BEW x BEW

When people ask me for advice on breeding Blue Eyed Whites. I always tell them to breed for the best vienna carriers and use them to breed your BEW. Usually what people have to work with as far as BEW breeding stock are rabbits that would probably have been culled if they weren't BEW! :) I started out with stock like this and that's just because the variety was so new.

You would never breed two mediocre rabbits together right? All you can expect is more mediocre rabbits or worse. In the beginning I used whatever BEW I had and bred them to the best rabbits I could afford or get. Picked the best offspring from those litters and bred them together. I went away from the original BEW as they were only needed to get that gene in. I also avoided breeding two VC too closely related for fear of throwbacks popping up. Sometimes I couldn't avoid it and just was really selective on what I kept.

Lately as a result of my early breeding practices....I have some really nice BEW! And I have been doing some BEWxBEW breedings to see what kind of results I would get. So far it has been mixed. I bred GC Berlena's Elwood Blues to GC Berlena's Wild Blue Yonder. Two very typey rabbits with Yonder showing the better coat quality. The result was either great fur but okay body or very typey with that longer guard hair popping up.

I also bred GC Berlena's Blue Blood to GC Berlena's Blue Light Special. Unfortunately I only got one kit but so far this buck is looking very nice. I named him Blueprint so keep an eye on how he develops.

My latest pairing is GC Berlena's Blue Streak and GC Berlena's Rhythm and Blues. Both in my opinion have the complete package. Streak's major fault is weak ear carriage (I joke that I bred in Holland Lops, JOKE) and Rhythm could use a wider lower HQ. Streak has great lower HQ and topline...Rhythm as great ear carriage and topline...both have really nice fur. So I am excited to see what happens with this litter. They are related through Snippet (and my original buck Blue) but not too close up and they seem to have enough difference in pedigree to hopefully not double up on any undesirable traits.

My recent attempt for breeding quality vienna carriers I think has been pretty sucessful! I bred GC Berlena's Tattoo to GC Berlena's Lake and produced Berlena's Alter Ego a black buck(Alter has abundace of white hairs due to the VC gene so no longer can be shown) and GC Berlena's Taboo. I kept these two with plans of breeding them together. I also bred GC Berlena's Zit to GC Berlena's Rhythm and Blues and produced Berlena's Harmony and Berlena's Tune. Both have WOW fur and so far very nice type! They also will be bred together and also to Alter and Taboo... Both pairs go back to a prolific buck I used to own named GC Buresh's Torque so thats the route I am going this time....wish me luck!

Updates!

I haven't posted in a while though I do continue to update my website fairly daily! :) Just a quick post to let everyone know whats been going on.

First thank you to all the faithful followers and rabbit lovers of my website! You are truly appreciated and the reason why I put the time into my website like I do. I like to try to keep it interesting and educational. I have alot of plans for my site if I can just find the time! If you want to keep updated on new features just become a member and I will send blasts when I finally add something new! Its easy to join...just go to my guestbook page.

I have been very fortunate to be enjoying gorgeous weather here in So. California...we have had several weeks of 70 to 85 degree weather! I've been trying to take advantage and getting some breeding in. I am only having some luck but better than most I assume. I have one doe B&L Betty that I really like alot and I REALLY want to get babies out of...so I have been trying alot longer than I do most does!

I have a return addition to my rabbitry. He is an opal vienna marked that I gave to my son's preschool teacher last year and she and the kids have really spoiled him. He was the star of the school. Lately they discovered a few kids are allergic to the rabbit and the school hamster. I gladly took both of them home. My son loves the hamster "Noel" (he is a boy) but he is really old! The kids named the rabbit "Scooter" but I have since re-named him Sly. He is a littermate to Artisan and Heinz 57. This litter was very nice so I am happy to have him back and will use him in my breeding program for now. He was very well taken care of and has a super super nice coat! I think that being a pet was great for him!

Also lately I have been experimenting with different ways to keep the odor down in my rabbitry. I clean weekly with touch-ups in between with my shop vac. But I think with the amount of rabbits I have now the odor has gotten a little out of control. So I have been using a product called Dry Stall in the pans. Also recently have started using a product called Abate XP that is sprayed in and around my rabbitry. Also a product called "Odor Magnet" from the same company. I have only done two applications so far so we will see how it works. I have to ask my husband or non rabbit friends if its working because I have become immune to the smell! LOL

Additionally I have decided to run for National Mini Rex Rabbit Club District 2 Director! I have gotten alot of encouragement from fellow members so I am going for it! I TRULY enjoy this hobby and figure I might as well get more involved! I made campaign website so I can get out my message so come by and visit. Be sure to sign in as well!

