Bunny Love

Love this guy! At 18 weeks to the day he weighs 8 1/2 pounds and has incredible fiber. I'll need to shear his fiber back in 2 weeks which will have given him 11 weeks of growth. Normally these guys get just about 13 weeks of growth. Today while grooming him he was sitting at 3" in 63 days! That's an inch and a half per month!! His fiber is so thick, and seriously, there is a ton of it. I can not wait to spin it up. I'm definitely thinking a nice pair of hand warmers, cap or a scarf will be in order with his fiber.

From 17 to 2

So rabbits are one of those things. You work on them, you buy them, you love them, they're the right rabbit for your rabbitry and then...something happens and the bun is just not exactly what you were wanting or something wonderful happens and some of the ones that were "right" created something even more "right". 17 rabbits have come and gone or been born and left my little "rabbitry" in the last year. It really isn't a rabbitry but I don't know what else to call it. Heaven help me if I chalk it up as another hobby but...well...it is. Last year I saved one buck from a friends butchering block because I saw some potential in him. I also had my husband drive 3 1/2 hrs with me to pick up a doe that I had never laid eyes on. Both of those rabbits have had their days and are now gone BUT they left me with 2 buns I can't seem to part with. These 2 are amazing.

Little John - 16 weeks and anything but little

blue buck

Lady Emmaline - a beautiful lilac doe

Lady Emmaline

Em decided that she didn't want a rabbit that was leaving our home to have her name sake. When I showed her the rabbit I plan on keeping she decided she would be Emma. I'm not set on Emma but I decided to humor my little miss and have gone along with Lady Emmaline a.k.a Emma. May I present Lady Emmaline:

Weekend catch up

It's done and off of my wheel! Roughly 430 yds of yumminess! This is destined to either be a cowl and fingerless gloves, a hat and fingerless gloves or a scarf. It is so scrumptiously soft that I really want it around my neck. I'm searching through patterns in hopes of finding something that beckons to be made with this bit of loveliness.

I also wanted to post some updated pictures on the babies. They are changing so much! The first picture is of a blue (he's starting to get some ticking so I'll be watching that) German hybrid buck and a chinchilla German hybrid doe. I believe I'll be selling both of these guys. I would love to keep the buck because of his color but I have limited space. My little girl is quite smitten with the chinchilla and has dubbed her "Emma".

chinchilla doe is on the bottom with the blue buck being on top

The next picture is of the lilac doe that I plan on keeping. She has some ticking coming through and is becoming more and more lovely. The other bun is "Emma". Emma was the runt and is on the smaller side but is ever so sweet and will make a lovely pet/wooler for someone. The buns that have been pictured above are all 55 1/2% German with the remaining being divided between French and Giant. Their Dad is massive. He is chinchilla (color) with fiber that is very dense and ever so lush. Their mother has taken on the size of a French with incredibly soft fiber. She has lynx, red, chocolate, fawn and black in her lines. This is her first litter and all 5 of the kits she gave me were different. The other 2 were chocolate and rew.

Sonoma's litter is growing and changing ever so quickly too. They are 19 days today and developing all different personalities. She has given me 3 blacks (1 with a small white blaze), 3 chestnuts and a rew. Most of them will be for sale also. They are 50% Giant, 25% French and 25% German. I'll be watching them with hopes of showing a couple as a French in ARBA shows next year. The does sire won at Nationals a few years back and she has the same body as her Dad. I'm hoping some of these babes end up with the same body type...just a little larger.

chestnut agouti from Sonoma

My current favorites

And just because he's cute snuggled up in the very back:

I'm obsessed

Okay, so I know I'm seriously over doing the rabbit thing right now but this is my journal eh? How can I not overly indulge in them right now? They are so spitting cute. None of them have their eyes open yet. That should be happening for Sonoma's kits on or around Saturday and Truly's kits on or around Monday.

Sonoma's 7. I believe there are 3 chestnuts (possibly agouti) 3 black (one with a blaze) and a REW (ruby eyed white)

2 of Truly's 3. I believe the darker is a Blue and I'm waiting to hear back on the lighter. I'm thinking he/she is blue steel or lilac steel. I am really hopeful for these guys. I'm mostly hoping that a) they are girls b) they have great body type and c) they have incredible fiber. These guys are 55.5% German and if they are what I'm envisioning them to be I'd like to work with them and increase the German or work with the 22.25% French in them and bring back the French in the line. If I bring back the French then I can hope to show their line one day. German...no such luck. I wish beyond wish that ARBA recognized the Germans and I wish beyond wish that it would be colored Germans. I suppose it's time to start digging around ARBA's sight and see if there is anything going on to support my desires.

Like a Flash

Oh my! The kits are changing so quickly!

In this picture they are 6 days old and the grey is darkening to black. Sonoma has been a perfect first time mother to boot. My other doe, Truly, has had a time of it. She is proving her own though. The poor girl. I have a lot to learn about rabbits. The first item on the list is that just because you don't think a breeding took, expect kits (babies). I took the young gal with me to OFFF with me which proved to be a huge mistake (although if I left her home my husband would have not had any idea what to do). Friday night she began to frantically nest and Saturday morning she delivered 5 kits. In the small traveling cage. 3 have survived. I thought I'd loose them all.
Isn't this little guy so cute! He's one of Truly's and if this silkiness means anything, his/her fiber will be just as lovely as his parents. I'm still in the deciding phase of where I want to go with my little cottage endeavor. After spending the weekend in the rabbit barn I really want to show rabbits. The problem is this: my guys are all mixed. ARBA only recognizes English, Satin, French of Giant angoras. I really love the Germans (colored...unrecognizable by IAGARB). I do like the clean furnishings of the French too. So, I'm thinking I need to obtain 1 or 2 French does and 1 French buck. I'd like to keep Pops to incorporate his incredible qualities. I had planned to sell him but when an IAGARB judge is impressed and strongly encourages me to keep a rabbit, I listen. What to do? I guess I'll just have to love on these little guys until they make their ways to new homes.

First Litter

These seven naked wiggling bundles are a first for me. They are giant x French angoras. They all seem healthy and look perfect. Let's hope all stays that way. In 10 days I should be able to know what color they will end up being. There is only 1 light pink (in the right corner) and that one is a pretty safe bet White. The others...only time will tell.