippings that may be a little felted from the sides or bellies or armpits on rabbits and then she spins it as a lumpy yarn. Then she dyes some of it and knits hats or sweaters with it. Nothing like an angora hat to chase away the chill.

Some knitters love the yarn because it is uniquely handmade. If they want fine* yarn, they can buy commercial, but Betty's fun yarn is different.
(*Betty does know how to spin fine yarn.)

It's no secret how she does it, but it fascinating that she can take wool that many of us would throw away and make designer yarn with it.

I've seen Betty's yarns and knitted goods for years so when I wanted to find some pictures of Betty's hats, I went to the weblog she manages for Northern California Angora Guild.

Here are links to blog posts that show some hats and other goods.

You can click on the pictures for larger views.

Betty's Fiber Display at Monterey Fair
(click the pictures!)
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=Betty%27s+Fiber+Display+At+Monterey+Fair+

Show & Tell at Cow Palace (see two of Betty Chu's hats)
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=Fiber+Show-%27n-Tell+At+Cow+Palace+

over dyeing angora yarn - see Betty Chu's hats
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=over+dyeing+angora+yarn

Check out these dye jobs - see a Betty hat
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=Check+Out+These+Dye+Jobs+

Angora caps in July
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=Angora+Caps+In+July

Head for hats
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=head+for+hats

Useful empty kleenex tissue box - with a hat
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=empty+kleenex+box

Doggie fashion - a Betty Chu dog sweater
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=Doggie+Fashion+

Angora dog sweater - a Betty Chu dog sweater
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=angora+dog+sweater

How many pounds of wool? Classifying angora wool.
http://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=How+Many+Pounds+Of+Wool+Are+In+The+Boxes%3F+

Have a good day!

New Zealand Reds

2010-12-09T19:20:00.000-08:00

(from rabbitgeek notes)

This is Salem, New Zealand Red Intermediate Doe (6-8 months old)

A trio of reds, a buck and two does

3 New Zealand Bucks, Big Daddy (Black), Johnny (White), Snavely Buck (red)

J Feeder or Bowls?

2010-12-08T21:39:00.001-08:00

Question: What kind of feeder? J feeder or bowls?

Answer: We used J feeders a lot. These hang the outside of the cage and you cut a hole so you can put the lip into the cage. You can feed without opening the cage. We also used ceramic dog crocks because the rabbits cannot fling them around easily.

I did want to mention that no matter what feeder you get for the rabbits, don't forget to OPEN THE DOOR and touch the rabbits every day.

I found the J feeders made it more likely to pour feed and run down the row without really looking at the rabbits. Having to open the door with bowls made it necessary for me to interact a little bit with the rabbits, especially the hostile ones that wanted to fight over turf. So I had to pay attention to which cage I was opening.

Anyway, just thought I'd mention.
Have a good day!

Outlets

2010-12-04T09:49:00.001-08:00

Outlets for extra rabbits
*rabbitgeek ramblings 12/2010*

One of things I was always looking for was outlets for our
extra rabbits. How do we get them out of our rabbitry?
That is "where" would the extra rabbits go?

For a while we had access to a rabbit runner who was buying
for a processor so we could send our culls to be processed
for meat and get a few dollars. I think they were paying a
dollar per pound live weight. After that ended we didn't
sell any more to a processor because there are no processors
close to us in Sacramento.

Other outlets were selling breeding and show stock, so
conformance to Standard Of Perfection was vital. We sold a
lot of rabbit to 4H kids and our goal was "No DQs" which means
no disqualifications (DQ) for show. Having been burned by some
sellers as 4H parents we wanted to be sure we did not do the
same to other people.

This also meant we could sell rabbits at good showbunny prices,
which meant $20 to $40 each for breeding stock from registered
parents, instead of $5 to $10 for meat rabbits. Non-meat breeds
like Dutch, Netherlands, Hollands, Angoras and others could also
be sold for $20 up to $100 or more.

Yes, angoras can be sold for meat but you have to shear them for
the processor. So you can get some junior wool off of them before
sending to the processor, which might be worth a dollar or two.
Usually we tried to sell as angoras first, because $40 is better
than $5 for meat.

Then there was a buyer who would take any rabbit for $3 each.
These rabbits would be euthanized (CO2) than frozen to be used
as food for zoo animals. Minimum weight required was like 3 lbs.
If you could set up a deal with a zoo (or two), you could have a
constant source of income.

Finally, we had a willing taker at the wildlife care association
who would take carcasses for free to feed to their animals for
rehabilitation. I would bonk the rabbits and freeze them whole.
When I had more than a few I would meet the associate who would
take my donation.

You want to be sure any rabbits for the zoo or animal rehab have
not been given antibiotics because it could cause serious reaction
in the animals.

Just some ideas for outlets.

Have a good day!

Genetic Color Help

2010-12-04T08:05:00.000-08:00

Genetic Color Help
*from rabbitgeek notes oct 27 2007
There are a couple of genetic calculators online

Here is Welsh's site for the genotype calculator.
You can use it to get familiar with genetics.
http://www.welshrabbitry.com/matrix.php

Here is another calculator
http://www.mammarabbit.com/rabbit_genetics.htm
It has most of the basics down but not all of the genetics are
included such as dutch, steel, and others but may be helpful.

Computer genetic calculators are handy, including the Evans
program, but they are not perfect. Understanding color genetics
will help guide you through the maze.

Color genetics is a lot like the dice game Yahtzee. You try to get
sets of numbers to fill your scorecard. Sometimes you can "hold"
or "fix" some of the variables by holding some dice before the
next roll.

This is the similar in genetics. You can hold some of the variables
by using certain rabbits with known color genetic traits, and the
rest is a roll of the dice to see what you actually get in the litters.
Some people compare it to playing poker with two decks of cards.

Some of our French Angoras were very good at throwing
multi-colored litters that we called "party packs." Very exciting
to see what kind of colors developed. The skin color when born
can often turn into something unexpected and all we could do
was wait for the kits to grow into their coats.

I can recommend a little book called "Color Genetics of the
Netherland Dwarf Rabbit" by Bobby Schott. This little book takes
you through many of the basic color genetic principles in easy to
understand language with lots of good examples and some simple
pictures.

Although the book is written for Netherland Dwarfs, the color
genetics are the same for most breeds of rabbits. There are
variations in color names in different breeds.

Pam Nock has a website with lots of color charts
to help get used to the color genetic codes used.
http://nockrabbits.com

Here is a yahoo group where color geeks hangout
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/rabbit_genetics

That should keep you busy for a few hours.

Have a good day!
Franco Rios

Shearing

2010-11-15T05:57:00.000-08:00

from rabbitgeek notes Jan 2009:
Yes, we call it shearing and is a preferred method of wool harvest for
many angora rabbit owners. The coat comes off and the rabbit grows a
new one. Just like sheep are sheared for their wool.

There is a file in the group files area
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/AngoraRabbitList/files/

Look for "How To Shear An Angora" by Germaine Pidgeon. Its a good
tutorial for visualizing how it should be done.

Shearing a good skill to have, even if you decide to be a plucker.
Because if rabbit comes down with symptoms of wool block, you'll want
to get that coat off ASAP! Also, many breeders will shear a doe before
breeding to prevent that coat from becoming nest material.

I usually put the rabbit on a grooming table, and starting along the
back along the neck I clip off little "ponytails" of wool. I set this
aside as the "good stuff" because along the back and sides is the best
length. Wool from the front or shorter length goes to a second pile
for blending or felting.

I leave about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch long. Don't worry if it is not
perfectly even in length because after it grows out you won't see the
difference.

Best time to shear is when they start to molt, to remove the old
growth coat so the new one can come in. The loose wool from molting is
a big factor in developing wool block so removing at the molt is good.

The rabbits generally like the shearing afterward and will jump around
doing spins and kicks (binkies) in their now lightweight condition.

I hope that info helps.

Have a good day!
Franco Rios

Shop vac notes

2010-11-13T18:08:00.000-08:00

From Rabbitgeek notes
**Apr 4 2005, cross posted by Franco**

Use the Shop Vac with the hose plugged in the the "blower" outlet so
it blows air out instead of vacuuming in. Do this outside because when
you start blowing out the rabbit, dust and wool will fly everywhere!
Set the rabbit up on a grooming stand or on a table.

