Today I would like to share a piece my daughter wrote for county 4-H speech contest when she was 11. (She is now a lovely young lady of 16) I have seen several people thinking rabbits are going to be a money making opportunity lately. I would like to present getting into rabbits from the perspective of a responsible 11 yr old. 

Down the Rabbit Hole

“or Annie’s Adventures in Bunny Land”
 
My Mom bullied me into entering the fair. I didn’t want to… I wasn’t going to do it…. But mom said,”Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” and proceeded on a mission to make sure I was entered in as many classes as possible. I sewed, I crafted, I cooked…. And miracle of miracles- I WON! It was then Mom made the second announcement, with my fair winnings - I could start the rabbit project I had been wanting to do forever. Why I felt practically rich- I had nearly $50 after all. And so began my journey down the rabbit hole, This wasn’t  a real live trip in and break your ankle hole, but I was soon to find out getting started in a livestock project could eat up time and money pretty quickly.

Mom and Papa said, “Rabbits have to have somewhere to live.” After some discussion, it was decided a re-vamp of the old chicken house was in order. I didn’t realize Gramps had been storing stuff in it, or that the last person to use it for chickens hadn’t cleaned it out when the chickens were gone… “wow! Four inches of dirt later we could nearly see the floor. On a good note there were a WHOLE bunch of aluminum cans stored in there too, and some old radiators- one trip to the recycling center later I was $256 richer and the proud owner of my own checking account. Thank goodness my parents were willing to pay for the insulation, and inside walls. (Did you realize rabbits need protection from getting too hot AND too cold?) I saw the bill on that one WHEW! I would STILL be saving.  Next came cages, we searched online, we checked at the feed store, and Mom stated, “We’ll buy wire- I built my own cages when I had rabbits. Who knew it was going to be hard to find. After we finally found a roll of wire and did some math (ewh… I guess that math teacher was right I did need math in every day life) we started on cages.

Then came the day of the Oklahoma State fair- we were going to go look at the breeds I had chosen as the ones I wanted, American Fuzzy Lops and Jersey Woolies. We found a very nice lady named Tammy, when she heard I was just getting started as a 4-H project she offered to sell me my first Jersey Wooly rabbit. She told me she had actually been planning to keep him, but since I was getting started she would let me have him. This is where I ran into my first big obstacle- I was supposed to only LOOK at rabbits that day (lesson number one- always take an extra carrier to rabbit shows because things have a way of following you home!) She kindly agreed to keep him for another two weeks for me- until after the Tulsa show- if we all worked really hard we should have the rabbitry ready by then. 

When we went to Tulsa, we took a carrier that would house not one but TWO bunnies! But there didn’t seem to be any extra’s for sale. Then we saw him, a beautiful little black and white fuzzy lop, I intended to buy him and was talking to some of the knowledgeable folks there, when I got hit by another breeder with a Hard sale. OH you don’t want that rabbit- here let me show you a little doe fuzzy, before I knew what I was doing I had purchased the rabbit he was selling. A kind lady saw what he was doing and said- You go out right now and get this young lady’s paperwork. After he complained how far it was to go out the car, and she kept insisting, he left to get the paperwork.

It was then we realized we had talked to this lady via email when we were doing bunny research. They had some nice bunnies at home and would help me “fill out” a trio of each breed I wanted.  As I was talking to them, I noticed the breeder who had talked me out of the bunny, buying him behind my back. Lesson number two- “Know what you want and stick to your guns” I did get home that day with two bunnies- and we had made an appointment to get mates for them the next Sunday afternoon.

We worked really hard getting cages ready for 4 rabbits (I wanted 2 girls and a boy in each breed) The breeders we purchased from worked very hard to make sure I could select from animals that I could keep for a long time, could use as breeding pairs, and would be able to show if I wanted to. We spent a looooong time there making final decisions, but I finally came home with Montoya, Shiraz, Krispy Kreme, and Della.

