Autumn NJWRC Magazine by Sandra Wight

The Bouliers and their National

Youth

Best of Breed Winner

Plus Flying with Woolies • Youth BOSB • Grooming for Shows • Orange Woolies ...and more

oolies@wildblue.net and NJWRC.net

2012 ARBA Convention

Wichita, Kansas

t’s that time of the year for ARBA convention which is coming up in Wichita, KS October 27 – 31. I can hardly wait to put those new juniors on the show table and see how they do, shop for supplies and rabbits, and hang out with old and new friends. If you have never been to convention I recommend you try to attend. It is like a regular show yet much, much better. You will get to meet folks from all over the country and will never have to apologize for talking “rabbits” all the time. If you are a youth it can be even more exciting to attend. There are ARBA contests and it is an opportunity to buy quality rabbits. In addition, the best bonus of all is that at Convention you can find the largest concentration of the country’s best breeders. We will be having an awards banquet at Convention, so please watch the website for details. Additionally, there will be the JW booth where Wooly items for sale. There will be a NJWRC general membership meeting. In Convention tradition, there will be a raffle of 2 different trios. One trio of Jersey Woolies will be made up from donations from top youth exhibitors and one from open exhibitors. Raffle tickets are available at the Convention booth and on the website. And once again, we will be having the Golden Fleece auction with the date and time to be announced at convention. Check the website for a bio on the Wooly’s up for auction. At last years auction there were a number of quality rabbits available to buy. All auction animals are selected before convention and there are only a limited number of animals that participate in the auction. If you are interested in participating in the auction contact Brian Caudill <briguym3@yahoo.com>. If you are a newbie, the raffle and auction are two really great places to get your Wooly start. There are lots of us around to help you with your selection if you need assistance. If you cannot find anyone to help you just look for me and I will introduce you to breeders. Members join us on Facebook –“National Jersey Wooly Rabbit Club” group. There is lots of information being shared with some great discussions. The National Jersey Wooly Rabbit Club website is NJWRC.net, Angel LeSage

Hope to see you at Convention. Enjoy the Fall shows.

Youth Best & Best Opp winners Haley Birkholz & Nicole Boulier with judges Sue Rice & Allen Ormond

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August-September-October

Autumn 2012

tent con National Jersey Wooly Rabbit Club

The Fluff of the Fancy

Departments 3 4 4

President’s Report

5 7 8 9 10 11 11 12

District 7 Report

Balance Sheet Treasurer’s Report

Youth Best Opp of Breed

Editor’s Report

Standard’s Committee

District 1 Report

18 20

District 2 Report

Rabbits

District 3 Report

22 26 27

District 4 Report District 5 Report

NJWRC

President

Rob Usakowski Kimball Township, MI rob.usakowski@gmail.com

Vice-President

Marcia Hinkelmann whiteoakswoolies@yahoo.com

12 13 16

Vice President’s Report

ff Flu www.njwrc.net

District 9 Report 2012 NJWRC National

Tips for Flying with Grooming to Win Election Results Oranges

Secretary

Laurie Owen Ravenna, OH Lowen@neo.rr.com

Treasurer

Ashley Felton 3100 Falk Rd. APT # S123 Vancouver, WA 98661-5682 360-305-8863 njwrctreasurer@gmail.com

District One

Shonna Ausbourne irwshonna@hotmail.com

District Two

Angel LeSage lesageswoolies@wildblue.net

District 6 Report

District Three

Brenda Reilly HHHHRabbit@aol.com

District Four

Tammy Stout tstout3330@yahoo.com

District Five

Ray Hall

cinnamonrabbit@netscape.net

District Six

Brian Caudill briguyrn3@yahoo.com

District Seven

Brenda Westover Bwestwabbs@aol.com

District Eight Bill Patrick

wpatrick8@aol.com

District Nine Deidre Edder Edderland@gmail.com

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Fluff

May-June-July

www.njwrc.net

NJWRC

FluffOnline ACCESS PAST ISSUES

Committees

Newsletter & Announcements

Sandra Wight wightout@socal.rr.com Angel LeSage, Amber Henderson, Kristen Drum

Members, now when you log onto www.njwrc.net you can access the “Member’s Only” portal and view online issues of the “Fluff” Magazine, the official publication of the National Jersey Wooly Rabbit Club.

Website

Anne Mills email@thistledown-farm.com

Boutique Sales

Carmen Deling maplelanewoolies@myclearwave.net

Standards Committee Chair Marcia Hinkelmann whiteoak@badger.tds.net

Standards Committee Helen McKie Bonnie Seeley Lisa Smith Brian Caudill Nancy Hinkston Angel LeSage

Do you have a Best or Reserve in Show win? Send a high resolution (300 dpi) picture along with the name of the show, date and owner/breeder. We will publish your win in an upcoming issue. Send to wightout@socal.rr.com

Constitution & By-Laws Lisa Smith Cheryl Loesch Denise Geick Bill Patrick

Sweepstakes Scoring

Dennis Alsup njwrcsweeps@gmail.com 1625 Carriage Lane Cookeville, TN 38506

Facebook

Tessa Erb

Elections Chairperson Claudia Sweley

Awards

Nancy Delaney

Advertising Rates

1 Issue 4 Issues Full Page: $45. $150. 1/2 Page: $24. $85. 1/4 Page: $12. $40. Business Cards $6. $20. Classified Ad $2. $5. (4 lines, 30 characters per line) Content & Ad Submission Deadline: Winter: Nov. 15 • Spring: Feb 15 Summer: May 15 • Fall: Aug 15.

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Online Boutique New Inventory Pre-order now for delivery to the Convention Pre-Order Deadline is October 10, 2012 for delivery to the ARBA Convention in Wichita, Kansas. NEW Hot Colors!!! • Antique Cherry Red • Antique Sapphire • Dark Heather Grey We have the usual colors of black and sports grey available too! Access the National Jersey Wooly Boutique for deals on your one of a kind Jersey Wooly articles to support your favorite breed. Log onto http://www.njwrc.net/boutique.htm

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President’s Report Transparency. Webster’s dictionary describes it as “free from pretense or deceit (frank), easily detected or seen through (obvious), characterized by visibility or accessibility of information especially concerning business practices.”

hen boards or organizations are not transparent there is a lack of trust by the members. This is why transparency is so important amongst the National Jersey Wooly Rabbit Club. I personally, strive to have all we do be transparent to you as members. That brings us to our constitution and bylaws as there have been several questions regarding those two documents. First, the constitution sets forth the structure of the club. Who can be members? What are the officer positions? Who is eligible to be an officer? What is the purpose of the club? All of these are taken care of in the constitution. The bylaws on the other hand, are the rules for how the club should be operated.They establish the responsibilities of the officers, how elections should be conducted, etc. These are not options for the board of directors, these are the very clear instructions from the members to the board on how the club must be run. The board of directors has requested a few changes to the C&B. These changes were not requested because someone or a board did something wrong in the past. The changes were requested because we feel there are some changes that would better secure your investment in this club. I would hope that every board would take their position seri-

ously enough to request changes if there are better ways of conducting the business of the club. That being said, there were several questions brought up regarding the recent changes requested by the board of directors for the C&B. First, I want to be very clear, that despite accusations to the contrary, the article submitted last quarter by the C&B chairperson was not modified. Nothing was deleted, and no wording was changed as had been stated. Second, as part of transparency it is important that you have the entire picture. It is important that you know why the board of directors (or NJWRC member) requested the change. It is important that you know how the board of directors voted on the matter. Was there 100% support for the change or maybe just 67%? It is also important that you know how the C&B committee voted to approve the amendment. Was their approval 100% or 67%? Did it meet the qualifications listed in the constitution and bylaws? Finally, what is the recommendation of the C&B committee on all of the matters presented to you, and were all the committee members in agreement with the recommendation, or was a recommendation even discussed as a committee?

