Welcoming Keepers

I can't believe our litters from the end of 2014 are already 10 weeks old. Time flies when you are having fun!

Here are their updated weights:

Sunshine's Litter-
1. 4lb 0.6oz (black runty doe)
2. 4lb 14.6oz (black eye patch doe)
3. 4lb 0.0oz (blue shoulder buck)
4. 4lb 2.4oz (lilac banded doe)
5. 4lb 7.1oz (black banded doe)

Tacoma's Litter-
1. 4lb 14.6oz (Pancake)
2. 4lb 14.3oz (Flapjack)

It has been a welcome surprise to see several of them nearing 5lbs at 10 weeks, though there are some significant size differences between individuals and some are barely making 4lbs. Either way I am happy with the results considering I was expecting to have to wait more than 12 weeks for even one to reach this size. I was planning to keep going with weights until then, but now I don't really see the point.

We had already decided to keep Jack, but we have also decided that Pancake will be staying, too. The black eye patch doe and the black banded doe from Sunshine's litter with also be keepers, for a total of 4 juniors to hopefully move forward with the next generation. I'm not at all worried about colors/markings right now, just traits that will build a stronger foundation like type and growth. All of them have nice personalities, good teeth, no visible defects, and are outwardly healthy. I am smitten with the rufus on Tacoma's litter:

I want to do pirate-related names with the two sisters from the first litter, but has been surprisingly hard to think of doe names with this theme. A few we were tossing around:

Calypso
Black Pearl
Chantey
..?

Welcoming any ideas. If they were bucks, I'd have at least a dozen names picked out already, lol.

Home and Hearth

I've been reading my new books every chance I get in between everything else going on with the winter storms, work, getting ready for Spring gardening, etc. and one thing that sticks out to me is how I am not even close to where I want to be in terms of being self-sufficient. Some things we have been looking into for our next property:

1. Solar panels, wind, and other ways to generate power at home that are green and feasible.

2. Building more. My husband has taken an interest in woodworking and refurbishing old time furniture. I'd like some outdoor hutches, which have been put on the backburner for now until we know where we will be so there is less to try to move. Depending on the property though, we may end up converting a barn for our needs. I may just want grazing pens at that point for fresh food, sunshine, and exercise.

3. Growing more food. We are limited by the space on our current property and our inability to protect and preserve it from people and wildlife, but we are hoping to expand our next garden, have an orchard, build a root cellar, set-up a shelving unit for all of our preserved goods, etc.

4. Animals. One of our goals on our next property is to get our land and critters to where everything works in harmony as much as possible. We want a few chickens for sure, but not just for eggs. We also want them to eat bugs that may otherwise cause problems for the garden and orchard. Their waste will also help fertilize and their meat will feed something at some point. ALL of the books we read recommends pigs for their rooting the ground, eating the extras, and manure. I've always planned to have a dairy cow and she can provide more than just milk, cheese, etc.. her manure is gold for the soil, too. We are considering goats, but are on the fence if we will do straight dairy goats or fiber goats or whatever. Same with sheep. We want to start with adding one species and ensure we are doing right by them and then go slowly.. no zoo here!

5. Warm clothing, furs, etc. While my husband is interested in building and woodworking, I am interested in tanning, making things out of hides/furs, carding/spinning, sewing, and of course knitting/crochet. My grandmother taught me how to knit when I was a little girl and I keep dabbling in it year after year. One of the things I want to work on is homemade wool socks. I used to raise English Angoras and find myself disappointed every time I have to buy yarn at the store though. We might need to remedy that at some point.

6. Homebrewing. I'm particularly interested in trying to make some of the old time fruit wines that my great grandparents made after they immigrated from Germany. I also enjoy craft beer and it would be really neat to be able to use home grown grains, hops, etc. to make something like a stout to enjoy on the weekend.

We already can make our own bath and body supplies including cold-process soap. I love cooking and do it frequently. We have been de-cluttering our home and trying to simplify for a while now. We have also completed some house projects that we feel good about and are ready to move on to bigger and better things.

In other news- today and over the weekend, we will be weighing and selecting our youngsters from the first litters as they will be 10 weeks old. Keepers will get their BunnyVac booster and hopefully I'll be able to get some new pics if the weather cooperates. Right now it is still below freezing and overcast. Brrr!

