Do you know how frustrating and heartbreaking it is to watch a young kid come to their first rabbit show, toting with them their most prized possession...the rabbit they bought from you.  The one you told them was show quality and would no doubt do well in the shows.  Only to watch that kid hold back the tears as their best buddy, beloved freind was disqualified off the show table, being told the rabbit they purchased from you was not a show quality animal, or it was not quality at all?

Sadly, this happens all too often.  It hurts.  It really does.

First lets clarify Show Quality.  When someone states that an animal is show quality, it simply means that at that time, the animals meets all the requirements for being able to be shown, and does not exhibit any disqalifications according to the Standard set forth for that breed.  Also, two rabbits bred together that ARE show quality will not always produce show quality offspring.  To know an animal is show quality, you have to be very familiar with the standard for that breed.  If you are not familiar, then you should at least have the standard so that while examining your litters you can compare them to the written standard.  

The standard was created to give breeders a blueprint to breed towards. Without it, you can end up with animals not able to perform the duties in which they were bred for.  Yes, even rabbits have a purpose.  When you start breeding subpar animals, you are destroying what generations of hard work has created.  You will end up with animals that are unhealthy, poor coloration, poor meat/flesh condition, Poor temperments,  Twisted spines, cronic illness, low immune systems, poor fur....the list goes on.

In addition to disqualifications, there are faults.  Now faults do not mean that an animal cannot be shown, but depending on the fault, it does mean it could be less likely to win.  Knowing what these faults are, are very important when it comes to breeding.  You do not want to breed two rabbits with pinched hindquarters together, because, well...what do you think they are going to produce?  That's right.  Pinched Hindquarters.  How well do you think a rabbit with pinched Hindquarters will place against one without?  Not very well.  

Now I know its not to hard to read a breed standard and figure out what the disqalifications are.  But, can you tell easily the difference between Long, Low or Narrow shoulders?  What does it mean when an animal is hollow in the loin?  Is the crown slipped?  How wide should the eye set be? Are the teeth budding?

If your not showing, you cant know all this.  This is not something you can learn from a book.  This is not something you learn from attending one show.  This is something you learn over years of showing and even years of breeding.  Dedicated breeders who show know to breed that narrow shouldered doe to a wide shouldered buck.  Good breeders know how to breed for improvements, evaluate, cull and breed again.

And again, breeding to a standard is not just for creating a show animal.  It is to create an animal that is correct in movement, sound in temperment and in good health!

If you are looking to purchase a rabbit that you would like to show at any time in the furture, ask your breeder:

Are you an ARBA Member?
Are you a member of the National Breed Club?
Are you a member of any local Clubs?
Do you have registered stock?
Do you actively show?

Ask your breeder to show you POSED photos of the animals for purchase.  Or, if you are face to face, ask the breeder to pose the animal for you.  Ask the breeder to highlight the animals good points and bad points,

But if you are serious about wanting a show rabbit...then go to a show.  Meet the breeders, look at the breeds.  Learn, watch and buy.  Do not be fooled by these so called breeders who are only breeding for money.  Chances are, you will find a better bred animal....for cheaper, from a breeder who breeds for a purpose, other than money.

​I am just going to put this out there. I don't care how many top big wins at convention or best in shows you have won. If your animals are disqualified off the table for showing signs of sickness, and are further scratched from remaining shows that day you DO NOT:
1. Continue to touch those sick animals and then healthy animals without disinfecting/washing your hands.
2. Walk through the showroom with said sick animals, past other exhibitors healthy animals, and up to the show table with your other entries! IF you cannot safely place your animals outside of the showroom, then place them away from other animals and cover them!
3. MOST IMPORTANT HERE....YOU DO NOT, and I repeat, FUCKING DO NOT unscratch them from the next show and place them again on the table after checking and wiping away the snot!
If this is how you make a big name for yourself in this hobby. I don't want it.

​You’ve probably read somewhere, maybe even from me, that a breeder that won’t let you see where animals are kept or meet your animals is a big red flag.
That breeders who won’t let you meet the animals or see where they are kept must be hiding something.
Well that’s no longer true
Why you ask?
Because there is a vendetta in the USA right now against breeders, even the really good breeders.
Anti breeder types, be they from HSUS or PETA or other animal rights groups or overzealous animal shelter workers or other similar people are making it their life’s work to get breeders animal seized and stop all breeding.
Many times this involves lying, filing false complaints or worse- setting the breeder up.
Sometimes these people even gain the breeder’s trust or work for them.
No matter how clean your animals are.
No matter how well fed and clean your animals are.
No matter how careful you are to only breed the best and most fully health tested animals
No matter how much time and money you put into them and how much money you lose.
These people are looking to get your dogs seized, to get another “horrible breeder” story in the news, to use you and your animals to get restrictive laws passed.
Breeders now must not only do their absolute best , they now must guard against those that would destroy their life’s work and the animals they love for no reason other than hate.
So the next time an animal breeder grills you with questions, or meets you in their driveway or even at the shopping center in their town, don’t hold it against them - they may just be doing all they can to keep hateful people from destroying all they love.
This was copied from a friend's page .. please please help spread the word

​I am pretty sure I have posted about this before, but it does not hurt to post again. There is maybe one thing more important in this hobby than the breeders themselves, and that would be our local clubs. If it was not for these local clubs putting on shows, we would not have the opportunity to exhibit our breed specimens, converse and learn with others in our breed, learn about new breeds, and so much more! These local clubs are run by local breeders, not by ARBA or the National Breed clubs.


