Happy Memorial Day!

Value life and thank those who have allowed us to.


Have a good week,
Susie Cederlof

Awful Cute Around Here Lately...

Spring is in full blast and I am having baby bunnies coming straight out of my ears! Other than this morning's havoc of freezing kits, everyone seems to be having decent sized litters with good health (I'm seeing a lot less peanuts, larges, and max factors. But I am now knocking on some wood!) in the litters being born this season.

Though one thing I am noticing is that the more adapted the rabbits have become to our beautiful Northern California- Delta & Bay Area climates, the more stressed they seem in colder weather rather than hot. I see a lot of depression in my bucks and really lazy building when in comes to nests in the cold months. In fact, just this winter I was housing a rabbit in my room (which I never do) for what I am pretty certain was depression. I didn't think he was going to make it but just the first couple nights inside, warm, and lighted was a dramatic change into a whole new rabbit again. Strange!

This morning I was able to revive 6 cold kits out of 8. The two, most severe, were the ones who did not make it. I have a hard time with hypothermia in kits and I know the process of warming must be very gradual to prevent shock. I seem to do a good job and they'll start kicking and talking again pretty well and then they seem to crash. It's rather heart breaking and nearly brings tears to my eyes every time...

...getting off of the sad moments. I currently have 22 healthy kits ranging from newborn to 6 weeks of age! It's pretty exciting and I have a lot to say as pictures come! :)

Right now I will share my oldest kits, whom are out of Wonder's HALO X WWR Vixen. There are 3 Blacks born, 2 bucks & a Doe. I actually have 3 does out of a total of 17 sexed bunnies right now, I am super over run! However, I am keeping the buck in this litter because I think I might like him more than his sire and I am not ready to let the dam go yet so I am deciding to sell the little doe. The other buck is of pet quality so I don't have any photos of him yet.


Little Junior Doe.


Junior Doe again, she is so precious!


HAUTE MACHIAVELLI- Black Junior Buck

I have found my long lost love for my favorite color group... self! These blacks are so pretty and I am excited to keep the buck. I might show him in the next couple of weeks!

Here they were a couple weeks ago...


So sweet, right?

It seems it's been a rather lushful spring for many this time around. I love and look forward to much more pictures! And not just for bunnies... just this week I have seen 3 litters of Labrador Retriever puppies come into work. 1 litter of 11, 1 litter of 10, and another litter of 8. That's a whole lot of love!

Here's to the weekend!

Susie :)

Back from the WCC in Reno!

We had such a fun weekend in Reno! I ended up with taking 2 woolies to show, only entering the Nationals and Specialty shows. I got both my rabbits up for nationals but only one up for the specialty. I had clerked for the nationals show and I could definitely say that there were some BEAUTIFUL rabbits up there! I was most particularly fond of the nationals BOG AOV winner, a Black Pointed White Senior Doe. She was a beaut!

Other than the showing, I was really happy to spend a weekend with my best friends and meet new exhibitors. It's so hard when you only have a few days to catch up with tons of friends from all over the states in such a short time, I could have used at least 3 more days to hang out with everyone.

Sadly, I didn't have a camera on me, so I didn't get any photos! But on our way over from California to Nevada we saw plenty of snow. The host hotel was great and outside our hotel room was a great view of Reno and the moutains covered in snow. The weather was perfect even thought none of us really had come out much the entire weekend. On Friday night, Katie, Chloe, Lauren & I went to Johnny Rocket's at 1 am to grab some grub. It was such a blast watching people line dancing and having way too much fun! I think the 4 of us want to take classes so next year we can go back and dance to some good country music. :)

I ended up buying 5 rabbits for my herd. I got a trio from Melani F. in Southern California to hopefully help roundness of hindquarter in my herd. They are going to be great assets and are perfect for line breeding! I also bought a Pointed White buck from Desi D. from California as well. The buck's sire was bred by me and comes out of WWR Pee Wee & Wooligans Party Girl, my old stuff!!! This buck is SO adorable and I cannot thank Desiree enough, she is so sweet and I was happy to see her again! I also picked up a Harlequin JW doe from the Maki's who is a powerhouse ready to make plenty of babies. And thanking them for also loaning me a carrier to bring all these buns home. *shy*

