Blog
8-20-09
I would really like to set someone up with a trio of breeding animals in both Holland Lops and Netherland Dwarfs. We have entirely too many rabbits and need cage space. I have some really nice brood animals who are proven breeders and have nice babies. I have had some interest from the 4H kids but haven't had any serious inquiries. If you are interested in starting your breeding program with high quality, proven rabbits, please give me a call. I would make you a good deal them.
5-15-09
I have to comment on something that happened to me last weekend and offer some advice to rabbit buyers everywhere. I am very happy to talk rabbits. I love it. I have been raising them for years and years and have a few tricks up my sleeve here and there. I am always willing to offer advice to someone who is looking for rabbits. What colors go with what (especially in Dwarfs), how to work on type flaws, show coat conditioning, etc. Now, I am a person who believes in manners, especially phone manners. I was raised to be respectful and live by the philosophy: "you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." You can't expect for someone to be nice to you if you're not nice to them and vice versa. I think more people should wake up and realize this. If you're not nice to the store clerk, she isn't going to let you exchange that blouse that didn't fit--without a receipt. Give and take. Yin and Yang.
Enough of my sermon on etiquette. I got this phone call from Farmington, NM, last Friday. It started out fine. I was speaking to a lady. She inquired whether or not I had Netherland Dwarfs for sale. I said that I had sold all of my show stock but I did have a trio of rabbits that I needed to relocate. I am focussed on otters and really would like to find someone to take over my REW, Siamese Sable, Himi Dwarfs. The buck is nice. I showed him a lot when he was younger. He is a bit overweight right now because all he does is beg for Cheerios and breed girls. I said that they would be an excellent start for someone interested in raising their own show rabbits but they weren't show quality. They were brood stock. The lady has a quick conversation with a man in the background. Suddenly, a man's voice is on the phone. He demanded to know what my definition of brood stock was. I told him that brood stock wasn't show quality. They were for breeding. It is much harder to get bunnies out of tiny show does. The BUDs (Big Ugly Does) can produce show quality animals. They have the dwarf gene but do not express it. You just need to cull the larger rabbits and keep the smaller. He then demanded my definition of show quality. I'm getting annoyed but I maintain my good humor (especially since I was headed to Muleshoe, TX, to a rabbit show). I explained to him that show quality rabbits were two and a half pounds and under, weight-wise. He huffed and stated that he wasn't looking for rabbits that were two and a half pounds. He only wanted Dwarfs that were two pounds and under. I kinda laughed and told him that he wasn't going to get bunnies out of a herd of two pound Netherland Dwarfs. This is when it turned ugly. He raised his voice even more and proceeded to tell me about his rabbit raising experience: "Sweetie, at one time I had two hundred and fifty rabbits in my barn--" I can't tell you what he said after this because I told him goodbye and hung up. Nobody talks to me like that.
Things that can be learned from this exchange:
1. Read your standard book before calling a breeder. I will admit that the standard book does say that the optimum weight for a show Dwarf is two pounds. This has been ammended, however. In their infinite wisdom, The Powers That Be realized that if they want good bone quality and density, a Dwarf has to weight a little more. The two and a half pound statement has since been taken out. It now should read that show animals should weigh two and a half pounds and under.
2. Dwarf does that are larger still have the dwarf gene and, bred to a buck with the dominant dwarf gene, can produce very nice show animals that express that dwarf gene. If you want to have more than one or two babies at a time, a good breeding program includes BUDs. Never keep a big buck, though.
3. If a breeder offers you advice, at least listen to it. It might not be what you want to hear or even accurate but take a minute and let the words filter into your brain. You can purge it later with a beer or something if you don't think it has merit. Most of us have raised rabbits a long time and have lots of experience. It's worth a shot to hear what we have to say.
4. Never, ever, ever call a woman "Sweetie" unless you are her husband, boyfriend or, possibly, her mother.
5. If you do choose to use this term of endearment in conversation with a stranger (rabbit breeder) you won't have to turn to your wife and ask her, "Did the line go dead or did she hang up on me?" You'll know for sure.
Please call me and ask me questions. I am always willing to help any way I can. I love to talk rabbits. I am still looking for someone who wants to raise their own show rabbits rather than buy them. I have a trio: Himi buck, REW doe and Siamese Sable doe that need a good home. I'd sell them all for $50.00 just because I want them to go to a good home. They are all papered and out of my stock. I will post pictures soon
The only thing I ask is that you are as nice to me as I am to you.