We had hoped that Della was bred when we purchased her, but sadly no babies, and the other rabbits were about a month too young to breed. The last breeder we had visited had kept in touch with us via email, and had suggested a couple of shows in November- we got brave and chose one just over the Kansas line to begin with. Thus came the next phase of the “rabbit hole” – going to the show

Mom told me that 4 in the morning comes very early… and to load everything I could the night before- I didn’t really believe her, and we just BARELY got everything loaded in time to make it there before the entries were due in. We were totally lost, but some very nice girls (also 4-H ers) helped us find our way and get the rabbits up to the show tables at the right classes.  And they actually did pretty well. But going to a show involves a lot of sitting  around waiting, while I was waiting  I found some really pretty fuzzy lops- they looked kinda like Siamese cats. I really wanted one and was hoping the buck was old enough to breed with my Sr. doe- after some discussion we ended up not only buying him, but his sister as well.  This did give us some small measure of satisfaction, the breeder who had sold me the doe at Tulsa, did NOT have a good reputation and the breeder who owned the fuzzies I purchased wanted them to go to a good home. As a result he gave us a very good deal, with the other breeder being quite upset that he was not able to purchase them. However, we evidently had forgotten lesson 1 again- we had to buy another carrier to get them home. Wow this was getting expensive! Entry fees, food at the show, gas, more cages, more rabbits and still no babies! Decided to try breeding my two does that would not be going to the show.

Show number two was a week later- (we took an extra cage remembering rule number one) We also took something to sell besides rabbits- we made rabbit shaped Christmas ornaments. It was a good thing too, because entry fees were twice what I was expecting. Who knew if you entered a double show you had to pay double entry fees? Morning was a lot of hurry up and wait, but I did sell enough of my ornaments to cover the entries, while I was waiting. Then came the shows. I did ok in the first show, but the last show of the day Shiraz one Best of Breed! I was SO excited (by the way- I got a trophy but still no money!) Lets see, so far I’ve spent a lot of money, my parents have spent a lot of money and we still have not seen a return- I guess we are talking a “long term” investment here. OH and we bought a rabbit for my little sister… and had to buy another cage because we were out of wire to build them!

When we got home from that show, we tried palpating the two does and we think we may have baby bunnies on the way. We also bred two of the does I had taken to the show. Since my goal was to be able to raise my own show rabbits- wish me luck perhaps this will slow my journey “down the rabbit hole!” But I must say so far it has been quite an adventure, bringing me new friends, teaching me to treat others fairly if I expect to be treated fair, and it has paid off in a hundred new experiences!
Annie- Age 11

I grew up on a farm and my grandpa was my hero. My parents believed in self responsibility and when you gave your word, you stood behind it.  I grew up knowing that it was important to have your own code of ethics, rules that you could feel that you had done right when you followed them. We are still a rather old fashioned family- I believe in supporting organizations of things I love and trying to further them- not set them back. One of the biggest problems I have found with the angoras was color genetics. I try to breed very responsibly improving not only my body and wool type- but carefully starting to clean up my colors in my pedigrees. I have literally spent hours over bunnies and pedigrees debating on the best combinations. I have waited a year to find a buck I felt was compatible with everything (color included) about a doe. Sometimes you think you have made the best choice possible and unseen things pop up to "get you". What do you do with the result? In this case I have a broken blue doe that I waited until she was well over two years old to breed her, until I had what I thought was a good black buck for the pairing. As the babies grow the hidden genetics are showing themselves. What I thought was going to be a REW at birth was a pointed white. I don't like to breed broken to pointed white, those spots can be a problem when you need a very specific color pattern. Also the blue kit is developing some strange coloration leading me to thing it could be a self blue chin (squirrel) or a self steel. This will all lead to two things for me-1.  I will have to be very clear, cautious and upfront about where I place the kits from this litter. 2. I will have to really rethink whether I want to re-breed this doe, and if so what I will choose to breed her to that will let me map out her genetics the best and clear up the genotypes of her offspring. 
I have some decisions to make. Just because a rabbit is cute does not mean it should be bred. Breeding should only be done for the betterment of the breed.
Cowboys have what they call the code of the west. I think its a pretty good thing for a rabbit breeder to stand by as well. 

Its been a hard winter. Its been insanely cold then insanely warm. We have fought with health problems in the family. It has just felt like an uphill battle all winter long. But today was sunny, and nice and I finally have the barn sealed up enough that I think I can keep it warm enough I did some shearing of the angoras. And they needed it, with all the cold cold and hot hot they didn't know whether they were supposed to have coats or not!! AAANNNDDD since they were shorn we decided to do some breeding. Cross your fingers- its been last spring since we did any breeding and all my grandiose plans of  breeding in Dec./Jan for convention bunnies went right down the tube with the rest of my life in December and January. Wish us luck! And think warm fuzzy thoughts!

