Howdy from North East Michigan

[bunnygirl4jc]

Hello all. I am a new user to Amy's Rabbit Ranch Forum. I am hoping to learn from and meet other rabbit breeders & fanciers. My rabbitry is A Basket of Blessings Rabbitry. My children and I raise Holland Lops, Dutch, Californians, & Lionheads, plus we have a small assortment of other breeds as pets. Hollands are my favorite with Lionheads being second. I am hoping to actually start showing rabbits for the first time at ARBA shows this fall. It seems that every time I want to go, something comes up. I was going to attend the Charlotte show, but our van's water pump died. So I am looking forward to the White Tail RBA in September.

Any advice on showing, especially Hollands, would be very helpful. I have read a few websites, but I could use some first hand experience from some of you out there who have been doing this for a while.

God bless and nice to meet you all.

Dawn

[amysrabbitranch]

HI Dawn, welcome!!

Showing hollands...well show up, register, go mingle with other breeders, when they call for them go up and put them on the table! The showing order goes SSB, SSD, SJB, SJD, then BSB, BSD, BJB, BJD. Listen, learn, ask questions, have fun!

[Greydancer]

Nice to have you here! You'll pick it up don't worry You sound like me with getting to shows, it's always something! Ask away and feel free to IM me if you have a specific question. I'll try to help. Oh and I'm Jess lol

[J H Lop]

Hi Dawn,
I'm J and my daughter Emily is on here. We raised the HL breed for along time and shown. We have NDs too. You have come to the right place to learn it from well qualified persons here in that breed or showing rabbits at the shows. Some things are similar and some are other ways that work for each of us. Do asked questions and find the common thread. But sometimes we have grey areas on a topic to works for us.
Amy is awesome in rabbit genetics on here. Jess knows what she is looking for in a holland in being around that show table and persons she knows in the breed. We have a web site and so does Amy on here of HL information. And Amy gave you great information to used. And great Jess offered help. Not everyone in the breed is like this and you will run into it. But then that's in other things too. But keep finding someone at the shows you will be able to learn from on right hands on. You are in a hard showing area in the breed and it will take time and work.Some of the top breeders in the country are living there. Every area is tough but that area is even more. But see it as getting a better selection to work from in stock. Hollands are tricky to breed true. Always start with type and muscle bone on hollands. Judges have their own ideas so used that but blend with other ideas. Feel top HL on the show tables and ask permission from the owner first. Always clamp and shake hands with the BOB and Bosb winners. It's a away into the hobby. It may take time and their looks. This helped me to open doors to other HL breeders. It may not work the first time. But down the road it will open. I have been there. Emily has found that route also. It has open her up to many persons sharing this hobby and breed.There are 4 different ways of looking at the hollands. But type and bone is a common now. Finally we are getting somewhere on it in the breed. That front paw tells you type and bone on a HL. I used finger math measurements on it with my thumb to my hand against that front paw. It has to be in that range. There are other measurements for culling and breeding. It's going to take time and is a non boring breed. If you want faster results other breeds are that. But have fun at it. There are also other things to do Hollands with than showing for an award. Take picts.,do a web site,stress reliever,
something to make goals on. Which transfers into your life path.

[bunnygirl4jc]

Thanks for all the info. I am always open to more. I guess I am in the right place. I love my Hollands. It's nice to know that there are those out there who want to help. That's how I am. I know that even though I give out tips and such that someone might beat me on the tables someday (well that is if I ever get show quality Hollands and get to a show! ) I guess that's the fun of it. If it was easy, where's the challenge.

God bless, Dawn

[J H Lop]

Dawn,
You are in the right place with many good holland lop breeders here. Believe me in that Holland lops are a challenge.One step forward two steps backwards. I just gave fair warning. There are thosed that do and some that donot in the right help. You get that in anything you do. But it's a hobby. You never know who you meet from it. You are the one that makes the fun from it. It takes time, knowledge and patience to learn it with money.