Set the shopvac on a nearby table or shelf because the hose is
relatively short. Start the shopvac but don't blow the air toward the
rabbit yet, let it get used to the sound first. Then you can direct
the air toward the rabbit for a moment then away, giving it a chance
to get used to it.

Then it is just like a blower. Use the stream of air to blow away the
dust in the wool. The stream of air will also untangle some of the
matts and will fluff the wool to an incredible "poofiness."

Using this air blower to groom avoids the wool fiber breakage that
occurs with combing and brushing.

Others on the list can give you the fine points of air blowing, since
I'm only a novice at the fluffy rabbit bit. But I'm an expert at
shopvac. :)

**P.S. When you go looking, you want to see the words "blower output"
or "blower port" on the box of the shop vac. The blower is feature you
want and not all shop vacs have this. In 2005 it cost about $40 for a
2 horspower shop vac with blower feature. 1.5 or 2 hp is adequate.

Avoid using compressed air since there is a lot of moisture and dirt
in the compressed air. At work we used filters and driers to treat the
air before using in air tools. **

Have a good day!
Franco Rios

Tray cleaning

2010-11-07T07:37:00.001-08:00

*from the rabbitgeek notes*
The best tip for keeping rabbits in the garage came from Barbi Brown. Usually keeping rabbits in the garage means trays under the floor wire to catch the droppings.

For years we carried trays to the waste can and dumped them there. Barbi suggested we get a bucket and use a dust pan to scoop the poop out of the tray and into the bucket. Then take the bucket to the waste can.

This is so much easier than carrying trays around. Even if you plan to power wash the trays it is easier to move them when they are empty.

We put one or two handfuls of pine shavings in the tray to collect moisture and hold down odor.

If you sell manure you can put plastic bags in the bucket first (8 or 13 gallon trash bags) and tie them off before removing from the bucket. Tied off plastic bags are also good for fly control.

If you use five gallon buckets to move manure for sales, put a plastic bag in it first then tie it off. Will keep the buckets cleaner and reduce the smell. You can put the lids on the buckets and stack them for transport to sale. You sell the bag of manure to the customer, not the pail.

Then when customer takes the bags of manure, you can stack buckets one inside the other for transport home to be filled again.

Have a good day!
Franco Rios

Radioactive rabbit

2010-11-05T11:36:00.001-07:00

News article about radioactive rabbit found, Richland, WA
near the Hanford nuclear power plant
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/11/05/1238751/radioactive-rabbit-trapped-near.html

Have a good day!

Hanz and Franz

2010-10-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

(click for larger image)
I was going through some files and came across this picture of Hanz and Franz. These boys were bought from a breeder by a woman who was concerned they were not getting the kind of care they should be. She contacted me asking if I would like to take them because she was not set up to care for them. She was keeping them in an empty horse stall. So I arranged to meet her during my lunch break from work and I took a carrying cage.

So when I picked them up, I was expecting the worst. Instead I found these gorgeous German hybrids. They were so beautiful and the coats were in such good shape I was thinking I should get a horse barn to keep angoras instead of cages. I took them back to my office and set them in our break room to wait until I could get them home. One of the guys at work said if Santa Claus had rabbits at the North Pole they would look like this.

By asking around I was able to locate the breeder who was able to confirm the German hybrid background. My youngest son Oscar named them Hanz and Franz. Oscar thinks he is so clever.

These rabbits were beautiful but they were dead in a few months. First one died unexpectedly, giving symptoms of wool block. I sheared the other one down and changed his diet to hay. But a few weeks later the other was dead too.

I cried and I beat myself up for weeks for not being able to keep them alive. I was really doubting myself after losing those two bucks. Then a few months after that I got an email from the breeder. They wanted to know if I still had the bucks. Seems all the rabbits from that bloodline had died and they were hoping my bucks were still alive for breeding.

I told them the bucks had died, apparently from woolblock. They said that's what happened to the others. Too bad because they all had such nice coats.

I am so glad they told me. I did nothing wrong. It was a bad bloodline. This impressed on me that genetics is overwhelmingly important for wool production and resistance to woolblock as well.

I do have a scarf made with angora yarn spun from my two little German rabbit friends who taught me something about genetics. And that yarn really got me started on my fiber adventure.

Have a good day!

Franco's Plucking Adventure

2010-09-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

*from rabbit geek notes*
Franco's Plucking Adventure
originally posted on French Angoras Group
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/frenchangoras
August 28 2004

Hi all,  I just plucked our FA senior blue buck who has been
over due for clipping. My lovely wife Tracy groomed him for
me with the blower so the wool would be nice and free from
tangles.  I was going to clip him with scissors, but he kept
jumping off the coffee table and running down the hall.
I noticed the wool was pretty loose, so I tugged at little
locks of it and it came off in my fingers, leaving the new
coat intact. We sat for about an hour and a half. I would
let him loose every 15 or 20 minutes to take a little walk
on the sofa.

He looks great. He looks blue again! His new coat is about
1 1/2 inch long and is a nice blue color, not faded looking
like his old coat.  And I have a brown grocery sack full of
blue angora to practice my drop spindle with!

Have a good day!
Franco Rios
MFO Rabbitry, Sacramento, Calif.

August 29 2004
Hi,  I think at least half of the breeders I've met clip the
bunnies. My goal the other night was to practice clipping a
bunny. But the bunny did not cooperate by sitting still.

So that's how I came to sit down and pluck it. It was helpful
that the bunny was in a complete molt and ready for plucking.
All in all the evening turned out well for me and for the bunny.

Have a good day!
Franco Rios
MFO Rabbitry, Sacramento, Calif.

August 30 2004

Hi,  Thanks for your reply. Yes, the buck was ready to be plucked.
And the new coat is really 1 1/2 inch, I took a measurement with a
steel pocket ruler, being the industrial geek type that I am.

I had a little pair of hair trimming scissors at the ready. I brought
the rabbit in the house because it's 90F degrees outside lately and I
didn't want to stand out there in the heat.  So I haven't given up
the idea of clipping. I just wasn't successful on my first try.

Have a good day!
Franco Rios
MFO Rabbitry

Line Breeding and Inbreeding

2010-09-09T20:56:00.000-07:00

*ramblings from the rabbitgeek*
A lot of people use Linebreeding to improve consistency in their bloodlines. That would be breeding father/daughter or mother/son, saving the best from those litters to breed back to the parent.

Inbreeding would be breeding brother/sister, which is another strategy that can be used sparingly to emphasize desired genetic traits like body type or color or markings. It can also emphasize negative traits so it must be used with a lot of caution and be prepared to remove any undesirable results immediately. Sometimes entire litters have to be culled.

Linebreeding can improve overall characteristics very quickly when careful selection of breeding stock is used. It can also bring a bloodline to a dead stop if one only focuses on looks and color. Selection for raising kits, fathering large litters, and having good survival rates of litters are also important production factors.

Linebreeding is also the way to establish a bloodline. By the third generation the rabbits are pretty much the result of the breeders selections and can be called their own bloodline, even if several breeders have their bloodline descended from the same source trio originally. Sometimes it is called a "closed herd" or closed bloodline because outside blood is rarely brought in.

Genetics is a lot like the dice game Yahtzee. You try to get sets of numbers to fill your scorecard. Sometimes you can "hold" or "fix" some of the variables by holding some dice before the next roll.

It can be amazing how many unseen genetic factors can be found when one keeps bringing in "outside blood" to avoid inbreeding.

Genetics can be like dealing poker hands. You take out (cull) the cards (genes) you don't want, shuffle the deck and deal again and soon you get the kind of combinations you want on a consistent basis.

Adding outside blood is like adding another deck of cards and trying to predict what combinations will occur. Then spend the next generations taking out the cards that are not wanted (selection). Trying to juggle the combinations from 5 or 6 different decks (bloodlines) can bring you to your knees, especially if something like white spots, bad teeth, or mismarked toenails become fixed in your herd.

Have a good day!
Franco Rios

2010 Angora Count

2010-09-02T07:03:00.001-07:00

2010 Angora Rabbit Count & Survey!

From Sept 1 2010 to to Sept 30 2010 I will be accepting reports on Angora
population.

We are conducting a count of English Angora, French Angora, Giant Angora, Satin
Angora, and German Angora rabbits.

The purpose is to assess the current populations of Angoras. We want to spot any
trends in population increases or declines and the collection of population
counts is important to monitor.

