Losses and Life

It has been a rough summer in the rabbit barn, not due to heat...thank goodness....but I have lost several nice does to various problems. Gianna and Liesl were two I absolutely adored and was pretty certain they were going to live the rest of their life with me. It was devastating to loose them both so soon. :-(

As I look ahead to convention, and consider the entry fee cost, I do not plan to take many. Most of the rabbits I was hoping to take, I decided that their lines were too valuable to risk. Harlan(Martin daughter), Izellah(Gianna daughter), Isaac (GORGEOUS Liesl son) and Kyna (only Liesl daughter) are some that will be staying home unfortunately. That will just leave me with 1 or 2 to take per class but that's okay. No jr bucks though, not really a surprise as I am waaaay too picky on bucks and seeing how I just have a handful compared to the does in my barn. Oh well! You know there is always next year, year after that, and so on. I don't raise rabbits to win ribbons/awards/prestige, I raise them because I truly love raising them. There's nothing like coming into the barn after a night's sleep and seeing all the little round faces staring at me. "Good morning guys, who's ready for breakfast?" They perk up and start pacing, I really think they secretly know the English language. Haha!

This is Isaac, see that head he's getting?! He's just 2 months old! He's out of Jacob...may he will have an Usher head?

Compared to all the losses lately, new life being born has been extra special. Joy had her first litter a week ago, was so worried about her because she is the only Usher daughter I have and a Gianna daughter!! Talk about gorgeous, that she is. The sire was Jacob, an Usher son(only one too!) and Gianna's mom is Jacob's mom....so yes, very Linebred!! :-D The two baby does are looking awesome right now, both perfectly banded. She did have two stuck kits but they had died in utero and were pretty swollen. Luckily, I saw her trouble on camera and was able to be there to help get them out. She has proven to be a super mom. Constantly doting on them and I have fostered 3 more to her. She gets her wonderful mom skills from Gianna. <3 p="">

Joy, think she would rather be a mom than a show doe. She has 2 legs, so close!

The young jrs being weaned are looking great! However...of the 5 I want to keep....3 are sports- DOH!! That brings my sport total up to 6! Who in their right mind wants to keep 6 sports in their barn? This gal I guess. LOL I don't know, but I do know that all 6 in my barn have wow bodies and heads so....why not? Oiy I need a bigger barn.

Group of Kismet babies...Kismet's teeth corrected! Woot woot! Normal teeth now :)

Isn't she cute? This is Evelyn, out of Sasha, very dwarfy girl. In fact may be too dwarfy :( She poses like an ND. doh! She wants to go to Germany to show(they pose them like NDs over there).