Rob Usakowski rob.usakowski@gmail.com

“I want to be very clear, that despite accusations to the contrary, the article submitted last quarter by the C&B chairperson was not modified. Nothing was deleted, and no wording was changed as had been stated. ”

Convention Treat An irresistible, healthy treat, such as sweet potato or apple, can keep your rabbit better hydrated and prevent them from going off feed.

-Tid Bits

Unfortunately, I do not believe you had the entire picture on the requested changes that were published in the last edition of The Fluff. Coninued on Pg 23

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Vice President’s Report Greetings from Wisconsin! We have not been immune to the heat and drought that has been experienced in many areas of this country.

Marica Hinkelmann whiteoakswoolies@yahoo.com

have read about all the heat related tragedies that many breeders have experienced this summer, and felt such sympathy for the breeders and their stock. This weather has touched everyone and everything. I, hope that everyone has been able to raise one or two hopefuls for the upcoming ARBA Convention in Wichita! I won’t be able to make the convention due to moving and

not getting my vacation request put in this past December, but, I will be at Nationals in the Spring! Please take the time to volunteer at convention to help keep the show running smoothly. It is also a great learning experience for all of the new members. The experienced breeders can be of great help with their vast experience at conventions. Remember to take lots of pictures! Your Vice President, Marcia Hinkelmann

National Jersey Wooly Rabbit Club Balance Sheet, June 30, 2012

Assets Current Assets Paypal Online Acct: �� 1,925.19 Fifth-Third Bank-Scholarship �� 1,805.00 US Bank �� 26,103.46 Secretary Petty Cash �� 30.36 Sanctions/Sweeps Petty Cash �� 50.00 Total Current Assets ��29,914.01 Property & Equipment Total Property & Equipment �� 0.00 Other Assets Total Other Assets �� 0.00 Total Assets ��29,914.01 Liabilities & Capital Current Liabilities Brian Hartzell Scholarship �� 1,035.00 Total Current Liabilities ��1,035.00 Long-Term Liabilities Total Long-Term Liabilities �� 0.00 Total Liabilities ��1,035.00 Capital Retained Earnings............................................................ 23,380.12 Net Income........................................................................ 5,498.89 Total Capital ��28,879.01 Total Liabilities & Capital ��29,914.01 T h e

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Treasurer’s Report Greetings! Just a few notes regarding the NJWRC treasury reports included in this newsletter as well as some general treasury changes.

he reports featured in this newsletter are a Financial Statement, and a Balance Sheet. The Financial Statement details the income and expenses in each category for the entire 20112012 financial year. The Balance Sheet shows the club’s general avenues for which income and expense are allocated to. As you can see, on the balance sheet there is some missing information, particularly in the Property and Equipment section. I am diligently working on getting information regarding our club’s physical assets. These physical assets include things like boutique items on hand, displays for merchandise at convention, etc. If you are aware of someone who has club assets, please feel free to contact me, so that I can get an inventory list started. This is very important so that the club knows the value of its assets, as well as where they are all located. Another area that isn’t reflected on the Financial Statement is the total amount of Newsletter Ad Income. This is because there are still a few ads out there that I have yet to receive payment for. Therefore, when these payments come in, they will be featured in the 20122013 year, even thought the ad was featured in the NJWRC Fluff Newsletter in the 2011-2012 year. A very important thing to note is that the ADDRESS of the Treasury is changing! I am moving north in

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Washington State to be closer to family and friends. As soon as the new address is established I will make sure that it is made public on the NJWRC Facebook page, Yahoo JW List, NJWRC website, etc. Please note that if you send mail to the Vancouver, WA address, I will still receive it as my mail will forwarded, but there may be a slightly longer delay in processing due to the forwarding. I know there have been a few hiccups with the new website regarding PayPal transactions. Anne Mills, Rob Usakowski and I have been diligently working to resolve these issues and to make it easier for members to purchase the appropriate memberships and items they need. Please be patient as we work to resolve these issues. If at any time you would like to check on your membership or payment for an item, please feel free to contact me or Laurie Owen (memberships). We are more than happy to help and give you an update on the processing of your request. At this time you can use PayPal to purchase any of the following: • New or Renewal of a NJWRC Membership • Replacement NJWRC Guidebook or Extra Copies • NJWRC Newsletters Ads in Various Sizes and Black & White and Color Options

Ashley Felton valleygirl2119@gmail.com

Did you know.... At this time you can use PayPal to purchase any of the following: • New or Renewal of a NJWRC Membership • Replacement NJWRC Guidebook or Extra Copies •

NJWRC Newsletters Ads in Various Sizes and Black & White and Color Options NJWRC Treasurer

3100 Falk Rd. APT # S123 Vancouver, WA 98661-5682

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Treasurer’s report continued from previous page

If you would like to see any additional items available for online payment via PayPal, please inform any member of the NJWRC Board of Directors. We are always open to member input! Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer and is having success keeping those buns cool!

Treasurer’s Report (cont) National Jersey Wooly Rabbit Club Financial Statement As Of June 30, 2012

Balance Sheet Accounts

Pay Pal Online Acct. Fifth-Third Bank-Scholarship US Bank Secretary Petty Cash Sanction/Sweeps Petty Cash Brian Hartzell Scholarship Retained Earnings

at an ARBA Convention with a Wooly

Win $500 (Log onto www.njwrc.net for complete details)

Run Your Buns Everyone is welcome to run rabbits to the judging table, you don’t have to be special to lend a hand! Just remember to only carry 1 at a time.

