2015 Goals:

1. Buy a shed ~ NOT MET. Unfortunantely, we just haven't had the time or money for this yet. It's my #1 goal for 2016. 

2. Buy a brood doe/brood buck pair from LuvLops Rabbitry ~ SEMI MET. My plans on bucks changed, but I did get a doe from them. Even though she's not from their lines...she's from a different rabbitry altogether (Muddy Creek). But she's amazing, so it kind of counts, right?!

3. Replace foundation stock (Lance, Gracie, Hazel) ~ MET. Gracie was sold at the beginning of the year, Hazel was sold mid-year, and Lance is still with us but he has been replaced in the breeding program. 

4. Attend 2015 ARBA Convention ~ MET. So excited about this one! Convention was amazing. 

5. Buy a new buck from Blue Storm Rabbitry ~ NOT MET. Like I said, my plans for bucks changed, and in January (I think), I bought a buck from my friend Kristen, he's sold now, in July I bought a new buck from Bramblehedge rabbitry (Ty), and now I have Wicket, a homegrown. So it's still been a good year in my buck department, even though I didn't get the bucks from the breeders I wanted to originally. 

6. Max out to 15 cages ~ MET. I have 17 or 18 cages but currently only 9 or 10 are in use. 

7. Get my brother (Trevor) started with a buck of his own to breed and show ~ NOT MET. Trevor decided he doesn't want a rabbit yet. 

8. Get at least 8 litters (double of last year) ~ MET. I'm excited to say that this year I had 11 litters! Sadly, 3 of those were completely failed litters with all DOA kits. Out of those 11 litters, I had 14 DOA kits. More stats on things like that in my other blog that will be posted either right before or right after this one. 

9. Register and grand a homegrown ~ NOT MET. 

10. Shorten bone in my herd ~ MET. My new doe, Angie, will take this even further! Really excited to see the bone I have in my herd by this time next year! Pics below of the difference. 

11. Better crown placement ~ MET. Pics below of the difference. 

Below are four pics on side-by-side comparison of bone. The first two of does, and the second set is of bucks. I didn't feel like it was fair to compare a buck to a doe since their growth happens so differently, so I just did two different sets. 

And below this are my best does on crown placement. You can see the two of the bucks above (Lance and Wicket). They are also last year's/this year's in the buck crown department (I don't think that made any sense but whatever). 

My 7 goals for 2016 are going to be pretty similar to the goals I set for this year: 

1. SHED

2. Thicken bone

3. Produce competitive agoutis

4. Attend and show rabbits at 2016 Convention

5. Produce at least 11 live litters

6. Use all 17 cages that I have

7. Improve shoulders

I know it's not very much. But since next year is such a crazy year school-wise (it's going to be my first full year in college), I don't have as much time as I did before to try and achieve so many goals. In the past I have tried to improve my rabbitry/herd in 10-12 different ways, and I've only accomplished maybe half of it. So this year, I'm trying for less and I'm going to accomplish all of it (Lord willing, of course). 

ADDED LATER:

~Sell Typhoon and Wicket
~Produce a nice homegrown broken buck
~Produce a nice homegrown solid buck

Merry Christmas from Holly's Hollands Rabbitry and all the rabbits here!

The rabbits will all get a special Christmas treat today - last night my mom made a leg of lamb for Christmas Eve dinner with our cousins and aunts and uncles, so she has some leftover fresh rosemary and my rabbits LOVE fresh herbs! My house rabbit Elsie had some yesterday and she loved it. 

What will you be doing with your rabbits on this special day? 

If you look at my Sales page, you will see that I have 4 rabbits on the for sale page, and 2 more will be added within the next couple days (Holly's Teddy and Holly's Rosemary). My herd will be nearly cut in half after selling all these rabbits. So why am I doing it?

My parents and I came to the conclusion to stick to a smaller herd during the school year, because I need to commit to my schoolwork and this winter quarter will be busier than ever. Last fall I barely had enough time to spend with my rabbits as much as I like. I want to be able to hold and play with them everyday, and in the fall I couldn't do that. Winter quarter will be even busier, and I have even more rabbits then before!

My #1 priority in my herd is to spend quality time with each rabbit - because I genuinely love rabbits. I have never been in this hobby for the money. I want to enjoy this hobby first and foremost and I can't do that when I have so many rabbits. Spending time with my "babies" became almost a chore during the fall because I had barely any time for it, and that made me so sad. 