Please send me a count of your rabbits by breed.
Also tell me what state/province you are in.

Different from previous counts, we are asking for counts of males and females by
breed as suggested by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

Please count rabbits that are no longer nursing from their mother. A doe with a
litter under her is counted as 1 female rabbit, don't count the litter.

Send your count only once this year. The count is intended to be a snapshot of
the population for the year.

If you have some cross breeds, you decide what breed they are and report them
accordingly or do not report them. We are trying to determine the population of
specific distinct breeds and we rely completely on your reporting.

Please tell us your count of rabbits:

English Angora: Male / Female
French Angora: Male / Female
Giant Angora: Male / Female
Satin Angora: Male / Female

German Angora: Male / Female

State/Province:

NARBC member yes/no:
IAGARB member yes/no:

The final survey report will NOT include anybody's name, only a state or
province. This is not connected with any government program and information
collected will not be sent to any such agencies. When complete, the survey data
will be made available for download on the rabbitgeek website.

You can see previous surveys at
http://www.rabbitgeek.com/filelist.html

Looking forward to your rabbit count!

Please send your count by email to:
francorios2000@ yahoo. com <- remove space for email

PLEASE SEND DIRECTLY TO MY EMAIL ADDRESS,
DO NOT POST TO THE GROUPS OR FORUMS!

Have a good day!
Franco Rios
email: francorios2000 @yahoo .com <-remove spaces for email

What do you feed your rabbits?

2010-08-31T21:28:00.001-07:00

What do you feed your rabbits?
*from rabbitgeek notes 7/30/08

Below is my standard blurb on feed:
I usually feed Purina Complete (16% protein) and Purina Professional
(18% protein). Actually I mix them together to create an average
17% protein feed. Lately I've been using Purina Show Formula (16%)
mixed with the Purina Professional.

I have small rabbits, Holland Lops and Dutch as well as large
rabbits like American Blues, French Lops and Angoras.

The Angoras and Americans do well with higher protein requirement
but the protein is not so high as to create problems with the
smaller breeds.

This has been our primary feed for many years. We occasionally try
another feed but when the flesh condition drops, we switch back.

It may not be the fault of the other feed. Any switch in feed is
stressful and will cause some loss of condition. We should probably
switch for 6 months to really test it a new feed.

But when we have won many Best of Breed awards with different breeds
on the Purina feed, we always wind up back on the Purina.

When you find a feed that your rabbits do well on, stick with it. As
you breed, you are selecting for rabbits that will do well on the feed
you are giving it.

Other considerations are: I can usually buy feed at a feed store on
my way to work, no extra trips required. If they are out of stock,
there are two other dealers within easy driving distance. Purina has
the easy to read date code printed on the bottom paper strip, no 10
digit date codes to decipher.

I hope this info helps.
Have a good day!

RabbitTalk Forum

2010-08-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

RabbitTalk: Rabbits for fun...rabbits for profit...rabbits for everyone

RabbitTalk is a great discussion forum for all types of rabbit owners.
The owners of the forum are open minded and friendly.

There is no charge to join the forum.

Check them out at: http://rabbittalk.com/

Have a good day!

Rabbit FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

2010-07-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

* I have this FAQ and I am posting for comments - FR *
*original post Feb 7 2009*

Frequently Asked Questions About Meat Rabbits

WHAT BREED SHOULD I GET?

All rabbits are made out of meat. So any breed of rabbit can be eaten
for meat. A meat rabbit is a rabbit that was grown to provide meat.
These can be purebreds or crossbreeds.

But some breeds are better for size. Dwarf breeds (up to about 2 1/2
lbs) are generally too small to be efficiently harvested for meat.
Some of the small breeds like Dutch or Florida White are good for
small meat production situations.

The commercial meat rabbit was bred to be a certain size by a certain
age to produce young "fryer" sized rabbits. This commercial goal in
USA is to have rabbits at 5 lbs by 10 weeks of age.

There is a competition for meat pens and fryers at rabbit shows. The
meat pen and fryer competition is a demonstration of the breeders'
ability to produce a market animal of consistent size and quality.

A meat pen is three rabbits, any gender, more than three pounds and
less than five pounds. A single fryer is a rabbit, any gender, more
than three pounds and less than five pounds. They must not be older
than 70 days.

There is an article on raising meat pen rabbits on the rabbitgeek website.
http://www.rabbitgeek.com/meatpennotes.html

Meat Sized Rabbit Breeds

Semi-Arch / Mandolin Body Type Breeds
American * (Blue & White)
Beveren * (Black, Blue, White)

Commercial / Medium Length Body Type Breeds
American Sable *
Californian
Champagne d'Argent
American Chinchilla *
Cinnamon *
Creme d'Argent *
Hotots * (Blanc de Hotot)
New Zealand
Palomino
Rex
Satin
Silver Fox *
* On Rare Breed Rabbits List

You can read about Rare Breed Rabbits at
http://www.rabbitgeek.com/rarelist.html

Not all meat rabbits are white, so other colored breeds are included
in the chart. Many breeds are raised for unique fur quality as well.

Another issue is bone size. Bones are not eaten, so a hefty rabbit
with heavy bone structure has less meat per pound. So a medium bone
structure is desirable.

For this reason the Giant rabbit breeds (over 14 lbs adult weight) are
usually not used for commercial rabbit meat.

WHAT ABOUT CROSS BREEDS?

Many people have good success with using cross breeding for meat
rabbits. Breeding a buck and a doe from different breeds or bloodlines
will produce a hybrid litter of rabbits that will grow faster and
larger than the parent breeds normally would due a an effect called
hybrid vigor.

All the rabbits in the hybrid litter are used for meat, not for
breeding. Because the hybrid vigor effect disappears after the first
generation litter, leading to disappointing results for the grower.

This means breeding stock from separate breeds is kept for cross
breeding. So there has to be access to more rabbits to use as breeding
stock, since replacements cannot be kept from the crossbreed litters.

WHAT ABOUT LINE BREEDING?

Line breeding is a sustainable plan for breeding within the same
bloodlines.

The breeding plan is to breed dams and sires to the offspring. In
human terms, father to daughter, mother to son. This breeding plan is
sustainable since it uses replacement breeding stock from the litters
of rabbits born. Since the breeding stock is the same "blood" from
generation to generation, this is called a bloodline.

This is not "in-breeding" which would be brother to sister pairings.

Selecting replacement stock in line breeding is critical. The
replacement stock must have the desirable traits of growth rate, bone
size, mothering ability, disposition, color and other traits.

Line breeding can improve a bloodline in a very short time. Rabbits
with undesirable traits are removed from the breeding program
(culled). Rabbits with desirable traits are kept for breeding. Not all
rabbits born have desirable traits and line breeding can remove those
traits in a few generations.

This would leave a grower with a bloodline of rabbits that are
genetically compatible for breeding and have undesirable traits
reduced in the line.

For more info on line breeding, try these websites

The Nature Trail
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/linebreeding-outcrossing.htm

Jubilee Acres
http://jubileeacres.net/rabbitbreeding.html

Debmark Rabbit Education Resource
http://www.debmark.com/rabbits/breeding.htm

Line Breeding Chart on Pam Nock's website
http://www.geocities.com/pamnock/LineBreedingChart.html

Have a good day!

Feeding Rabbits Naturally

2010-07-17T09:36:00.001-07:00

The Homesteading Today Forum has a group discussion on rabbits including the topic of "Feeding Rabbits Naturally"
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/forumdisplay.php?f=14

You will have to register with the forum to post messages but visitors can browse without registration. There is no cost to register. I've been a member there for a couple of years and I can recommend it.

Also look for "An introduction to Rabbits {Contains a downloadable file}" which contains a PDF archive of Pat Lamar's "Commercial Rabbit Industries" website, which is now offline. Good information.

My screen name there is rabbitgeek

Have a good day!

Angora Adventures

2010-07-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

(photo:English Angora, tortoiseshell color)
More rabbitgeek notes:

From Woolrabbits group July 1 2006
Hi Joan and Marna,

We have French and Satin Angoras. My lovely wife Tracy is the Angora wrangler in the family. It's my job to be sort of helpful.

Actually, my lovely wife started with Jersey Wooleys, then decided she wanted to move up the "big kid's" fluffy rabbits. We spoke to the Angora rabbit breeders and they pointed us to the French Angoras.