-Tid Bits

1,925.19 1,805.00 26,103.46 30.36 50.00 (1,035.00) (23,380.12)

5,498.89

Year to Date

Revenues

Best In Show

Liabilities & Equity

Total Balance Sheet Accounts

Win

Current Balance

Misc. Income ARBA Convention Income Sanction Income Membership Income Boutique Income Guidebook Income Newsletter Ads Income

10.24 10,259.00 11,633.50 4,074.63 2,614.59 30.00 590.00

Total Revenues

29,211.96

Expenses

ARBA Convention Expense ARBA Charter Fee Bank Fees Boutique Expenses DE Franchise Tax Donations Election Committee Exp. Guidebook Exp. Misc. Expenses State Registration/Filing Fees National JW Show Expense Newsletter Expense Postage Expense Registered Agent Fees Sanction Commission Secretary Commission Supplies Expense Treasurer/Officers Bond Exp. Website Expense

8,954.06 35.00 223.12 3,077.30 310.00 (3.01) 155.90 1,140.40 207.00 50.00 850.00 3,883.21 599.30 185.00 3,119.50 394.00 141.99 187.00 203.30

Total Expenses

23,713.07

Net Income

5,498.89

Submitted by Ashley Felton, Treasurer

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Editors’s Report As a rabbit breeder, Autumn has to be my favorite time of year, and this year I don’t know if I’ve ever been more relieved for fall to come. The summer has been one of the hottest on record.

ombined with the humidity it’s been a challenge to keep a decent coat on anything. As the cooler weather approaches, I think even the rabbits are excited about the change in seasons. I know I’m not alone, the record heat has kept all of us on our toes to keep our rabbits comfortable. While my rabbitry has an air conditioner, my house does not, which often means that my rabbits have to share. As I type this I am surrounded by rabbits happily munching hay and enjoying the cool environment and so am I. Autumn also brings the ARBA Convention. The culminating event in our year. It’s our Breeder’s Cup, our Wimbledon, our Academy Awards. If you’ve never been, you need to plan for it. The sheer size of the showroom and the thousands of rabbits will take your breath away. If this will be your first time attending an ARBA Convention, you are in for a treat. Though it can be daunting, a little preparation will make for an unfor-

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gettable experience. I tend to pack more than I think I will need, but often end up using it, or passing it to someone else who has forgotten theirs. (which makes me very popular). Some fantastic tips are provided throughout this newsletter. If you have questions, (and if it’s your first convention, you are bound to) find the Jersey Wooly booth. It’s the gathering place for fellow Wooly breeders, and people are always willing to point a new attendee in the right direction. The best way to experience convention, is to roll up your sleeves and help during judging. Whether, running rabbits, table writing or organizing paperwork, you are supporting your breed and learning from the very best around you. That experience is priceless. Don’t forget to purchase your banquet tickets. You don’t want to miss out on a fantastic evening with your fellow Wooly breeders.

Sandra Wight Wightout@socal.rr.com

Good luck to everyone going to convention. I will be taking pictures for upcoming issues of the Fluff Magazine, so if you see me coming, camera in hand, please stop a moment and let me see the joy. You know you will be having a great time and I want to be there to capture every moment.

Clip It Always carry nail clippers. You never know when you will need to clip the zip ties on a cage and they are easier to stick in your pocket than scissors/dikes.

-Tid Bits

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District 1 Report Hello from District 1. This summer has gone by fast, or maybe not fast enough for those suffering in the high temperatures.

Shonna Ausbourne irwshonna@hotmail.com

Regions Represented: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington, Saskatchewan, Alberta, BC, Yukon Territory & Japan

n Washington we have definitely had a few hot days. I keep reminding myself to be thankful as so many others have had much higher temperatures to pull their barns through in other states. I hope everyone is finding some way to keep yourself and our wooled friends cooled off. I know I am looking forward to the crisp, cool air of fall.

• Make sure your transporter is someone you can trust with your animals. The cheapest price may not always be the safest route.

Convention will be here before we know it, and I can’t wait! This will be the 5th year I have attended convention, and also the 5th year I

• Be sure your entries match the animal exactly! Correct breed, ear #, variety, and sex. (continued on pg 26)

have transported a large number of rabbits from the West Coast. A few tips for a successful convention experience using a transporter:

Youth Best In Show Sumbunny’s Best Luv Song

Open Best In Show Youth Best in Show

3/24/2012 CENTRAL NEW YORK RBA & EMPIRE STATE RBA Fulton NY Melanie Lyons - Maine, NY Bred and owned by Melanie Lyons

Elroy Fair in WI. 6-23-12 BIS open- NSR’s Jessa, Broken Black Sr. Doe BIS youth- Erb’s Ice Meadow, REW Sr. Doe Haley Birkholz

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District 2 Report Hello everyone, we can finely see the end of summer. The fall schedule is starting and I am looking forward to showing again.

t the beginning of summer we had a fabulous backyard show at Carol Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house, it couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have been a better day, weather wise. There were 89 Woolys there. That was the largest number of Woolys at a show this year. Congratulations to BOB and BOSB winners at the 3 shows: Timmy & Danielle Bauer, Amber Henderson, Carol Green, Nancy Hinkston, and Angel LeSage. Congratulations to youth breeder Julia Baetz for BOB in both shows and 1 BOSB, and Arielle Spotswood for BOSB. In August, I also attended a small show in the San Diego area next to the ocean, in a park. It was nice visiting with folks I have not seen in years and was a very relaxing day. Last year I started using stall bedding pellets (compressed sawdust made into pellets) under my cages and in the trays. For the trays I used just a cottage cheese cup (16 oz) as a measuring tool. I sprinkle it where they tend to poop, but not too much. I personally donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like to use the pellets too thick because it causes the poop to back up into the cage through the wire. But what I have noticed using the pellets is less odor and far less flies. This stuff soaks up the extra moisture and makes it harder for flies to reproduce. I also have been composting with the pellets and have not had problems. Wichita, KS can be a hard place to fly into with rabbits, so several of us hard-core flyers are going to drive this year. I have only driven to 1 Convention in the past and that was an 11-hour drive to San Diego. I am not looking forward to the drive

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and it will make the trip several days longer than usual. However, one advantage to driving is that I can bring more rabbits. In past conventions, poor water consumption has been a problem. The rabbits get used to their home water and do not like the water at Convention. One way I have gotten around this is to use distilled water flavored with vitamin & electrolyte powder, such as, Vi-Tal. I start them on distilled water 2 to 3 weeks before the trip. Gradually mixing waters until they are on full strength distilled water. I also start the vitamin & electrolyte at the same time with small doses initially. The theory being that distilled water will taste much the same throughout the county and if there is a slight difference the vitamin powder will cover up the flavor. I find a grocery store after I get to Convention and stock up on several gallons of distilled water. So far this method has worked well for me over the years. If I get a non-eater I start giving them water with a syringe and also if they are really stressed and have not eaten for a few days I will use Nutri-Cal (a high calorie nutritional supplement for cats & dogs that KW cages carries). I draw the Nutri-Cal up into a syringe and give 1 to 2 ml, one to two times a day (The 1 ml syringe is easy to use for this.) NutriCal is a great product; you can keep a rabbit alive by just using this product and water. I rarely have needed to use this at Convention. I tend to get into situations at home where this product has come in handy.

Angel LeSage lesageswoolies@wildblue.net

Regions Represented: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Mexico

In past conventions, poor water consumption has been a problem. The rabbits get used to their home water and do not like the water at Convention. One way I have gotten around this is to use distilled water flavored with vitamin & electrolyte powder,

Make a List Make a packing list one for yourself and one for bunnies. Without it you will be amazed what you forget.

Continued on pg 24

-Tid Bits

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District 3 Report As the show season here is just getting started I thought I would write about some simple things you could do to start down the road to convention, and getting your rabbits ready too. .

hese are some things I do to get ready for convention that might be something others might want to do also.

