Twins!!

The solid black is a buckling and the doeling is 'properly' marked. We had been keeping an eye on Tango for days. Her udder just kept getting bigger. Today when we were doing chores she really seemed to be panting. We had dinner and Rebecca put together her 'birthing kit'. When the kids went to check on her after dinner she had two little ones all cleaned up and on their feet! We didn't have to do a thing. I'm sure we will have more adorable pictures to come. They are both headed in the right direction, as you can see by the last photos- headed for the food!

March News

Well, March came in like a lamb! Isn't that backwards? Our weather has been gorgeous. It sure makes it easier to get stuff done outside when the sun is shining!

Our second hatch was a little better, but not much. We got 6 chicks this time. Something happens after they start to develop but before they hatch. Chris is researching all possible problems. Incubator too hot or too cool? Humidity too high or low?

We are waiting for our Oberhasli doe, Tango, to deliver her first. She is due any day now. She is in her own private pen and looks very uncomfortable physically but I think she likes her new area.

This past two weekends were busy. Two days of rabbit shows the 13th and 14th in Columbia City, with a Holland Specialty each day.  The 20th in Nappanee with a Silver Fox Specialty. We did much better than I would have ever expected. We took Best of Breed youth Holland on the 13th and Best Opposite youth Holland on the 14th with the same junior doe! Our little Milky Way really impressed the judges. One of them even called her "stunning"! I guess we'll try that breeding again! Rebecca got lots of firsts with her Netherlands and Best Opposite on the 13th.. The Silver Fox actually had competition both weekends and held their own. We also got a breeding to a buck who is unrelated to our line so we have some diversity!

As soon as I can get pictures off Rebecca's camera I will post them!

Chris is now officially the Market Master for the Columbia City Farmers Market.  You will be able to find him downtown most Saturday mornings mid May to mid October.

We are also working with the Health Dept to be able to sell our meat at the Farmer's Market and by the cut from our freezer.

That's all our news for right now. Thanks for checking in!

Chicks!

The chicks in the incubator are starting to 'pip' today! They pip a little whole in the large end of the egg, then they peck around the large end of the egg until they can push out. 4 have pipped so it already looks like a better hatch rate than last time.
The turkeys started laying this week so hopefully those will go in next!

Not much better

February has been no better, kindling wise. One dead litter born in our new inside maternity ward and the rest are all misses. So we breed again and try for March.
Only 2 chicks out of our first incubater full, so it is filled and 'cooking' again. We candled them last night and removed any that weren't growing. The ones we took out were all the same size and color, so probably from the same hen- looks like she isn't getting along with the roosters!
Our Oberhasli doe, Tango, is looking bigger and her udder is starting to fill. Hopefully a baby goat at the end of March, although Rebecca is convinved it will be any day now!
Rabbit show season gets into full swing this month-March 6 a youth workshop and show in Lafayette, March 13/14 Noble County/Whitley County both in Columbia City, and March 20 in Nappanee. We have several Silver Fox juniors and some Holland Lops to sell. Hopefully we can find new homes for them so someone else can feed them!

February kindling

What you might be able to see in the pictures is the nest box in the cage, the tags on the front are to keep track of who was bred to whom and when. We are tired of losing babies, lost 2 more this am. So I broke down and cleaned a used 8 stack we had purchased, found a tarp and moved the expectant Mommas into the basement. I can't stand the mess, the smell and having animals in the house, but I hate losing prospective Hollands even more. They are so darned hard to get bred in the first place and then to lose babies is just heartbreaking. Emme delivered last night, a day earlier than I expected and had 2 little kit-cicles. I think it bothered Chris more than it did me! He is the one who said we really didn't have a choice anymore, they  have to come inside. I couldn't even talk him into the garage, he said "Basement, just do it". What a guy. We'll let you know if anyone is successful- 3 due this week and 3 more next week.

Could this mean spring is on it's way?!?

I doubt it, but we have a couple of chicks, anyway! Chris set 40+ eggs, but only 2 have hatched, so far. The others aren't even pipped, so we are worried they may not hatch. But he has 40 more ready to go. These will be mixed breed chicks for egg-layers. Since we put all the chickens together for the winter there have been all sorts of 'couples'!

Sparky is a Grand Champion!

Here is Rebecca's Netherland Dwarf. He is a Siamese Smoke Pearl senior buck named Sparky. She had one leg on him from an earlier show and this weekend at Huntington, which was a double show, he won Best of Breed in both youth shows! Three wins that have enough comptetion to earn legs = Grand Champion. She also won Best Opposite Sex to Sparky with her Smoke Pearl Marten senior doe named Taco. Rebecca has bred all the Netherland's she showed. She was very excited to do so well at her first show of the year.

Avis Acres had the only Silver Fox in the youth shows, so we swept BOB and BOS in each.

Our Hollands are getting better, we earned lots of seconds and thirds, but no big wins.

It was a long day, we got up before 6am and didn't get home until after 10pm. It was so worth it to see all our rabbit friends again. Noble County and Whitley county shows are next month in Columbia City. Hope to see more of you there, weather permitting!

We did learn a valuable lesson regarding our new "rabbit-mobile"- it has a great alternator! Nicholas ran the battery down watching movies, so we had to beg jumper cables and a jump at the end of the day. The battery re-charged before we got to the restaurant for dinner so we were able to eat without leaving it running!

A word from Rebecca

I was very excited to win so much at the show considering it was my first generation of Netherlands. I took four rabbits and each at least got one leg. My mother was a bit flustered that my first year of breeding Netherlands I have won so much and she has been breeding Holland for a few years and has only had one BOB and one BOS. I am very grateful to have started off so well.
So long,
Rebecca