Supporting My Rabbits

I like to knit.  It is fun and I feel like I am doing something productive even when I am just watching a movie.  Knitting can also be profitable.  For the 4-H rabbit show last week, I had knit four different patterns of little rabbits, and I sold at least one of each pattern.  I thought there was a nice profit for how much time it took to knit them. 

Here is a pattern for one of the bunnies. 

Materials:

4 size 2 double pointed knitting needles
DK weight yarn
a little bit of stuffing
tapestry needle
black embroidery floss for eyes
pink embroidery floss for nose

Body:

The body is a square and very easy to knit.  Cast on 12 stitches.  Work in stockinette stitch until you have a square.  Bind off. 

The cast on row

One row knitted

The completed square knitted body

Head:

Cast seven stitches onto three needles.  Join and knit in the round.  Work four rows, then pull the yarn through the seven stitches to bind off. 

Working on the head

Ears:

Cast on three stitches for the ears.  Work in stockinette stitch for four to six rows, depending on how long you want your ears.  Then on the next row, knit two together, knit one.  Turn and purl two together.  Pull yarn through the one stitch on the needle and tie off.  Weave end in.  Repeat for second ear.



Assembling the rabbit:

Each corner of the square that is the body is used to form a leg.  Pinch each corner together and sew up half an inch to form a leg.  Repeat for the other three corners/legs.  Stuff the belly of the bunny and sew closed.

Oops, these bunnies go together so quickly I forgot to take a picture.

Sew the head to the body.

Head sewn to body

Sew the ears to the head.  Use black floss to make two French knots for eyes, and use pink floss to make a nose.  You can make a V nose or a triangle nose.

Completed bunny

Don't worry if you think you have an ugly bunny.  My ugly bunnies always sell first.  It is so bizarre.

Reno Rabbits 4-H Show, 8 November 2014

We arrived really early so we could set up and so Charlotte could help with the health check.  My mom helped with the snack bar.  We arranged things we were selling on our table. 

I was asked by our 4-H leader to show a young girl how to do showmanship.  I basically gave my presentation.  Showmanship just has to be practiced a lot.

And then our friends arrived.  They brought some games for us to play, which we did, but Charlotte had to help with getting ready for judging.  Then we looked at some of the prizes for Best in Show and Best Reserve, and so on.

Showmanship started around 10:30, and Charlotte wrote all about that on her post.  There was also the hurdle contest, which we didn't do, but it is fun to watch.  Then there was the costume contest.  Finally, the showmanship results came.  After that we started getting our rabbits groomed because the French angora would be up soon. 

The rabbit judge was super slow, so finally we had to go to the cavy judge, because the other judge was still doing mini rexes and we were supposed to be out of the building.  Ninja wasn't very good when the judge was trying to flip him.  Then came Stanley.  He was horrible.  He was almost DQ'd because he hurt the judge.  And then Maple was up.  And then Remy, our friend's buck.  The judge said that Maple was a little light, so he was in third.  Then Remy was in second, and Stanley in first.  Then Panda and Lola, our friends' junior does, were judged.  Lola got Best of Breed.  Stanley got Best Opposite. 

Waiting for the Best in Show judging

Finally the rabbit judge finished with mini rexes and we were able to move on the Best in Show judging.  The best French angora got mentioned by the judge in her final remarks, which we have never had happen.  Then we packed up and left. 

What do you do at shows?

First, check in.  For 4-H shows, check-in lasts about an hour.  For ARBA you can check in whenever, but they are busy, so you will want to arrive earlier rather than later.  If you are late and you miss your show, you miss your show.

After we’ve checked in, we look for the other angora breeders.  We are almost always together.  When you find the others, you always politely ask where you should set up, unless there is some obvious space for you.  It’s nice to have a table to set your cages on so that you don’t have to bend over so much.  

After you’ve located a spot and set up your table, give all your rabbits water and food. Next, find the table where your rabbits will be judged and determine where your rabbits are in the line-up.  Then set up your chair and grooming table.  French angora people usually set up their tables outside because of the blowers and blowing wool.  As soon as you can, start blowing and grooming.  French angoras are normally last, but occasionally the judges switch up the order.  This happened at the Gridley show.  We hadn’t started grooming soon enough, and not all the rabbits were ready when we were called up.  This cost Duchess a leg.  Don’t make the same mistake we did.

After you have blown your rabbits, you can hope it is close to show time.  Use the slicker comb to spruce them up just before taking them to the table.  If there are comment cards already placed on the table, match your rabbit to its card and put your rabbit in its designated space and then turn the card over.  When all your rabbits are at the table, move to the opposite side and let the judging begin.  

Following the judging, give your rabbit a treat while you look at what the vendors have to sell.  You can find cages, water bottles and crocks, treats, hay, feed, cage repair items, brushes, books, nesting boxes, grooming tables, gifts and more.  Breeders will also sell used items, cheaper than retail.  While your rabbit is still on break, also walk around and look at the rabbits for sale.  For yourself, you can usually find sodas and sandwiches at the snack bar.