With my new additions, May and Angie, my herd is the best quality it has ever been. And even with a tiny herd, big steps can be taken towards amazing quality with the right additions and breedings. So I am cutting my amount of rabbits in HALF right now, but it's for the best. And this way, I can have more time to play with my rabbits and enjoy my hobby . . . even while going to college.

Rabbits can be overwhelming. They can be so hard, and cleaning and feeding and watering them can be a giant, obnoxious chore. But it doesn't have to be. 

This decision was so hard, but it's definitely the best for my herd, the best for me, and the best for my family. School takes priority over the rabbit hobby during this season, and although I would never want to part with my beloved rabbits, if I want to have enough time for them I need to keep a small amount. 

Eventually, someday, once I'm done with school and have my own house, I would love to be able to expand the rabbitry, but as a teenager going to college, I just don't have the time right now. I will continue showing when the show season starts up again, and will continue breeding once I get some of these adults moved on. 

I'm excited to see where God takes Holly's Hollands Rabbitry in this coming year.

Thanks for reading my ramblings, may the rest of your year be merry and bright and God bless you all! 

Well, that's another year of rabbit breeding under my belt. What a crazy, disappointing, and exciting year it has been. It's never easy to say goodbye to another year, but I'm really excited to see what 2016 has in store for HHR. 
This year has been really hard with litters and losses. This is the first year that I've had more babies die than those that survive, but that is extremely common in Hollands. However, it's also been super rewarding in the showroom and in my breedings. I'm finally getting to a place where I'm proud with what my little herd is accomplishing. It's crazy to think about where I was this time last year. Almost my entire herd is brand-new stock purchased this year. 
2016 will be my second to last year showing as a youth. I turn 19 at the end of 2017, and in 2018 I will begin showing in open, which is a huge task for a small rabbitry like mine. I hope to produce stock in these next coming years that are worthy of showing in open, so that in 2018 I might stand a chance going up against the "big boys". 
Every year at the end of December I write a post on my rabbitry expenses and rabbit stats for that year. Here's a review of 2015 for HHR. 

2015 Stats:
Last year's stats will be in (parentheses)
Babies born: 41 (20)
Babies raised to 8wks: 18 (13)
Babies died: 23 (7)
Babies kept: 3 (2)
# total litters: 10 (4)
3 litters were complete failures, as Hazel, Rosie and Saige each had one litter with all DOA. 

New (purchased) additions:
Bramblehedge's Typhoon (opal)
Muddy Creek's Maybeline (blue)
LCL's Angus (black)

Adults sold: 
Dragonfly's Gracie (orange)
Bramblehedge's Hazelnut (chestnut)
Holly's Cinnamon (blue tort)
Campo's Jet

Shows Attended: 4
Major Winnings: BOSV 
Legs: 1 (Butterfly)
Since I started school this year and had a busy fall/winter, there were 3 shows I missed. I'm bummed we didn't end the show season with better placements, but that's ok! I know this year's juniors are better than last year's, even though they didn't have as great of winnings. 

2015 Expenses/Earnings:
~Spent: $1,263.96
~Made (on rabbits): $960
~Made (with boarding service): $880
~Lost: $0
~Gained: $578.04
The only way I made a profit this year is with my boarding service! It's so much fun to board other rabbits but it also keeps me in the black, so that's nice! 

If you want to see my previous years, click HERE (2014) and HERE (2013)

Oh, my poor baby Elsie...we had a really bad bunny scare last night at about 2:00am. My 5yr old house rabbit, Elsie, is mostly blind in one eye as most of you know. Well last night (or early this morning I should say), I was getting out of bed to use the bathroom and as I'm halfway across the room, Elsie startled. She must've been sleeping or something, because she got so scared that she bolted and ran laps in her cage, tripping over her box and food dish and just so scared. Before I could even do anything, talk to her, turn on the light, anything, I heard a loud rattle. It's pitch black in my room so I can barely see her form stuck to one side of the cage on the front. 

And Elsie started to scream. Like, she SCREAMED. If you have never heard a rabbit scream, pray you never do. It's terrible. Really high pitched, looooong squeak and agonizing. I had a second of panic, almost terrified to turn on the light because even though I needed to help her, I almost didn't want to see what had happened. I assumed the worst, like she broke her leg or there was blood or something. I turned on the light and saw that her face was squished and stuck between two bars of her cage. This would've never been possible if she hadn't been running 40mph because of how startled she was. It wasn't her whole head that was stuck,  just her entire face about until her ears.

The scream woke up my parents and my sister, who shares my room with me. I tried pushing her face out but it was too stuck and that just hurt her worse. So my dad stepped in and pulled the bars apart while I gently eased her face out. 