So basically thats whats going on lately....hopefully I have new updates of litters soon! I am getting ready to leave tomorrow to my next show which is in El Centro, CA. Its about a 3 hour drive so I am going to stay in a hotel the night before. I am looking forward to seeing everyone especially my Arizona friends!

Thanks for reading!

Tatum RIP 11-25-08

Tatum died today.....I noticed today while feeding that she hadn't eaten the food from yesterday and so I checked the water...it was working. Then I took a look at her and noticed her just sitting there with her back to me. When I touched her she basically fell over. She also had a wet poopy butt. So I took her out and tried to force water her and I even injected water SubQ. I sure wish I had some sterile lactated ringers solution. I just tried my best and she seemed to perk up slightly but then she died 15 minutes later. This is only the second rabbit to die in my rabbitry since 2005 other than newborn babies. So sad to see any animal die but she was a very nice doe and I was excited about this one.

I am sure that every breeder goes through this from time to time. Just made me aware how unprepared I am for situations like this. I will be contacting my vet to stock up on my home medicine cabinet. You should do the same!

BERLENA'S TATUM
Broken Black Jr. Doe
GC Berlena's Tattoo x GC The Proud Doe's One Up
1 G.C. Leg

VOTE!!!!!!

I truly feel obligated and honor to excercise my right to vote. First off our forefathers founded this country on the idea of freedom.... Second....since I am a woman and many women fought for the right to vote (some with their lives!) and finally I am black and we all know what they had to go through to have this right! So you know I was in the voting booths this morning! :)

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go and vote! If you are not registered yet....please be sure to do it so you are ready for the next election. You might think that your vote really doesn't matter but it DOES!

If your are curious read about the history of voter rights...

...ugh..

Yeah so I was excited a few weeks ago about my convention entry! Now after a couple weeks of crazy weather...they aren't looking so hot. Coats have a choppy look to them...

My best looking Mini Rex right now are my vienna marked ones........a lot of good that does me! LOL Stormwaters looks so gorgeous! I am really looking forward to babies out of her!I am sad to see Koi go but atleast I have Storm to take her place. Also Koi's last litter, though there aren't any BEW they are very nice looking! There is a broken castor doe in there that I hope will remain showable. Now does she carry the vienna gene? I don't know....only a testbreeding will tell.

My new goal is to produce a grand champion vienna carrier doe. I have a buck...iPod Nano but I'd love a doe as well.

All for now!

whats in a name?

Have you ever noticed that some of my rabbit's have links connected to their names? Its because I like people to know what the meaning of a name is. I love useless bits of information so I thought I would share!

My color programs mostly have themes that I pick names from. My whites are obvious... Z names. My BEW all have a blue based theme. My himi are supposed to have asian based themes. Sable Points will be Italian if I ever get anymore. :) Everything else I am more flexible with and just name them names I think sound cool or interesting.

With the offspring out of my King does, I like to think of a name with King in it. I have a Kingston out there and now a Kingpin. Next up is Kingsley and King Me!

I have purchased 4 King rabbits in the past. Now Doug never usually names them...just gives them a number so I do the honors. The first one I paid ALOT of money for. I bid on her in the 24K Auction at Convention in Ft. Worth. I guess the other lady wanted her really bad too. Anyway, she was named King's Ransom. My black doe I got next was named King's Queen and the white doe was King's Mistress because I got them at the same time. Then I got a broken black buck that was lightly marked and these cute black ears. I called him King's Jester!

How do you come up with names for your rabbits? If you have some name ideas for me...just pop over an email! :) qwazirabit@aol.com

P.S. My buck Zit is mentioned in the latest issue of the NMRRC Newsletter! A pic of me, Zit and Rhythm is pictured as well.

rhythm

Well it looks like my best BEW doe Rhythm & Blues will not be able to make it to this year's ARBA convention. She was just looking too nice and I knew she would go into molt before and I was right! The exact same thing happened last year when I tried to get Windex to convention. Oh well! That is fine...just means I can go ahead and breed her finally! I am going to wait another 1 or 2 weeks to do that. Maybe if she gets pregnant she will stop molting in time? Wishful thinking!

So all my BEW competition can rest easy! LOL But I do have other BEW that aren't too shabby! Game on! May the best blue eyes win! ;)