Updates

Been awhile since I've updated this. Been busy, and not to mention my laptop had two really bad viruses on it, so was unable to use it for a month. Luckily my uncle and cousin were able to fix it, without me losing everything on it (I'm really bad about backing up Evans, has been a year...).
Have been to one show since the last post, the Saint Helens, OR show. Dutch did so-so. It was the last show for three of my does. I was hoping to grand Gemma, and she came really close, winning a first, but sadly there were only 4 in her class. Diamond picked up her first leg for a BOSV.
For Martens, Arson was BOB both shows, and now has 13 legs. He will be going to his last show for awhile next week, as next month he'll be going to live with Nicole to be bred to Pyro. As Nicole is starting clinics (in vet school), she won't be able to make it to as many shows, so all our juniors will be living with me.
Currently, I have 5 litters, ranging from a few days old to two weeks old. Haven't really looked through them yet, but the few I've seen look really nice! These will be my state convention juniors.
I bred five does last week, and will be breeding a few more today.
Currently, I have four brood does available. I have way too many of them, so had to make some cuts. I made the really hard decision to move both Zoe and Jill's Wild Blue Venus on. These two have been the best producers in my barn, but are just getting older. Them, along with Trelawn Ruby D, are all around 4-5 years old, and are harder to get bred, and have been having smaller litters. I figure it's time to let them go, and work in someone else's barn while they're still capable of having litters. They still throw really super rabbits. Ladybug is also for sale.
The next few months are full of shows. This month has both Yelm and Kennewick. I was going to go to both, but decided I had too many shows lined up, so have decided to not go to Kennewick. I will be at Yelm though. Then Nicole will be showing two of our Martens at Kennewick. In April, I'll be at both Yakima and Bremerton. I will be judging at both of these. Then in May I have Monroe and Davenport. This will be my first time going to Davenport. I'm secretaring a Dutch specialty at it on Friday night.

Big News!

I don't normally put personal stuff on here, but since this will affect the rabbitry, decided to post it. Last friday, my boyfriend Robert proposed! We've been together for almost two years, as of this February. It will be over two years before the wedding will happen, as that's when he'll be done with school. We actually met through the rabbits, as his parents have boughten quite a few Dutch from me, and use to show (Mike & Leslie, for those here in the NW).

Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!

Monroe Show

Last weekend was the Monroe show. Was happy with how the Dutch did in the first show. My little Black jr doe, Rogue, that I'm excited about won BOS. Was her first show. BOB went to Cassy with a little Black jr buck that she bred. The parents are Rodeo and Revlon, who she got from me last Summer. I love seeing other people do well with my lines-- even if it means beating me!
My Blue sr doe Jada won BOV in the first show, for her first leg. I'm going to breed her soon. I had hoped that I would be able to grand Gemma off, but Rogue beat her out... Gemma will most likely be bred now too.
Not sure how the Dutch did in show B.
Arson, the super marten, picked up his 11th leg, for a BOS in show B.
I came home with another rabbit... Jan sent me home with a really nice Black buck. I haven't gotten his pedigree yet, but I think my dad said that Jan told him that he's the same breeding as her super Blue doe that has been winning all of the reserve in shows. Which that makes the grandmother one of my does. The sire's side is Scott Williamson's breeding.
Next show isn't until March... Debating about going to the Frozen Friends show in Saint Helens at the end of January... Matters what the rabbits look like then.
Right now, the weather has been freezing here, getting into the teens at night, and being barely above freezing during the day. I keep on having to go out to check on the water bottles, and bring them all in at night.
Currently have one rabbit in the house, because of it. I have a really promising Black jr buck, that decided to go off his feed last week. He would not have made it if I left him out in the cold, however is just now starting to drink, eat hay, and munch on a carrot. He should be back to normal soon.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving... a day late! Hope everyone had a good day. My family did (well, those that weren't too sick)... However did find out why my boyfriend and I have been dating for almost two years, yet this was his first time meeting my dad's side of the family! They would have scared him away if we had just started dating!
For rabbitry updates, I updated the stock and for sale pages on my website about a week or so ago. Put up pictures of 3 promising juniors that I have coming up. Will most likely be showing them for the first time next week at Monroe.
On the for sale page, I put a Black buck from Lloyd up on it. He just can't beat his sire, and has a half brother who I like better than him.
In sad news, I lost Cover Girl a couple days after she gave birth to her last litter. She had a really hard labor, and just did not look right after it. I had hoped she would shake it off a couple days later, but didn't. I end up losing her whole litter a few days after her.
In other litter news, I have the following litters:

Born October 26
Stryker x Pipsqueak (have a grogeous Blue doe in it!)
Trelawn Chico x Trelawn Delta

Born November 2
Trelawn Chico x Ladybug

Current litters coming up:
Revolver x Trelawn Lovinia
Revolver x Trelawn Dixie
Chico x Trelawn Libby
Bazooka x Trelawn Taylor
Stryker x Trelawn Inez

Next show is next Saturday in Monroe. I'll be judging at it. Entries are due today, so have to go out and figure out what I'm showing. Mattering on coats, I'll probably be showing 5-6 Dutch, and possibly 4 Silver Martens. Hoping to grand Gemma out at this show, as it will be her last one, cause I want to breed her. Now on my way out to figure out my entry, tattoo juniors, and clean cages!

New Website & Updates

It's been awhile since I've updated this, but have been really busy lately. Have a few updates. First the biggest is, I have a new website! Yes, I know I cut it close to when geocities deletes their websites, and I do worry about people being able to find my site. My new domain is:

http://doubledutchrabbitry.com

Check it out and leave a message in the guestbook. I only have a few pages up so far, more to come. All my free time is being spent getting everything moved over. I do have the my stock page up, with new pics of almost everyone, including all the new Lloyd rabbits.
In other news, I had a bit more problems with feed. I was told that the feed that I had issues with, that their mill cleaned up their act, so had gone back to it... I don't know if it's coincidence or not, but a month later I lost two Silver Martens, and two Dutch (including my best upcoming junior...). I had a few others go off feed, which they eventually get back to eating. I'm working at getting them back into show shape.
I had then gone back to the feed I was feeding before then. I got 5 bags, which the first two were fine... Then the other three were full of a foreign pellet that didn't belong in them. The guy at the feed store said that he's been having problems with this feed being consistent... So that sent me looking for another feed! I have been on what is the most popular feed here in the NW for almost a month now, and so far the rabbits are loving it. A couple that had not touched food immediatly started eating again. It's super green, and fresh looking. My only problem with it, is that it's 17% protein-- I've always used 18%, so hoping they can keep the same condition on them. I'm in a program with a lot of other breeders, where one of them brings it over here by the ton, that way we can get it for only $14 a bag (cost anywhere between $20-24 a bag in the feed store). So far I'm happy with it, I'll know more so in the next few months.
Convention is coming up in a few weeks. No, I'm not going to it. With this set back of losing a few, I have no Dutch worth sending to it. However, Nicole and I are sending two Silver Martens with Scott & Cassy. We're sending Arson and Pyro.
Pyro is a Blue doe from one of our litters last year that we just got back. We had put her in a 4-H auction last January. Her owner was only using her for 4-H breed id, and just stuck her in a fair this last Summer. I was judging at it, and along with another judge, we had picked her as Reserve in Show. She's a gorgeous typed doe, and in nice condition right now. Her color is just a bit uneven... We're happy to have her back, as we lost all her littermates that we kept over her to the feed problem last year. She's out of Pasha and Robin.
I've been to a couple shows, but have only been showing 2-3 Dutch, as nobody has been in condition. Nothing to report, other than DDUF, a Blue jr buck winning BOS at Bremerton (first leg). Jan has continued to dominate with her gorgeous Blue doe, whose won two more Reserve in Shows.
We had the only Silver Marten at Bremerton. Then at Monroe, show A Pyro won BOB (first leg) and Arson won BOS. Show B Arson was BOB.
I have several litters around weaning age right now, that I need to go through. Also have several expecting.

Upcoming litters are:

Due October 26
Stryker x Pipsqueak
Bazooka x Trelawn TL4
Revolver x Trelawn TBL
Trelawn Chico x Trelawn TBD
Stryker x Trelawn TL2
Revolver x Trelawn TL3

Due November 2
Bazooka x Sasha
Revolver x Trelawn BTL
Trelawn Chico x Trelawn Splitz
Trelawn Chico x Ladybug
Stryker x Cover Girl

Show Results

Last weekend was the Clusters of Specialty shows, inconjunction with Kevin's benefit show. It was a very busy day, with several shows going on. The benefit show raised a lot of money though! One of the Mini Rex in the auction went for $400! Above is the judges who were judging in the benefit show. I'm on the end in the blue sweatshirt.

I judged Mini Lops all morning-- there were a lot of them, and several very nice ones! My two best ones end up being in the same class (hate it when that happens!).

By the time I was done judging them, it was time to start the specialty shows, which I was the secretary of. We were down in numbers, compared to usual, only 63 Dutch entered (with breeders selling out, on vacation, etc).