I did however take photos of a few of my new bunnies! Still working on getting photos of the rest. :)


Sundew's Moonfire - Seal Junior Doe


Sundew's Luck of the Draw - Siamese Sable Senior Buck


BBR's Love Bug - Blue Pointed White Senior Buck


We currently have 18 Jersey Wooly babies on the ground with more coming soon! I'll get photo's up shortly. :)

Hope everyone had fun this past weekend!
Susie Cederlof

Once Upon a Picture Blog

This weekend is the Jersey Wooly & American Fuzzy Lop Nationals (as well as others and West Coast Classic) in Reno, Nevada! This will be the first show I have shown at in over a year, and at that, a decent traveled one.

Recent thinking had gotten to me, I was very devoted to my blog with photos of traveling near & far for either rabbit shows, rabbit purchases, or just to see friends! I'm hoping to really pick that back up this year and will start with photos of attending the national show in Reno this year.

I currently have 5 litters on the ground with a total of 17 babies! WOW! Haven't had kits in a year so things are really exciting lately. ♥

Here are some current new photos;


WWR Jankenpon


Lil' Bit Farm's Harlequin


WWR Dirt


A young Opal kit we currently have!


WWR Sango


Looking forward to seeing everyone in Reno! I entered 2 rabbits, my best in his prime just started blowing his coat out today! Oh well!

Safe travels,
Susie :)

Did you know...

...that we are on Facebook? Keeping with the trends and using a friend account as a photo/update stream. Be sure to check it out at http://www.facebook.com/hautewoolycouture !


DTL's Simca ; read more about her here.

We are anticipating litters due next week!!! I hope I at least get something! I have lost my palpating skills over the winter...

Susie

The Act of Consolidation for Quality?

No excuses for my absence right now, let's continue. :)

It's a question that is being more commonly thought as the process of developing my base of colored Jersey Woolies & American Fuzzy Lops. As I humble along, I only have so much base stock of a certain variety, when is the time to venture further? Do I even combine color stock with my 'main' herd? What are the pros & cons and this can develop quite some controversy when it comes to developing a color and showing rabbits.

Developing Tri-Color Jersey Woolies & American Fuzzy Lops has so far been a longer road, especially trying to get babies of these varieties on the ground. To succeed with this color I will need to focus on my color combinations to produce the variety I am aiming at. Though, with every case, a color of a kit will always be a gamble, depending on the colors of the parents, what they carry, and what we do not know they carry. I cannot breed two of the same color together and expect just that. It simply isn't that easy, and especially when you are trying to genetically target a color you want, the Bunny Gods aren't that nice! ;)

As this adventure develops there are a few common questions I am being asked. There are a handful of people interested, and quite a bit of support in my determination in the development of this color. Let me get question 1 out of the way;


My main Tri-color project Jersey Wooly buck, a Harlequin from The Maki Family (DTL Rabbitry) in Northern California.

1) Are you getting the COD (Color of Development) on this variety?
Ans: Unfortunately at this time, I do not have too much of a core of this variety developed quite yet. I must admit my starter animals for both breeds are quite define in type and I think that they will get me further for what I am beginning with. Until then I do not feel it is appropriate to hurry and get the COD on this variety for these breeds just yet until I am a little more 'set'. Once if I do obtain the COD, I won't have much time to waste, so I'd rather not rush into something while aiming at the hip.