After we started getting used to working with French Angoras, I talked my lovely wife into getting some Satin Angoras, which is a Rare Breed Rabbit.

French and Satin Angora wool can be blended with other wools like sheep, or alpaca. I use a couple of dog grooming slicker brushes to comb out the alpaca and the angora. You do not have to card the angora, but I found it works a little better for me to card it first.

Rather than blending the angora by carding, we have been combining the angora with other fibers by plying an angora single with a single of other fiber.

But I have spun a LOT of angora without carding at all, and my lovely wife does not card at all.

I started spinning with a toy wheel drop spindle. I have also made CD spindles to take to 4H meetings to use when I take Angora rabbits for the members to see. I even made a cardboard spinning wheel just as an experiment. It's kind of like a cardboard charkha with a supported drop spindle driven by an elastic band. Very low tech.

Anyway, now we have a Babe Fiber Garden Electric Spinner which is fairly portable and once you get used to the quirky drive band, you can spin and ply at a blazing pace.

As for grooming, you need a blower, sometimes called a "force air dryer" by animal groomers. We currently have one of those orange professional model air blowers that is about the size of big round oatmeal box and blows enough air to dry off a minivan.

We bought it used on ebay for $120, about half of the new price.

Before that we used a small shopvac that has a blower option.

When you get your blower ready, get into the habit of blowing out the rabbits every week or two. If you are going to show your rabbits, think about blowing your show bunnies every one or two days.

Use the blower to blow out the tangles in the wool. If you let the air flow linger over the spot you will see the web start to seperate. Avoid the urge to pull on snarls will your fingers since you are trying to leave as much wool on the rabbit as possible.

With Satin Angoras it is more important to use more blower and less comb since the wool is finer than on a French. You want to leave as much wool on the rabbit as possible.

Many people use the pet grooming combs with rotating teeth that do not pull out as much wool. We also use the little wire slicker brushes for grooming out messes, especially under the rabbit and round the hindquarters. It is common for rabbits to make a mess of their bottoms just after or just before being shown. All you can do is sit down, clean up the mess with a slicker brush and some paper towels so you can get them back on the show table.

As you blow the rabbits you will learn to see which rabbits are starting to grow a new coat, skin discoloration as the hair cells crank up the production of a hair shaft. You will notice how the wool starts to grow in one area and proceeds in stages around the rabbit.

As the new coat comes in, it is time to remove the old coat as soon as is practical to avoid wool block. The rabbits groom themselves and swallow a lot of wool. This wool can get wrapped up with other things in the stomach and cause a blockage.

This wool block can take down a healthy animal in 24 hours.

Watch the rabbits to be sure they are eating their pellets every day and drinking water. Watch the rabbit droppings which should be of good size and fairly moist. Wool block causes the droppings to become small and dry.

Providing hay every day is good for cleaning the system. We also have a "hay day" where we feed hay and water only, no pellets, to give them a day to flush their systems out, preventing the wool block.

Here is a copy of a report I posted on another group about the blowers and grooming tables I saw at a National Show.

From April 16, 2005 on French Angora Group

Okay, here is a report on grooming tables and blowers seen at Angora Nationals in Orland, Calif. With all those experienced rabbiteers I thought that would be a good place to take an informal visual survey.

On grooming tables, the most common feature is a FLAT TOP with no box around the sides, allowing for the blower to get down and around the sides of the rabbit. Picture a folding snack table and you have the right idea. In fact, one of the tables WAS a folding snack table.

If you want drawers for your gear, put the drawers under the table top.

The most common turntable seen was RECTANGULAR and covered with carpet. Lazy susan bearings are mounted underneath. Half of the turntables seem to have been home made. A nice feature I saw on Charlie Lacey's turntable was one inch PVC pipe slit lengthwise down one side then slid over the edge of the turntable and carpet to hold the carpet down and provide a nice smooth edge on each side of the turntable.

This turntable is set on top of the flat grooming table. I didn't see any round turntables. I asked my lovely wife Tracy what happened to her round turntable and she told me she doesn't use her round one anymore because the rabbits kept jumping off. She just grooms them on the table and turns the rabbit as needed.

(I have since found that rabbits step off the round turntable onto the rectangular table top because they can!)

On blowers. The most commonly seen blower was those orange force air blowers. Second most common was the little 2 HP shop-vac blowers.

Funny story about the blower. It was early Saturday and my lovely wife Tracy and her skinny associate Danielle were getting ready to go over to the fairgrounds to groom rabbits for the show.

During the rush to load a minivan and a pickup truck with 20 plus rabbits and all the gear for two days of rabbit shows plus six people, I forgot to bring the blower!!!

Thank goodness for Orchard Supply Hardware in Chico Calif. They open at 7 a.m. and had a 2 HP Craftsman shopvac type blower for $29.99. A 50 ft extension cord cost us $9.99

This one was actually a good deal quieter than the one we previously used for blowing rabbits. This one was also small enough to be hung under the grooming table with zip ties.

So there's a report of grooming equipment for you. Don't forget the comfy folding chair so you can sit down and groom the rabbit on your lap.

Have a good day!
Franco & Tracy Rios
MFO Rabbitry, Sacramento, Calif.

Surveys in progress June

2010-06-20T09:20:00.001-07:00

Here are the surveys in progress.

Beverens - ends July 10
PLEASE DO NOT POST YOUR COUNTS ON YAHOO GROUPS,
SEND YOUR COUNTS BY PRIVATE EMAIL TO Franco Rios AT
francorios2000@ yahoo. com <-remove spaces for email

Cinnamon - ends July 12
PLEASE DO NOT POST YOUR COUNTS ON YAHOO GROUPS,
SEND YOUR COUNTS BY PRIVATE EMAIL TO Emily Stidd AT
silvermarten@ aol. com <-remove spaces for email

Silver Fox - ends July 12
PLEASE DO NOT POST YOUR COUNTS ON YAHOO GROUPS,
SEND YOUR COUNTS BY PRIVATE EMAIL TO Emily Stidd AT
silvermarten@ aol. com <-remove spaces for email

Blanc d'Hotots - ends July 17
PLEASE DO NOT POST YOUR COUNTS ON YAHOO GROUPS,
SEND YOUR COUNTS BY PRIVATE EMAIL TO Matt Hinderman AT
matthewhinderman@ yahoo. com <-remove spaces for email

Please send in your counts of male and female of each variety(color) and breed.

Please count the WEANED rabbits. If a rabbit has a litter under her, then count
as one female rabbit, do not count the litter.

Thank you for your participation!

Have a good day!
Franco Rios

http://therabbitgeek.blogspot.com

2010 Survey for Beveren Rabbits Open

2010-06-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

2010 Survey for Beveren rabbits is now open!

From June 10 2010 to July 10 2010 we will accept your rabbit counts.

We are conducting a census of Beveren Breed rabbits. Beveren
breed rabbits are one of the rarest breeds recognized by ARBA
(American Rabbit Breeders Association).

They are on the "WATCH" list at American Livestock Breeds
Conservancy, meaning there is cause for concern.
http://albc-usa.org/cpl/beveren.html

We will conduct the census by email. If you know someone who
does not get email notices, you can tell them about this count
and email it in for them.

PLEASE DO NOT POST YOUR COUNTS ON YAHOO GROUPS,
SEND YOUR COUNTS BY PRIVATE EMAIL TO FRANCO RIOS AT
francorios2000@ yahoo. com <- remove space for email

Please tell us how many WEANED Beveren breed rabbits you have
as of today.

How many Blues, Blacks, and how many Whites?

As in previous counts, we are asking for counts of males
and females by breed as suggested by the American Livestock Breeds
Conservancy.

Please count rabbits that are no longer nursing from mom.
A doe with a litter under her is counted as 1 female rabbit,
don't count the litter.

So count the adult rabbits and any weaned juniors.

Send your count only once this year. The count is intended to be a
snapshot of the population for the year.

Please tell us your count of rabbits:
Beveren Black: Male / Female

Beveren Blue: Male / Female

Beveren White: Male / Female

State/Province:

Please indicate
Beveren club member yes/no:
(Club membership not required for survey participation)

The final survey report will NOT include any body's name, only a state
or province. This is not connected with any government program and
information collected will not be sent to any such agencies.

