I'll start off with the most exciting news and the primary reason I'm writing this post....

The serious shed prep can finally BEGIN!!! 

Last October my mom and sister and I got into a car accident (someone else's fault), which resulted in several trips to the chiropractor over several months for my mom and I due to minor injuries. We've been waiting since then for a large insurence settlement to buy my shed, since we can't afford it otherwise. Well, TONIGHT my mom is picking up the settlement and we can finally start thinking seriously and working on getting the shed!!! I hope to have it installed and ready to go by the end of July! 

I've been waiting for my shed since I first got rabbits in 2012....and even before that, when I was dreaming of getting into raising and breeding rabbits in 2010! So you can definitely say that this shed is a long time coming. I'm drawing plans and starting to think seriously about it...it's surreal to me that it's actually starting to happen. It won't really sink in until the rabbits are all settled in their new home and it's all complete. 

Below is a picture of the beginning workings of the plans. I have so much fun thinking about this stuff and planning it all out. Don't mind my sloppy writing and horrible drawing skills ;) The triangle in the back will be a tarp hanging outside the shed, for extra storage space. Each 1/4in square represents a foot - the shed will be 10ft x 12ft, and hopefully will have around 21+ cages eventually. I like how everything is pretty open at this point and I can always add more cages later. 

For exterior paint, I'm thinking a light heather gray overall and possibly a light purple for the trim - which are the Holly's Hollands colors! If you guys have a shed, tell me what I'm missing or if something isn't really needed that I included. Let me know what you have in your shed, I'd love to hear how your shed is all set up! 

Okay, not onto some rabbitry updates! 

On the 17th and 20th I bred three does (which is the most I've ever bred!) - Butterfly, Angie, and Clementine on the 20th. I'm not sure Butterfly is pregnant - I think I saw her nesting today and usually nesting this early in the pregnancy is a sign of a false pregnancy. I'll wait a month just in case but if she's not pregnant, I'll show her on July 23rd and then breed her right after that. She needs to get pregnant though because I need more babies from her and Wicket, and it's been almost 7 months since her last litter was born....and usually you don't want to wait that long.

But the other two does are doing good and right on schedule. Angie seems to be pregnant, I weighed her today as well as palpated her and I think I felt some kits, although she was very sensitive around her belly (she usually isn't). She also gained 2oz! Typically around this stage of gestation they haven't gained anything, but she hasn't been eating more than normal so if this trend continues and she continues to gain weight steadily, she's definitely pregnant! With her last litter she gained 4-6oz and had 6 kits. 

Butterfly has not gained any weight (which like I said, is normal for this stage in gestation), but I think I felt something when I palpated her. I thought I felt something last time I palpated her too, with her false pregnancy, but it felt a little different this time...we can only wait and see. 

Clementine is only 8 days along so it's too soon to weigh or palpate her. I'll palpate and weigh her when I get back from vacation, along with the other does as well for a second time to double-check. I really hope all three does are in fact pregnant, because now that I'll have my shed by the time the kits need to be weaned, I'll have enough space to grow some out and breed more does. 

Last night was crazy. 

Being a breeder and taking care of these animals doesn't ever end in a day. If something might be going wrong outside at 3am, I'll have to go check on them, no matter if it's freezing out there, or if I'm still half-asleep. 

This was one of those nights. 

My sister woke me up at around 3:30am and said that she heard a really loud noise outside with the cages, and that the cages had been rattling like crazy. She's a light sleeper and probably wasn't asleep at all when she heard it, but I'm a heavy sleeper, so I would've slept right on through. She was concerned, since we've had problems with dogs back there, as well as cats, raccoons, you name it. I'm glad she woke me up, for sure, and you'll see the reason why.

After the loud rattling she had heard initially, the rabbits were thumping every second. After getting out of bed, I looked outside my window (which was open because our room was hot and musty), to see if there were any animals that were out there that shouldn't be. Nope. But the bunnies were still thumping every couple of seconds - I wasn't sure exactly which bunnies were doing the thumping, but based on where I know each rabbit's cage is, and how we could hear them, I thought it was mainly May, Wicket and Angie, who were thumping constantly. When it's literally right outside your open bedroom window, bunny thumps are LOUD! 

So, I had to go and check on them. I put on my Holly's Hollands sweatshirt and my rainboots, and trudged to the rabbitry to see what the problem was (bunnies don't thump a ton for no reason... usually). 