Brenda Reilly HHHHrabbit@aol.com

Regions Represented: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota & Wisconsin

I would also like to mention that we all need to chip in a little and help at the convention, If you don’t know what to do just ask someone if they need help.

H2O Bring water from home if you can. this will help keep the bunnies drinking & eating. -Tid Bits

It’s the beginning of August right now, and I am stripping off all the molting coats as fast as the rabbits are letting them go. Don’t try to save the dead coats! I hear this from people all the time. Your rabbit will do better and feel better in a new coat. Take off anything that’s ready to go and some times even shave off the dead coats that haven’t even started to go. Strip down the Jr’s with a stripping comb. Also don’t forget to trim their nails, and check for pesky abscesses on the boys from rubbing. All of these can affect the rabbit’s condition and keep them from being prime. I also make note of any missing nails, so I can check again later and see if I really want to enter that rabbit. Secondly I like to worm with Ivermectin and Piperazine, it’s important you do this at the same time to prevent Rye Neck also. Worming will allow your rabbit to use all their energy to get a new coat and not allow parasites to take away their energy. I also supplement with my conditioner as a treat and to know they are getting enough fresh vitamins. I am also paying close attention to how and what the animals are eating, which ones need more weight and some others that I might need to watch the weight on. I want the animal at convention time to be in peak condition.

I am also burning hair and power washing cages so my convention prospects are in the cleanest cages possible to keep themselves sparkling clean. I also start grooming any rabbits that like to spray themselves a couple weeks before the convention. I use selfrinse cat shampoo and corn starch. Spray the area to wet the hair, pack on corn starch, put back in their cage to let the corn starch pull the stain from the fur. As the rabbit runs around their cage they will knock off most of the cornstarch. Comb out any remaining and repeat as needed till snow white. As far as packing for the convention, remember to bring anything the rabbits are used to eating. Feed is sometimes supplied at the convention but might be from a different mill than what your rabbits are used to. Bring your own food and water. If you have to use the water at the convention I would put the rabbits at home on acid 4 way supplement several days before the trip and convention. Then when you get to the convention mix it in to the water there. Mine always like the flavor of it and drink it readily, I would also like to mention that we all need to chip in a little and help at the convention, If you don’t know what to do just ask “someone if they need help” We need writers, ramrods, and people to just step in the booth for a moment so some can take a break. Also please remember we are all volunteers for the club!

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District 4 Report Hello District 4 members, Hope everyone survived the heat and that all the bunnies are doing okay.

ur topic this article is convention, before I get to that I want to let everyone know why I did not run for the director position again. I have been very happy to have been your director for my past term, but due to my health issues at this time I have decided that I need to make my life a little more simple. I know the road that I travel ahead I will need to devote more time to improving my heart so I am wanting our district to have a director who can give a 100% to the club and district and not 90% which is how I feel at times I have done.

Now on to convention. With it around the corner and practically in my back door this year it’s time to be getting ready, I always bring zip lock baggies from home with feed in them for my bunnies and also bring hand held dust pan and broom to clean out my cages. Also remember risers are the best for the bunnies; keeps them clean and is easier than having a bunny with shavings all over them. You also need to remember to get a few things that will help . One is a first aid kit for you and the bunnies.

Tammy Stout tstout3330@yahoo.com

Regions Represented: Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

Continued from page 28

District 5 Report Greetings from District 5. First, I want to apologize for not getting my district report to Sandra for the last issue, but it has been an eventful summer for Barbara and I.

n June I had shoulder surgery and in the time leading up to my operation the deadline for my report slipped up on me. and then early July our youngest daughter had ACL surgery. Now I am coping with scheduling rehab around my work schedule. Isn’t life grand? I had thought about discussing preparation for Convention, but I did a quick search of the ‘net and found several good sites that address this

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topic. So, I suggest you do some surfing and pick up the info that appeals to you. What I do want to address is this summer’s drought/heat wave and its impact on rabbit breeders here in mid-Missouri. Foremost, the heat cost some of us promising youngsters as well as older animals. Barb and I lost a brood doe, a herd buck and two nice looking juniors plus 4 litters of kits from some very nice does.

Ray Hall cinnamonrabbit@netscape.net

Regions Represented: Illinois, Kansas & Missouri

District 6 report continued on page 24

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District 6 Report Hello Everyone, Hope everyone is doing well and by the time you get this ready for convention. I know that daily I am checking juniors and seniors wondering who will actually be going.

T Brian Caudill briguym3@yahoo.com

Regions Represented: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,Mississippi, Tennessee, Puerto Rico

hey seem to change daily. I Always love this time of year when I am deciding who stays and who moves on to help other fellow breeders. I am keeping a lot of juniors to replace my seniors this year. You need to do this to continue to change your herd for the better. Its really hard to decide which of the older does are done and needs to move on. I usually look around and a doe or buck has lots of offspring in the barn, they usually stay. If i look around and I dont find any offspring then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

time to replace this rabbit..We all find ways that help us get to our goal faster..Just have to find what works for you. I am going to be looking the next couple days and emailing people asking for donations to the Golden Fleece Auction. I am hoping for the same wonderful experience that we had last year. I could not have expected a better turnout or response. Continued on page 25

District 7 Report Hi District 7 Wooly people! What a hot summer this has been! A lot of reports of people losing rabbits to this heat. Remember to keep frozen bottles with you bunnies and plenty of moving air.

Brenda Westover Bwestwabbs@aol.com

Regions Represented: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont

have personally skipped some shows so I would not stress my animals in this heat. I feel keeping my bunnies healthy is more important than showing. If you do show, make sure you are prepared with frozen bottles, spray bottles of water, and portable fans. 0I bet everyone is going though their juniors for convention, as it will be upon us soon! Here are a few wins that were reported: York County (Action Maine) Show A: BOB Rachel Dill BOSB Rachel Dill

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Show B: BOB Donna Corson BOSB Donna Corson Central Mass Show 5/20/12 BOB Paul Buckley REW Buck BOSB Rachel Dill AOV Doe ECR&CRBA 8/4/12 Show A BOB Paul Buckley, AOV JD BOSB Sharon Sartori Gebelein Agouti Buck Show B BOB Sharon Sartori Gebelein Agouti Buck BOSB Unknown,B/C Doe If anyone would like to report a win or any Jersey Wooly news, please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to put it in the news letter.

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District 9 Report Hi all; Hope your rabbits have made it through this terrible summer. Record high temperatures over most of the country; we have set many records in June and July. One day was over 114 degrees;

lost 20 rabbits including my nationals winning rew doe, PP’s Secret Kiss. She was due in two days with her first litter; most of those that died were pregnant; and two were nursing does. I also lost every single litter between newborn and 3 weeks. All in one day. I put a sprinkler on top of t he barn and haven’t lost another since. A friend lost 75 of her 80 rabbits that day; another lost over 100; many other stories of lost rabbits have come in from around the country. Sprinklers seem to work for many people or misters; One reason I prefer sprinklers is that fans can go out on a hot day leaving the rabbits defenseless; the sprinklers run off water pressure and work regardless; mine are on a timer and run from 1 pm to 4 pm every day; after that the barn is in the shade again. It is time now to start working with your convention hopefuls; it is a good idea on the poor moulters to strip all the wool off them by plucking; allowing them to grow a more even replacement coat; clipping does not have the same effect as stripping; also if they have an overly soft coat plucking can aid in the production of guard hairs It is very important to keep the cages clean and free of wool on the floor wire; a healthy coat in a clean cage will not stain. Plenty of clean fresh water to keep them eating. Some people like to add

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conditioners to their feed; black oil sunflower seeds; oats,; and barley are popular ones along with calf manna. Be careful; too many treats will give a flabby rabbit instead of a hard one.