In Eric Stewart's show (new Executive Director of the ARBA) the winners were:

BOB- Jan with a Black buck

BOS- Jan with her awesome Blue doe

Honorable Mention- the Steel doe that I had gotten from Lloyd (stuck her under Lloyd's name, she end up going home with Jan. Earned a leg for BOV Steel!)

In Jake Kuntz's show the winners were:

BOB- Jan's Blue doe

BOS- Lisa & Hilary's Black buck

Then in the all breed show, with Donna Brak judging the winners were:

BOB- Jan's Blue doe

BOS- Pete... not sure with what, as I was judging during this show

My Dutch did pretty good, especially my Black jr doe. She was BOV Black in Donna's show, and BOSV is Eric's for her second and third legs. She was 1st of 4 in Jake's show. DDLB was BOSV Black in Donna's show for his second leg (which he is currently for sale-- very nicely marked buck).

For Silver Marten's, Maddy was BOB. Maryann won BOS with her Black buck. Arson completely blew his coat in the hot weather we were having, so looked horrible.

Nicole and I had Martens leaving to go all over the place. Rainy went to Scott, Stormy went to Larry and Sharon (we traded him for a Black doe, which we'll get in the Fall), and Flash left to go down to California with a transporter. We went through our Rainy x Arson litter, and kept two does, a Black and a Blue.

For Dutch, both Rodeo and Revlon went to Cassy, whose just getting started in the breed.

I have several litters coming up! I bred 8 does (6 of Lloyd's) last Friday and some a few days before that. I also have does due this week.

Due on Friday:

Stryker x Jill's Wild Blue Venus

Stryker x Trelawn Ruby D

Bazooka x Pipsqueak

Due September 4th:

Rodeo x Piper

Rodeo x Ariel

Due September 7th:

Trelawn Chico x Zoe

Trelawn Chico x Ash

One of the Blue does is bred to Stryker and the other to Bazooka

Then 4 Black does from Lloyd are bred to Bazooka, Stryker, and two to Rodeo

(don't have the pedigrees with the names for the new does yet)

New Rabbits!

Wednesday my dad and I made the 5 hour drive to Lloyd's. I told my dad that I did not want anymore than 8 rabbits a week beforehand... The day before, i said defiently no more than 10... I came home with 12... I do not have pedigrees quite yet, so I only have very limited info on them all. I got 9 Blacks, which it wasn't until after picking them all out, I found out they were all his pure Blacks. I got two nice bucks. I'm very excited to be breeding TC into my rabbits. This bucks has an awesome head! Lloyd only had a handful of bucks throughout the years that he considers his greatest, and this buck is one of them. At least 4 of the does I got are daughters of his. I believe he said that TC's sire is Britton's Barry, who was a nice animal, with a Best in Show win.
I also got a young buck, who looks around 5 months old, that is nice too.
All seven of the does are very nice. Five of them have not been bred before, and a few are only 5 months old. I was looking for type only, disregarding the markings, so there are a few not so pleasant marked ones in there. My favorite doe for type is probably my split stop doe. Some of these does go back to Bazooka, and one of them is even out of Johnston's Lucky (a nice buck I got from Don & Carol when they sold out, that Lloyd borrowed).
I also got two Blue does, both are very nice.
Then I got something I did not plan on, and no she's not staying... a Steel doe. What's left of Lloyd's rabbits are going to a meat lady next week, and she was just too gorgeous to send to that. She has a huge buck head, and gorgeous type. I'm tempted to keep her, and do Steels again (probably my fave color after Blacks), but I like keeping my rabbitry small. Jan is going to take a look at her tomorrow at the show, and she will most likely go there.
So since I took more rabbits than planned, I really need to make some cuts... I just do not want to part with anyone though... Luckily I have the cage space, it's just me wanting to keep the herd down to a small easy to care for number (believe it or not, I still have several empty cages).
Currently DDLB a Black 6 month old buck, with one leg for a BOSV and DDAF a Black 4 month old doe with one leg for a BOB are both for sale.
Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day. I'm secretary of the two Dutch specialties, and will be judging in the all breed benefit show. Nicole and I also have to go through Arson x Rainy litter sometime during the day (which are really super already!).
Not expecting much for any of the rabbits. With the heat, everyone has blown their coats. The worst is probably Arson... He has no coat right now.
Litter wise, Desperado x Piper have a gorgeous litter! They'll be 8 weeks on Monday, but I have a gorgeous typed and marked little Black buck. Also have a nicely marked Black doe and Blue doe. They're both a bit on the runty side, but show promising type.