She is fine now. Elsie's been eating, nibbling on hay and hopping around her cage. It was so scary, for the both of us. My heart is racing just recalling the incident. Rabbits only scream when they are petrified with fear or worried for their life. Poor thing. Who could've guessed something like this could happen?! Just when I think I've built her a safe place where her blindness won't get in the way of what she likes to do, she does something no rabbit owner could've ever expected! Needless to say, whenever my sister and I need to get out of bed when our room is pitch black, we will talk to Elsie or turn on our lamp and let her know that we're there so she doesn't startle. 

I'm so thankful my baby is ok. What a scare!

​LCL's Angus joined the HHR herd! Sorry for the poor quality photos below, they are just some quick ones I took the other day. Her official herd photos will be taken soon! I still need to do official ones for Maybeline too. If only it would stop raining!

Angie has a really nice topline, very full and smooth all the way down. Super wide shoulders and nice wide hips! Shoulder improvement is one of my goals for 2016, as well as bone. Although Angie herself doesn't have very good bone, she produces it! Every baby of hers that I've met has INCREDIBLE bone, super short and thick! Her offspring are doing GREAT on the show tables right now for their owner! Angie has really nicely shaped ears, but her crown is very tight, so her ears stick up most of the time (especially in the colder weather). In my experience, tight crowns aren't very hereditary as long as the doe is bred to a buck with a wide crown. Holly's Rosemary has a tight crown too (her ears stick straight up during winter!), but she has never produced a baby with a tight crown, and neither has Angie. 

Angie is about a year and a half old. She's had 3 litters that I know of. From what I've seen, she retains her condition really well on litters, and just weaned a litter of 3 a couple days before I picked her up and she's really nice despite that. Angie carries dilute and has produced blues, blacks, and blue and black torts. 

I'm so happy to have Angus in my herd! Thank you so much Katelyn (Lucky Charm Lops), for selling her to me! You can see some of Angus' offspring on Katelyn's website, www.luckycharmlops.weebly.com. Goose, Cleo, and Chloe are her daughters that are doing great in the shows right now!

This post is going to be on how to keep a baby rabbit (one that is much too young to be without mom), alive and healthy. Buyers don't always realize the risks involved when buying a baby bunny below 7 weeks. If the buyer has already purchased a baby that is much too young, chances are you can't give it back and ask for an older one. So, it's now up to you to make sure it stays as stress-free as possible and survives this delicate time in its life.

These tips are mostly for Holland Lops; some breeds are more hardy and can handle different things, but Hollands are very fragile in their digestive system, so they need a little bit more TLC than some other breeds. 

There are many reasons why someone might need to wean a baby bunny early. I have done it myself, only once, when the baby was getting bitten and picked on by its siblings. However, there is no excuse for selling a baby bunny younger than 7 weeks, besides making more money. I'll be the first to admit, bunnies are at their cutest at about 4 weeks old. Some breeders try to sell them at this time so they can make more money and won't get stuck with a 8wk or older baby they can't sell. Personally, I choose to keep the rabbit as long as possible until it finds the perfect home, than to risk its health. 

So many people have emailed or messaged me about problems with their rabbit...and soon during the conversation I find out that rabbit is only 4-5 weeks old. This is an incredibly fragile time in the rabbit's life. Babies usually don't start eating pellets until 3-4 weeks old, and it can take 1-2 weeks for their bodies to properly adjust to it. When their bodies are already going through the stress of adjusting to other food besides mom's milk, and then it gets sold to a new home and has to cope with the stress from that, it can be fatal in most cases. 

However, there are many ways you can protect your baby bunny from too much stress, and keep it as healthy as possible. Here are some tips. 

Hay, hay, hay -

Hay is super important for all rabbits, but it's vital for baby bunnies that are just starting to eat pellets or switching homes, or doing anything stressful. Hay is full of fiber, and it keeps the poop regular and the gut healthy. The best types of hay are Timothy hay and Orchard Grass hay. Alfalfa hay is sometimes recommended for rabbits that are under 6mos, but it has been linked to kidney and liver issues because it is really high in protein, and doesn't have enough fiber to balance it out. Because fiber is the main reason why hay is fed, alfalfa hay should just be avoided.

NO fruits or veggies - 

Fruits and veggies should be avoided for all rabbits until 6mos old, but feeding it to babies whose bellies are just starting to get used to pellets and stress can be fatal. 