Deidre Edder Edderland@gmail.com

Get your risers ready early; every convention I have been to for years we have the same coops; 15 by 18; requiring 14 by 17 inch risers to keep the rabbits up and clean and free of shavings. If possible, water from home will keep them drinking better at convention. Pack your bunny first aid kit for convention; include probiotics (I like benebac in the small tubes; one tube per dose) for upset tummies; kwik stop for broken or torn toenails; super clue in case of a rabbit being bitten; you can seal up a bad slash with it and have it heal with little or no scarring; I had a lovely buck’s face ruined on the show table at convention one year; if I had had super glue it would have healed fine; as it was he had plastic surgery when I got home to put it back together correctly and ended up with no scar and many wins. Take some lightweight cardboard to put between coops if there is a biting or spraying buck next door or behind your rabbit. Please don’t enter tiny juniors that can escape the coops; every year people bring too young babies that wander around the show room; they can be hurt or killed.

Regions Represented: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington DC & All Other Foreign

It is very important to keep the cages clean and free of wool on the floor wire; a healthy coat in a clean cage will not stain.

Zip It Double the amount of zip ties you think you’ll need. You’ll find yourself opening cages multiple times a day to show off your show team of bunnies and you want to be able to zip tie them shut again for security reasons. Use a larger gauge zip tie

Continued on page 25

-Tid Bits

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Breeder Profile • 2012 NJWRC Youth National Best of Breed

Greensboro, North Carolina: Youth Best of Breed NJWRC National Show

Furry Treasure’s

Diamond

words: Nicole & Logan Boulier photos: Sandra Wight What a great honor for Furry Treasures “Diamond” to achieve “Best of Breed” at the 2012 Jersey Wooly Nationals in North Carolina. Furry Treasures “Diamond” is out of Furry Treasures “Shooting Star” and Caudill’s/WO “Hangman”. FT “Diamond” has accomplished 2 National wins, 3 Best in Shows, 1 Reserve in Show and 1 Best of Group. We are proud to announce that we are donating a daughter from FT “Diamond” for the 2012 ARBA Convention.

he only had 1 kit from her first litter but we are passionate about our breed and wanted to donate something from her. We chose her name to be Furry Treasures “Faith”. We hope she can be a wonderful addition to any rabbitry. We would like to say Congratulations to Brian Caudill for his BOSG Broken with Furry Treasures “Big n Rich” at the 2012 Jersey Wooly Nationals as well. He was our Golden Fleece Auction rabbit that we donated at the 2011 ARBA Convention.

NIcole Boulier and FT’s Diamond with judges Allen Ormond & Sue Rice T h e

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Look for other GREAT Rabbits from Wonderful Breeders at this year’s Golden Fleece Auction….A big THANK YOU goes out to Brian Caudill, Deidre Edder and Sandra Wight for all their efforts at making this event one to look forward too!

Furry Treasures Rabbitry was established in 2008 when we started showing rabbits in 4H. We are Teen leaders of our 4H group Furry Friends & FUN! We both enjoy exhibiting and teaching rabbit and poultry showmanship. We raise turkeys, meat chickens, meat ducks, Isa Brown, Cochin, Polish and Silkie chickens. We have 4 dogs and breed Mini Rex along with our Jersey Woolies. We belong to the ARBA, MSRBA, NJWRC, GLJWF, MSMRRC and the NMRRC. Our hard work on our herd has really paid off and we are very proud to only show our homegrown rabbits. Furry Treasures Rabbitry has accomplished the 2010 Best Opposite Sex Jersey Wooly Nationals, 2011 Best of Breed & Best Opposite Sex ARBA Convention winners and this current Best of Breed National win. We strive to encourage other breeders to join this wonderful breed and have made up trio’s and donated rabbits to new/existing breeders to help them with their herds. As for our other hobbies…Logan has played Soccer for 8 years and enjoys playing Football and Baseball. He has been on the St. Clair County 4H Royal Court for 3 years. I was on the Duchess Court for 4H and have been on the Honor Roll since the beginning of Middle School through my sophomore year. I play High School Soccer and Cheerleading. We are very fortunate to have met a lot of GREAT breeders in Open & Youth and have gained a lot of knowledge from them to be successful in our own rabbitry. We are very proud members of the NJWRC and will continue to promote the breed. We would like to congratulate the other breeders on their wins! Sincerely, Nicole & Logan Boulier, Furry Treasures Rabbitry A u t u m n

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Breeder Profile • 2012 NJWRC National Youth Best Opposite of Breed

Greensboro, North Carolina: Haley Birkholz and Bolt win BOS at the NJWRC National Show

ridgetop’s

Bolt words: Haley Birkholz photos: Haley Birkholz & Sandra Wight

When the original BOB and BOS were picked for nationals, I was very pleased with how I had done for it being my first year at a national show. I went back to do something at my grooming table and came back to get my Blue Silver Marten jr. doe that had won BOSG Tan, and my Black Jr. buck that had won BOSG Self.

hen I got back to the table the judges had my Black Jr. buck back on the table and where comparing it to others. I asked somebody what had happened and they said both the BOB and BOS that where originally picked where both does. The judges where arguing over my Black Jr. buck. One was arguing that a junior couldn’t beat a full grown senior. The other one majorly was against that idea. Both then came to the conclusion and announced that my Black Jr. buck had won BOS. I was thrilled! My homebred Black Jr. buck, Ridgetop’s Bolt, had won BOS at the 2012 National Jersey Wooly Youth Show! It was totally worth the 26 hour trip down to NC! Bolt was just 2 months and 1 week old when he won. He finished off his junior show career with 9 grand champion legs, including 1 BOB and 3 BOS’s. Now that he is a senior, he mainly stays home and breeds does for me. He has thrown 2 very nice litters for convention (watch out for them, LOL!) with more litters on the way. Bolt is sired by the buck that was donated to the Golden Fleece Auction by Bill Patrick and Laurie Owens (Willows Bighead, AKA Liam) and his dam is one of my best brood does that always throws quality Woolies! Thanks to everybody who has helped me get into this hobby and to those who have given me some of the best advice possible. I am going to miss my youth friends, but I’m looking forward to conversing with the open members in the future! Haley Birkholz

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Haley and her homebred Black Jr Buck “Ridgetop’s Bolt” with judge’s Allen Ormond & Sue Rice

Watering Made Easy

Reserve In Show Caudill’s Miss Iowa

A small new garden sprayers (pump kind) or a small watering can makes refilling water cups fast and easy in the showroom without opening the cages.