Laura
I would really like to set someone up with a trio of breeding animals in both Holland Lops and Netherland Dwarfs. We have entirely too many rabbits and need cage space. I have some really nice brood animals who are proven breeders and have nice babies. I have had some interest from the 4H kids but haven't had any serious inquiries. If you are interested in starting your breeding program with high quality, proven rabbits, please give me a call. I would make you a good deal them.
5-15-09
I have to comment on something that happened to me last weekend and offer some advice to rabbit buyers everywhere. I am very happy to talk rabbits. I love it. I have been raising them for years and years and have a few tricks up my sleeve here and there. I am always willing to offer advice to someone who is looking for rabbits. What colors go with what (especially in Dwarfs), how to work on type flaws, show coat conditioning, etc. Now, I am a person who believes in manners, especially phone manners. I was raised to be respectful and live by the philosophy: "you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." You can't expect for someone to be nice to you if you're not nice to them and vice versa. I think more people should wake up and realize this. If you're not nice to the store clerk, she isn't going to let you exchange that blouse that didn't fit--without a receipt. Give and take. Yin and Yang.
Enough of my sermon on etiquette. I got this phone call from Farmington, NM, last Friday. It started out fine. I was speaking to a lady. She inquired whether or not I had Netherland Dwarfs for sale. I said that I had sold all of my show stock but I did have a trio of rabbits that I needed to relocate. I am focussed on otters and really would like to find someone to take over my REW, Siamese Sable, Himi Dwarfs. The buck is nice. I showed him a lot when he was younger. He is a bit overweight right now because all he does is beg for Cheerios and breed girls. I said that they would be an excellent start for someone interested in raising their own show rabbits but they weren't show quality. They were brood stock. The lady has a quick conversation with a man in the background. Suddenly, a man's voice is on the phone. He demanded to know what my definition of brood stock was. I told him that brood stock wasn't show quality. They were for breeding. It is much harder to get bunnies out of tiny show does. The BUDs (Big Ugly Does) can produce show quality animals. They have the dwarf gene but do not express it. You just need to cull the larger rabbits and keep the smaller. He then demanded my definition of show quality. I'm getting annoyed but I maintain my good humor (especially since I was headed to Muleshoe, TX, to a rabbit show). I explained to him that show quality rabbits were two and a half pounds and under, weight-wise. He huffed and stated that he wasn't looking for rabbits that were two and a half pounds. He only wanted Dwarfs that were two pounds and under. I kinda laughed and told him that he wasn't going to get bunnies out of a herd of two pound Netherland Dwarfs. This is when it turned ugly. He raised his voice even more and proceeded to tell me about his rabbit raising experience: "Sweetie, at one time I had two hundred and fifty rabbits in my barn--" I can't tell you what he said after this because I told him goodbye and hung up. Nobody talks to me like that.
Things that can be learned from this exchange:
1. Read your standard book before calling a breeder. I will admit that the standard book does say that the optimum weight for a show Dwarf is two pounds. This has been ammended, however. In their infinite wisdom, The Powers That Be realized that if they want good bone quality and density, a Dwarf has to weight a little more. The two and a half pound statement has since been taken out. It now should read that show animals should weigh two and a half pounds and under.
2. Dwarf does that are larger still have the dwarf gene and, bred to a buck with the dominant dwarf gene, can produce very nice show animals that express that dwarf gene. If you want to have more than one or two babies at a time, a good breeding program includes BUDs. Never keep a big buck, though.
3. If a breeder offers you advice, at least listen to it. It might not be what you want to hear or even accurate but take a minute and let the words filter into your brain. You can purge it later with a beer or something if you don't think it has merit. Most of us have raised rabbits a long time and have lots of experience. It's worth a shot to hear what we have to say.
4. Never, ever, ever call a woman "Sweetie" unless you are her husband, boyfriend or, possibly, her mother.
5. If you do choose to use this term of endearment in conversation with a stranger (rabbit breeder) you won't have to turn to your wife and ask her, "Did the line go dead or did she hang up on me?" You'll know for sure.
Please call me and ask me questions. I am always willing to help any way I can. I love to talk rabbits. I am still looking for someone who wants to raise their own show rabbits rather than buy them. I have a trio: Himi buck, REW doe and Siamese Sable doe that need a good home. I'd sell them all for $50.00 just because I want them to go to a good home. They are all papered and out of my stock. I will post pictures soon
The only thing I ask is that you are as nice to me as I am to you.
Laura