The Differences Between ARBA and 4-H Shows

What is the difference between ARBA shows and 4-H shows?  There are actually some significant differences.  I'd love for my readers, especially the youth, to understand so that they are more prepared for their first shows. 

For example, 4-H shows are almost always smaller, with far fewer people and rabbits.  One will not find vendors selling cages and other products at 4-H shows.  Sometimes they are limited to just 4-H members; other shows invite the community--including adults--to participate.  Though it seems like adults would not enter a 4-H show, sometimes these shows are a good way to help get started because they are less chaotic. 

In addition, 4-H shows usually include three classes that ARBA shows do not.  These are the cross breeds, DQs (rabbits disqualified permanently or temporarily for color, weight, congenital defects),  and pet classes.  Not only are these classes judged first, at least here in Northern Nevada, but the prizes are usually pretty cool!

At 4-H shows, we learn more about the health of rabbits in general, entrepreneurship, and record-keeping.  At ARBA shows, I learn specifically about improving French angoras. 


ARBA shows have nice prizes for Best in Show and Reserve in Show.  For 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in the breeds they usually have cheapie ribbons.  On the other hand, 4-H often have nicer ribbons and nice prizes for Best in Show.  

Ear Mites

Ear mites are usually contracted at shows, either from another rabbit when they are on the show table, or by the judge passing them from one rabbit to another as he judges the show. 

How do you know if your rabbit has ear mites?  Well, you should be performing a quick health check on your rabbits once a week or so.  When you check the ears, if you see dry, peeling skin on the inside, it's a pretty good bet that your rabbit has ear mites. 

Fortunately, this condition is easily and cheaply treated.  All you have to do is get a little coconut or vegetable oil and spread it around the inside of the ears.  Do this every day for a week or so. 

No more ear mites!

How To Sanitize a Cage

Sanitizing a cage is very important.  If you have a rabbit that is going into a cage that has had a different rabbit in it, you will want to sanitize the cage to kill germs.

The first thing to do is get all the loose waste out of the cage by dumping it and using a stiff brush on the wire and pan.  Then hose down the cage.  After that pour a little bit of vinegar on a scrub brush and scrub all the way around the cage.  Then hose down the cage again. 

The next step is to set it in the sun to dry.  The ultraviolet light of the sun helps to kill germs. 

The best thing to do to make sure the germs are really killed is to use fire.  Because it isn't always convenient to start a bonfire in the backyard, especially here in the desert, we use my brother's acetylene torch.    When you torch a cage, you need to wear gloves for protection.  You also need to torch your cage far away from trees, grass, and anything that can catch fire.  We have a lot of sand here, so we just do it on the sand.  All you do is turn the torch on and move the flame all over the cage.  It burns the hair right off, so it really is the easiest way of removing hair from the cage.  If you are a kid, make sure you have an adult supervising while you do this.

It's Been a Really Busy Week

It's been a really busy week here at Black Diamond, so we haven't blogged as we should have. 

Charlotte and Lydia actually sold an amazing seven rabbits, making for a hopping busy week.  While I was occupied with a whole lot more emailing than normal, Lydia and Charlotte were visiting with prospective buyers and demonstrating how to groom, talking about 4-H, etc. 

Two rabbits--Winchester and Blueberry--went to their new home today.  Four--Honey, Duchess, Colt, and Honey Bear--will be going to their new homes tomorrow.  Another one--Lady Amber (being renamed Pumpkin)--will be going with Winchester and Blueberry.  Lady Amber just couldn't help wriggling her way into her new owner's heart when the latter was here to visit about Winchester and Blueberry.  But she has to wait for an extra cage to be ordered. 

Also, as you may have noticed, the girls finally bred their does on Monday.  We are happily anticipating three new litters of kits on November 4.

Lindon Sweater, or Instant Gratification

This sweater really is Instant Gratification. 

The pattern was featured in the Spring 2015 issue of Knitscene.  If you can't locate a copy of the magazine, the pattern is also online at   http://www.interweavestore.com/lindon-sweater-knitting-pattern?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=cpc&cid=2501&CAPCID=8362138553&CADEVICE=c&CA_6C15C=400009260000414905. 





The yarn called for in the pattern is Classic Elite Yarns Silky Alpaca Lace (70% alpaca, 30% silk; 440 yds; 2 skeins required) and Classic Elite Yarns Soft Linen (35% wool, 35% linen, 30% baby alpaca; 137 yds; 1 skein).  (I used one ply of alpaca and one ply of angora for the main color, and doubled this yarn for the contrast).  Of course, I wasn't going to make it in those colors.  Black was the natural choice.  It goes with everything. And it was going to be my first dyeing project with professional dyes, rather than the food coloring I had been using. 

I don't remember much about the whole project.  I should have blogged about it at the time, but I finished this sweater in May, and who wants to read (or write!) about an angora sweater in May?  I only got to wear it twice for short periods before it had to be packed away for the summer.

I know I used one ply of alpaca and one ply of angora.  I don't even remember which bunny the angora fiber came from.  Shameful.  It dyed up beautifully.  I do remember that.