Standing at the entrance of the rabbitry for a little bit with my sister, who came with me because she was up already, I assessed the situation. Nothing was there that could've startled them...or maybe it was gone, scared by all the loud thumping. I waited a second to see who was doing all the thumping, and it was May, she was running around her cage and thumping like a lunatic. Every once in a while another rabbit would answer her, either Clementine, Angie, or Wicket, with another thump. So I went to May's cage to try and calm her down. 

A little thing was stumbling around the cage with one eye open to greet the world - it was May's baby, and she was thumping and freaking out because her baby was out!  As if she was saying, "Mom! Come look at this! Get this thing out of here!!!" She was obviously running away from it, and very startled! 

I put the baby back in the nest, and covered it with fur. I realized that if I left the baby there, throughout the night, even though it was a warmish night, it probably would have died, because it had no hay to cuddle in, it's mom was being a lunatic, and it couldn't get back into the nest. So I spread some hay all around the cage in case it got out again. If it did, I didn't have to worry because it could cuddle in the hay and bury beneath it and stay warm. 

This morning, I went to check on everything, and the baby had gotten out again, but it was nestled in the hay. It was cold though, but after being put back in the nest it's doing great. I feel like if I hadn't gone out there, if May hadn't "called" me, the baby would've gotten too cold, and could have passed away. 

The baby must've startled her and tried to nurse and she got spooked and went crazy. She's such a panicked doe already - everything scares her. So May probably saved her baby's life this morning, by being terrified of it. ​

​~Holly

I had no idea what to do for my 400th blog post. There were a lot of things I could try, but I feel like it would've been too time consuming for me or a waste of a time because the reader wouldn't read it all...such as posting 400 pictures, or writing 400 things I love about rabbits. Not only would it be time-consuming for me to write, but it would be time-consuming for the reader as well! So instead, I decided to take a blast to the past and post my first blog ever, as well as what my rabbitry was like at that time. 

August 17, 2013 is when I wrote this. At that time, I had one hutch (that I got for free) and one bunny for breeding. I had borrowed the buck from one of my mentors, who I bought Gracie from, Kristen (see her site HERE). In that litter, I had Caramel, Cinnamon, Effie, Mr. Freckles, and Malchior. Yes, I just remembered all of them off the top of my head. That's how well I know all my rabbits! I kept Cinnamon, and found another free hutch to keep her in. 
I had a tiny phone that I took pictures with, and the pictures were of terrible quality. I cringe looking at them now, and I used to think those pictures tuned out good! 

Well I hope you enjoyed this little blast to the past. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for your love and support on my Facebook page, this blog, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram! I love you all, have a nice day!

The Standard of Perfection gives an explanation of what condition is on page 33, in somewhat confusing terms. Today I’m going to attempt to explain it a little bit, since I've gotten some help from friends and judges explaining what it is and what it should look like. Maybe it’s just me, but I know that sometimes it’s helpful to paraphrase some complicated language into simpler terms so that it becomes easier to understand. I hope this helps you as much as it has helped me! I definitely don’t want to bash anyone and I’m certainly not critiquing the authors of the Standard! But I think it reads almost like a textbook, and some of the language can be hard to grasp.

Without further ado, let’s get into this!

Condition is - All animals (rabbits and cavies) are to look healthy, vigorous and energetic. They should have bright, bold eyes. All animals should have a good coat, firmly set in the pelt (fur/meat). They should be firm in flesh covering, not too fat (flabby, soft flesh), and not too thin in flesh (bony). Flesh should be deep and even (the same) over the entire body.

Condition faults are, for all breeds - molting, hutch stains, overly fat or flabby, thin or bony. Appearance of dirtiness or looking unkempt (such as messy or straggly fur).

Why is my rabbit out of condition?

The rabbit could be out of condition because it’s just that time of year – all rabbits molt about 2-4 times every year.
The rabbit could be out of condition because of age. The older a rabbit gets, the harder it is for the rabbit to clean itself or for its body to produce the same oils for a sleek shiny coat. My house rabbit turned 5 this year and up until this year she had excellent condition. I can tell she is losing condition now, and I regularly give her BOSS because she is thinner than she used to be even though she eats the same amount.
The rabbit could lose its condition because it is unhealthy or there is an underlying problem.
Your rabbit could be losing condition because of the weather. Rabbits frequently lose condition in the wintertime, when the body is so focused on keeping the rabbit warm that it might sacrifice the beauty of the fur to pack on a little much-needed fat. In the summer, rabbits can gain weight easily.
Does lose condition typically while pregnant or after nursing, so it usually takes about 2 weeks after weaning for a doe to get her condition back.