I love going to my local fiber arts guild meetings. I get inspired for new projects, I learn from other members and I just have fun being around other people who think its perfectly normal to have a house full of spinning wheels and fiber. (I actually told my children last week if I ever lost my mind and they had to institutionalize me- just leave me my wheel and a pile of fiber and convince me I'm the miller's daughter in the story of Rumpelstiltskin and I can't get out until I've finished. And if that didn't work to just put an angora in a cage and keep switching it out for another one that needs to be groomed)  ANYHOO- Last spring I came to our meeting with a proposal to all the members. I had just shorn bunnies and would give them a box of prime fiber if they would enter a skein in an upcoming contest. Two ladies from our guild took me up on it and my friend Sherry Liston produced three GORGEOUS skeins. One of them would win the best honors at the show. (shown above) She  had blended 50/50 by weight angora and Rambouillet wool. THIS month Sherry brought the skeins she spun and her drum carder to show us how to blend fiber like she did for her prize winning skein. You can see more photos of how she processed it on our Facebook album here. I was delighted! 

Ok so I was skeptical. Why would Listerine work to get rid of wool mites? I knew it was an antibacterial, but a discussion on the NARBC facebook page sent me to one of my favorite scientific herbal websites-Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. It is my main go-to when I want to find an herb with a specific action, or figure out why an herb reacts the way it does. I have several of Dr. Duke's books in my personal library and refer to them often, but I just adore this website. 
The first thing I looked up was the "active ingredients" in Listerine. My search showed me eucalyptol, menthol, methyl salicylate, and thymol was what made Listerine work. I already knew some of the plants/phytochemicals had anti-bacterial qualities, but didn't know why they would work for wool mites.
First of the one I was most familiar with Thymol. I looked up Activities of a chosen chemical.
 Among activities listed for it were : Antibacterial, Antiseptic, Fungicide, Insecticide, Insectifuge,   Nematicide,  Pesticide, and Vermicide. That means it not only is an anti-fungal and antiseptic, it has actions against worms and pests. That was good news for a safe ingredient. 
Next on the list is eucalyptol. Activities: Antiseptic, Insectifuge, Pesticide, and Vermicide. 
Then was Menthol. Activities: Antidandruff, Antiseptic, Pesticide. 
Hmm... I was beginning to see why this "home remedy" might have some potential!
I decided to check out the synergistic properties of those three chemicals together. (Synergistic is when the chemicals work together so that the total effect is greater than the sum of them individually working)  Sure enough when I entered the items in it showed heightened activities for insecticide for those chemicals together.

So, I can see where it might be a viable option for a case of mite that wasn't extreme. I have heard you can dab the listerine on, or use a small spray bottle. I would think you would need to get it down to the skin level and I don't think I would want to get one completely wet from it. I can't recommend whether to use dilute or full strength, as I have not yet tried this remedy. I WOULD be careful to choose a variety of Listerine that does NOT contain fluoride. 
Let me know if you try it and how well it works for you! 

My Granny used to tell me "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." She also reminded me "A stitch in time, saves nine" So what has this got to do with the photo of the big drum fan blowing straight up into the air? The past two weeks we have had babies being born and rabbits wanting to moult. As a result there has been an excess of hair in the barn. A few days ago I looked at the fans and thought- "hmmmm I had better clean those pretty soon"  But I did not do it right then. This morning I got up and one of my fans was no longer turning.  After alot of cleaning and application of industrial strength lubricant- it is on and going- but husband informs me it needs to sit straight up like that to let the oil penetrate for awhile. Let me tell you- it doesn't move air in the rabbit barn that way!!  BUT it did make me get off my tookus and IMMEDIATELY clean the fans in the other two barns! So it brings me to the next point. Are YOU ready for summer? Have you cleaned your fans and coolers?
My barns are cooled by large swamp coolers. At the beginning of spring the bearings needed oiled, the pads needed replaced, and I ordered a couple of extra water pumps to keep on hand, because we live 30 miles from the nearest store that MIGHT carry them. I also run a half gallon of vinegar through the pans about once a month to help keep the hard water from taking a toll on the equipment. It does a good job of keeping the barns(which have insulated walls) at a comfortable temperature while not having to deal with the ammonia build up many folks with air conditioners have to contend with. We also enjoy the fact they are cheaper to run, although they were probably more expensive to start off with. Yes, we have a few humid days a year they don't work quite as well- but this IS oklahoma- land of the summer drought. :) Notice the vent at the roof peak? That keeps the air moving through the barn and at the top- it keeps the hot air moving on through. So what about you? how do you keep your bunnies comfortable in the hot weather?

