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Email Me
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A little about me:
I work shift work, so don't take it personally when I don't answer the
phone or take a while to respond to emails.
(Sleeping during the day after a night shift really cuts into my time in
the "real world" :P)
I have three children that keep us very busy. With school, hockey &
dance on top of my husband's and my own work schedules, sometimes we
can't seem to keep up! (Again refer back to first paragraph :)
My rabbits are my "happy place" apart from all of the other
responsibilities I have. Spending some time in the barn cuddling the
buns, "refreshes" me and makes me relax after trying to keep up with our
busy paced life. (Although doing chores again at the end of those long
days does seem daunting at times, but oh so worth it! ;)
Some day I plan to get to convention so I can marvel at the thousands of
rabbits... and do some SHOPPING!!! (The first place we are going however
is back to Disney World with the children.)
I am absolutely pathetic when it comes to rabbit genetics, and although
I would desire to know everything in this department, I still find
myself calling up my faithful "genetics" friends to see who to breed to
who if I feel like doing a color breeding. (Although I do like all
colors, so no stressing here. Just pick the best buck best suited to the
best doe! VOILA! ;)
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February 21, 2008
Well, we're back from the show and the buns are all settled in the homes.
The weather on the way down to Wetaskiwin was fabulous reaching a high
of +7! It was definitely a big tease as all the way home the temperature
kept dropping and dropping 'til we arrived home at a lovely -28. Agh! I
HATE winter!
The show went well. The Edmonton club did a fantastic job of running the
show :) There were 65 Hollands for all three open shows on the Saturday,
but less on the Sunday for specialty. Of course, since the Hollands
seemed to take ALL DAY to judge, I missed some of my placings since I
had Frenchies to put up at the same time on other tables. What I do
remember is Magnum taking at least 3 first place broken junior bucks.
(Magnum is now residing at Napolean's Hutch with Karey Welliver :)
Rider, a solid senior buck, placing the most consistantly (along with
Magnum ;) placing 2nd place on two tables for sure, third on the other
and can't remember where in specialty. He too, is now living with Karey.
On Scott's table during the open show, three out of the four brokens
were mine going for breed :) Apple Spice (broken senior doe), Magnum
(broken junior buck), Candy Cane Lane (broken junior doe). Unfortunately
we didn't get breed, but congrats to Sharin Englier and Shannon Moore,
who won with a solid junior doe and a broken senior buck respectively.
Good job girls :D Apple Spice won Best Opposite Sex in the specialty
show the next day to Nicole's solid senior buck in that won Breed.
Congrats Nicole :)
Before the show I found out that there was one Frenchie entered in the
whole show, so I said I would help fill the class, then thankfully the
other breeder brought another. I ended up bringing three: Fanta (won one
best of breed), Chantilly (won two best of breeds) and Celia (who was a
good class filler ;) When I do get the legs in the mail, I will post the
specifics, as my secretary skills are lacking and like I said before I
missed the actual placings of some of my animals :P Oh, Rosco, our
broken tort senior buck placed at the top of his class on all tables
consistantly. He is now residing at Riverside Rabbitry with Nicole!
Condition was my biggest downfall, as with my buns living in the "cold"
it's hard to keep condition on them. (I'll tell you about my plans to
fix that in the future ;) I didn't show any Jerseys as my three does are
with buns and the juniors are too little. I would have loved to show
Junebug, but Magnum plucked all her face hair. What would possess her to
ram her face up against the cage?!? I had one blue buck I could have
shown, but to be honest, with all the sold animals and my show animals
space was tight. Next time, we'll get those Jersey's on the table :) It
would be especially good in Chestemere as some Jersey breeders are
planning on attending! It'll be so great to see them, if I can make it
up there to meet them :D
So since, I ended up selling several animals my chore load is a tad
lighter now! LOL! Mostly nice bucks I sold, but I couldn't keep them
all, so hopefully they will do well for the other breeders. I'm sure I
coulda sold Fanta about a million times over (as I've had countless
people tell me how in love they are with her ;). I now have three "non"frenchie
friends that want Frenchies since they have seen her! LOL! I warned
them, that you won't want just one! Seriously though, Fanta is a
phenomenal rabbit, in that her personality far exceeds any other rabbit
I've seen. I'm quite certain she was a dog in a past life! I truly love
that rabbit :) And everybody that is waiting for a baby out of her will
be pleased to see she is up on the nursery page hopefully due with lil'
ones!!! She has been bred to Sweetbriar's Mark (who else ;) as his dam
was an orange. Keeping my fingers crossed that she catches, but with her
out in the cold part of the barn, we won't hold our breath. Spring is
near either way, so we won't have to wait long to try again if this time
doesn't work out.