What does "conditioning" mean?

When people say they are “conditioning” their rabbits, it means they are doing something to help their rabbits stay in condition or get their condition back quickly. Below, you can see ways to condition your rabbits to keep them looking their best for a show. 

What can I do or give to help my rabbit keep its condition or get its condition back for a show?

-Exercise can help a ton for rabbits that are molting. If you let the rabbit run around the yard daily during a molt, the molt could go by twice as fast.
-BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds), helps rabbits (does that are nursing or weaned juniors especially), get condition if they have lost it. BOSS also helps a rabbit keep its condition. The natural oils in the sunflower seeds keep the coat shiny and smooth.
If your rabbit is overweight, or it's summertime, don't use BOSS very often. It's great for the wintertime because they are very fatty and it keeps the rabbit from getting thin, but they can be too fatty for the hot summer weather, when rabbits are prone to gaining weight.
-Oats can help a rabbit gain weight if they are thin or bony. Oats also help prevent runny or sticky poo in rabbits that are stressed or eating a new food.
-No matter what time of year it is, and whether the rabbit is molting, you can help your rabbit keep or gain condition back by grooming it regularly. Combing and brushing your rabbit weekly or every other week stimulates the natural oils in the fur, and promotes healthy, clean, shiny fur.
-Condition can also be genetic. Some rabbits just have bad condition all year round, and this could be something genetic that you can't control. Rabbits that have naturally good condition, gain condition back quickly after having a litter, and keep nice condition will most likely pass this trait onto its offspring.
-​Another factor of poor condition can be the feed. If nothing you have tried above is helping a poorly conditioned rabbit, try switching feeds. Remember that you will have to be on one single feed for a few months to see any changed results with it.

What does condition look like on our rabbits?

I think out of everything in the SOP, condition is the hardest to understand and see in our own rabbits. What is condition supposed to look like? What should it not look like? 

The rabbit on the left has a rough coat and is in molt and obviously out of condition. The rabbit on the right is not molting and has great condition. Her fur is clean and smooth, not dirty or rough. 

When evaluating a rabbit's condition, the first thing is to look at the rabbit and check it's health. If a rabbit is unhealthy, it should not be shown, and is definitely out of condition. When you observe your rabbit, make sure its eyes are clean and bright, and check the fur to make sure the rabbit isn't molting and the fur is smooth and thick. 

In the picture above, Clementine has a bright, bold eye and her eye is not hazy or dull. There is also no discharge. 

When evaluating the flesh of your rabbit, run your hand over its spine when the rabbit is posed, like in the picture above. You should be able to feel the spine; but it shouldn't be protruding or pointy. The spine should feel rounded. If the spine is too pronounced, than the rabbit is underweight and bony, and out of condition. If you can't feel the spine, the rabbit is overweight and has "too much" condition. 
"Scruff" the rabbit (don't lift it; just gently grab the skin and fur) to check again for fleshing. The fur shouldn't be too thin and the rabbit should scruff easily. If there is too much excess fur and skin, the rabbit is flabby and overweight. If there is not enough and you aren't able to scruff the rabbit, the rabbit is underweight. 

Even though condition is only worth 4 points out of 100, it's an important 4 points. Many judges have said that if the rabbit doesn't have good condition, it doesn't deserve Best of Breed or any high placement, because a rabbit can't represent its breed well when its fur is dirty or messy or the rabbit is thin. ​Of course, it's still okay to show rabbits that aren't looking their best; I have done it a couple times myself, especially if a rabbit is already entered into a show and then it blows its coat. It just won't get the 4 points for condition, and might not place as well as it would have if it has been in condition. 

I hope you guys learned a little something new in this post! Let me know if you  have any questions by commenting below, and I'll see you next time :) 

-Holly 

Muddy Creek's Maybeline was due on June 9. 

Day 30 came and went with no babies. I expected this, since with her previous litter, May delivered in the morning on day 31. 

But alas, day 31 also came and went. At 11:30pm on day 31, I saw that May had FINALLY begun labor and was pulling fur and nesting. 