OH the best laid plans of mice and men... and rabbits! I thought I would be smart, we got a new buck and I wanted to breed  him before the summer oklahoma heat came on. After years of experiance in bringing stock into Oklahoma just before summer, we have learned- breed before summer hits just in case they won't aclimatize. WE DO keep our barns cooled with swamp coolers- but sometimes after a move from further North a rabbit will just never "thrive" here. So I chose a doe that has had past problems and just in case- another first time doe out of good mothering lines to help pick up the slack in case I had to foster the kits from my "problem child" Alice. I bred them both to the same day to the same buck, thinking I would have a fairly small litter size doing so. HA! The girls surprized me. Alice whose last litter was 2- gave birth to 5 and Clotho, my first time mom gave birth to 10 babies. For a compact breed like the English Angora that seemed to me she overdid things a bit. AND WAIT- she was supposed to be my backup plan in case I needed to foster kits. At that rate there was no way she would be able to take on more babies!  So both does got an extra bowl for their milk making food (bran flakes, barley and calf manna), both does got extra big crocks for water (they will need to make more milk so will need easier access to water) and they are both pretty much getting free choice pellets.  I did move two of Clotho's over to Alice's litter after Alice's babies started looking nice and plump a day and a half later. That makes 8 for Clotho to raise and 7 for Alice. It also turns me into a bunny slave for the next 6-7 weeks. Wish me luck in my new full time job!

Wow, it has been so busy around here for both Kathryn and I! BUT we have been working on a very special project just for you! Angora Class! That's right we are slowly but surely putting together a series of articles with the ultimate goal of completing a whole book on Angora rabbit care. On Mother's day while the kiddo's were having fun in my big backyard- We did some evaluating, grooming and photo ops. Kathryn manned the camera and we got some good how to photos of me and bunnies during a shearing session. I am actually very quick at shearing bunnies with scissors and using my spring loaded Fiskars can make it through several in an afternoon. We ended up the day with boxes of fiber for sale or use, and a start on our new project. I will be listing articles as chapters on this page on our website. http://www.classactangoras.com/angora-class.html  

Please go see our first installment, and be watching for more!

Its almost time to ship stuff off to the Ohio Wool, Skein & Garment Competition and I'm down to the wire once again! I decided this year if I couldn't make all the rabbit shows I wanted to get to,I would enter fiber contests. Face it- I'm a mom with busy kids, Kathryn is a busy mom and actually has a real job unlike lazy me, ;) and I just can't afford the time or money to get everywhere I want to be. That does NOT mean I should not be promoting the angoras that I raise in other ways. A very good way to do this is to enter one of these type of contests. There are many that are sponsored by Angora clubs. You can enter fleece(wool), you can enter felted items, you can enter yarn. The cost is minimal, most of them you can mail in, and you still get the enjoyment of sharing your bunnies with the WORLD! (ok maybe that's an overstatement- but I'm always excited about the bunnies!) I have a skein spun of two-ply out of Lachesis wool. She is a tort- and this was out of the 3 ounces I groomed off her just before she was bred about 35 days ago. The photo was taken yesterday with her and the yarn- she has EIGHT, three day old babies in her nestbox that are fat and healthy. I think she and the yarn are looking pretty good. I also spun up some from one of my other rabbits Hesperis this morning. She is a black doe and I experimented with a bulky novelty single ply yarn. I hope it blocks out well as I love to work with bulky yarns. This I have in mind for big fluffy cuffs on a pair of bulky mitts.  I'm getting excited- I've never actually entered any of my handmade items to be judged, despite having several friends who have encouraged it multiple times. I guess I just had to do it for the love of the bunnies!

This is Typhon and Sonya. They are both English Angoras and look very similar in color. IN fact they ARE very similar in color- one little letter pair in their genetic makeup make them different. Typhon (on the left) is an opal which is A? B? C? dd E? and Sonya on the right is a Chestnut whose genetic makeup would look something like this A? B? C? D? E? . We are working toward making a series of linked pages to help you figure out what color your rabbit is- BUT it is going to take some time to do it properly. IN the meantime let us offer you little "bites" of our knowledge and as we manage to get more and more up we will organize it in a more cohesive manner. What color is my rabbit