I have noticed that shows are becoming far and few inbetween, at least in my area. New clubs pop up, but quickly diminish. Why is that? Well lets look at how a club works:


A local club must consist of seven people: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer (Secretary & Treasurer can be combined), Board Director, and two other board members. This is what is required by ARBA to start up and continue a local club. All these club members MUST be ARBA members as well. Each club is responsible to make up their own consititution and by-laws. Each club is a small branch of ARBA, but not governed by ARBA. ARBA oe not get involved with club buisness matters.


Each officier of local clubs has a role to play. However, the heart and soul of each club without a doubt is the secretary and treasuers position. These positions in a club are always the hardest to fill. Many times a person will take the position, but quickly remove themselves. Without a secretary or treasurer the clubs cannot function! The sceretary is responsible to make sure all the paperwork is in order for the charter, taxes, non profit, state requirements, minutes for club meetings, etc etc. Then you have the treasurer who is responsible for the clubs money. Add that to the secretary's job and oh boy! But it's not impossible to do!


One of the most important things to remember of our local club members is that they are ALL 100% volunteering their time to these clubs. There is NO pay to be a club member! Infact, when new clubs start up, the charter fee comes out of pocket. And in most cases, when the show happens, awards, judges, hotels, coops, venue and all that goes along with hosting a show, comes from the pocket of the club members until entry fees are paid. This is especially true for smaller local clubs.


Don't think that your personal life is just too busy to be an active member of a local group! Each and every member, including the secretary and treasuer has a family to care for, a home to clean, kids to chase, a full time job, and their own rabbits to maintain! And yet, even though most members have full time jobs, and we all have an entire life of our own, we make time so that the show can go on!


What can a membership to your local club get you? Well first and foremost your paid membership to your local club gets you a vote in all things club related. It gives you the opportunity to make changes that you see need to be made. Your small yearly membership dues help pay for the club charter, purchase awards for the show, or pay for anything else the club needs to continue. Your membership is valued, no matter how little or how much you participate.


However, active members are needed! Even if you can only do so much, any help is appreciated when it gets time to put on a show. In most cases, your local shows are put on by two or three people. That is an average of three people finding and collecting bids for judges that they think the exhibitors will appreciate, organizing judging orders, taking in your entries and fees, making the show catalog and ensuring everyone who wants one gets one, sending in for sanctions, printing out and orgnizing pre show paperwork, picking up and entertaining the judges, finding the venue, setting up the show, finding table writers, and down to imputing all the placements after the show, printing out the show reports and legs and getting them off in the mail to you! There is so much more that goes into hosting a show than what I listed. But, the point is...on average three people do all this work for you the exhibitor to enjoy, while we work full time jobs, and care for our own families!


So take minute and contact your local clubs, ask to join and ask where you can help! YOu are an assest! No matter how big or how small!

​Recently I have heard of several wonderful breeders leaving Mini Lops due to the drama surrounding them between breeder and breeder. Sadly this is an issue not only with Mini Lops, but every breed in every species. People seem to forget that for the most part, many of us are breeding for the love of the breed, to improve and better the breed. How does it better the breed if breeders cannot work together on this, rather they waste their time and energy fighting eachother?


At times there are those who feel "forced out" due to this drama and consistantly being beat on the table. Those who have been told over and over again by other breeders that their animals are nothing but pets. The problem being is that we as more experienced, long term breeders need to remember is that we all started out somewhere. Some of us started with the best stock possible, some of us did not. But ALL of us have made mistakes along the way and ALL of us have had that litter turn out less then desirable.


Rather than beating one breeder down over and over again, why not lift them up? Help them out? Offer a breeding. ENCOURAGE! Another thing to remember is no matter how wonderful and amazing your animals are, there is someone out there that has more amazing and wonerful rabbit than you!


To the newbies in this breed, dont get discouraged. Dont sell out because one or two people have said nasty things. Your only giving them what they want. Dont listen to drama and rumors. Most rumors are started out of jealousy. I have learned this first hand.


Sadly the integrity of our breeders in all breeds and species seems to have been lost. This is so very heartbreaking. Let's support eachother for the love of the breed! Let's squash this rumor that Mini Lops are drama infested. Let's take a moment and learn from one another

​Normally, my policy is to NOT sell any pets or to the general public what-so-ever. However this breeding season I seemed to have been lucky with an over abundance of litters and offspring, so I thought what the heck I will give it a whirl. I had posted an ad on Facebook offering not only pets for $15 each (without papers) but also rabbits for the use of RAW feeding for pets and snake food at a per pound price.

​Additionally, there were other threats such as being shot, and feeding me to the Florida gators should I ever decide to visit the state. As well as an empty, pointless threat of "it's not the gators I would have to worry about."

​I was also accused of breeding my rabbits for the purpose of making a profit. As all true to heart rabbit breeders who breed for show quality standard rabbits know, there is no money making in this hobby. And that is what it is, a hobby. Not a business. (Please see my other blog post: Breeding Rabbits, the difference between a Hobby & a Business)


As a final attempt, I sent a message to one of the admins of this group explaining how this thread has gotten way out of control. This message has gone unanswered.


In closing I would like to offer a warning to all: Be careful of what you post online and who your friends are. Be extremely careful when it comes to groups such as the House Rabbit Society, PETA and the like. Know your state, city, county and Federal laws. Be careful of who you invite to your barn, and your home. Know that everything you say online and publicly throughout the internet can be held against you in a court of law should it ever go to that. You can also be held accountable to libel (written slander). Also, know your state laws for "cyber-bullying" of minors, should you ever come across such a situation. Protect yourself at all times.


The lesson I have learned by this mistake is, I will never offer up pets again to anyone. Never in any groups, or local adverts. Nor will I attempt to outsource and seek additional parties that I do not know for those interested in rabbits intended to feed another animal. All culls will be placed in our own freezer, or only out sourced to those we know on a personal level.