Sacramento County Fair - Part 1

Last day of Sacramento County Fair. 

Above is a sorting competition where calves are picked out of group within a time limit.

Rabbits from the show.

Top picture is a few fairgoers walking past the rabbit cages and bottom picture is Primary Showmanship contest.

These two groups on the bleachers are taking a test as part of the Purple Circle Sweepstakes. 50 questions about all the species in the livestock group. Winners get a prize. One group is High School, other groups is Middle School/Junior School.

Goats and swine.

 The top picture is a couple of goats going to the costume contest. Bottom picture are some sheep are cleaned up for show.

This competitor is weaving through the upright white poles.

On the stage was dancers from the Middle East dance academy. The guy in the red scarf is one of the dancers.

We rode the tractor/train shuttle around the fair.

I'll post more pictures later.

It was a good day!

Notes for Palomino Breeders

(photo pal buck, wikipedia commons)

Patty Montag tips for keeping Palominos from FB 5-16-13


1. Only keep Pals that easily make senior weight.  Do not be tempted to
keep that buck around that is 2 years old and still has to be shown as a 6/8
because he never made weight, I do not care how typey he.  Same
goes for the does.

2. Read the standard and breed for the color that you feel best fits the
standard, some breeders breed for the color that their local judges
like, big no no.

3. It is best not to cross the colors.

4.  Let your does grow up before you breed them.  I never breed
anything that isn't at least 9 to 10 months old.

5. If you get a white baby out of two nice animals, cull it, it is not
worth putting more REW genetics back into the population.

These apply pretty much to any breed but they are rules my Pals live by.

Thank you Patty!
Have a good day!

Chasing Rabbits

from the memory banks of the rabbitgeek:

When dogs sleep on their side they sometimes move their legs like they are running. We would say they are chasing rabbits in their dreams.

When our sons were babies we would watch them sleeping and sometimes they would move their legs like they are running.  We smiled and would say they are chasing rabbits in their dreams.

Years go by. The boys join 4-H youth program and their livestock project is rabbits. So there are rabbit hutches in the backyard. Occasionally a rabbit escapes and it is general alarm/capture time. The yard is fenced and we check the fence regularly so they cannot get through it. The boys set up boxes as traps to chase rabbits into. The Dutch rabbits tend to stay low and the muscular bodies can be hard to get a grip on. The Standard Chinchilla rabbits would hop in the air like deer and a well timed grab would result in a capture.

During one escape as the boys and I are chasing a rabbit in the backyard, my lovely wife starts laughing and says "Remember when we used to say the boys are chasing rabbits in their dreams? They were getting ready for this!"

She was right.

Have a good day!

Rise Shine Rabbitry

Nice rabbit blog from a real rabbitry.

http://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2013/05/05/breeding-schedules/

Have a good day!

Roadtrip - West Coast Classic Reno

My sons and I made a short road trip to the West Coast Classic.

You can see some pictures in my picasaweb folder
https://plus.google.com/photos/105050480374519059715/albums/5874343718727854225?\
banner=pwa

Have a good day!

Yolo 4H Fair - Showmanship

Today I was judging 4H Rabbit Showmanship at Yolo County 4H Fair, Woodland Calif. Showmanship is a competition that demonstrates an ability to show the features and characteristics of an animal. Above is a couple of exhibitors. These girls are wearing the white 4H uniforms. The green hat is a Junior competitor. The white hat is a Senior competitor. The stars and service stripes on their hats reflect achievements and their time in the 4H program. These girls are using Dutch breed rabbits.

Here is a couple of the boys, they wear neckties. The rabbit on the left is a Himalayan breed. The rabbit on the right is a Champagne d'Argente.

Girls in 4H have the option of wearing a long white skirt instead of white pants. Note: This uniform policy varies from location to location. So your club may have different rules and maybe you don't wear the whites. But this is California.

Members have the option of using a pet rabbit for Showmanship contest. This is not a bad rabbit. He's just a non-conformist who doesn't live by the Standard Of Perfection.

I had fun judging about 22 Junior and Senior Showmanship Contestants. I spoke briefly with each one on how they can improve in the future. This is my second year of judging Showmanship for Yolo County. I hope I can be there next year. I've done Showmanship judging dozens of times and I always have fun with it.

Note: Pictures of 4H members used by permission.

It was a good day!

West Cloast Classic 2013

Best wishes and Godspeed to everyone headed to
West Coast Classic Rabbit Show May 3-5, 2013
Grand Sierra Resort & Casino, Reno NV
There will be thousands of entries judged this weekend!
http://www.westcoastclassicshow.com/

Watch Facebook for pictures during the weekend.
https://www.facebook.com/events/253336131430249/

Have a joyful day!