-Tid Bits

Network Convention is the perfect place to make new friends and contacts so step outside your comfort zone, offer a warm smile, and introduce yourself to others. You can cut down the cost of Convention by transporting rabbits, offering rabbit care during the week, and finding roommates. -Tid Bits

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Organize Carriers Fill your carriers. You might be able to reduce your shipping costs per rabbit by making any empty holes available to others in need of transport.

Show C Monterey open CRCS Show 600+ rabbits and 31 breeds Bred by Brian Caudill Shown By Timmy and Danielle Bauer Chestnut Sr Doe

-Tid Bits

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Standard’s Committee Report The Standards Committee has taken a break for the summer and we have recently reconvened. At this time, we do not have any news to report.

had heard that there are still some breeders out there that are worried about the committee making drastic changes to the Standard. This is not true. We are working on clarifying what is already in place, and clearing up some areas of contention in others.

Members of the Standards Committee are: Brian Caudill, Lisa Smith, Nancy Hinkston, Helen McKie, Angel LeSage and myself. Marcia Hinkelmann Chairman

Marcia Hinkelmann whiteoakswoolies@yahoo.com

Club Information Change Booth Help

Wooly Lovers of Texas: President: Sherri Young syoung@capitolpainting.com Vice-President: Kathy Moerbe bbpals@hotmail.com Sec/Treas.: Terri Snell 111 Oak Lane Burleson, TX 76028 817-980-1082 snellsplace@yahoo.com

Best In Show FT’s Diamond

Great Lakes Rabbit and Cavy Show B in Ionia, MI, 6/23/12 Breeder/Owner Nicole & Logan Boulier

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Offer your help during the show and at our breed booth. Many hands make light work and it’s a great way to meet people.

-Tid Bits

Best In Show FT’s Josie

Mid-Michigan RBA Show B Ionia, MI, 9/8/12 Breeder: Nicole & Logan Boulier Owner: Grace Corbin

Best In Show Caudill’s Miss Iowa

Monterey Open CRCS show 636 Open rabbits 31 breeds Bred by Brian Caudill Shown by Timmy and Danielle Bauer Chestnut Sr Doe

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Best In Show Fuzzyville’s Peg Leg

Reserve In Show Caudill’s Miss Iowa

Hay

Buy your hay at convention rather than carrying it with you.

-Tid Bits Crescent City Breeder Brian Caudill Shown by Danielle & Timmy Bauer Judge’s Randy Shumaker, Show B, Cathy Szychulda, Show C

Shown by Arielle Spotswood Bred by Danielle & Timmy Bauer Judges Chris Zemny & Leslie Tucker

LeSage’s Woolies • BOB 2006 ARBA Convention •

BIS 12/08 Red Bluff # LOVE

•

BIS 12/09 Red Bluff #L2H

•

BIS 1/10 Santa Rosa # L2H

•

BIS 1/12 Santa Rosa #LB4

s ’ e g a LeS mer

Bloo l Slo2wNJWRC NatfiBonreaed

Specializing in: Shadeds & Broken Shadeds

201 te o pposi Best O

Herdsman 1st 2011 3rd 2010 3rd 2009 Overall 3rd 2011 4th 2010 10th 2009 Located in the central California foothills

Angel LeSage T h e

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lesageswoolies@wildblue.net

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Taking Flight • Tips for Flying with Rabits

California: Taking flight with your rabbits. How to successfully navigate to and through the airport to ensure that your rabbits arrive in show shape.

Tips for Flying with

RabBits words: Angel LeSage photos: Angel LeSage

The thought of taking an airplane trip with rabbits is very intimidating for many people. You think nothing of packing the car with bunnies and driving to a show hours away. Yet flying with rabbits is no different. It takes a little more preplanning and organization than driving, but is not really difficult.

often hear people say it is too stressful on the rabbits to fly. This is not my experience. In fact, I feel strongly that it is far less stressful to fly across county with rabbits than having them bouncing down the road for several days in a car. Usually my rabbits recover quickly from the trip, drinking and eating, after arriving and cooped into the show. I have flown across county with rabbits since 2005 logging in over 12 round trips and have never lost a rabbit in transit or had one die from the experience. I always fly on Delta airlines and this article’s tips are on using Delta in the continental United States. Some of the concepts are the same for other airlines but I have no experience with other carriers. Delta uses to 2 terms for transporting animals. One is called “Cargo” and other is “Pets-as-baggage” or excess baggage. These are two distinct terms for the airlines. Shipping as “cargo” is a totally different process requiring a different check-in location, is not associated with your fight, requires a health certificate and is more expensive. You want to bring the crate with you on the flight in the baggage area of the plane, “pets-as-baggage”.

Booking the flight:

When booking on Delta you have to book your flight first. I often use frequent flyer miles for my flight. Once the flight is booked and have a confirmation number, then phone reservations to book the crate as “Pets as Baggage” or excess. You want the rabbits on your flight making sure that each leg of the fight going and coming have a reserved spot in baggage for your crate. There will be a flat fee charge for the crate each way. Because, as a general rule Delta will usually T h e

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only take 6 crates on the large planes and 2 on the smaller commuter planes.

What to tell the person booking the flight:

Delta’s policy used a maximum of 6 rabbits allowed in the crate, period, regardless of the weight or size of the rabbits. This rule has softened over the last 2 years. Now when they ask how many rabbits I tell them the crate weight and this satisfies them. I try to avoid telling them the number of rabbits in the crate. I usually fly with 10 to12 bunnies and keep the crate weight at 90 pounds more or less. Some of my friends will push the weight to 100 pounds but I do not want to be bounced off the flight because of the weight. The wheels can be taken as part of the crate with no extra charge but makes sure the wheels get a luggage tag.

The Crate:

The airlines prefer using a large dog crate for protection ease of handling. Inside the crate there are 2 cages that are 18 X 24 x 9 ht with 6 holes each bungee corded together. It is advisable to keep the holes small and low in height. This limits mobility and keeps them injury safe.

Checking in at the airport:

About a week before the fight I phone reservations and double check that they have my fight information in order. I double check to make sure the crate is booked on all the fights going and coming home. I usually arrive at the airport 21/2 to 3 hours before my flight. I want to make sure there are not problems with check-in. Usually the person who checks you in is not the person who checks the crate for security A u t u m n

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Other points:

(the check-in clerk may be the only person who will ask you how many rabbits you have). Security will make you take apart the crate to look under and in the cages. Each airport does security different. Some have you in the lobby and others take you to another location to do security. When security is all done I stuff hay around each bunny and zip tie the crate closed. I do not use the crate fasteners because I do not want anyone to get into the crate while in transit and I want the crate securely fastened making sure it does not come apart. I put a pair of dikes in my suite case front pocket to use on arrival.

· · · · ·

[Pictures 1 & 2] The airlines prefer using a large dog crate for protection ease of handling. Inside the crate i put 2 (18 X 24 x 9 ht) cages with 6 holes each bungee corded together. Keep the holes small and low in height. This limits mobility and keeps them injury safe.

