Holly's Graham is still for sale! He's only $50 with a food dish, water bottle, and litter box! He's neutered, litter trained, and great with kids! He's the sweetest little buck ever! Whoever gets him will be superbly lucky!
We also have a couple other does for sale. 
If you're interested, please contact me directly @ hollywisniew@gmail.com. 

Do you want to be a good pet owner? If you desire the happiness of your rabbits, how can you tell that they are happy with you, or that they trust you? One of the biggest frusterations in owning a pet, if you don't understand their body language, is whether or not your pet trusts you and feels happy and secure with you.
Signs that your rabbit trusts you:

• Your rabbit lies next to you
• Eating from your hand (treats, pellets, ect) NOTE: Your rabbit may not do this if he isn't hungry
• Standing up in his cage when you approach, or coming to the front of the cage when you approach
• Doing binkies around you
• Climbing into your lap 
• Grooming himself in your presence. 

If you have never seen your rabbit do any of these things, then he probably doesn't trust you. How can you gain your rabbit's trust?

1. Sit on the floor while you let your rabbit play (whether on the grass or in your house), and just observe your rabbit.
2. Never chase your rabbit or intentionally injure them. This will be counter-productive.
3. Lie on the floor on your stomach and engage your rabbit with treats and toys when he comes near. Don't grab at him, don't try to pick him up and talk in a soft, quiet voice.
4. Feed treats (such as oats), out of your hand. Have your rabbit watch you while you put treats into his bowl.
5. Don't grab your rabbit by the scruff. They associate this with predator behavior, and think they are about to be eaten!

If you lie on the floor with them enough, carve time out of your day to spend playing and being with them, and spend quality time with them, they will begin to understand that you are not a predator - you are a friend! 

I'm back from the show! I had such a blast! The girls didn't do as well as I had hoped, but there were so many BEAUTIFUL does in the classes they were showing in and so many amazing breeders. I also learned a TON and met a lot of rabbit people, especially more kids like me in youth! The judges were absolutely amazing and willing to point out the faults and strengths with a lot of detail so you really understand why the rabbits were placed accordingly. Our results were pretty consistent throughout the shows. 
As I get the official show results in the mail, I will edit this page. The show results below are what I can best decipher from memory. 

Show A
Judge: Todd Naragon
8 SSD (solid senior does), were shown
Cinnamon - 7th place
Sweetpea - 6th place 
Show A was actually the last show (for youth anyway), so most of the does were fed up and cranky. Oh my goodness, Sweetpea was so misbehaved! But I was surprised she placed higher then her sister. In the other show, the placements were reversed. Personally, I think Cinnamon is better than her sister. 

Show B
Judge: Rosa Fields
8 SSD shown
Cinnamon - 6th place
Sweetpea - 7th place
This was the first youth show of the day, so most of the does were at their best. I just loved the judge! She really took the time to point out the faults and strengths in great detail and was really interested in helping some of the newer youth (like me), understand the placings of the rabbits. 

Show C
Judge: Michelle Uptagrafft
7 SSD shown
Sweetpea - 6th place
Just Sweeties was entered in this show. 

I'm pretty pleased with the results with how fantastic most of the other does were. I'm glad that neither of them ever took last place! That's wonderful and good enough for me!
I was soo surprised to see how many people recognized me from Facebook and this website. Of course, my Holly's Hollands Rabbitry T-shirt helped in that aspect as well, lol!

I decided to show Cinnamon and Sweetpea at the show tomorrow. Both are entered in show A and B, and Sweetpea is the only doe (from my rabbitry, that is), that is entered in show C. 
I don't think Sweeties stands a chance against Cinnamon, but we'll just have to see! 
I'm BEYOND excited! I can't believe it. I have such a busy day tomorrow but I doubt I'll get much sleep. Please wish me luck! I'm really hoping my girls do well. At my first show, Cinnamon got second, she had a sloped HQ and didn't have the best type when she was a junior though. She had JUST gotten out of her "ugly" phase. But now she's gorgeous. And yes, she did just get off a litter, so she doesn't look her absolute best, but she's beautiful anyway! Lately she's been the favorite rabbit in my barn. I just love her cheeks and she's so chubbilishious! :)

I already have most of the stuff packed. A book in case I get bored (yeah, like that's going to happen.... ;) but just in case, right?!), their treats (oats, greens, black oil sunflower seeds), water, grooming supplies, napkins, pens/pencils and a notepad in case I want to take notes, chairs, my tattoo kit. 

The show is in Monroe, at the Evergreen State fairgrounds. Come drop by and meet me and my girls! I'd love to chat with you!

See you tomorrow! I'll post again as soon as I get back from the show, with pictures, show news, and how my does placed! 

Wish us luck!

Before I begin, I'd like to say that there's no right or wrong way to groom your rabbit. As long as you aren't causing your bunny pain, and your accomplishing the task (helping the rabbit through a molt or to detangle the fur), you aren't doing it wrong. Here are some guidelines for how, and how often, you should brush your rabbit.