Til' next time :)
February 5, 2008
It's been a while since I "blogged" so I thought I better take the time
to write something, so those of you who do read it don't give up
checking! LOL!
We've all been battling colds/flus for the last while and it seems like
we've been sick for most of the winter :S I had a cold that lasted three
weeks in January and I finally felt "human" for a couple days and then
another flu-like cold nailed me again! Now I've been battling that for a
week... boy, I would do anything to feel well again! Vernon was very
sick with a very bad fever that knocked him down for a good 4-5 days and
now the kids are all taking their turns. Right now, they all stayed home
from school, and when that Advil knocks the fever down for a bit, I am
tempted to rush them right to school! LOL! Can kids ever be too sick to
fight?!?
I can't believe it's already February, as it seems we just had Christmas.
(Don't get me wrong, the months of November right to April can just be
erased from the calendar as far as I'm concerned ;) I HATE winter!!! The
Wetaskiwin show is sneaking up quickly, and I have a lot of tattooing to
do. Of course, our biggest concern with picking the "show" buns will be
mostly based on condition. I do have a lot of nice ones to show, but if
the condition isn't there, what's the point? That's why it's so
frustrating that we don't have more shows to get to in a year, because
this is most likely the only one 'til ???? Oh my, things aren't looking
good for our showing career. Oh well, I still know what to breed for,
and that won't change whether we hit the shows or not. We'll just be
good and ready for when there finally is another one :D
We have four Hollands coming up due in the next few days. Fancy is due on
the 7th, Tini Martini, L&R Elaine and our adorable Sweet Cheeks are all
due on the 9th. I will pray, pray, pray that somebunny keeps their
litter! (I blame our bunny difficulties all on that damn winter again ;)
I took a few pics today, however I have to apologize for the crappy
quality :P I took pics of Olivia's litter and the Jersey buns in the
nursery and where the table is the lighting is no heck. But you'll get
the idea, and when it warms up, I'll take better, purdier pictures of
them! LOL!
I've sold the majority of my for sale
animals I have posted, so that will make more room in the barn not to
mention a few less mouths to feed. I've been struggling with the
decisions of who stays and who goes. Several nice animals, but can't
keep all bucks. I've produced a lot of bucks and the decisions are based
on who I will use and who not. We all have our favorites and there's no
point in holding onto all the nice ones just to keep them. If we had
more shows to attend this year, I probably would hold onto a few more
since the bucks are good to show, but that's not the case as shows are
few and far in between. Hopefully
their new owners are just as happy with them as I am :)
January 13, 2008
Happy New Year everyone! We had a quiet one, as with being so busy, all
we seem to do is run around like chickens with our heads cut off. Any
"spare" moment we find, it would hardly be our choice to go out and stay
up late. Sleep is what we need! Dear Lord, let us find the strength to
keep up this pace! :P Hockey, dance, work, signs, chores, clean, cook...
COOK?!? You mean we got to eat too??? Agghhhh!!!!
Enough about my personal life... in the rabbit world, things are going as
per expected. We are having Holland litters and losing Holland litters.
What else is new in the middle of the wonderful province of
Saskatchewan? It seems our Hollands always protest mothering during the
winter months, so I really didn't expect this one to be any different ;)
One lost litter was my fault :( Forgot to get the nestbox in soon
enough) and Tini Martini had a very difficult birth of one huge baby, so
those two don't really count as they are hardly the does' fault. Apple
Spice & Elaine can be blamed however, because they had theirs on the
wire. Although first time moms, so I'll forgive them... just once!
Sweet Cheeks didn't catch. Not my fault, I really can't help them out in
that department! LOL! Tangerine was successful with two of the five. She
just didn't have them covered up well enough and the three got too cold.
Just waiting on Larkspur right now. Fairy Dust didn't catch this time
around. We do have two new Jersey buns though! Two adorable broken
blacks or black silver martins. Didn't overly examine the ears.
