[shrug] Sometimes, I can't think of a good title for a post that will probably go on about different things
In Rabbit News:
I've sold a few rabbits and still have a few more available. This weekend is Taylorsville, and this is probably my last show for a while, maybe until fall. That means the sr does still available will probably be taken off the market and put back to work for the time being if they don't sell this weekend.
Not really a big problem. Dreamcatcher is a good doe to have handy for fosters, and I have got keepers from her. Cirocco is young, and she proved herself a great brood doe her very 1st time. The main problem (for me and the reason she is for sale) is that she's an otter. I got lucky with this litter, they're both broken self does. Being an otter limits what I can breed her to. No tort or anything that carries it. Himi isn't a good choice, either. I'm left with broken black bucks which is not the worst thing, but I would prefer a solid. If it comes down to it, that's probably what I'll do. The other thing I like about her is her clean stripy pattern which she threw on her offspring. She also has a jovial personality. Gets it from her sire I guess as he threw clowns in other litters.
Clowns. Don't you love them? They are the ones that seem happy-go-lucky and often have funny little quirks. The other day I caught Stylesetter (also for sale) doing something I don't think I've seen a rabbit do before. He was laying on his side leisurely washing his paws and face. This is something rabbits usually do standing up. He looked like a lazy cat.
Another quirky bunny is the broken chestnut doe Finale who is also for sale. I'm not working with broken agouti anymore and her name is for the end of that. I really should take the camera when I go out there. She was laying in a odd position for a dwarf. Stretched out like a English Lop. Her hind end was rounded up the way that breed is posed, her chest and head flat on the floor. I've since caught her in this position more than once so apparently it's comfortable for her.
I may have dug myself a himi hole. I sold both of my sr bucks and the borrowed buck is going back to his owner this weekend. I have a couple cute bucks in his litters, but they are just babies. That means my 2 remaining sr himi does won't have mates unless I use the tort or a broken. Which I'll do if I have to. Chevette is bred to the loaner but she's a 1st timer. If she fails, I'll have to go outside the box. I may hit a friend up for something I can use until the baby boys grow up.
So why did I sell the sr bucks? My policy is to only keep rabbits I'm going to use for breeding. Even show bucks must go when they no longer fit in the program. That was the case with these bucks. I was done with them.
I have to go through the loaner buck's litters today. Incredibly lucky that each litter has 1 cute buck and the rest does. I'll keep both bucks for now, and a doe from each litter. The rest will be for sale after the loaner's owner takes his pick.
In Guinea News:
It looks like maybe I was wrong about the hen's nest. She is still disappearing in the same area so she must still have eggs out there. Even if I could find it, getting to it would be tricky. It's in an over-grown area that I'm not inclined to go crawling through without protective gear. I could run into poison ivy or nasties like black widows or yellow jackets. Yeah, don't really wanna go in there.
One keet hatched in the incubator. If you remember, the 10 eggs were possibly compromised by the 3-night power outage. 2 others pipped but died in the egg. No sign of action from the rest. So I have this poor lonesome little birdy still in the incubator after 3 days. Didn't make sense to set up a brooder bin for one tiny keet, so I was waiting to see if any more hatched. I noticed it pecking at the design on the paper towels that line the incubator so I began putting food there. It is eating and I assume it's drinking the water in the humidity channels. I'll give it a couple more days and then move it into something else. The weather has been so warm, it should be fine without a heat lamp.
In Chicken News:
I lost the red Cochin. It's just gone. No evidence anywhere, not even a feather. My best guess is a snake got it. That hurt, it was one of my favorites. Then the barred and one of the younger mottled Cochins died. Bummer. The last 2 were still in a brooder in the bunny shed. They weren't big enough to join the rest in a transition cage. I only have 2 buff Cochins in the cage at this time, and the new guinea keets are in another. Oh yeah, one of the blue keets died as well.
Spiffy has gotten ever more friendly. He will sit on my hand for a quite awhile and seems to beg for me to pick him up. He likes to stand on my shoes when I'm sitting down in there. I do that a lot...just sit and watch them. He will fly up to perch on the back of my chair. He's becoming more beautiful, too. The black feathers in his tail are iridescent green, and the ones in his wings are purple. His neck feathers are bright reddish tan, and then he's shades of brown all over with white spangling. He's definitely my favorite. Yeah, gotta take the camera.
tnt
