I am also hopeless at remembering when they are due to
litter so here is a link (FOR ME ) to work out Dates they are due !!!!
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January 8th. |
HAPPY NEW YEAR |
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Well I was a bit crap at filling in
my diary at the end of 2007. Never seems to be enough hours in
the day. 2007 wasn't a brilliant year bunny wise. Not many
successful litters. I think moving my shed upset the does a
little. They are all looking well and ready for this
season I think, fingers crossed. I have clipped everything right
now, nothing in coat. My babies Enfin, Ebben, Arianna and Herman
are all doing well but are clipped and will be used for breeding
in the Spring. This weekend I mated Diva to Alfie, the buck from
the Netherlands. And Only has been mated to SirVivor. It's
a bit early but the does are being fed Wheat Grass and are dosed
up on
Entracare. Fingers crossed :) |
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January 20th. |
Clipped some of the breeding does today. Got a mating Emerald to
SirVivor. Even though she has been on a diet, Emerald is fat as
a hippo, so not holding out much hope. Tried Grem with Eliab but
Eliab was slow on the take. Will try again during the week.
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January 21st |
Got a good mating with Truffle and Arianna tonight., Chocolate
to chocolate. Could be a whole box of chocolates !
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February 9th. |
DIva produced a litter of four by Alfie. Just had a quick
peek and looks like two Golds a Smoke and a Brown Grey. Really
interesting to see how these turn out as it's a real mix of
unrelated lines. |
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April 2nd. |
Diva babies are looking great, really surprised by their coats,
really silky and good density. The Brown Grey doe is stunning,
the others turned out to be 3 Gold bucks all of even quality.
Photos soon.
Arianna has been remated to Truffle, she did produce but a
week early and unformed kits. Emerald has been mated to Eliab.
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April 14th. 2008 |
Just a quick update. Had a surprise litter from Only , I have
been mating her regularly to various bucks but she repeatedly
misses. She finally had a litter of one on Friday 11th.
She herself was an only kit hence her name. The kit is very
strong so fingers crossed. It is a Brown Grey and sired by Alfie
the Dutch Buck . Will carry self and non extension so will be a
much needed link back to Sooty Fawn.
Divas babies are lovely, photos this week when I get a
minute. They had their rings on and a quick brush tonight. |
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April 30th. 2008 |
Nice Surprise this morning to find a litter of chocolates.
Arianna has produced a litter by Truffle. This is chocolate to
chocolate breeding, all Sally May's lines so should be very nice
indeed. Diva has been mated to Eliab in my quest for a
white baby to show this year and Gremlin to Alfie. Grem however
has not raised a litter yet so I hope if she does litter I have
a foster Mum on hand.
Got some ideas for the website coming up so keep em peeled !
Seems like 2008 is going to be way better than 2007 ! |
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May 1st |
Chocolate babies are doing fine.. looks like a Lilac in there
too ! Lilacs are not recognised by the BRC as yet, which
is daft as it is an accepted colour in so many breeds.. It is
simply chocolate and blue combined genetically it is
aabbCddE In Angoras it is beautiful, I will keep the Lilac
and show it in unstandardised classes and use the fibre of
course !
Chubaby is a real chunk at 14 days old.. as an only child he
has had all of Mum's milk and she must have had tons !
such a cute lad. He is staying here too , he should be a
stunner with his combined breed lines.
Chubaby AaBBCDEeVMm
Possum has been mated to Eliab.
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May 3rd. 2008 |
The chocolate litter is looking great. There are three
chocolates and one Lilac. Will take a photo tomorrow.. the Lilac
looks like a right cuckoo in the nest against the chocolates.
Pretty excited about this litter. Will have to think up suitably
chocolatey names. I am so thrilled with my Alfie Babies. They
have really low maintenance coats. I just have been out to groom
them and after 5 minutes there was nothing to do ! not a
Knot in them and boy what coats they have, Bruleé has a white
splodge on his nose so cant be shown but boy what a coat. He
appears to be the only Vienna carrier in the litter. I can
practically brush him three times and he is done! His coat
doesn't break on the brush either.. amazing. And gorgeous
furnishings. I am so pleased with them that I have asked Gerben
for some more ! This lad should be joining "Team Angora"
very shortly WOW !!!!!
At last I have a drum carder ( why are they so
expensive !), so bored with hand carding, I have nearly
finished my first home grown, home spun and hand produced item
!! just need to card and spin the last batch of fibre and
I will be there. I already have plans for the next item
which should be 100% Angora in 4 colours :) just need the hours
now !
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May 9th. 2008 |
So hot here in the UK.. Summer has certainly arrived.
The Chocolate litter now have their eyes open and are venturing
from the nest.. more photos soon.
Hiker, the Dutch buck above arrived today. Despite his
incredible journey from Holland in this heat, he arrived totally
unscathed and sat down and munched his hay. He is just
incredible. My jaw dropped when I opened the travelling box.