Whether or not you are participating in the show, you will find some breeders that you can talk to. We have learned so much from going to shows.  We learn from breeders about grooming and feed.  We learn from judges about the disqualifications for French angora.  For example, we thought Blue would be DQ’d for her torn ear.  However, we also thought the judges might not even notice it.  One judge didn’t even notice it; none of them DQ’d her.  I learned about rabbit health from showmanship and about rabbit breeds from preparing for royalty contests.

A New Blower

We decided to get a blower because we found out that it made the rabbits fluffier so that they do better at shows.  It makes them fluffier because the blower will only blow out little mats and tangles.  The comb will pull out wool that doesn’t need to come out yet.  

My mom didn’t think a blower would make much difference.  But at the Stockton show we watched Julie use it on her rabbits. We were surprised to see the tangles and mats blow steadily out.  

We didn’t get the same blower that the adult angora breeders use.  What they use is larger and more expensive.  We also decided it was a little quieter than what we got.  We got the Quick Draw Portable Pet Dryer by Metro Air Force pictured below.

Metro Air Force Quick Draw Portable Pet Dryer

Maple and Stanley did not like the blower.  It was hard to keep them from jumping around.  Maple was a little scared and cuddled up to me.  My mom suggested that she would use the blower and I would keep the rabbits calm.  Normally, rabbits are used to the blower so it only takes a few minutes for one person to do it.  

Maple, before being blown

We are going to see if our rabbits do better at the Gridley show next week since we now have a blower to use on them.

Maple, after being blown

Judges and How They Look at Rabbits Differently

I was planning on writing about this after the Gridley show, but I have an English assignment on developing paragraphs by giving examples.

 

As you may recall, we were at the West Coast Classic in May 2014.  That was our first ARBA show and our first experience with multiple shows in a single day.  There we had an eye-opening experience.  

At all our 4-H shows, Snowball was always in the best condition, meaning she always got Best of Breed.  No matter what I did with Ninja or Indy, Snowball always won.  She always had the density and texture.  So I thought that most judges were the same and all was lost for Ninja and Indy.

When we went to the West Coast Classic in May, we all thought Cookie was in the best condition and thought he would win the leg in the youth show.  And indeed, Cookie was favored over Indy in the first show.  The judge detested Indy.  (Indy was a little stressed and it showed, if you know what I mean.)  The next three shows that day, Indy was highly favored over Cookie, to the point where he got the leg in the youth show.  That day I learned that I shouldn’t take only the rabbits I thought were best, but all of them, so I can see what the judges have to say.  The judges all look at rabbits so differently.

At the Truckee Meadows show in July, Snowball won Best of Breed in the first show, beating out her brother Ninja, who still got a leg for Best of Variety.  But surprisingly, in the second show, Ninja trumped and won a second leg for Best of Breed and Snowball got nothing.  

At the Stockton show last month, Muddy was favored in the first show.  He had great wool but lacked a little in density.  He has a great body.  So he got the leg.  However, in the second youth show, Honey got the leg.  The judged was almost drooling over her wool and density.  He was ready to whip out his spinning wheel right then and there.  

So in conclusion, don’t lose heart if your bunny isn’t favored.  He could win a leg in the next show. 

Fattening Up Rabbits

This will be the first of a three-part weekly series.

Muddy Buddy needs to weigh more to meet the minimum senior weight standards for the next ARBA show because he will be over six months old.  In an effort to boost his weight, I will be feeding him a half-slice of whole wheat bread and strawberry leaves along with other little treats.  

I will be weighing him every day to make sure he is steadily gaining weight. 

Today’s weigh in results:   Muddy Buddy—5.14.5. 

His target weight is 7.8 pounds (that’s 7 lbs 8 ounces in rabbit lingo) by the October 11 Gridley show.

Muddy Buddy, apparently a little embarrassed to be such a lightweight.

How Rabbits Travel

For traveling and shows, it’s best to have smaller cages for a few reasons.  First, you don’t need a big cage taking up space in your car.  That space is usually needed by a person or another rabbit.  Big cages are just a hassle.  And they are a hassle to carry.  Second, everyone needs more room at shows.  It is almost always crowded.  You want the cage to be as small as possible without making the rabbit uncomfortable.  You want to have a show cage for a cleaner rabbit when going to shows.  Whatever you do, do not use a dog/cat carrier.  If you have to, you can use a regular pet store cage, but you'll have to clean your rabbit up at the show.

Perfect cage for shows

Pet store cage.  Better than a dog carrier, but not desirable.

Dog/cat carrier.  Do not use for rabbit shows.

    

Rabbit cages should not be able to slide around.   French angoras especially need to be cool while traveling, without any sun on them.  Sun will just make them hotter and more stressed.  We also ran the AC the whole time traveling back from the Stockton show, and the rest of us got cold.  Next time, we will all wear long sleeves.  If traveling in a truck, do not want to put your rabbits in the bed unprotected from wind and sun. 

I like to buy disposable plastic tablecloths to cover the seats and protect them from messes. Do not hook up a water bottle while traveling, but always bring one.  Rabbits will not eat or drink while traveling, and water will just leak.  Put a towel over the cage to protect your rabbit from sun and from seeing rapid movements outside the vehicle, especially headlights.  Also, rabbits generally do not like being held while traveling.  It’s just bad news.