Harlequin Happenings

I was very pleasantly surprised when I recelived the January/February 2015 American Harlequin Rabbit Club newsletter, called Harlequin Happenings. On the very first page there was an article about culling by Barb Adams. I thought it was very well written and addressed a super important topic in my breed, but really in all breeds- which is being responsible by ensuring we aren't using inferior breeding stock or contributing to unwanted populations. A few lines that stood out to me were, "The Harlequin is not getting any favour by having every kit raised, then sold off to pet homes. As responsible breeders, we should find some way to cull or don't breed." She goes on to describe how pet owners frequently lose interest or "release" their unwanted rabbit, a reality that I have found to be very true, despite thorough screening and care taken in placement when I used to offer pets years ago.

After a brief discussion of culling outlets, the author goes on to talk about the traits she looks for in her keepers. I was surprised and impressed to see that she was also looking for good type primarily, which is commercial as per the breed standard. Type is barely worth any points on the show table, which is why I believe so many breeders select their keepers from the nestbox and everything beyond markings/color gets thrown out the window.

"Build your house FIRST... then you paint it!"

Now I will admit that it is very challenging to ignore great markings or a color I want to keep around, but ultimately it is the best decision for the future of the herd. Not to mention, breeding for type first makes it possible to justify having a marked breed for homesteading goals. :)

I'm still here!

Just been busy at work and dealing with the repeated winter weather warnings. I have my bags packed again for yet another round today. Particularly irritated as I was supposed to be off tomorrow. Really, really hoping I am because I could sure use some bunny therapy right about now. Hope everyone else is having a good week and staying dry/warm!

A Surprise Package

I was very excited and surprised to find a package on the table from my husband when I got home the other day. He said he researched and thought I would enjoy what he found. Here is what was inside:

Needless to say, I am thrilled! This book is amazing! It is all about learning to live in harmony with the land under your feet and covers topics like natural energy, raising crops and livestock, preserving foods, making beer and wine, basketry, carpentry, weaving, financial independence, home repairs, foraging, and the list goes on. The table of contents reads like a list of things I daydream about every week. I've only read the introduction and flipped to a couple of sections, but it seems well-written, detailed, and thoughtful. Literally FILLED to the brim with tons of helpful information, how-to guides, and insights.

So back to the package. Underneath the book above, I found another tucked behind it! It looks like this:

I haven't even opened this one yet because I am obsessed with the first book, but it says it covers topics such as growing and preserving foods, raising chickens, having a successful garden, buying land, catching pigs, making sausage, etc. My husband said it came very highly recommended by other homesteaders, so I can't wait to get started on it. I expect it will take me a while to read them both cover to cover because I am taking my time to really grasp the information, but I will plan to post a book review on them in the future.

Basically, my husband is a magnificent specimen of a man and I am so fortune to have met him half a lifetime ago. He is my soulmate, partner, and best friend and I couldn't thank him enough for these unexpected and thoughtful gifts while we look ahead to whatever the future might hold. I wonder if the books say anything about Nebraska? :)

8 Week Evaluation Part II

I'm back! Also, this is the coldest late February I can remember. It was 11 degrees when I last looked and we have winds up to 28 mph. I ran the water overnight, but it looks like only the hot water is working and the cold pipe is frozen. Hopefully not cracked!

In the meantime, here we go! This is the black Japanese doe. She has brindled up, which I don't like, but ain't too shabby as far as type. Kind of has a reverse Dutch thing going on from this side:

Shoulders are a little bit low and long, but nothing compared to the blue buck. See how her HQ chops off instead of gently sloping? We don't want that, but she is actually decent overall. Top view:

And one more:

Little bit chopped/pinched, but still very undercut. And so the quest for perfect HQ and shoulders continues.

Here is the runt doe of the litter:

Top view:

And back:

I actually don't dislike her type compared to some of the others and she feels smooth. But she is sooooo little and is almost a full pound smaller than my largest. Unless something dramatic changes, we won't be keeping her.