Our litter of eight Frenchies out of Nava and Mark are turning out
fantastically! Very pleased and thankfull they got rid of those fuzzy
baby coats. They had me worried for a bit! Got my three fav's picked, so
I hope that doesn't curse them ;) Truly excited about them and can't
wait for spring to roll around to breed some of those Frenchies from
Robin Gamroth and my opal doe! Orange Frenchies here we come!
Put up a bunch of for sale Hollands. Time to clean some barn, as they are
all coming to the age that they can fairly be assessed. Trying to be
really picky to keep some numbers down, because we don't want to really
discuss how many holes I have filled ;) I am definitely not one of those
breeders saying, "Well, I have 33 holes for my Senior Hollands, so that
leaves 14 holes to grow out juniors, so I need to get rid of 16 rabbits
to make room for the blah, blah, blah..." Nope not me. I have a big
barn, a lot of cages, and money to feed them all. I like to grow out
whole litters, assess them from three weeks to 3 or 4 months, then they
are ready to go. I personally want to avoid the "do you have a baby
bunny for me to buy for a pet?". You have to prove you will take care of
it, and not call me in a few months because you get sick of it and want
me to take it back (just to let you know, I have done that). I could
save myself the hassle and keep it right from the start and grow it out
in my barn. Call me grumpy, but I don't have the time or energy for that
sort of stuff. And besides, I love all my rabbits and love to watch them
grow and develop so I can learn about my lines, what changes and what
doesn't. I think it makes me a better breeder in such I can accurately
assess and predict better what a bun will grow into. I am proud to know
that the ones I pick at 3-4 weeks old are 99% of the time the ones I
pick again when they are 3 or 4 months old. Now that's what I like! :D
Olivia's babes are now 3 1/2 weeks old and cruising around the cage. We
sadly lost one just yesterday. I'm assuming complications with the bun
adapting to the solid feed. It's unfortunate, but that's to be expected.
We are still left with four absolutely adorable buns whose heads are
already looking rather "large". ( GOOD thing in the rabbit world ;) Very
excited to have a broken blue doe coming up, and the broken black bucks
are adorable too. Gotta love those charlies :) The tort otter better not
turn out to be the best, because it's my least favorite color in the
litter, but we all know stranger things have happened! LOL! I
really wouldn't be at all surprised.
Well, I better stop typing and get this update uploaded. Got peoples
looking for some buns, and me thinks I know just where they can find
some! ;)
December 19, 2007
I can't believe Christmas is almost here, and looking at my list of things
to do and gifts to buy... I'm not quite ready! Oh well, things seem to
have a way of working out and I always seem to avoid the nervous
breakdown that I feel coming on just in the nick of time ;) Merry
Christmas y'all!!! :D
I'm going to keep this relatively short, as I am supposed to be working
on my homemade Christmas gifts. Anybody who knows me knows that I am a
chronic procrastinator. That is why it is nearly 7 PM and I still
haven't tackled the job. I do still have about 5 days left!
I've taken some new pics of a few of the Hollands juniors. I desperately
need to work on the Frenchie photos as I have people interested in them.
The litter of Nava's are doing well, except quite "floofy" and I am
uncertain right now as to if they will moult out. Yes, I have had some
keep those coats in the past, and I sure want to be certain they don't
stay that way before I sell anybody the buns. I guess patience is a
virtue :) The litter of Chinderella's unfortunately we lost. The mother
died unexpectedly when the buns were only two weeks old. With nobunny to
foster to, I took on the task of feeding them myself :S To make a long
story short, I have one out of six surviving. Hopefully he keeps
thriving. I named him Buddy and he lived in the 1/2 bath by the front
door! I told hubby if he lives, he's going to be a house bunny. (I
imagine hubby is hoping he passes on ;)
I've been enjoying the buns immensely. The Holland juniors are all
developing beautifully. You know how it is when you pose up those very
fine ones and you almost giggle with delight. (No, I already mentioned
above that I am NOT crazy ;) It was those three especially from the
Alabama/ Fancy Pants litter that excited me so. It's like one moment
they are just slowly growing through the adolescent stage and then a
couple days later, BAM, there's that beautiful bun that seemed to just
mature over night! After posing, primping and coddling them (all the
while giggling with delight), I run to the house to phone my other
crazy, uh hum, I mean other rabbit friends to share the big discovery.