I checked on her again at midnight, but she was still pulling fur. I peeked in again at 12:30 but still - pulling fur, nesting. 

At this point, I was exhausted. I had stayed up almost all night the previous night on baby watch. I estimated that it wouldn't be another 30 minutes until May actually started labor, and 30 minutes after that kindling (giving birth). Then, judging by her previous litter, May would probably stay in the box cleaning for another 30 minutes or more after that. 

I decided to go to bed, and wake up at 2:30am to check on her. I was pretty sure she would deliver in the box, but everything would be fine, but with her last litter, it  wasn't positioned in the box correctly and the baby got too cold. 

At 2:30am, wakened by my alarm, I went to check on May. She was out of her box resting, and had two kits inside the box. One was dead, most likely it died on arrival, since it was very big and stretched. The surviving baby was a sweet little blue nestled in the back. May pulled a lot more fur this time, and the baby was warm and cozy. 

When I went back to bad, I was feeling frustrated, worried for Butterfly, and grateful for at least one live kit. I was frustrated because, as a huge brood doe, May should be having large litters of 5-6. Instead, she's having these tiny litters. I was worried for Butterfly because although I was (and still am), pretty sure she's not pregnant, I'm a worrier and Butterfly's my baby. Despite all of that, I am grateful for at least one live kit out of May, and I'm hoping and praying it thrives in my rabbitry. 

For some strange reason, I woke up again at 5:00am to check on the baby and to check on Butterfly. No babies from Butterfly, but the blue kit was still cozy and warm. 

I'm so thankful I decided to breed the does to deliver after my finals had ended...I couldn't imagine getting no sleep on top of finishing finals. 

Well, if Butterfly really isn't pregnant, I'll be breeding her in the next week or so at the same time as Angie. Here's May's precious kit. It's a cutie for sure! I'm surprised it's not a chestnut, since Wicket is and that's so dominant. I'm excited to see it grow up :) 

I took updated pictures of all of my juniors today to document their developing type progress. I'm happy to say that I am loving what I'm seeing on quite a few of them. Some of them I'm not so sure about. 

Holly's Beth, 15 weeks old. 
Not only am I IN LOVE with Beth's gorgeous coloring, but her body type is phenomenal too. Even though she's a false dwarf I think, she's going to be a gorgeous senior. Her front limb is a little longer than I would like, but her bone is thick. I love the shape of her head - she definitely had to grow into it. Her ears are still long and I still don't like her crown, but I like her ear shape - wide and thick. Beth has a nice square HQ, and it's not pinched at all. She's definitely staying for a while longer. 

Holly's Missy, 15 weeks old.
Although Missy has done better in the shows than her sister, I don't like her as much as her sister. Her head is nice as well, but her body is shorter (which isn't a bad thing; I just like the look of a gradually sloping topline, rather than a quickly sloping one). Her bone is also thinner than Beth's, but still thick. Unlike her sister, Missy does have a slightly pinched HQ. She's staying for now, but I don't think she'll join my herd as a senior and future brood doe. We can only wait and see how she develops. I love her chinchilla coloring and I would love to work more with this color, so if she gets better than she might stay.

Holly's Finn, 7 weeks old
I am loving this little guy so far! He has thick bone, a nice topline, a nice big/round head, nice width in his chest, and a nice ear shape and size. His crown is slipped, and his front legs are a little longer than I would like. But he has great aspects and is staying here for now. 

Holly's Prince Charming, 7 weeks old
Prince Charming continues to look better and better as the weeks go on! He's pretty small. I haven't weighed him, but I'm guessing he's around 4-5oz smaller than his brother and sister. Like his brother, he has a great topline, thick bone, round head (although not as big as his brother's), and a nice ear shape and size. His crown is slightly tight, which I hope improves with age, and he has a slipped crown as well. But I love his head, chest, and body width. I know it's a *little* early to be thinking about this, but I could see GOOD things from him and Missy (the chinchilla doe above), if they both continue to mature in the right direction :) He's staying!

Holly's Heidi, 7 weeks old
I'm really excited about this girl! I love her body and head, but her crown is slipped and ears are a little longer than I would like. She has nice bone, and nice width throughout her chest and body. I'm OBSESSED with her HQ! It's so wide and square, not a hint of pinched HQ anywhere on this doe! I really need more does like her, so she's definitely staying for now.