Oats - 

Oats "dry up" diarrhea and soft poop, which is common for babies that are just starting to eat pellets, changing homes, or just enduring any stress. Never use quick oats; the best oats to use are old fashioned, rolled oats. I feed my babies two teaspoons of oats with their pellets twice a week, and this helps their poop stay solid. 

Minimal household stress - 

If you can, keep the new area where the baby lives as stress-free and as quiet as possible for a couple weeks after bringing your 4-5 week old Holland home. Don't introduce your baby to the household pets yet, and keep the kids from bothering the rabbit too much. Minimal handling is okay, but don't go overboard, and if your rabbit seems stressed, leave him in the cage. 

Same pellets as breeder - 

Make sure the breeder gives you the pellets the baby bunny had been eating previously, and keep the baby on these pellets for several days. After about three days, mix your pellets with the original pellets half and half until the rest of the original pellets are gone. 

Probiotics or Enzymes - 

Probiotics are extremely helpful in keeping your baby bunny from getting sick from stress. You can use human probiotics that can be purchased at any vitamin store, or you can use animal probiotics that can be purchased online or at a feed store/Tractor Supply. My favorite type of probiotics to use are AcidPak 4Way, which I bought online at bunnyrabbit.com. 

Making the transition from one home to the next is very stressful on all rabbits, no matter the breed or age. It is stressful to some more than others. Here are some tips and tricks to make sure your rabbit has the easiest and most relaxed transition as possible.

Age - 

A baby bunny should not be weaned under 7 weeks old, and preferably not sold until 8 weeks old. Babies that are weaned at less than 6 weeks old are under a lot of stress already, and switching homes can be fatal. However, sometimes breeders will sell their baby bunnies before they are ready, when they are much too young, and if you get stuck with one of them, there are some things you can do to help your baby from having as little stress on its body as possible. I will detail this all in another blog, coming soon. 

Bring a Carrier - 

Your rabbit will not appreciate riding home in your lap. They need a small, quiet area to call their own until they get to their new home. 

​Leave him Alone - 

When you first bring your baby home, leave him (or her, of course), alone for several hours. Try to keep the room or place your rabbit is in as quiet as possible. Rabbit ears are very sensitive, especially when they are first adjusting to a new place with new smells, sights and sounds. 

Soft Music - 

When I brought my first rabbit home, I noticed that soft music really helped her to drown out the excess noise and loudness of my family life (we have 5 kids in the home and she's in my bedroom). Soft music like classical is the best, nothing crazy like pop or rap. This will help keep him from getting stressed from the voices of people he's never heard before. 

Diet - 

Try and stick to the rabbit's original diet as closely as you can for the first day. With all the new sights, sounds and smells, the rabbit really doesn't need a whole new diet as well. 

Getting to Know your New Rabbit - 

Starting a bond with your rabbit is possibly one of the most exciting parts about rabbit ownership. However, many owners rush the process and end up hurting the bond rather than strengthening it. On the first day, handle your rabbit very little and only check on the rabbit a couple times to make sure he's eating and drinking, pooping and peeing. Talk softly whenever you visit the rabbit. Soon, the rabbit will come to know your smell, the sound of your voice, and your body language. 
Let the rabbit  make the first move. Let him adjust as slowly as he needs. Once your rabbit starts to become interested in you, and comes to the front of the cage, you can begin your bond. I have another blog post more detailed on that. Let me know if you have any other questions. 

Handling - 

Handle your rabbit very minimally on the first day; only as necessary. If your rabbit doesn't want to be picked up, don't pick him up yet. Many owners try to rush their bonding and that can make their rabbit afraid of them and it can make the bonding process take much longer. Let them initiate the bonding, and wait until they come to the cage door to see you until you start picking them up, cuddling and holding them on a regular basis. 


I have SO MUCH MORE on this topic in my guidebook, Pet Rabbit Care Guide: All the Basics. If you're interested, click HERE and order one today!

Nope! HHR has a brand new look but it's the same website! I was thinking of starting from scratch and remaking a website, but then realized that everything I had worked so hard to write and publish - blogs, and articles - would be lost. I have hundreds of pages of information within my blogs and articles, and several years' worth of work, so I didn't want to lose them! I hope you like the new look! Let me know what you think, either positive or negative! After all, this website is for YOU and I want you all to enjoy coming to it!

Hop on over to Youtube and watch my first rabbitry tour! I'm so excited it's finally live! It is almost 10 minutes long, but you get to see where I keep almost everything in the rabbitry as well as meet all the rabbits! 
Click HERE.