New Blog

After a long.. delay... a new blog for you to follow with the new changes of the rabbitry. This blog will stay up for reference/history :)

http://www.kageerabbitry.blogspot.com

Long weekend trip ahead

Tomorrow I leave for a looong weekend. I have a dog show up in Oregon, and then a secret trip. Hehehehe. I'll be sure to share all about it when I get back on Monday. I'm also doing transport for at least one rabbit so far to help out others. Should be a long, tiring, yet VERY exciting weekend!

Bob Whitman

I was just told that Bob Whitman has lost his brave battle with cancer. It hasn't been more than a couple months that the rabbit fancy found out Bob was suffering from a very agressive cancer. I can't believe he's gone. He was probably the smartest rabbit person alive, and probably in history. His efforts to bring so many rare, endangered, and practically extinct rabbit breeds to the US to help support numbers is history. Without Bob, we probably wouldn't have Lionheads here today either.

I can't believe it. We have lost two of the great rabbit people alive within a couple days of each other. This will probably go down in history as the most depressing week in the rabbit show world, ever.

Thoughts and prayers to Bob's family and friends. We will never forget you.

Brian Hartzell

The rabbit world lost an icon yesterday.

I decided to wait until today to post about this. I have been in such deep shock and mourning, I don't think I could have posted about it yesterday. Brian Hartzell passed away yesterday morning, and the rabbit world has almost come to a complete halt.

I've cried, I've been depressed, I've been in shock. I don't think the shows will ever feel the same. Brian's Fuzzy Lops were icons in the breed. Even in his Jersey Woolies. I could walk down the rows at Nationals and Convention and always pick out his rabbits. They were remarkable. You want to talk about a great breeder and judge... Brian was always at the top of the game.

I'll never forget how friendly he was when we first met at Nationals a few years ago. He let me go over all his winning rabbits, and shared his breeding secrets, and how he created his consistently #1 sweepstakes winning herd. And I loved how I would absolutely drool over his fuzzies, and he would joke "Nah, hey, you should see what I left at home!". He was always so proud of his rabbits, and he really truly loved his fuzzies.

I have, and will continue to pray for Brian and his family, and all the friends who knew and loved him.

Baby Boom!

We are having a big baby boom here. Finally. I feel like finally something is making up for the lack of babies I've had the past two years. I have always had some sort of issue when breeding for Convention/Nationals juniors, and usually leaving me without any to show. I've been extra careful this breeding round, keeping almost all of the nestboxes in my room and taking babies out for feedings until they are close to a few weeks old. I have 4 boxes beneath my feet as we speak!

Right now I have 27 babies at last count, with most being fuzzy lops and quite a few lionhead babies in there too. Most of the fuzzy lops are tort and orange (yes, a bunch of oranges!), with some random colors in there too like blue tort, some brokens, and even a chocolate or lilac tort!! It's too young right now to tell which it will be, but it's definitely not a regular tort. Both parents must be chocolate carriers way way back. In lionheads I have mostly all sable points. I love the color so I definitely don't mind. And for lionheads- word has it we will be allowed to show all colors at Convention in November that have a COD on file, not just the presented varieties colors. Very cool.

I have 7 more litters expected during this month, and then the Convention breeding bonanza will be over. If anyone is interested in anything for Convention, be sure to let me know!

Jersey Wooly National Photos

Here are some photos from the Jersey Wooly National show in Ohio. Fun fun times!

The "California themed" basket auctioned off at the banquet. Thanks to our CA Wooly breeders for donations!

The National BOB Winner!!

Lionhead National Photos

Here's a few random photos from the show room during Lionhead Nationals..

Ohio State Convention

The showroom... HUGE!

Columbus in the distance

On a whim (and I mean, literally the most random thing ever), I went to the Ohio State Convention the first weekend of this month. Yes, I flew all the way to OHIO! I was actually planning on going months ago, but because of a multitude of things, it never planned out. On that Friday when all my friends were flying out I was pouting about it at work. My co-worker sitting next to me asked what was wrong? "I was supposed to be flying to Ohio today for a huge show". "Well, why don't you go then?" I stopped and thought to myself a couple minutes. Go. I could be totally random and leave in a few hours and JUST GO. I looked up the price of airline tickets, just for the fun in it. They were cheap. Since the planes were leaving within hours to Columbus, OH and there were spare seats, they were running quite low in cost. I booked my ticket at 9:00 AM and within 1 hour I had left work, ran home and litereally threw things into my suitcase, ran to the airport, and was leaving the runway at 12:00 noon. How's that for an adventure?

I'm leaving... on a jetplane....

Luckily, my very good friends Amber H. (Wonder Woolies) and Susie C. (Wooly World) were going to OH for Jersey Wooly Nationals, so I had friends there to pick me up from the airport. There were a few... issues.. we'll call them (LOL!) Like Amber losing her drivers license and was unable to rent a car to drive around in, the bunnies not arriving until about 11:00pm from the plane, waiting for our lovable taxi driver in the airport, etc. but you know what? It was the most AMAZING trip I've been on in a long time. How completely random am I? We headed for the hotel room arranged by Amber and slept for the night.