This color may only take a couple years to develop or it could possibly take 8. Either way, I feel very strongly into taking it a tad slower than some may want by making careful decisions for my own main show herd and my color projects. A dilemma I face now is weather or not I want to breed into some of my main show herd. This could raise conflict in how another breeder feels about my decisions in the development of this variety or ethics as a show breeder. Here are a few reasons why...

a) Breeding a 'stray' unshowable color into a showable color is wrong if you get showable colored kits, and wrong to sell these kits.
Breeding a Harlequin colored rabbit is my given choice if I want to breed into my main string. With being, there will have to be a much more strict selection in my culling process into taking these second generation kits back into color, for color. As for selling these kits, I have decided if I do take this route, they will not be available to the public for my own protection of my breeding ethics.

b) I might be genetically manufacturing colors with incorrect genotypes (or something along those lines).
Yes, if I breed a Tri-color to a Sable, I could very well get some weird colors, a strange variety, and rabbits whom may be the correct color I want, but carry the wrong or unwanted genes. This will again resort in a stronger culling process needed. However, I think there are some good advantages of this. I believe it may be a decent start to a beginning of a project, as it could advance type easier or faster. It could also add genetic diversity, and a wider span of choices to breed stock to for second, third, fourth, and so on generations. As it will take many generations, anyways.

c) ...and again genetic experts think it is wrong.
Now, I do not consider myself a genetic expert but I can put two and two together and make some sense of it. I think this comes down personal genetic ethics, because ultimately at the end of the day the rabbits are my personal hobby, and my choices and decisions are my own in how I take up advancing my herd and/or color project. Oh, and they are just rabbits (and colors!)


My primary buck for the American Fuzzy Lops, a Harlequin Fuzzy Holland buck from LeAnn Caraway & Melanie Price (Lil' Bit Farms) in Oklahoma.


I am just as serious as I am realistic with the color project. I feel very obligated to think out and spread what knowledge I obtain in this process, and it is a long way from here. Too many times I have seen many disappointments from fellow COD holders by not putting in their best, or trying to venture off and gain some sense of individuality and heroism by developing a color themselves. Sadly, you'll see them sink when they won't take offered help, or easy precautions before final presentation. I could honestly say this will be a team effort and I already have a couple of well trusted, strong minded, determined breeders who are willing to take part and are on this case, too. It can't get any sweeter than that!


2) Where did your stock originate from the start?
I cannot 100% answer this question correctly as far as my Jersey Woolies go. I obtained my starter herd from DTL Rabbitry in Northern California who had a litter of mystery colors. A pedigree only goes back so many generations, and the lineage shown makes the pedigree questionable on what it "really" goes back to as far as it's 'purebred' status. We suspect possibly Lionhead. But I also cannot deny I have seen a couple of Tri-color Dwarfs in my time, and also "in the day" (WAAAYYY back y'all!) there was a breeder who DID raise Tri-color Woolies! Genes can be hid back several generations.

When it comes to the American Fuzzy Lops, I have been ever so lucky to be hooked up with Fuzzy Hollands of these varieties to build base. Who's to say it wasn't Tri-color Holland Lops to be crossed into Jersey Woolies? Who really knows! :P


3) I would love to obtain this variety & would love to purchase one of from you.
Right now the project is in the midst of emerging, and while I am holding a subtle waiting list, the only animals from this project I'd be offering for sale will be strictly pets (if any) until I feel comfortable enough to get my supporters involved. This is another protection towards my ethics of breeding. Rabbits deemed unworthy to the breeding program will be culled, this is a project and will be a process folks, I don't want to screw myself out of this & don't want anybody to think this a scam for money or attention. (as sometimes animal breeders try to do).


I'd be happy to help answer any further questions or information regarding this and continue to post the progress, I won't forget pictures either. ;)
Take care,
Susie Cederlof :)
Haute Wooly Couture

P.S. We have a new website link; http://www.hautewoolycouture.com/

Get Tim to ARBA Convention (2011)

My good friend Tim @ Tru Luv Rabbitry in Malaysia has entered a contest for prize money in hopes to make it to the 2011 ARBA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.


http://truluvrabbitry.com/2010/10/22/get-us-to-arba-convention/

Please follow that link above for quick easy steps to vote for Tim in this contest.

Thank you everyone!

Happy fall weather...
Susie

Hope you don't mind Tim ;-)