Looking forward to your rabbit count!
Please send your count by email to:
francorios2000@ yahoo. com <- remove space for email

Beveren Breed rabbit club info can be found at
http://beverens.webs.com/

Have a good day!
Franco Rios
francorios2000@yahoo.com

Free Range Compared to Pastured Eggs

2010-05-16T11:10:00.001-07:00

There is a short article about Free Range Eggs compared to Pastured Eggs
http://tinyurl.com/FarmMktPasturedEggs

The website is about a Farmers Market in San
Francisco, one of their new vendors, Shelly Mcmahon of Shelly's
Garden, produces eggs with pastured chickens.

The article starts about the middle of the page.

This might give you ideas about
your own flock of heritage chickens on your farm. Or you might think
about diversifying your current poultry or rabbit farm.

Have a
good day!
Franco Rios
http://www.rabbitgeek.com

Rare Breed 2009 Working

2010-05-06T06:28:00.000-07:00

Rare breed list 2009 working copy has been uploaded to the rare breed rabbits group file area as a PDF file. This file ranks all the ARBA Rabbit breeds
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/rarebreedrabbits/files/

Here is the short version
#1 is most rare, #16 less rare

09 Rank - Breeds - 2006 Rank
1 - Blanc de Hotot - 3
2 - Angora, Giant - 2
3 - Beveren - 7
4 - Cinnamon - 8
5 - American - 1
6 - Angora, Satin - 4
7 - Chinchilla, Giant - 5
8 - Lilac - 11
9 - Silver - 14
10 - American Sable - 10
11 - Belgian Hare - 9
12 - Chinchilla, American - 6
13 - Rhinelander - 15
14 - Creme d'Argent - 12
15 - Silver Fox - 13
16 - Palomino

*Chinchilla, Standard was #16,
is now #17 and off Rare Breed List
Palominos have joined the list.

I took the ARBA Convention entries for the last five years, took the average and
sorted the list.

I took the ARBA Registration number for the last five years, took the average and sorted the list.

I took the rankings and ran the average of the rankings to make up the new list.

Since the Rare Breed Rabbit List started on the rare breed group, I present the data and the list for discussion on RareBreedRabbits group before posting on the Rabbitgeek website.

Please join the Rare Breed Rabbit group for discussion of the proposed new list
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/rarebreedrabbits/

Have a good day!
Franco Rios

RVHD NOTIFICATION: Minnesota Outbreak of RVHD

2010-05-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

[Forum_Rabbit_Health] RVHD NOTIFICATION: Minnesota Outbreak of RVHD
*forwarded messaage*
...
From:
Pamela Alley
...

Today we were notified of a small occurrence (25 rabbits) of Rabbit Viral Hemorrhagic Disease (RVHD) in Pine County, MINNESOTA. All rabbits on the premises have died or been euthanized, and at this time there is no further known spread. However, as this 'index premises' was one which collected rabbits from multiple sources, we do not know the initial source of the disease.

Should you panic? NO! While frightening in its tenacity and ease of transmission, this disease can be managed and limited in spread by common precautions. It should never be treated lightly or disregarded.

We STRONGLY encourage those in Minnesota and the surrounding area to think carefully about any unexplained deaths in their herds and to take the appropriate steps for accurate diagnosis should symptoms and signs indicate any possibility of RVHD. If you have any doubts, contact your State Veterinarian for assistance-- or contact the Rabbit Industry Council at 530-534-7390 or email: RIC@cncnet.com **Please see further details at the end of this email!!**

We also STRONGLY encourage all shows and exhibitors to use an appropriate disinfectant (see below) on all coops, carpets, and equipment. If you are uncertain of your herd health status, please stay home until you get it straightened out.

A PDF with all this information is available at
http://www.showbunny.com/RVHD/InfoSheet_06-13-05.pdf

While the document is not yet updated to the current outbreak as yet (pending further, more detailed information) , it is accurate and highly useful regarding prevention, management, and reporting of this deadly disease.

*****CURRENT OUTBREAK INFORMATION* ****

On 4-22-10, a report was made to the OIE which noted that beginning in early February of 2010, rabbits at a facility in PINE COUNTY, MINNESOTA which collected rabbits for use as food at a wildlife rehabilitation center began to die at a startling rate, with 20 dying initially. This was thought to be due to feed contamination, but as further rabbits brought onto the property also died rapidly without clinical disease, a sample was submitted to a private laboratory for analysis.

WE CANNOT PRAISE THIS FACILITY ENOUGH FOR TAKING THIS STEP! It is vital that we all investigate unexpected deaths, especially multiple deaths, with diligence and care.

The sample was suspected to be positive for RVHD and further testing was done by the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and found to be definitively positive on enzyme-linked immunoassay testing for Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus. The property was then thoroughly decontaminated and any remaining rabbits euthanized. Free ranging rabbits in the area are being trapped and surveilled for signs of the disease. (While native species are not susceptible, it is not known if there are feral domestics in the area.)

As of this point in time, this is the limited information we have. We're working on re-establishing contacts within USDA/APHIS to be able to bring you more and more detailed information as soon as possible.
************ ********* ****

*****RVHD IMPORTANT INFORMATION* *****

Symptoms and Forms of the Disease:

The disease seems to appear in three ways; the first and most common is called PERACUTE and is simply a dead rabbit in the cage from one visit to the next.

The ACUTE form is represented by a lethargic, depressed, off-feed animal that dies in the space of 1-2 days, shows incoordination and signs of pain before death, and may show clear or bloodstained nasal froth or discharge. A temperature of 105-106 degrees F may be present upon initial examination.

A small number (<5%)>

Painting old cages

2010-04-29T06:25:00.000-07:00

*from rabbitgeek notes june 2006*
I use "cold galvanizing" spray paint for cleaning up rusty cages.

You can get this spray at Ace Hardware and other stores.

It leaves a coating of zinc on the metal to fight rust.

I use a propane torch first to burn off the fur/wool. Do not let the wire turn red from heat as this will weaken the wire. Burn fur/wool off before washing or will have clumps of wet fur on the wire that is hard to burn off.

I wash the cages really well with a hose, a power washer works good. Wet cage down then wait to soak for a few minutes then start washing. Use a brass wire brush or barbecue cleaning brush to knock off the rust and any dried on waste. Let dry.

Spray with the cold galvanizing spray. Be sure to cover bottom and sides of the wire. Let dry overnight.

There will be a little residue that comes off at first but other wise the paint stays on wire for a year and will need some touch up.

If the wire is seriously corroded paint is not going to help, you need to replace the wire.

Have a good day!

Shipping Rabbits

2010-04-22T06:02:00.000-07:00

*from the rabbitgeek notes*
We've shipped several times. Below is an article we wrote in 2004.

I'd like to add that we used a standard 3-hole show carrier with
cardboard inserted in top of the carrier under the wire to make a
"solid top".

We used empty tuna cans for feed and water cups. We punched two
holes in the sides of the cans with a nail and used wire to attach to
the side of the cage.

The article follows, Tracy writes:

Flying Rabbits to Hawaii

This endeavor started in August with an inquiry as to my For Sale
French Angoras. I'm pleased to report that the three angoras that I
sold to a girls school in Maui are flying to their new home on
Tuesday, 12/14/2004.

I highly recommend flypets.com for handling the flight. Flypets.com
was recommended to me by Betty Chu. Betty's an amazing resource,
she knows EVERYTHING!!! :) I tried initially to send the bunnies on
Deltavand found that the flight alone would be about $700. Through
flypets.com, the flight on American Airlines is $199. To ship them out
of Sacramento it would've been $300. So I'm driving them to San
Francisco for the cheaper rate. Now understand that the price is just
for the rabbits. I don't get to go :(

I have an appointment with the vet to get the bunnies' health
certificates. The angoras will have to be quarantined in Hawaii for 30
days but the school has arranged to have them quarantined on their farm.

Shipping Rabbits

The three angoras are making their way to Hawaii as I write this. We
drove them to San Francisco International Airport and dropped them
off at American Airlines cargo. It was great because we didn't have
to actually go inside the airport. Flypets.com made the reservation
with American Airlines and handled all the paperwork. The cargo clerk
was expecting us and she was very nice and efficient. We had no
problems with either the Health Certificates or the Acclimation
Certificates. We shipped them in a 3 hole carrier this time without
using a dog kennel. Franco just put a solid cardboard top on the top
of the kennel, inside the wire top and they were good to go.
I wouldn't hesitate to ship rabbits again. It was a very positive
experience.