I phoned Leah.... no answer. I phoned Nicole.... no answer.
WHAT TO DO?!? All this emotion bubbling inside me and I didn't know what
to do with it! I waited 'til my hubby came home in the evening. "Honey,
want to come to the barn to see the rabbits?", I ask hopefully. The
response he gave was expected, but I still had to try, "No." Crushed.
Well the only thing to do is to go on with the evening routine. I put
the kids to bed and then go to sleep... and dream about rabbits ;)
I hope everybody has a wonderful Christmas with lots of love, health and
happiness. Happy Holidays from Cutie Patootie Rabbitry!
November 16, 2007
Where does the time go? Wow, can't believe November is over half over
already!
I could start this post the exact same as the last one... well, the new
buns have arrived :) Yes, MORE bunnies! I have just recently purchased
three beautiful Frenchies from Robin Gamroth of Oregon (Robins
Lops of French) and two new
Jersey buns from Kathy Mannweiller of
Just Hoppin' Rabbitry in BC. The
Frenchies are of "color" (and quality of course ;) so we are very
excited to have them: a chocolate frosted pearl, a broken orange and a
blue gold tipp'd steel. All does. The Jersey's we got are a pointed white junior
buck and a broken chocolate senior doe who was one of the "original"
Jersey's we had from Judy. This doe, Dream, went to BC to raise a litter
for Kathy, and has come back here to see if she will actually do it for
us now!
Yet again, these buns have arrived with the help of many people.
First, the Frenchies came from Oregon to Washington with Robin herself and
from there
Sarah McCrea of
Rainstar Rabbitry brought them back into Canada (BC).
She had them there for a bit, 'til Kathy Mannweiller went our of her way
to pick them up and brought them with her on her way to Edmonton,
Alberta. (Of course, this is where the Jersey's trip started ;) Once in
Edmonton, Sharin of
Hoppy Acres Rabbitry picked them up from Kathy
and brought them to Helga
of
Golden Spike Rabbitry. From there Helga was on her way to Wainright to
meet Leah Seery from
L&L Warren Rabbitry in North Battleford, Sk. to do
a bunny "exchange". Leah then brought them home (an hour away
from me) and I picked them up
from her. Then from North Battleford to home... finally!
After all of the hours they spent traveling and all the transfers
they went through, the buns are doing great :) They are all comfy in
their newly "renovated" cages and were bouncing around and munching hay
as soon as they were out of their carriers. The Jerseys are too,
settling in very well :) Their pics are all posted except the little
Jersey buck as I didn't get a chance to do his pic yet. Of course the
quality of the pictures are not going to be the same quality as before,
because with the beautiful winter weather we have in Saskatchewan the
pics have to be done inside the barn :S I'm very fussy in the picture
department, but I'll have to tough it out and do the best I can given
the winter season.
All I can say is Thank You, Thank You, Thank You to all the generous
people who have helped get my new bunnies home!!! We truly appreciate it
:D
Well, we are patiently anticipating the upcoming show in Wetaskiwin,
Alberta this coming February. We do not have a lot of shows to attend,
so any show coming up is definitely one we look forward too. It could be
also, that my barn is pretty full with a lot of fancy, little show
prospects coming up! (I'm not biased at all ;) I plan to have many for
sale around the time of the Wetaskiwin show, so if anybody is interested
in anybunny on the site, you never know, it may come available. Finding
the time to decide who is available right now, is tricky. I do know I
have a PILE of current and upcoming bucks that I most definitely won't
be keeping. Email if there is anybunny that tickles your fancy ;) I do
know that I like to grow them to about four months old before I make my
final decisions as to who will stay and who will go. But don't think I
don't look them over and have my eye on certain ones... I do! I am
constantly checking them out and assessing them right from three-four
weeks old, but until they are around that four months then I feel they
have had sufficient time to develop to properly assess them. I am
however finding my favorites at that young age, for the most part tend
to be the favorites in the end. There are of course some exceptions such
as our runty little Tini Martini who has blossomed into the prettiest
Holland doe ever (biased again ;) and our buck Rosco who was a little
runty too and, he too, developed into a strappingly handsome buck!
Well, I better run. Kendall's chomping at the bit to get out there to see
her Jersey's and the new Frenchies.
Later!
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