• How often your rabbit needs to be brushed depends on fur length/type. Wool breeds, such as Fuzzy Hollands, Angoras, or Jersey Woolies, will need to be brushed daily or at least four times a week. Holland Lops and other short-haired breeds only need to be brushed weekly. Rex and Satin breeds actually shouldn't be brushed at all; it ruins the coat's thickness and soft density. 
• You should brush your rabbit more often when they are molting (shedding), their coats. Usually they will have heavy sheds at least twice a year, and around 2-3 months old as they molt out of their baby coats. Brush and pluck (pull out the loose fur), your rabbit daily - no matter the breed - when it's molting. 
• A rabbit's skin is very delicate. Don't use rough or wire-toothed combs/brushes on the tummy, legs, or head. Only over the back, and only if the rabbit has thick fur or is molting. 

Gracie's babies are 3 days old today! She had them at 7:35 PM Friday evening. 
As soon as I woke up that morning, at 8:00 AM, she started pulling fur and nesting. I was sure she was in labor and the babies were on their way. 
But then the hours ticked past...she kept pulling fur, and making a nest, but also took hour-long breaks resting and eating and drinking and outlasting the heat. 
As soon as it cooled down, she started pulling fur again, and this time, she started pushing and had the babies! 
She has 6 healthy, precious little ones. All are alive!
But there's one little baby that isn't doing as well as the others. Gosh it's so TINY! Literally the tiniest baby I've ever had, even out of Cinnamon's litter. It's like as long as my pinky finger. 
Since it's so small, it can't get  milk from Gracie when she jumps in the box to feed them, because all the healthier, bigger babies are all fighting for the best teat and switching, that the little guy can't even compete. So I've been giving him twice daily one-on-one time with mom and extra feedings. It's been super helpful already, I can tell. After each time he's sleepy and full and has a large tummy. He seems to be doing well.

UPPER DIGESTIVE SYSTEM -
"The upper digestive system works just like ours. Food enters the mouth and passes down to the esophagus into the stomach, where the digestive process begins. The chewed up food, mixed with gastric juices (ingesta), then moves into the small intestine. There are two points of interested regarding the upper digestive system. First, rabbits cannot vomit, and second, rabbit teeth continually grow. Grass is highly abrasive, so, if the teeth did not continue to grow, they would be worn away.

LOWER DIGESTIVE SYSTEM - 
The lower digestive system deals with food in a special way. Semi-digested good enters the colon from the small intestine, where it is sorted into two parts. Indigestible, large fiber particles are of no further use to to the rabbit, and they are directed straight on through the colon. After water has been extracted, this fibrous materiel emerges as hard fecal droppings resembling raisins. Liquid and non-fibrous particles, however, are are diverted into the cecum. The cecum is, basically, an enormous fermentation chamber (rabbits are "large intestine fermentors"), and it is the powerhouse of the digestive system. Here, the ingesta is fermented by billions of friendly bacteria, releasing otherwise inaccessible nutrients from plant cells. Some of these nutrients are absorbed across the wall of the cecum; the rest are packaged up into the special droppings called cecotrophes, which are eaten by the rabbit as they emerge from the anus."

~Living with a House Rabbit by Linda Dykes and Helen Flack.

Holly's Rosemary and Holly's Saige are looking good! I'm so excited for these girls! Since they aren't up to weight yet I can't show them at the end of the month, BUT I have two ARBA-sanctioned fairs I plan to show them at, as well as two shows in October. At those shows they will both be juniors. After those I will decide to keep and who to sell. After that, I'll show the remaining doe at a show in December and January, by then she'll be a senior and hopefully I can get her GC'ed!
There are things I like about both of them...and things that could be better. 
Such as, with Rosie, she could have a wider crown and shorter ears but I love her body and bone, and width to her chest.

And with Holly's Saige, she could have thicker bone and more mass to her body, but I love her ears and crown.

Remember Graham and Cracker? Well since Cracker isn't spayed, she and her brother have been having dominance wars and take turns mounting each other. They just didn't look very happy together, since Sweetpea started her "wanting to be bred" hormonal phase.
I take it as a sign that they should be separated. And since Graham is neutered and litter trained, he'll have an easy time finding a new home. 
I have a show at the end of the month (July 26th, 2014), and I plan on entering Sweetpea (Cracker)! I think she could do REALLY well, she's such a great quality!
I'll also be breeding her next month as Gracie's litter is being ready to be weaned. I hope to keep Cinnamon unbred for the fairs I plan to enter her into.

I am so excited for where Holly's Hollands Rabbitry is headed. Welcome to the herd, Sweetpea!

If you want your rabbit to live a long, happy life, it starts as soon as you bring your bunny home. Actually, your bond with your rabbit starts as soon as you bring your rabbit into your car.

Plan ahead. Bring a box or carrier with you to put your rabbit in. Your rabbit won't like riding home on your lap. What if they have an accident on the way home? What if they get scared and jump off your child's lap?
Make sure that after you pick up your rabbit, you don't have any stops on the way home. Pick up all your rabbit's supplies BEFORE you pick up your rabbit.

When you get your rabbit home, make sure he/she has food, hay, and water, then leave him or her alone for several hours. If you have children that could potentially be loud, play some soft music in the rabbit's area; such as classical or blues, something that won't startle the rabbit.

The perfect bond starts with the perfect beginning.