Going to the Rabbit Show!

[Felicia]

[COLOR=0099cc]Going to the Rabbit show with my flemish giant doe. First rabbit show I have ever been to.

Any tips or suggestions? This is the first time, so I am extremely excited, yet nervous also.[/COLOR]

 

[feathersgalore]

Pack a bag with all your rabbit stuff and stuff for you. Bring a chair - many shows have room and there is a lot of waiting around. Sometimes a good book or magazine. Take time to walk around and talk to the other exhibitors. They are a great source of information and seeing "rabbit" friends are the best part of going to a show. Don't be nervous and ask questions. Most people are happy to help. It only takes one show and you'll be hooked.

 

[RabbitMage]

I advise showing up early. Usually they'll have lists posted on the judging table-the judge's name, the breeds they are judging and the order they're going in. If you can find the table(s) where the Flemish will be and set up nearby. There is no set time for them to go up, so if you know they're coming up soon, stay close! If you miss the judging they will not judge your rabbit.

There is usually a lot of downtime, so like Feathers said, walk around, say hi, ask questions. Many times there is at least one vendor there-it might be a good time to pick up something you need without having to worry about the cost of shipping.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

 

[CritterBazaar]

Where are you headed? Since this is your first show try to buddy up to another exhibitor they will give you lots of help. Also, if you have questions ask. Dont let the judge know its your rabbit but you can still ask questions. I am a judge and am always willing help.. most are.

 

[Felicia]

Thanks for all the awesome tips

I appreciate it!

I will be sure to bring a chair and some stuff to do. Thankfully I have a friend with me who has been doing this forever. I will be sure to talk to others and ask questions. I brought my rabbit as "show quality", but I am not sure if she truly is. I don't care if we do good or not, because I get to take the best prize home, my bunny

. I will be sure to let you know how we do. I will also be sure to take pictures also!

I am very excited. I am sure the day will be loads of fun. I will be sure to be ready before the call up the flemishs.

 

[RabbitMage]

Hey CritterBazaar, I just realized I remember you from Wichita.

 

[Felicia]

So the show went okay. I found out that my Flemish Giant is not good quality and that the breeder I got her from is no good

. I can tell just by comparing her to the other rabbits. But I still love her even though she is show quality. She has a wonderful temperament. But I will definitely not be breeding her now. Her breeder hasn't helped me one bit

I have had really bad luck with rabbits breeders so far. So my friend introduced to me a really nice lady who helps out 4-Hers all the time. She told me to pick out a couple breeds I like and she will show me the good breeders who have top quality stock, and will also teach me about the breed. So I am going to be getting a mini lop

. The breeder was very friendly. So even though it wasn't a wonderful day, it still went very well.

 

[gypsy2621]

Quote:
awww dont give up so easily , Flemish have a habit of surprising you later down the line.
I would get a nice buck to breed her to and keep the best baby then add another flemish of better quality.
sometimes the worse looking rabbit will throw the best babys,
no sense of not breeding her when you can definately breed for better and better animals.
I am glad you found a mentor, they are priceless. dont be put off by the few bad breeders out there. they are the exception not the rule.

 

[herbandteas]

What did your judge say when you had her on the table? If she is a jr still she could still be growing and I would think with a rabbit that size she could be at that teen age stage if she is a jr.

 

[Felicia]

She is in the 6/8 class because she didn't make weight for the Sr class. She is almost a year old. She weighs around 11 1/2 pounds.

The judge said her body was round instead of a mandolin shape (her rise starts to early), her coloring (she is fawn) is not good due to having a lot of black tips, her hindquarters is not round/big enough, but her density and texture is good. Everything else got fair.