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No health certificate is needed to fly pets-asbaggage on Delta. Rabbits do not need to be fed by anyone so do not worry about it. Just make sure there is water in each hole. Carry extra feed in your luggage not in the crate--it makes the crate too heavy. Jersey Woolys are very resilient so don’t worry about adding extra water and feed. Even if the trip gets extended they will be just fine. Use hay and chunks of sweet potatoes for food and moisture. The plane luggage/baggage area is pressurized to the same temperature as the passenger area.

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Grooming To Win As with any wooled breed a little elbow grease before you take your Jersey Wooly to the show table can make the difference between a win and a harsh lesson in better coat preparation. While the Jersey Wooly coat is considered an “easy care” coat, that does not mean that grooming is not essential to their health and overall appearance. The stages of a Jersey Wooly development will also factor into your grooming. A junior is permitted to have a more cottony coat which requires more diligent attention until it moults out into a senior coat. Once the senior coat grows in, the Jersey Wooly should require much less grooming to hold a finish. If you find your senior coats matting regularly, then it probably does not have the correct coat and you will need to consider culling for that trait.

There are almost as many tools to groom as there are opinions on how to use them and what techniques to follow to achieve that flowing finished coat. While we’ve featured some basic tried and true methods to put that finishing touch on your wooly coat, there are dozens more that you may find work for you as well.

Grooming with Brushes

1 2 Next - the Sides Begin at the End

Moving to the sides, start at the skirt and gently work your way up your Wooly as you work out any loose hair and mats. Work your way from back to front. Don’t forget the chest.

Gently part the coat by the tail & brush downward; smoothing out the hairs and removing any mats as you go up the hindquarter. You may need to switch between a wide & a more narrow comb in order to remove all mats.

Tools for Success

3 Finish After all mats and loose wool have been worked out, using a wire slicker brush, gently fluff the coat from bottom to top.

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B lo w er U

si n g

Before

Beginning As you prepare to blow and groom the coat you can see that there is loose wool and possibly some mats. Blowing allows you to observe the coat down to the skin to see what needs to be done.

Many top breeders swear by the blowing method, stating that you will get a more even result than brushing alone.

Work Forward

Observe

Gently covering the head and ears to control and ease your Wooly begin at the back and blow into the coat, working your way around the sides. Blow the top as little as possible. The coat along the top rarely mats, is thinner than the sides, and is more prone to breaking.

As you blow into the coat, you will see threads of dead wool coming off the coat. Close to the skin you will see any matting that will need further attention with a comb.

After

Working out Mats After identifying mats and removing any threads of loose wool, turn off your blower. Using a wide tooth comb gently locate and loosen the matted area keeping as much of the undercoat as possible. After you have removed the matted area from both the top and underside of your Wooly, give it a once over with the blower to finish. T h e

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Officer & Director Reports Continued President’s report continued from page 3

It takes teamwork amongst the board, the committees, and others to make things such as these work the way they should. I am hopeful that moving forward everyone involved will work together to get you all of the necessary information to allow for you to make an informed decision. As a result, in the last edition of The Fluff, I did ask that the newsletter editor combine two separate articles on the same subject so that it would be somewhat easier to understand why changes were requested and how the boards and committees felt about them. I am working on a form that can be used for this purpose in the future, to make sure you, as a member, receive all of the necessary information. Again transparency is the key, I don’t think any member would want any of this information withheld from them when it comes to changes in our constitution and bylaws. Enough of all the serious stuff, lets get to the fun things! Convention is quickly approaching, and a lot of planning is taking place. However, we still need some help in a few areas. Watch the Jersey wooly website for updates. I hope you are looking forward to convention and my family and I are looking forward to seeing everyone in Witchita very soon! District 1 report continued from page 8

It’s relatively easy to get animals into the convention but getting them out the paper work must all match exactly.

• If you cannot attend convention, and you are sending animals with someone else, be sure to send a copy of your ARBA

Cleaning Cages

card. Sometimes it is asked for upon checking in, and other times it isn’t. Better to be safe than sorry. • Remember to mark any equipment or items you send with your animals (especially if you want it back.) It is very helpful to label the feed your animals are on. Be sure to send enough feed for the trip there, the duration of convention, and the trip home (even if the animal is sold – a little transition food is nice.)

-Tid Bits

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-Tid Bits

District 3 report continued from page 10

• As a transporter, I’m frequently asked, “What time will you be there?” Remember, a transporter’s first responsibility is to the animals. Stopping on the road trip to feed, water, and clean can be quite time consuming. There are also other considerations like road conditions, weather, rabbit pick-ups and drop offs on the way, construction, and traffic. So timing is really difficult. Keep this in mind and try to be flexible. Provide a phone number and maybe a land mark to be notified when the transporter reaches a certain area.

District 4 report continued from page 11

I hope these tips help, and that everyone can join in on the fun of convention. Keep your eyes open for convention hopefuls within the barn, and start considering how many to enter (remembering you’ll need risers for that many too.) See you all in Kansas Youth and new breeders don’t forget, if you are going to Convention, to sign up for Rabbitcon. It is a series of talks on various rabbit subjects. These talks have been really good in the past, covering a variety of rabbit subjects. I have been asked to contribute a rabbit for this year’s open raffle trio, and am planning on donating a Smoke Pearl. Take care and enjoy the shows.

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Bring a three ring binder to keep your pedigrees, itinerary, tickets, or passes all in one place. Add a vinyl baseball card holder insert to to your binder to keep the calling cards or your new contacts organized.

• Be sure (if you are meeting a transporter at convention or will be picking up a purchased rabbit) that you meet the transporter right away. Also keep in mind that rabbits not entered in the show generally cannot stay on convention property. I find it’s much easier on the animals (and exhibitors) if the rabbits are just cooped for the duration of convention.

District 2 report continued from page 9

A small dustpan, hand broom, and trash bags make fast work of removing soiled bedding from coops.

Organize your Paperwork

It doesn’t hurt to remember this when you have a complaint or gripe. It’s usually the people who never help that gripe the most, so chip in and maybe we won’t have any gripers. Hope you all have a great fall show season and see you at the convention.

Well that is all for now. Remember hug your wooly today. District 5 report continued from page 11

Two does had litters on the wire and the other two put them in the nestbox, but pulled so much wool that the kits got too hot (darn shoulder kept me from checking as often as I should have). We also lost a Cinnamon doe and two very promising juniors. But it could have been much worse. I have heard from several friends who lost more than we did. In our “new” barn we kept fans running 24-7 and the

Mark your Cages Be sure to bring bright colored or unique cage markers to attach to your cages. It can be a maze of rabbits and hard to find yours without the markers. (For example there could be 60 REW’s in one area that all look alike!)

-Tid Bits

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“old” barn has a high roof line that kept the worst of the heat above cage level. We kept cool water in the crocks(not an easy task witha bum shoulder). Luckily a good friend fed and watered for me until I could resume chores. We also sprayed water beneath the cages in an attempt to cool the barn some. Another result of the drought and the resultant decrease in grain production is the rapid increase in feed costs. The price of pellets at our local co-op has increased significantly--rising over $6.00 a hundred pounds in the last 8 weeks--and the manager expects to see the cost continue to rise--but hopefully not as rapidly as we have seen since June. With the heat (our area of Missouri has had 25-30 days with temperature above 100 degrees. With the temps so hot I have hesitated to work with my youngster(plus the shoulder has also hampered it as

Tools You will need grooming supplies and a blower at Convention. Try to find a friend or 2 to share supplies. Plan on walking a distance, to the designated blowing room.

