West Coast Fuzzy Lop List

If you're on the West Coast (or in the general area) make sure you belong to the WestCoastFuzzyLop List on yahoo groups. I started this group almost exactly a year ago and it now has 46 members. It is a very active list used to discuss local happenings with the breed as well show results, and to coordinate show entries.

Even if you're not on our side of the country and want to see what's happening with the breeders in our area feel free to join!

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/WestCoastFuzzyLops

My Red Bluff Winners

We had several nice placings in the classes, but I'll post my top two wins. Congrats to all of the Fuzzy Lop winners!

My new little girl who is going to be a showstopper
THF Saynora Puff Ball, 1/2, BOV, BOSB Show A on Saturday!
(and that was a win while she is molting badly! Judge, Chris Zemny, said she is beautiful and if she was in coat she would have been BOB easily. How's that for a JUNIOR? ::grin::)
Top two photos taken by Susie C. for me at the show. Thanks Susie!

PFF's Tonka, 1/7, BOSV, BOSB Show B on Sunday!

(this was a great win for my boy Tonka, who doesn't get to see the show tables too much because he's busy being a spoiled boy at home!)

Belgian Hares at Red Bluff

I was amazed at the amount of Belgian Hares making an appearance at the Red Bluff show. I think they had numbers close to ten? A few exhibitors were watching Carol Green judging the classes, trying to get an up close look at the breed. Allen Mesick came over to give a few tips on posing the breed (we know he EXCELS at that!).

Red Bluff Shows

The show room

Last weekend was the VERY fun Red Bluff show weekend. Double shows both Saturday and Sunday makes for 4 opportunities for legs. The local Lop club (English & French) even held specialty shows Friday night. That makes for a very opportunistic weekend!

Open woolies waiting for their turn on the table

Danielle A. clerks for woolies

Fuzzy Exhibitors Jenny H., Rachelle T. (back), and Susie C.

T.G.I.F!

Thank goodness it's Friday! I have lots of cleaning to do around the house this weekend.. including stacker tray dumping! Oh joy! I only have 2 more Christmas presents to buy.. which isn't too bad. Last year I waited until the last minute.

With the economy in a funk, there are lots of changes happening in our world. It's hard to imagine how everyone is affected until it hits home. My office is going to be closing from Dec. 24th- Jan 4th. Close to 2 weeks of being off of work. We had the choice of using up our vacation time or taking it unpaid. Because I attend Convention & different Nationals during the year I NEED the Vacation hours. So I took the time off unpaid. Thankfully it will be taken out in increments over months and months next year. That will help me not feel like it's so much at once.

Ok, enough venting about my financial situation. I have lots of babies in the rabbitry. Harmony's babies are doing fabulous by the way. She had 2, one honey colored tort and one dark tort. She's actually fostering a baby that's quite younger than her other two. It's out of a first time doe being bred. It's either chestnut or black otter, not sure at this point since it's only a few days old. All I know is that I'm ECSTATIC it is alive! I saved that poor baby from being absolutely freezing cold. It was barely moving when I found it in the box that morning. I took it in by the fire and slowly warmed it up. I didn't have any litter close to that age to foster it to, so before I left for work I stuck it in with Harmony's two hoping it would at least stay warm for the duration of the day. It was alive when I came home.. a miracle! It was so comfy and warm with it's new huge siblings, so it got to stay. Harmony is an excellent milk producer so the baby is always very full and warm. I'm so happy :)

Show tomorrow

Tomorrow is the Red Bluff show weekend.. which I am very excited about! The Red Bluff shows are held in December once a year. They are back to back double shows (Saturday and Sunday), usually with Specialties held the Friday evening before. I'll be leaving early in the AM tomorrow, and bringing 4 fuzzies to show. They will each be shown 4 times. Wow! Our fuzzy lop group gets together and does a white elephant gift exchange and appetizer/dessert potluck on Sunday. Some of us even go out to dinner on Saturday night. If you want to come by and grab a goodie and talk fuzzy, feel free to stop by!

Nova

This is Lil'Bit Farm's Nova. He is a tort junior buck that has been doing very well for me. His first weekend out was at Convention this past October in KY. He was very much a baby and had no coat. The next time I brought him out was the Pomona/Fresno show weekend (two shows each day). He earned a leg EACH show! He is now at 4 Legs with 1 BOB, 1 BOS, 2 BOSV and even an Honorable Mention in Show! I'm very excited to see how his show career continues.

BTW... Harmony had babies this morning!! YIPEEE! She had 3, 1 peanut and 2 regulars. Both are torts. I'm very excited for these babies. I'ts been quite cold here (40's high) so I've kept them inside where it's warmer.

Peanuts for Moondust

Well, Moondust ended up delivering her very first litter. I was proud of her because she had them in the box and pulled a lot of wool to try to keep them warm. Unfortunately they were both peanuts, tort in color. I'll be rebreeding her again soon.

I try not to worry too much about the first litter for a doe surviving. I try not to get my hopes up, as many times they will have them on the wire, not pull wool to keep them warm, or the babies will end up being stillborn. If a first timer's litter survives and she does well I figure it's icing on the cake. After 2-3 litters a doe should be on track to having babies regularly in the box without issues (if she is conceiving that is). If she is cannibalising them or keeps having them on the wire I have to start thinking about whether this is possibly a genetic trait to have in the herd or not.

I do have a couple does that took a very long time to actually conceive. One of my favorite does actually had her first litter the day she turned 2 years old! She is special to me, so would always be here no matter what. I always wanted a litter out of her, so when I did breeding rounds I would always breed her just incase of a miracle. What a joy to see her belly grow in size and have babies to deliver! I always bring her inside when she is due to kindle, as she has not had much success having them in the box. I put her inside of a cavy cage with a solid bottom. That way I can check on them immediately once she has them and help her rearrange them. I have to wonder if it's because she took so long to take, so she doesn't have the younger maternal instincts a 6-8 month old doe would have when delivering?

A very important doe is due on Sunday.. Lil'Bit Farms Harmony. This is my doe that won BOSV Solid at Convention this year. She is nesting as of this morning. I am VERY excited for any babies out of this litter, and very hopeful. Many don't know, but Harmony has already been a mother. I made sure to get a litter out of her when she was around 7 months old. I wanted her to be a great show doe, but also a great mother. I didn't want to have one of those powerhouse show winning does that never ends up having a litter because the breeder waited too long, you know? Who says you can't show a doe after she has a litter? This doe has had a litter already, got her into condition, and then went on to have a huge win at Convention and has multiple Honorable Mentions in show.

Waiting for babies

The Fall breeding season is underway. I'm hoping to have some great juniors for Fuzzy Lop Nationals in April. We're off a late start, but hopeful for a great batch of juniors to choose from. I had a couple litters born a little less than 2 weeks ago. And out of 7 babies, 5 are solid blue! I'm hoping for a blue doe out of those. They are so chunky and look like they have huge heads already!

Above, Starlite's Moondust is nesting and patiently waiting for her first litter to be born (she was bred with Hobbs' Eoin). She's due today. Crossing fingers!