Starting with Rabbits...Lionheads. First show this weekend!

[awesomefowl]

I vote Champagne, 'cause you can eat them too.

 

[CranberryCreekFarm]

Quote:
We have had a nasty lionhead before....made it very hard to enjoy her, or clean her cage...

 

[dewey]

I'd have a hard time processing lionheads...even if they were big enough for meat there's too much cute-factor to go there, lol.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

I like my Champagne doe, she is 7 months and I had her bred 12 days ago. I have no clue if she is pregnant or not, I tried palpating her but I couldn't feel a darn thing LOL! In any even I vote Champagne too.

 

[NellaBean]

Okay okay. Lionheads. Flemish giants. Champagnes
Those are my new top three. Looks like I may be getting a lionhead doe locally. If there are champagnes available saturday, it will be hard to resist. Same with flemish giants.

 

[RabbitMage]

You should be aware that Lionheads aren't currently accepted by the ARBA, and they've had a LOT of trouble getting them to pass.

 

[NellaBean]

Yes, I knew they weren't quite there, but can someone explain to me whats going on with Lionheads? You can show them but they are not accepted? I don't get it!

I do love the little dudes though. Them not being accepted by arba is what kept them off my list to start with.

 

[Sachasmom]

Quote:
I wouldn't go to your first show to buy. I'd go to research, try to watch the different breeds show, get a feel for the people showing the breeds (Because showing is a social thing, and some folks
in certain breeds are, well, lets just say super competitive and cliqeuy? Or downright not nice. Sometimes bordering on nuts... Lots of really really NICE people too!

Some of the breeds you have on your list are amoung the Rare breeds list, so it may be hard to find them at your local show, it may even be hard to find them in your STATE. I'd guess it would be next to
impossible to find American Sable. It would also be a more challenging breed to start out with because of the coat, some rare breeds are going to be more difficult to breed because the type needs a lot more
improvement. If you like to work hard, then one of those might be for you, or if you like to eat a lot of rabbit. ;p American Sables are a lovely breed though that do need dedicated breeders working towards preserving them.

Champagnes are also a rarer breed, probably easier to find than American Sables. You'll run into breeding issues trying to get the silvering right on those (I raise Silver Fox, so I should know, LOL) Also a good dual purpose
breed.

Rhinelanders are also a rarer breed, plus you will need to cull on markings. Some breeders cull for markings at birth. They are an active breed! Not great for meat (although all rabbits ARE made out of meat!) so you'll have to
decide what fate your culls will have and because of the markings, you'll have lots!

Flemish Giants are a very nice laid back breed, but they do require a large cage, most breeders keep them on solid bottomed cages. Some meat processors will not take Flemish because the bone to meat ratio is high.
Plus you will need REALLY large brood cages and those guys can put that food away! There is a market for pets as some people like to keep Flemish as House Rabbits.

Checkered Giants.... There are some AGGRESSIVE lines out there, and there are some that are not. I transported Checkereds back for people from the ARBA convention in CA two years ago, they were very nice bunnies,
they did not eat me every time I opened the cage. They do need to be handled correctly though and are not a breed for timid breeders (They can smell fear!) They will also need a large cage and they also will need to be culled for markings. A youth breeder friend here has a few that she has trained to walk on a harness and has won Youth Reserve in Show with. I don't know that they are a breed for a beginner though.

Silver Martens: I think this is going to be the easiest rabbit breed for you to find locally. They're nice dual purpose rabbits. I think they would be a good breed to start with while you learn how to show, how to breed, what to cull for.

I saw you were interested in Lionheads too. I have them and I like them, but they need a lot of work still. The breed is VERY competitive and lots of judges do not like them. They are not recognized yet, so they cannot go up for Best In Show. You'll need to have a pet market lined up for your culls, or eat lots of "Cornish Game Rabbit"

Most of those breeds have yahoogroups dedicated to the breeds, or you can try one like Showbunny that has a broader rabbit audience.

Some tips on buying: Rabbits can be expensive! If you KNOW what you are looking for, then sometimes that $150 rabbit is worth it. If you know what you're looking for that 4H $20 bunny can be a real steal! If you don't
know what you are looking for, you can spend a lot of money on stuff that is not worth meat prices.

Always always always only buy a pedigreed rabbit if they HAVE the pedigree there. I make exceptions for friends I know are good for it, but not for strangers.

Do a basic health check. Check the nose, check the inside of the front paws. Don't let someone tell you the rabbit is just "stressed". Check the butt for poopy butt. Run your hand down their spine to check if they are
"spiney", that will tell you if the rabbit is out of condtion or possibly unhealthy.

For a pedigreed trio you are probably going to spend 50-75 per rabbit, sometimes more, sometimes less. If you're buying a "rare" breed that is going to be harder to find stock in, I'd suggest buying 2-3 does and 2 bucks (Always have a back up buck!)

 

[NellaBean]

Wow, thanks for all the detailed info!

At this point I will say checkered giants are out, rhinelanders are probably out.

I'm excited for the show tomorrow! Can't wait to see them all in action. Its entirely possible I will get there and fall in love with a breed not listed here.

I was out in the yard yesterday scratching my head and trying to decide where to put cages and what size, configuration, etc.

What size cages are recommended for the different size breeds? My little lionhead guy had a 2x4 cage and it seemed to be plenty of space...I'm assuming flemish giants might need 3x4?

I had avoided the lops and netherland dwarfs only because it seems there is such fierce competition......but if considering culls, they seem to have one of the best pet markets around here. Everyone loves cute and small.

 

[mandelyn]

Around me the Flemish sell like hot cakes. I was hard pressed to get the two I have, they go so fast. Add pops up on CL, they're gone that day. Everyone has Californians, Dutch, new Zealands, Lionheads, you see them all the time for $5-$15. Flemish babies start around $20 and go on up to $100 for breeding stock. I'm still looking for a Fawn buckling, haven't found him yet.

I'm going to do a 3 x 5 each for my girls, with a run around area below they can share. The boy will also have that, and a separate run around area. We'll have a sliding divider for the girls' run around area, for when one is expecting or if they decide to get territorial. Basically part of the upper cage will have a slide out tray for easy cleaning, the rest will be a solid floor for added support when those tubby things lay on it. The bottom won't get too filled with poo because of the slide out cleaning tray up top. We're working on litter box training now so that maybe they'll do that outside too. I can hope, anyways.

A friend of mine breeds and shows them, says the Flemish girls need bred around 9 months-1 year old to fill them out better for show. Not too early, since you can stunt their growth. Not too late either. Mine should see 15-18 pounds though, judging by the parents.