Updated 11/28/04
I entered three rabbits in the California Rabbit & Cavy Double Show on 11/27/04.
Updated 10/21/04
I entered four rabbits in the Glenwood Valley 4-H Youth Hare Brains show on 10/16. I had a very good day by winning six Legs out of a possible eight.
In the first show my Holland Lop Solid Jr. Doe, Hopp Inn Shake, earned her 2nd Leg by winning 1st Place, Best of Variety, Best of Breed, and Reserve In Show. I am very proud because she is my own breeding. My Holland Lop Broken Jr. Doe, Gingerbread's Chicklet, earned her 3rd Leg by winning 1st Place and Best Opposite Sex of Variety. My Mini Rex Broken Jr. Doe, Curry's Nova, earned her 2nd Leg by winning 1st Place.
In the second show my Holland Lop Solid Sr. Buck, HH Tank, earned his 8th Leg by winning 1st Place, Best of Variety, and Best of Breed. Shake earned her 3rd Leg by winning 1st Place, Best of Variety, and Best Opposite Sex of Breed. Chicklet earned her 4th Leg by winning 1st Place and Best of Variety.
I sold a Solid Ruby Eyed White Jr. Doe and a Broken Siamese Sable Jr. Buck at the show. I purchased a Solid Black Sr. Buck from Kelly Burkhardt of Gingerbread's Hollands.
I am now officially out of Mini Rex rabbits. I placed one of my Mini Rex Broken Jr. Doe's in the raffle because her ears were a little long for me to sell as Show Quality. She has excellent lines and will be a very nice brood doe. I sold her sister, Nova, to a young 4-H girl that lives in Amador County. She earned her second Jr. leg and should be a nice show rabbit.
I placed an ad in our local Buy N Sell for all of the Satins. I have twenty five rabbit holes and they are taking up three of them.
Updated 10/15/04
I am now a Registered Rabbitry. The American Rabbit Breeders Association Inc. sent me a Certificate of Rabbitry Registration certifying that the Rabbitry known as HOPP INN HOLLAND LOPS officially belongs to me.
I have had ten Holland Lop litters since May. I currently have 12 babies in my barn with more on the way.
I entered three rabbits in the Big Valley Double Rabbit Show on 9/18. I bought a Broken Tortoise Shell Holland Lop Jr. Doe from Kelly Burkhardt of Gingerbread Hollands.
Updated 8/05/04
I entered two rabbits in the Amador County Fair. My buck, HH Tank, was molting so I took David's Boots, my Siamese Sable Sr. Buck and BW's Cloud, my Smoke Pearl Jr. Buck. They both placed first in their class and Boots won BOV.
Updated 6/15/04
My Mini Rex Doe, Tsukiyo's Rain, had three kits on 5/12. She had one black buck, and two broken castor does.
I'm extremely happy with my Holland Lop Tortoise Shell Project. My doe, Schmidt's HH Phebe (aka Sheila), had two kits on 5/13. One is a Solid Tortoise Shell Doe that I named Shake, and the other is a Charlie Doe. I've already sold the Charlie to a friend of mine. The last time I looked at Shake I was very pleased. She looks to be a very promising rabbit.
I finally picked up my Holland Lop Smoke Pearl Project on 6/9. I was given a total of six rabbits, three bucks and three does. David's Boots is a Siamese Sable Sr. Buck. BW's Frosty is a REW (Ruby Eyed White) Sr. Buck. BW's Cloud is a Jr. Smoke Pearl. David's Walrus (aka Wren), is a Blue Point Sr. Doe. BW's Pearl is a Broken Smoke Pearl Sr. Doe. BW's Cocoa is a Siamese Sable Sr. Doe. I am very excited to begin this project. I need to work on getting shorter and massive bodies.
My Holland Lop Chestnut Agouti Doe, Mom's Copper Penny, had three kits on 6/9 with three survivors. I have three solid kits. This is my first breeding with this buck and doe and since I am not familiar with the colors they can produce, I am not sure of their varieties.
My Holland Lop Tortoise Shell Doe, Gard's Nipper, had five kits on 6/9 with four survivors. I have two solid and two broken Tortoise Shell kits.
My Holland Lop Black Otter Doe, Mom's Buttons, had five kits on 6/15 with five survivors. I have three solid and two broken. This is my first breeding with this buck and doe and since I am not familiar with the colors they can produce, I am not sure of their varieties.
Updated 5/18/04
I attended my last rabbit show until fair. HH Tank received his 7th leg and 5th Best of Breed. He was seriously considered for Best in Show. After they judged all the rabbits they removed four rabbits from the cages and he was one of the four.
The Mini Rex breeding of Curry's Radar/DG&K's Splash did not take. I sold Splash back to the breeder I purchased him from. I sold Darwin to a girl who will breed him for reds. I sold my last two does to Donna Altizer, the same person I bought my very first rabbit from. I still have one of the does because she is in the nest box with three kits. She will be going to her new home in late June. I will be completely out of the Mini Rex breed after I sell her three kits.
I am really having a great time with my Holland Lop breeding programs. I am breeding for small, yet massive Holland Lops in varieties of Black Otter, Chestnut Agouti, Tortoise Shell, and Smoke Pearl.
Tortoise Shell Project: My Tortoise Shell Project will begin with two bucks and four does. The bucks involved in this project will be Jake and HH Tank. The does involved in this project will be Gard's Nipper, Schmidt's HH Phebe (aka Sheila), Mom's Buttons, and Mom's Copper Penny. This appears to be a very promising breeding program, and from what I have already bred and shown, it produces nice rabbits.
Smoke Pearl Project: My Smoke Pearl Project will begin with six rabbits. The bucks involved in this project will be David's Boots, BW's Frosty, and a Jr. Buck that I haven't named yet. The does involved in this project will be David's Walrus (aka Wren), BW's Pearl, and BW's Cocoa.
Updated 4/18/04
I am really into showing rabbits, mainly Holland Lops, and I have done very well. My Holland Lop, Tank, now has 4 Best of Breeds and 1 Reserve in Show.
I went to my friend Meta's house to check out her Holland Lop Smoke Pearl Project. She is going away to college in September and asked if I would like to continue her project while she is away. She showed me what she had and I decided that I would like to continue her project. I expect to receive the project in May.
I've decided to sell all of my Mini Rex rabbits so I can focus entirely on Holland Lops. I only have 17 rabbit holes available, two of them filled with Satins, and I need the remaining 15 for my Holland Lop Projects.