District 2 Report

AMBER HENDERSON ambermom@gmail.com

Regions Represented:

Arizona, California, Hawaii,

Nevada, Utah, Mexico

Convention Tips!

Do not touch or handle anyone else's rabbits without asking first; If you are running rabbits to the table; pay attention to the ramrod at the table; bring rabbits up or back one at a time to avoid dropping or injuring rabbits. Never pick them up by the wool or scruff; use both hands.

District 2 Report

Taking the best care of our Jersey Woolys is the first thing we do to ensure they can perform well on the show tables.

We all have our routines for their care but we also focus on the details we've found work best for us and our rabbits. These things are not just trimming nails every 6 wks or blowing out Jrs every week and Srs any time we take them to a show. The more detailed or personalized actions we take are based on the observations of each individual animal made between our basic routine. Normally, I enter my barn each day and don't just feed. I don't just groom. I also observe each rabbit - watching for small clues that they might need something beyond the routine. A brief 5 minutes picking out a bit of webbing near the shoulder or a bowl of bird seed for the one that didn't clean up their pellets. You know, just in case it's not my imagination that those droppings in their pan today actually are a little smaller than the ones from that day before. Or a session of holding and table time because that one littler of 5 wk olds is acting a little less confident than they should when I open the coop door.

But what do you when we can't do these things? Serious illness, long weekend shows, or responsibilities that require us to travel can be stressful on us and our animals because it means we can't take care of our rabbits the way we normally would. Every member in our district has or is currently experiencing this scenario. Here are some things that we do to make things easier for everyone and every animal.

1. Keep an organized rabbity and grooming area. In Lori Robasciotti's rabbity, things are easy to find because there is a place for everyone within easy reach of where you need them. A calendar and message board is posted so it is the first thing you see when you walk in. No does will kindle without you knowing when they're due because it's all right there. Hay is kept neatly in a hay bin. And grooming supplies (or young Jrs) never get blown off the grooming table that has a raised "lip" and a side hanging basket holds every tool a sitter would need to do some light grooming (see photo). She even has a small bag to stuff wool into so anyone who cares for her rabbits can keep the rabbitry tidy as they groom.

(Continued on next page)

District 2 Report Continued

2. Shave 'em down. Taking off a wool coat seems to go against everything we've work for. But, sometimes it's the best thing we can do if we have to rely on someone else to take care of our rabbits for an extended period of time. Michaeline McConnell has found it too painful to do much grooming due to a chronic illness. So, shearing her Jrs down has saved her family from needing to do much tedious work of grooming for her. When asked what clipper has worked well for her, Michaeline said "Definitely my Wahl Bravura Lithium clipper for baby and Jr coats. And if Sr coats Matt - they become coyote food. My illness has made me ruthless." (see photos)

3. Reduce your herd. In preparation for a months-long work trip, and knowing my family would take on my chores in the barn, I made some hard decisions and cut 1/3 of my herd. Fewer rabbits, less work, I always have a place for culls to go to be humanely put down and complete the circle of life. I've sent my culls to educational wildlife centers, falconers, reptile society members, cull buyers at shows that sell to zoos and wildlife rehab centers, and a natural dog food company.

4. Lastly, and perhaps the most important is to find someone whom you trust to care for your animals when you cannot. Family might be an obvious choice because they may have shown rabbits themselves or been trained by us how to care for them. When the whole family goes on vacation, I have found that teenageres that have livestock experience make reliable herd sitters - even if that experience is only with poultry or goats . They tend to have a good work ethic and are comfortable around animal sights, smells, and behaviors and don't shy away from them. They are also typically easy to teach how to handle rabbits properly so I know any young rabbits will get handled and I encourage that. I try to pay our animal sitters well and throw in any eggs our chickens lay while we're gone, too. (see pic of baby being handled)

Whatever reasons you may not be able to care for your herd for a while, I hope that sharing some of the things that our district has done over the past year eases some worry and gets ideas flowing about what might work for you. Best wishes to you in your endeavors, for your health, your families, and on the show tables.