-Tid Bits

well) so I am behind schedule in preparing for the fall shows and Convention. The heat has also impacted the condition of flesh and wool. I haven’t even thought about breeding for shows late this year or early 2013. Hopefully we will get some cooler weather soon. Karen Mezyk and Shirley Seibert had best in show at one of the Central Eastern Missouri RBA shows in May. Congrats to them! Barb and I look forward to seeing you in Wichita. Take care. District 6 report continued from page 12

So for those of you looking to add new lines to your herd make sure to check out the Golden Fleece Auction. I know that I purchased a wonderful buck donated by the Bouliers that has done amazing things for my rabbitry. The rabbit I purchased even took BOSG at this year’s nationals. I know there has been a lot of concerns about the club and the morale. I hope that everyone will stick in there and try to help us improve the club into something that we are all proud of. Please direct any questions or concerns you have with your director. I am sure they will have the answers you need and maybe help let you decide what is truth and fact. I have been a member of this club for almost twenty years and we have always pulled through the toughest times. So hang in there and help us. See you all at convention..

Best In Show FT’s Diamond District 9 report ontinued from page 13

Bring grooming equipment including nail trimmers; baby wipes; brush and comb (pack an extra of each; they seem to walk away at times). I like to bring my own feed and water cups that I use at home; the ones at convention are huge and they won’t always fit with a riser in the cage.

Michigan State Rabbit Breeders Assoc. Show C in Ionia, MI 6/24/12 Breeder/Owner Nicole & Logan Boulier.

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N A T I O N A L

District 9 report continued from page 12

Bring something to identify your coops; they start to all look alike after a couple of days. Bring business cards; some bandaids for people for unexpected bites and scratches; several pair of comfortable shoes and socks; the concrete floors can really do a number on feet and legs; I bring my favorite pain reliever; and bottles of water as it is usually very expensive in the show room. You can bring in snacks to eat; pack lunches; salads,e tc. Some shows will not allow coolers to come in; but the smaller bags slip by nicely. Bring a chair; there may or may not be room for put it up all the time, b ut most of the time there is an area where you can put them and sit to visit with friends. Bring your grooming table if you like; I prefer to bring a small folding wire grooming stand that hooks on one of the end coops; the less equipment you haul in and out the easier it is. If you like to latch your coops bring zip ties and a snipper to remove them; remember; if you are late to the show and your coops are zipped shut your rabbits will be scratched. Be prepared to help run rabbits for judging; I know you like to watch yours judged; we all do, but they won’t be judged if nobody is running the to the table and back. Come prepared to work hard; have lots of fun; see old friends and make new ones; and remember; don’t take it seriously; it is just another rabbit show. Deidre

Furry Treasures Rabbitry BOB & BOS 2011 ARBA Convention

BOB

2012 JW Nationals

BOS

2010 JW Nationals

Congratulations Nicole & Logan

BOSG

2011 ARBA Convention

Boulier

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J E R S E Y W o o l y W i n s

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NJWRC Election Report 2012 The 2012 election was for the offices of vice president, secretary and directors for the even numbered districts 2, 4, 6, 8 and also for amendments of the club’s constitution and by-laws. 318 ballots were mailed out, of which 99 were received back and 1 was returned as undeliverable by the postal service. On September 16, 2012 the election committee consisting of Carmen Deling, Kelsey Deling and Claudia Sweley as chair person met at the Clay County Fair in Spencer, IA and counted the ballots. The results were as follows:

Vice President: all write-ins:

Marcia Hinkelmann – 45 votes “current” – 1 vote Denise Geick – 20 votes Lisa Bell – 3 votes Shonna Ausborne – 2 votes Brian Caudill – 2 votes Amber Henderson – 1 vote Lisa Smith – 1 vote Deidre Edder – 1 vote (No votes cast 23)

Secretary:

Amber Henderson – 60 votes Shonna Ausborne – 39 votes

District 2:

Angel LeSage – 7 votes

District 4: All write-ins:

Tina Jackson – 7 votes Rob Grady – 2 votes

District 6: Write-in:

Brian Caudill – 2 votes

District 8:

Angi Sheets – 22 votes

AMENDMENTS:

Article 9, SECTION 7: Approve: 68 Do Not Approve 18 Article II, SECTION 4: Approve: 70 Do Not Approve 16 Article VIII – NEWSLETTERS, SECTION 1: Approve 70 Do Not Approve 16

Respectfully submitted Claudia Sweley Election Committee Chair

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Working COD

ranges H

i, I’m Rose-Marie “Bunnie” Turley and I am the current holder of the Orange color variety of the Jersey Wooly. I originally held the certificate back in 2005 and passed my first presentation with a 9-0 vote from the Standards Committee. Due to some health problems and misunderstanding on my part I lost the rights to the presentation in 2006 by failing to present. I am excited to have a second chance at presenting again, but have made the decision to wait to make my first presentation until 2013 in Harrisburg, PA. This means I will have to pass that presentation in order to proceed, but I am confident that will happen, especially with the help of those of you who are also interested in the variety. This decision was made after discussion with the standards chairperson, Cheryl Eng-Link and consideration of where I was currently in my breeding program. Although I was still working with the Oranges, I had been crossbreeding with other colors to improve type when I was notified that my certificate was activated. Only having one senior buck (and 8 years old at that) I am indebted to Kathy Moerbe and Deidre Edder for providing me with some additional stock this spring and I had hoped that I would have what I needed to present, but unfortunately did not produce an Orange buck early enough to be a senior animal for my presentation. (Standards Committee requires the senior animals must be bred by the presenter and be the parents of the juniors. We are also required to notify the standards chairperson of our intention to present by July. At that time, my bucks were not old enough to breed yet and so I made the decision to wait.) As I work on the Oranges, I plan to keep in close contact with the Standards Committee and several ARBA judges for their criticism and advice. Having successfully shown some recognized colors directly out of my Oranges over the past few years I am very encouraged about how my breeding program is already proceeding. I would also like to know of members actively breeding and/or interested in acquiring some stock as it becomes available and providing me with some

feedback so as I can make the best presentation possible. Please visit my website www.castawayfarm.com or email me at swimbunnie@gmail.com for more details. Finally, I’d enjoy corresponding with anyone interested in learning more about the orange variety. Below is the working standard and I’ve enclosed some color pictures as well.

Orange Working Standard

The head, body, and legs are to be a bright orange. Under color to be pale cream to white. Eye circles, inside of ears, nostrils, underside of jowls, belly, and underside of tail to be pale cream to white. Eyes – brown. Faults – Smut or ticking on head, body or feet; ear lacing. Disqualification – Smut or ticking on over 50% of body

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Sandra Wight, Editor

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