Safe Arrival!

My French Angoras arrived safe and sound at the Honolulu Airport.
However, the rabbits arrived missing one of the health certificates,
the pedigrees, and the acclimation certificates. I'm not sure what
happened to them because Franco put them in between the
cardboard and the wire on the top of the cage. It seemed secure
to me. So at about 4 pm our time, I got a call from the Honolulu
airport saying that they have the rabbits but they can't release
them without the health certificates. I kept copies of the certificates
but the official needed to have them faxed directly from the vet.
So I called the vet and she faxed them right over to the official
and the rabbits were released. That was the only snag in the whole
procedure and it was a very minor one. I'm not sure how to prevent
that problem the next time we ship but we'll figure something out.

The health certificates were somewhat of a joke. I paid $30 for an
office visit and $18 for each health certificate. The vet weighed the
rabbits, looked at their teeth, ran her hand over their bodies, and
listened to their heartbeat. That was it. Then she completed the
certificate. At the time, I was thinking that this was a waste of time
and money, but it is a requirement for shipping, especially to Hawaii.

The girls school LOVES the rabbits. They say that Asher is such a
cuddle bug (and he IS). I sent Lily to Hawaii bred to Rhubarb so
they'll have a larger gene pool.

This has been a great learning experience for Franco and I. We'd ship
again without any hesitation. Now that we know what we're doing :)

Have a good day!
Franco & Tracy Rios

House of Blues - Rabbit housing

2010-04-19T19:03:00.001-07:00

*re-post from rabbitgeek notes, May 31 2004*

Hi all,

I made a little rabbit shed. I had some rabbit cages on two by
fours and sawhorses and I wanted to get the rabbits under some
proper cover. Using an idea from Pamela Alley in Meatrabbits, I
built a little 8' x 8' shed.

It didn't turn out exactly as I thought it would. I didn't get a
four foot walkway in the middle because our growing cages are 30
inch deep not 24 inch, so it is a little more crowded in there than
I thought. And I made my walls 7 x 7 foot perimeter to get some
overhang on the roof.

An important factor in building was finding these little angle
brackets by Simpson strong tie. I hate nailing with a hammer and I
don't own a nail gun. But I have electric screwdrivers and I was
able to put the shed together with screws and brackets. I spent
about $40 on screws and bracket, but it was the difference between
go and no-go on the project. And I can unscrew and move pieces if
needed. The whole shed except the roof is put together using screws
and can be unscrewed if needed.

I don't have a lot of construction skill. I have more construction
luck than skill, so I'm glad I found those brackets.

I double hung four litter cages on one side 36 wide by 30 deep. The
other side is two hanging cages (24 wide by 24 deep) and a three
hole stacker (24 x 24) for bucks and growers. Total 9 cages. I'm
planning to set up some worm bins under the hanging cages. The
stackers will have their trays dumped into the worm bins as well.

The shed mostly consists of 4 x 4 posts in the corner, 2 x 4
framing, green corrugated plastic roof. I haven't finished the
walls completely yet, but it's good enough with some tarps tacked up
for shade. The roof is almost 9 foot high, great for hot weather
sheds. Also, the shed is in the shade of a large hackberry tree.

When I started to hang the cages, my wife suggested I use it for my
Americans. So I have four breeding does in there (two with
litters), two show and breeding bucks, a junior doe for show, and
our 4 year old Dutch doe who is a retired breeder that first got us
started in Dutch rabbits. And one empty cage for growing out
another rabbit.

So, I have a house of American Blues. What could be better? B-)

Thank you Pam!

Have a good day!
Franco Rios
MFO Rabbitry, Sacramento, Calif.

Drum Carder - Strauch Petite

2010-04-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

*from Jan 2009 notes*
I hand carded with big slicker brushes for dogs.

Then I gave my lovely wife permission to buy a Strauch Petite drum carder. Great little drum carder. It's also the lowest cost (new) model Strauch makes.

We watched for used drum carders on the internet but apparently no wanted to sell a used one when we wanted to buy one last year.

So we bought it new with the brush attachment. I really like the brush attachment.

We wanted fine teeth (standard on Petite) because we have angora rabbit wool to blend.

Also works with angora goat (mohair), sheepwool, alpaca fiber.

Have a good day!

Sustainable Standard of Living -- Not Lower Standard

2010-04-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

*from feb 2009 rabbitgeek notes*
I'd like to propose a shift in the discussion.

In the current economic environment, people are learning the "buy now -- pay later" model doesn't work.

When borrowing against the future, we are subject to rise and fall of fortune, fashion and economy.

By adopting the "pay as you go" economy, we are setting a foundation for living that is practical and SUSTAINABLE!

Instead of trying to pump as much equity out of our properties and being mortgaged into the next century, we will be trying to live within thelimitations of our income and the product of our properties. Since we will not be squeezing our property to death (mortgage) we will have a sustainable livingstandard that will weather the bumps of economy.

Everyone on these forums knows what I mean by sustainable standard of living.

I am proposing the use of the phrase "Sustainable Standard of Living" as a catchphrase that will get people away from thinking "Lower Standard" since it's not a lower standard, it's a better standard, it is realistic and will provide a measure of security in turbulent times.

It's just an idea for promoting a common sense way of life in a new way.

You can use it or not. Spread the word. Sustainable Standard of Living.

Your mileage may vary, Void where taxed or prohibited.

Have a joyful day!

Don't need salt spools

2010-04-07T06:11:00.001-07:00

*from rabbitgeek notes 11-09-07*
The only time I would use salt licks is if I was not using pellet feed. Home made rations would require additional minerals and salts. The feed list recommended by House Rabbit Society is also very weak on minerals.

I don't use salt licks or salt spools. My pellet feed contains all the sodium and minerals the rabbits will need. Another reason for not using salt licks is that if you hang them on the side of a wire cage, the salt will corrode and rust the wire.

If you decide to use salt licks, hang them from the ceiling of the cage like a hanging toy so it does not touch the sides of the cage. Hang it at a level that the rabbit can reach up to lick the salt
spool. Now it will not corrode the side of the cage and the rabbit has a play toy!

Have a good day!

Rabbit Tray Tactics

2010-04-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

We kept rabbits in a garage. We used fans for air circulation and air conditioning for summer comfort.

We used trays under the cages to catch droppings. If you are going to clean every day, put a handful of pine shavings in the tray in the spot where the rabbits usually go to poop.

Rabbits will usually use the same corner as their potty corner.

The pine shavings do a pretty good job of reducing that smell.

When we took rabbits to the county fair, they stayed there for 5 days over trays that had two inches of pine shavings. Very little smell there too.

One trick we learned was to use a dustpan to scoop the waste from the trays and dump it into a plastic bucket.

Have a good day!

White Toenail

2010-04-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

The white toenail thing.

Its one of the things that has to be Perfect. Its called a Standard Of Perfection. The toenails have to conform to the breed description. Generally the dark rabbits need to have dark toenails. Some judges will fault a rabbit for "uneven colored" toenails rather than DQ for a white toenail.

I have to respectfully disagree with the statement that a white toenail on a dark rabbit means its a heavily marked solid, not a broken.

I would agree that it MIGHT mean a heavily marked solid. After all, a judge has this rabbit in front of them that they never have seen before, so everything has to be taken into account.

When I raised American Blues, a variety of rabbit that has been solid for almost 100 years (1917 accepted in the Standard), we would get white toenails, usually on a front paw, one of the middle toes. These rabbits are solids. They always have been.

I learned to treat the white toenail thing as a separate genetic trait. A very annoying one. If it turned up in a rabbit, that rabbit was removed from the breeding program. Usually there would not be more than two white nails in any litter of 8 or more.

After a couple of years of culling, I was only getting a white nail in every other litter. Because of the Standard, I improved my lines.

Only the first year when I had such a hard time finding Americans would I keep a doe with a white toenail to use as a breeder. I never kept a buck with a white toenail.

If I was raising solely for meat, I could use white nails. But I was raising for show and culls go to the butcher.

I think that showbunny people would be best served to remember to use production traits in choosing rabbits for breeding. It's not just a showbunny. A doe needs to be able to raise kits. A buck needs to be able to breed does and make baby rabbits.

When I only looked for show bodies or eye color or fur color, I would wind up with does that won't breed or won't raise their kits or won't be easy to handle. We've had Grand Champion does that would not raise a litter to save their own life. And that is what I consider a failed bloodline because the line was a dead end at that point.