Another black Japanese doe (who wasn't cooperative for posing obviously):

I like this doe. She is big, smooth, and solid. I don't like her pinched and hippy backside, but she is pretty good everywhere else and is the largest in the whole litter. Another pic of her:

Like with most of the others, the biggest issue is pinched/undercut. I think if I could keep working to improve meat qualities there, these traits would diminish. One more:

And the last doeling:

She has long shoulders, but they aren't very low- do you see the difference? It kind of seems like I am going to have to choose between HQ or shoulders for my keeper does. Most of them have significant faults with one, the other, or both. This one is less pinched than  the previous doe. Another view:

And from the back, where the undercut portion becomes more apparent. Not terrible though:

So I have some decisions to make. Jack is staying for sure. The blue buck and runt doe will not be kept unless something amazing changes between then and 10-12 weeks. I'm on the fence about the rest until we see how they grow. I've read that hindquarter problems are easier to fix and that shoulder problems (ie long, low, and/or narrow) will haunt breeders forever, so I lean towards picking the shorter/deeper does with wider shoulders. Do you have a favorite or one you really hate? Decisions, decisions.. and thanks for looking!

8 Week Evaluation Part I

I am not sure if I will have time to post all of both litters today as I may need to pack to live at work for a few days thanks to the winter storm rolling in tomorrow. I decided to start and see how far I get.

This is Jack, one of the keepers:

Although his coat is all weird in the first picture, he is very smooth and wide as you can see from the second. Top view:

His ears are covering his shoulders some, but there is a dip, so they are lower than I would like. His depth is alright, but he has a late rise because of the low shoulders. He is full and rounded through the loin. His hindquarter is lacking as it slopes towards the ground- he is undercut and pinched. His overall shape is pretty balanced and his type is overall an improvement compared to my older Harlies. His temperament and rufus are outstanding. His markings are poor. Overall, my Harlequins need better type and we have elected to keep him as a herdsire despite the fact that Harlequins are judged primarily on their markings.

To contrast, here is the buck from Sunshine's litter that I am not planning to keep:

Gah! What in the world? Okay, okay.. so he isn't quite as awful as the picture above (he had flattened out after I caught him trying to take a leap of faith off the side), but still, he leaves much type to be desired:

And here is a top view also so we can compare apples to apples:

Some of the differences are much more dramatic in person, but things that jump out at me even in the pictures is how much smaller this buck is. He also lacks the depth and width overall that Jack has. His shoulders are more narrow, long, and low. His hindquarters are also very pinched/chopped/undercut. He feels catchy, hippy, and boney whereas Jack feels smooth and wide. While Jack is far from the ideal New Zealand White commercial rabbit, the difference is still pretty durned dramatic between the two:

 

Yikes! There are so many issues with the blue buck's HQ that it helps to remind me how far I still have to go before I get serious about markings. Hopefully Jack can contribute his big booty, improved shoulders, and thicker loin to future generations and we are very happy to welcome him to the herd.

The only other kit in Tacoma's litter besides Jack is a doe that you've met before- Pancake. Unfortunately she is not as nice as her brother, but still nicer than the blue buck. She is also the largest of all of the kits born around that time. The thing is- she is super comfortable being hauled around and totally not interested in posing. Most of my attempts came out like this:

Hi Pancake! Not exactly what I was going for though. Let's try again:

Pancake! You aren't an English Spot. After approximately 134, 621, 210 attempts, I finally had one where she didn't pop up for a split second. Not perfect, but I didn't have time to keep trying:

We can see right away her shoulder is long and low contributing to a late rise. She has better depth than the blue buck (thank goodness she doesn't actually look like a pancake!). Here is another (sorry about my hand):

Her hips lack roundness over the top and she is a bit hollow through the loin, though still better than the blue buck. She is also very pinched and a bit chopped when her legs are actually where they should be. I am on the fence about her. Type needs improvement, but she does have traits that are important to me like being the biggest, having fast growth, heavy muscling through the loin, great rufus, an outstanding temperament, and is my only doe from this litter. We will consider her carefully at 10 weeks and go from there.

And that's all for now! Feel free to comment on what you like or hate so much you can't stand it. :) I think I have pretty realistic expectations that it will take generations for consistent improvement and in the meantime, we will eat like kings. I hope everyone further North made it through the storms okay and continues to stay warm!