Myself and Susie, hanging during the show. Thanks Joni for the photo!

Early morning came quick, and soon we were all enjoying a "local" show on the East Coast. I don't think I have ever really been to a "local all-breed" show besides California. So that was definitely an experience. The OH State Convention is a huge show. Apparently it's the largest All-Breed show in the country besides the ARBA National Convention. This is due to OH Mini Convention hosting multiple National Specialties and regular Specialty shows.

I had to visit Lil'Bit Farms Zero, owned by my friend Melanie.

He wants pets, darnit!

Lots and lots of cooping...hmm.. reminds me of Convention..

Yay, I found some fuzzies!

Fuzzy Lop judging

I was quick to find my friends who lives on the other side of the USA that I only get to see once a year at Convention or so. They were so surprised I randomly was there. But so I was I. Hahaha.

I was so excited because I got to go to two of my breeds' NATIONAL shows! Lionheads and the Jersey Woolies. How wonderful. It was particularly awesome to go to Lionhead Nationals as I have never seen that many lionheads in one single place. I saw a few of my CA lionhead friends like Lydia and Joe, and even found Theresa and gave her a huge hug. She was so surprised to me there and Susie too! I had to tell her that her little lions were settling in awesome at my place.

Amber H. with "Sterling", BOSV Broken at Jersey Wooly Nationals!

Huge congrats to my very good friends who placed well in their National and All-Breed shows. Amber won BOSV with "Sterling" in the NJWRC National Show!! He is beautiful Amber, and you know that I saw great things coming with him!!! :)

It was cold, so I was enjoying the sunshine outside for a break!

All in all, the trip was fantastic. I wouldn't take back the randomness AT ALL! It really made me feel so independent, and like a little jetsetter. heehhehe. I look forward to next year. Yup, you heard that right. Next year the 2010 Fuzzy Lop Nationals will take place with the OH Mini Convention so I will back!!

Show on Sunday

Finally, I will be showing at a show! I decided at the last minute to enter the Stockton, CA show for this upcoming Sunday. It's so close, why not? I entered Puff Ball (SSD), Karate Chop (BJB) and Drama Queen (a Lionhead tort jr doe). It should be a nice easy day with only three rabbits. I few of my local friends are going, so it should be quite fun!

On the home front we have our first Convention junior litters being born:

PFF's Tonka (Tort) x THF Saynora doe (Brkn Chestnut)- 1 chestnut, 1 brkn orange, 2 brkn tort

Starlite's Jamba (Orange) x THF Saynora doe (Tort)- 2 torts

Legendary Aristocat (Tort) x Hillsongs Ezzmerelda (Siamese Sable)- 1 sable point, 1 tort, 1 seal (My first lionhead litter!)

It's very exciting seeing all the new babies sprouting up in the barn. I have several more litters due in the upcoming weeks. Crossing fingers for some nice babies to grow out and show some promise!

West Coast Classic- Monterey, CA

The first Annual West Coast Classic Show was beyond a blast. I am so very lucky to have been able to go and enjoy the event. Saturday was one All-Breed show as well as two national shows, multiple specialties, and the night held a Judges Conference hosted by Allen Mesick. Sunday was home to two all-breed shows. It was a total blast. I enjoyed catching up with friends, old and new. Although I didn't show any rabbits, it was worth all the education I received during the weekend. Plus I got to watch my good friend Rachelle take her first RIS with her English Lop!

Close encounters of the LION kind.

You heard it here first. Lionheads. I've owned a buck (pictured below) named Haven's Dirtbike for quite a few months now, and I have been educating myself on the breed for a couple years (I've even been a member of the NALRC for a while, just to learn!). I finally took the plunge. The reason for me driving up to Oregon/Washington was to pick up part of my new herd of lionheads. Nita and Kaela of Legendary Farms have been a savior to me. They have been ever so kind in getting me hooked up with some awesome does. I really don't think I can say thanks to them enough. While up in Washington I took a very quick and last minute trip to visit Theresa Mueller of Pridelands Rabbitry. She has some famous wins in the breed, and a barn full of pretty little lions. I feel so fortunate to have been able to visit her barn and see her rabbits in person. Yes, I had to take some gifts home... including Pridelands Drama Queen (tort jr doe pictured above) and Pridelands Romney (black jr buck). I will be taking photos of all my little lions over time and will add them onto my new website once it is finished.

They are going to be a smaller project at this time, but I'm sure will quickly gain holes as time goes on and the barn expands.

Time to head home...

The car was packed and loaded and ready to go! Leslie's hubby Keith baked us some yummy brownies for the trip home (thanks Keith!), and we were given some yummy juice (LOL!). All came in handy for that night in the motel on the way home... nothing like staying up until 1:30 AM wired on sugar from the juice and brownies... haha. Maybe that's what got us through the fact that the cable box was stuck on Ladie's Rights conferences on C-SPAN? Hmmm..

Goodbye Seattle!

Pike's Place Market

One of my favorite things about Seattle is the World-Famous Pike's Place Market. This is that snazzy oceanside market you see in many movies. Remember the place where they throw the huge fish up from the ice lined cases into the arms of other men and bag them up for you to take home? That's where this is!