The goal of herdsmanship is to create a sustainable line of consistently high quality rabbits.

We all have our favorite rabbits, but I love looking at the great-great-great grandson or daughter of a favorite rabbit. Its about the bloodlines and the family tree.

Have a good day!

Tattoos

2010-03-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

(Pic: American Blue buck, ear # DE9)

*These are notes about tattoos that were written at different times and are presented here in no particular order. Originally posted July 2007 on yahoogroups*

Wrap the rabbit in a towel (think bunny burrito) with just the ear sticking out to maintain control of the rabbit for tattooing.

I use clamp style tattoo on rabbits at 4-6 weeks. Older than that and the thicker ear is harder to tat. I squeeze hard and fast, usually the pins go all the way through the ear, I have to peel the ear off the pins. I try to avoid any large veins in the ear.

For ARBA purposes, tattoo goes in the left ear.

I use a cotton swab (like Q-tip) soaked in ink, I put a finger behind the ear, and then I rub/roll the ink into the pin holes so the ink goes all the way through the holes in the ear. If I do it well, the ink goes through the holes and I can read the tattoo (ink dots) on my finger.

If you do it a couple of days before weaning, you can put the rabbits back in with the doe who will lick off the excess ink.

I once mis-read my calendar and tattooed some 3 week old rabbits. The ears were kind of small, but when they grew up, the tattoo grew with them and it was extremely easy to read the tattoos.

NOTE: Be prepared for kits to scream. DON'T PANIC! At first you think you have caused great bodily injury, but you haven't. Give them a moment and they calm down. Before I clamp the tattoo, I squeeze the ear for a moment to desensitize the area. Some people press an ice cube to the ear before tattoo.

You can use a combination of numbers and letters, 3 is usually sufficient, or you can use more letters and numbers if you like. Some people use fancy combinations with buck and does initials, month born, year, etc.

If you only have numbers 0-9, you can just start with a 3 number serial like 102, 103, 104,etc. Note that when you get to 109, you won't be able to make 200, so skip 200 and use 201, skip 202, use 203, 204, etc.

A common numbering system is to use initials of the buck and the doe names with another number or letter to denote which litter and which kit.

LMA2 = Louie, Madison, A is first litter, 2 is the second one that was tattooed.

Or your initials and a number like LAC23

One rabbitry I know kept a tattoo register book and just used their rabbitry initials RR and a sequence RR102, RR103, RR104, etc. You can get hundreds of tattoos with a couple of letters and a full set of numbers.

Just don't lose that book. They recorded buck/doe, date of birth, and whether the kit was a buck or doe. They used the same book for all the breeds they raised.

We have used battery tattoo pens and they work pretty good. My lovely wife used them extensively on her rabbits. Batt-tatt made the best tattoos. The other EZ tat brands did nearly as well.

I do not use the tattoo pens very well because I have very bad handwriting. I failed cursive writing every year in grade school. I found out it is called dysgraphia and is not uncommon. My sons have the same problem. Even my block letters are very bad. So I use the tattoo clamp. And I learned to use a typewriter in junior high school.

I hope this info helps.

Have a good day!

20 inch Beka Rigid heddle loom

2009-04-15T20:32:00.001-07:00

UPDATE: LOOM HAS BEEN SOLD!

For Sale:20" Rigid Heddle Loom w/stand - Sacramento, CA

20 inch Rigid Heddle Loom by Beka, comes with 8 dent heddle, wood shuttle, pick stick, and instruction book. Portable stand adapts any chair to a weaving space. I've woven placemats and towels with the loom. Works fine, I'm cleaning out the closet and need to move some stuff. Email me for more info.

Have a good day!
Franco Rios
francorios2000@yahoo.com

2009-03-31T20:07:00.000-07:00

Handspun Recycled Newspaper Yarn

http://greenupgrader.com/2138/handspun-recycled-newspaper-yarn/

Very interesting idea!
Some tips on how to make your own too.

What to expect at a rabbit show

2009-03-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

Here a great little site with information on what to expect at a rabbit show.
http://www.lopsandcavies.com/showing/showing_rabbits.htm

Many thanks to Lareau Lops & Cavies in Wisconsin.

Have a good day!

Wanted:Rabbit/Cavy Show State Convention & Nat'l Specialty Breed Show info

2009-03-01T07:35:00.000-08:00

RABBIT/CAVY CLUB STATE CONVENTION SHOW INFO WANTED

I'm going to try to get all the states onto one list
for easy reference and put it on a webpage. This is it.
You may need to hit your "refresh" button on your browser
to view the latest update.
http://rabbitgeek.com/show/state_show.html

So if you know the details on the State Convention/show
for any state please reply with the dates, location,
and a website or email address people can go
to find more information.
Send E-mail to francorios2000@ yahoo. com <-remove spaces for email

NATIONAL RABBIT/CAVY SPECIALTY BREED SHOW INFO

Now that ARBA Convention is done, a lot of people
are looking to the Breed Specialty National Shows
that will be held in different parts of the country.

I'm going to try to get all the breeds onto one list
for easy reference and put it on a webpage. This is it.
You may need to hit your "refresh" button on your browser to view the latest
update.
http://rabbitgeek.com/show/natl_show.html

So if you know the details on the Specialty Breed National
show for the following breeds please reply with the dates,
location, and a website or email address people can go
to find more information.
Send E-mail to francorios2000@ yahoo. com <-remove spaces for email

Thank you for your help.
Have a good day!

Driving back from Phoenix

2009-02-16T19:50:00.000-08:00

On the way back from Phoenix, we stopped at Cabazon on US 10. For years there has been a large dinosaur sculpture in the middle of nowhere. This time we stopped to take a picture of the landmark.

AZ State Convention Phoenix

2009-02-16T19:30:00.000-08:00

Went to AZ State Convention Rabbit show in Phoenix.

Saw some Satin Angora Rabbits in Red, Black, and Chestnut

Saw some American Blue rabbits, but only one picture came out. Rabbits waiting in judging coops tried to flee the coop.

2008 American Population Survey Results

2009-01-24T07:34:00.000-08:00

2008 American Population Survey Results
With 31 replies coming in, we found 279 rabbits, 176 Blues, 103 Whites.
Thank you for your participation!

Survey data available for download at
http://rabbitgeek.com/abwrc_survey.html

Have a good day!

2009-01-19T06:59:00.000-08:00

I am updating the website lists of rabbit club State Conventions
http://rabbitgeek.com/show/state_show.html

and rabbit specialty breed club national shows
http://rabbitgeek.com/show/natl_show.html

Have a good day!

4 Harness Conversion for Rigid Heddle Loom - Cheap!

2008-10-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

4 Harness Conversion for Rigid Heddle Loom - Cheap!

If you want to try twill weave with your rigid heddle, you will have
to add heddles or harnesses. A neat trick was just posted on the internet
a few days ago.

Leigh Dudenhoeffer added string heddles and harness sticks to her
rigid heddle loom. This site shows pictures and description of the
conversion.
http://fiberfanaticblog.artisticexpressionsinwoolandglass.com/

Build a Loom Frame and How to Use Your Table Loom As a 4 Harness Loom!!!
(two short articles on the page, large pictures)
http://fiberfanaticblog.artisticexpressionsinwoolandglass.com/TableLoom.htm

There is also a VIDEO of weaving on the modified loom 10/09/08
http://fiberfanaticblog.artisticexpressionsinwoolandglass.com/WeavingVideo.htm

The RH actually sits in the holding slot. The string harnesses go
behind the RH since the area in front of the RH is used for the shed.

Be sure to make the recommended visit to
Marla Mallet's website for instructions on primitive loom
construction, heddles, and heddle bars.
http://www.marlamallett.com/loom.htm

Don't put warp through the little holes in the RH, put two threads
through each slot. The RH is used as a reed to maintain spacing. A
comb is used beat/place the weft.

The process is not as fast as using multiple rigid heddles. Advantage is
the cost is low and it uses your existing rigid heddle loom frame. It
give more possibilities to existing equipment for the cost of sticks and string!

It is a very clever application.

Much applause to Leigh Dudenhoeffer for sharing her loom conversion
trick on the internet.

Have a good day!

