Being a Midwife Is a Lot of Work

While Becky was at school yesterday, her does Duchess and Blue were kindling.  Blue built a beautiful nest for her three kits, only one of which, a REW, survived.  Thankfully, I was there when Duchess also kindled--four plump kits--on the wire cage bottom.  I quickly moved them into the nesting box in her cage.  She still needed to clean them, but seemed to be a little tired and wasn't going to finish cleaning the last one.  So I gave it to Blue to clean, and she did a fine job.  I believe that Blue will be the better mother, even if two of her kits did not survive. 

I thought Blue showed some signs of still having kits to deliver, so I went out to the bunny barn to massage Blue's tummy every ten minutes to help, if there were any more coming.  Blue quickly tired of this and took to trying to bite me and then outright refused to be handled in such a manner.  Fortunately, Becky came home. 

The reason I was very thankful that Duchess also had kits (we weren't ever sure if she was pregnant) is because one kit cannot keep warm alone, especially in the High Sierra desert in December.  Even two kits may not produce enough heat to keep warm.  So we decided to keep all five kits in one nesting box in the house by the fire.  Duchess will feed the kits in the morning, and Blue will feed in the evening.  This way they will get double the milk.  Hopefully they will grow nice and fat quickly.

Gridley Show--11 October 2014

There were a lot less people than we expected at a double triple show (triple youth show and triple open show).  It was a smaller building, so we were all very cozy.  Strangely enough, this triple show went faster than any double show we’ve ever been to.  We were done by 3:00.  It was indoors, unlike the last Stockton show, and probably the nicest place we’ve shown—the AC was going for the rabbits, there was a large grassy parking area for letting rabbits out (and parking), and it was right outside the building.  All the angora judging tables were right next to each other, making it so much easier for us to find them.  We were so used to long shows and always being last that we didn’t have all our rabbits groomed when it was time to go to table.  That did cost Duchess a leg, but it was ok since Becky’s other doe, Honey, got the leg.  They switched up the order, which we had never seen done before, so the youth French angora went up sooner.  

 

If we had to choose between going to Gridley or Stockton, we would choose Gridley any day. 

We had our best friends who are also raising some nice French angoras with us, so it was lots of fun.  At the show, we met some other French angora youth.  They had a beautifully colored buck—a self-chocolate, but he had a lot of reddish tint.  My mom is still drooling over him.  It was really fun to meet them, and we hope to see them at other shows.

Tootsie was way overweight, and Muddy just turned senior and was underweight.  I didn’t want to spend money to enter them—even though they both had nice coats—and risk getting DQ’d.  So I took Ninja who had very uneven coat, just so we’d have the numbers for getting two legs per show.  Two significant things I learned this time—1.  If rabbits are DQ’d for weight, it doesn’t take away from the count for legs, so I should have taken Muddy and Tootsie, because the judges sometimes don’t even notice the weight;  2.  Senior does usually win best of breed.

Truckee Meadows Rabbit Breeders Show

By Lydia

The ARBA double show was held at Cold Springs Middle School on July 26.  Before the show, as my sisters and I were deciding which rabbits to take, I was debating whether to enter Snowball.  I was considering leaving her at home because her wool was not in the best condition.  She was in a molt.   But I decided to take her because, if one of the other rabbits got disqualified, we would only have four, and there wouldn’t be enough rabbits for a leg to be awarded.  

Snowball (with Douglas County 4-H Best of Breed ribbon)

The first show of the two, the judge loved her and awarded her best of breed.  I was so surprised that she won a leg.  I was really glad I took her.  My mom and my sister Charlotte were so surprised that Duchess, who is Becky’s rabbit, did not win.

In the second show, the judge did not like Snowball, and totally ignored her.  She checked out the other rabbits and picked Snowball’s brother, Ninja, as best of breed.  Duchess got best opposite.  

Ninja, Best of Breed at TMRB show July 26.

In this show, only the most popular breeds got ribbons, so sadly, Snowball has nothing to show for her achievement.   So for this blogpost, I took a picture of her with one of her other ribbons.

I learned that judges may have very different opinions of what is best in rabbits.