The pattern was very easy to follow.  I think it took me only two or three weeks to make it.  I think the sweater photographs horribly on the table. 

As you can see in the photograph above of the model wearing the yellow/gold sweater, it is a very open fabric.  That is precisely what I wanted for an angora sweater.  I wanted to be warm, not overheated.  However, that means the sweater needs to have a layer underneath it.

I'm actually wearing this sweater right now as I blog about it and the pattern.  Our high today is supposed to be 59 degrees.  We've been getting rain and have more in the forecast--yippee skippy (we do live in a desert already and on top of that we have been in a drought for some time now);  it's gray and looks cold outside.  So that means I should be able to start up the pellet stove, right?  Wrong.  Unfortunately, the thermostat says it is already 73 degrees in here.  I can't justify turning the heat on.  (Well, I could, but my children might rat me out to my sweetheart.  Were I home alone....)  Anyway, the point is, I am deliriously happy in this sweater.  It's making me think I should knit up a whole lot more in various colors.  Immediately.  For instant gratification whenever I need it.

I only used about half the yarn (I had planned this yarn for a different sweater, but changed my mind), so I got to thinking that I could make a similar sweater for Charlotte.  Charlotte, of course, was thrilled with the idea.

She wanted a contrasting color, so I got out an angora alpaca blend that I had dyed with Kool-Aid.  It's pictured somewhere on the blog, but if you don't want to go look for it (I didn't), it was lime green, lemon yellow, orange, and pinkish-red.  Naturally, Charlotte did not want that on her sweater.  So for my second dyeing project with the Dharma dyes, I overdyed this yarn with Berry Crush and then knit it doubled stranded for the pattern. 

I didn't have quite enough yarn, so her neckband is thinner.  But she still liked it just fine.  Her sweater looks better photographed on the table.  I think the contrast helps.  Or it could be that she is 35 lbs lighter than I am.  I would photograph her wearing it, but she is upstairs recovering from the stomach bug that afflicted Lydia last week.  So that's why I have been doing almost all the blogging lately.

Did I say yet that I absolutely love this sweater?

Is There Something in the Air?

That's what I've been wondering the past few days.  You see, while the number of page views on the blog isn't a whole lot higher than average, what people are viewing has shifted dramatically.  There have been fewer views of older posts and far more views on the three pages showing rabbits for sale.  Some have just been brief inquiries about whether rabbits are still for sale, and then we never hear from them again. 

And that has always been the case.  But this past two weeks there have been a whole lot more serious emails from people who, it seems, are working on building a sustainable lifestyle.  In the past about 40% of our rabbits went to spinners, another 40% to 4-H youth, 10% to homesteading type people, and 10% to people who wanted our rabbits for pets. Lately, however, the numbers have changed.  The spinners are still about 40%, 4-H youth are about 20%, and homesteading/sustainable living people are about 40%.  People looking strictly for pets have disappeared.

Maybe there's something in the air.  Maybe people don't like what's going on in our economy.  Maybe they want a slower-paced, more sustainable lifestyle, even if it's only on a postage-stamp sized lot.  I'm not quite sure. 

Is anybody else seeing this?

UNR Valley Road Field Day, 26 September 2015

Unfortunately, my camera broke Friday night.  (I am one of the few remaining people in the country without a smartphone, which is fine because doing whatever the crowd is doing or having whatever they have has never been a desire for me.  What is deeply disturbing is that now stupid phones like mine are becoming popular with celebrities because they can't be hacked.  But I digress.)  My husband said he'd come down and take pictures for us.  And he did come down.  Twice.  The first time was to take Lydia home because she came down with a stomach bug.  And the second time was at the end of the day to help us pack up, which was very thoughtful of him.  But we were still so busy with visitors that there was no thought of pictures.  So there will be no pictures from our activities at the Field Day. 

"Innovation for a Sustainable Future" (the theme of this year's Field Day) began at 9AM, but since all the parking was down at the opposite end of the field and half of the exhibits were there as well, we didn't see any traffic until about 9:45.  (Next year I will know that if I want to go see the exhibits and demonstrations--and I did--that I have to go first thing in the morning.)  From then on we had a pretty steady stream of visitors with a few small breaks. That was really nice.  We were able to give individual attention to almost everyone.  Charlotte and I could bring Fudge and Duchess out of their cages for the children to pet without having twenty little hands trying to reach them all at the same time. 

We were actually wearing two hats on Saturday.  We found out about the opportunity to participate through a lady in the Carson Sierra Spinners and Weavers Guild, of which I am a member.  So we were grouped with the other spinners who were teaching about wool and spinning on a drop spindle or a spinning wheel.  But we were also there as representatives of our 4-H club, and as such were able to share our experiences of the advantages of participating in 4-H, particularly with regard to rabbits.  We met some really nice families that we hope will be joining us. 

The Field Day was a perfect venue for the girls to share the advantages of raising French angoras with the community.  These rabbits are actually a perfect fit for sustainable living.  All in all, it was a well-organized event, the staff were extremely helpful and polite, and we look forward to participating again next year.  And next year I will take pictures.