Sat Sept 20 2008 Stockton CA BVRA Rabbit Show

2008-09-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

Sat Sept 20 2008 Stockton CA

Big Valley Rabbit Association held a rabbit show at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds.

There were 2000 rabbits and cavies entered in double shows which made for 4000 entries to be judged and 19 judges to handle it all in one day!

The weather beautiful, clear skies, temp in 85F range, temp which is 10 degrees cooler than average for Sept.

There was plenty of room under the roof of the livestock barn, the open sides allowing for mild breeze to blow through. Other people rested beneath the shade trees adjacent the livestock barn.

Vendors like KW Cages, Barbi Brown, and Randall's were on hand to provide equipment, feed supplements and supplies. There was a rep on hand from Purina rabbit feed to talk to people and answer questions.

The food concession had a steady stream of business for most of the day as well.

Mike Morris, Show Super, told me there was 37 different breeds of rabbit being shown, which is a great variety for a local show.

Here is a sampling of entries, this list is not official or complete (O=Open, Y=Youth, Number entered)

Holland Lop O-120, Y-95
Netherland Dwarf Y-94
Minirex Y-111
Polish O-50, Y-75
*Polish are making a great comeback from a couple of years ago when only a handful were found in the showroom!

Angora English O-25
Angora French O-27
Angora Satin O-9

English Lop Y-3
Jersey Wooly O-43, Y-22
Dutch O-71, Y-85

French Lop O-34
Flemish Giant O-5, Y-8
American Sables O-23 Y-3

American Chinchilla Y-6
American O-17
Britiannia Petite O-10

Mini Satins O-13
New Zealand O-9, Y-34
Silver O-8, Y-5

Beveren O-13
Thrianta Y-13
Rhinelander O-15

Tan O-29
Silver Fox Y-1
Lionhead O-69

As you can see the Rare Breed rabbits and the new breeds are hitting the table and being counted as more people add them to their herd to help promote the breeds.

I did not see the Best In Show awards but I would like to congratulate whoever it had the top rabbits!

It was a good day!

Carding wool with dog rakes and slicker brushes.

2008-07-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have used dog slicker brushes as hand cards to process wool and it can be done, if you are patient. Carding is a great excuse for sitting in front of the TV or watching DVDs.

I would sit down with a paper grocery sack of washed wool on one side and empty paper grocery sack on the other side. Make little mini batts with the slickers and put those in the empty bag. Be sure to have 3 or 4 empty bags on hand because the fluffy mini batts will take up much more room than the washed wool.

If you are really in need of obsessive compulsive activity, use dog rakes to pick the wool first, then use the slickers to make mini batts.

You can use a c-clamp to attach one rake or slicker to a table, to reduce the wear/tear on your hands.

Do not do this activity on the good sofa or wearing good pants. Put down a cloth if you do it over the carpet. Much dust and Vegetation Matter (VM) will fall out of your wool no matter how well you washed it.

It was this activity that allowed me to whole heartedly give my lovely wife Tracy permission to shop for a drum carder when she asked. We now have a Strauch Petite.

But I still plan to use my rakes and slickers just to keep my hand in. At least I have been using rakes to pick the wool before putting through the carder.

Dog rakes can cost less than $10 each. Slickers cost around $10 to $15 each, compared to $50 to $100 and more for a pair of regular wool cards and/or combs.

Have a good day!

New Link on World Rabbit Links

2008-06-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

Added this link to World Rabbit Links

The Rabbit: Husbandry, Health and Production (Jun 22 2008)
by F. Lebas, P. Coudert, R. Rouvier, H. de Rochambeau
Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO.ORG), Rome, 1986
A booklet, information now available on the web.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/x5082e/X5082E00.HTM

Swedish Fur rabbit info & other links

2008-06-08T19:13:00.001-07:00

Found this link on another group.
Very interesting look at Swedish rabbit shows
and the Swedish Fur rabbit

Amanda Galfvensjös Rabbitry
Breeding Swedish fur and NZW rabbits in Sweden
http://galfvensjo.webs.com/

Swedish language site
Svensk päls translates to Swedish fur
http://www.svenskpalskanin.se

Swedish Rabbit Breeders Association
http://come.to/kaf

Brazilian Rabbit Info

2008-06-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

The Homesteading Today forum has a topic of Brazilian rabbits that
has been running since 3/18/08
http://homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=239501

There is some people on there that would love to buy some, but like
with most rare breeds, small quantity available and location are
obstacles. Hopefully things will work themselves out.

New Group on Yahoo - Brazilian Rabbit Fanciers North America
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/BrazilianRabbit/

Brazilian Rabbit Fanciers North America - This discussion group is for
the Brazilian Rabbit, also known as Zils.

The Brazilian rabbit in North America is rare but beautiful. We want to encourage more people to raise these rabbits. We are committed to the goal of seeing these rabbits raised all over North America; USA, Canada, Mexico.

Docile in nature and known to eat just about anything green, they can fill a niche for rabbits that will breed and thrive in less than optimal conditions. We promote real world discussion of real topics related to breeding, showing, raising, selecting, selling, buying, and culling the Brazilian rabbit. I invite you to join us.

Another yahoo group that has info on zils is
Arizona Bunny Swap
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/AZBunnySwap/

Join the group and search the message archive for
"brazilian" or "zil" as search words

Have a good day!

Keep Your Fans Clean

2008-05-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

*re-post from May 23 2007*
Keep Your Fans Clean

Using electric fans is great way to circulate air around your rabbitry and keep your rabbits more comfortable.

One problem is that rabbits shed fur and this fur can collect on fan blades and housings, reducing the efficiency by blocking air flow. Especially if you have angora rabbits.

This blockage can also lead to motors overheating, causing tripped electric breakers if you are lucky and electrical fires if you are un-lucky.

Cleaning your fans should be an item on your weekly chore list.

The fur and dust can become densely packed on the fan housings like a felt blanket. This can be pulled off by hand, improving the air flow somewhat. There will still be a lot of fur and wool wrapped around the wire or plastic grids on the fan housings. Very diffiicult and tedious
to remove with fingers, tweezers and/or needle nosed pliers.

A faster method is to use a blower. A shop vacuum with blower option, a grooming force air blower, or even a garden leaf blower will work. Unplug the fan. Move the fan outside to an area where you don't mind a lot of dust and lint blowing through.

Take the air flow from the blower and direct it through the fan backward. That is, the direction the air normally comes out from is the direction you will blow air in with the blower. You are sending the fur back out of the fan the way it came.

By now you should have a blizzard of dust and fur blowing out of the fan. Be sure you blow out all the corners of the housing. There may be streamers of wool holding on the fan grid, feel free to grab those and pull them off with your hand.

When you are done with the first side, turn the fan around and be sure to blow out the passages around the motor. Keeping these passages clear will help keep the motors cool, reducing the chances of overheating.

If you can't blow the dust out somewhere on your yard, use a vacuum cleaner to clean the fans. Or you can take the fan outside and with the fan turned on, you can use a whisk broom or a dust brush to brush off the grid, with the fan blowing the dust away as you brush. It doesn't do as well as the other method, but it helps.

One more place to watch is the leading edge of the fan blades. If dust and wool build up on the leading edge of the fan blade the fan doesn't cut through the air as efficiently and the air flow is reduced.

You can open most fans with just a screwdriver. Wipe the leading edge of the fan blades with a cloth. I was surprised how much better the air flow was after I cleaned a couple of fans. Re-assemble the fan.

You may have to do this every one or two months.

I hope this info is helpful.

*Update - You can purchase or make fan covers of cheesecloth or cloth screening to keep dust, fiber, and lint from entering the intake side of the fan. Use elastic bands to secure the cloth to fan. Then remove the cloth screen when it gets clogged and shake it or wash it.*

Have a good day!
Franco Rios
*This article may be cross-posted*

Updated Fiber Links

2008-05-26T14:02:00.001-07:00

Updated Fiber Links to include Montessori.org weaving info

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Amherst family subsists on home-grown rabbitsIn pursuit of independencehttp://www.gazettenet.com/2011/06/11/in-pursuit-of-independence

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Braise the Roof
by Ryan Overhiser

Paneed Rabbit with Citrus, Sage and Caper-Butter Sauce
The last of four easy-enough recipes by Stephen Stryjewski

Amherst family subsists on home-grown rabbits
In pursuit of independence
http://www.gazettenet.com/2011/06/11/in-pursuit-of-independence