I have to say a huge thank you to Gerben for sending such a
stunning Angora to the UK and to Phil Batey and Lee for
transporting him to me in such awesome condition. He just has it
all ! stunning .. photos to come when he has settled in.
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May 10th 2008 |
Well would you believe it.. I was just out in the shed grooming
when I thought I better drag Brulee out for a brush. As I
cant show him I haven't been spending much time on his coat and
fortunately I don't need to as it is a sensational texture.
He just doesn't seem to matt despite having a dense and long
coat. I thought he seemed to be very heavy. Usually the
does grow faster than the bucks, Yanks is still fairly small and
compact and Leaves is a tad bigger and heavier. I flipped him
over and WHAM! it's a girl.. blimey, haven't been that
wrong for a long time. Really obvious doe too ! I
literally leapt with joy as I am so short of does. Brulee is
going to be just perfect to put to Hiker as they both have these
easy care coats and just tons and tons of furnishings. I just
cant wait for that litter.. I think my
stars are definitely in the right place just now.. any other
Capricorns out there having the time of their lives right now ?
LOL
Photos to come ! I want to set up some proper photos..
the snapshots of Yanks just dont do him justice.
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May 25th 2008 |
Groomed out the babes tonight, all looking lovely. Chub is still
err.. a Chub :) WIll take photos soon. He is going to be a
stunner I think . The Lilac looks to be a buck and the
best chocolate a doe wahoo ! But still young so after my
mistake with Brulee I wont say for definite.
Good news is Diva looks heavy in kit to Eliab. This should
produce whites (plus Golds and Brown Greys) I really need a
white to show later in the year, fingers crossed. Looks
like Possum has missed, no sign of pregnancy but she still has a
week to go, she wouldn't accept the buck tonight so I guess she
could have one kit well up in her rib cage.
Hiker has settled in well, I want to get him going with stud
work so will try him with Only very soon. I will keep him in
coat as he is just sensational and will be a showcase rabbit for
my stud, but I have trimmed him underneath so I can use him for
stud. Being Blue eyed White I cant really show him, just
in unstandardised classes and to be honest ... I cant be arsed !
LOL
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June 08 2008 |
Just checking in. Diva produced a litter of three whites by
Eliab, now 5 days old. So hot here they are already leaving the
nest and wandering about. This litter is heavily Willowcot
bred so interesting to see how they mature.
I wIll update photos of the babies soon. Yanks and
Leaves are looking lovely and will make their show debuts at the
Angora Stock show conveniently held alongside the next Reading
club show. Chub is very much an ugly duckling right now.
.not sure how he will turn out. He has a lovely coat but
not the furnishings his breeding promised. He will be too young
for the stock show.
Hiker had his first doe, Only, managed a halfhearted mating.
I think he will need more practice. Grem is clipped and
ready to be mated to him but she will need another foster doe
mated at the same time. She is a useless mother LOL
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June 22nd 2008 |
National Angora Stock show today , had a great day, nice to meet
up with other Angora breeders and see their stock .
Had a good day with my Yanks and Leaves winning their classes in
the stock show and the all breed show. Their brother, Remy
Martin, took best under 5 exhibit for his owner Paula Pyke.
Here is a photo of the three of them at the show. Still so young
but showing promise.
Remy, Yanks and Leaves.
Yanks at his first show.
Leaves
more photos to follow . |
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July 1st 2008 |
Just back from a holiday in North Wales... all buns are well,
thanks to African Steve for looking after them all so well.
Mated a couple of does before I left, Brulee has been mated to
Truffle, Emerald to Eliab, and Possum to Eliab. "Only"
built a nest, phantom pregnancy, will try her again with Hiker.
White babies are looking lush.. looks like three does!
Choc babies also doing well and Chub is coming through his ugly
duckling stage and looking pretty hot.
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July 14th 2008 |
Monday is Groom day ! I rarely get time to groom at the
weekends so I spent this evening grooming all the show coats.
The chocolate babies are looking lovely , very even although one
chocolate doe stands above the rest. They had their first
blow through tonight and their ivomec.
Leaves is a terrible licker and HATES being groomed so I am
going to clip her and breed her back to Alfie. The mating could
produce Sooties, fingers crossed, although more likely a litter
full of brown greys. Possibly blue eyed whites if Leaves
carries the vienna gene.
Betty Chu kindly posted photos from the NAC show on the
Northern Californian Angora Blog site. I love reading that site
and keeping up to date with American Angoras.
http://ncag.blogspot.com/
Took my CBT ( Compulsory Bike Training) at the
weekend and passed.. step one toward my motorbike test. :)
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July 15th 2008 |
Tried Leaves with Alfie tonight..no go.. just too hot for them I
think, same with Only and Hiker. Grem however always accepts the
buck so got a mating to Alfie.
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July 16th. 2008 |
Tried the does again but with opposing bucks. Leaves with Hiker
and Only with Alfie. Got a pseudo mating with Leaves but I think
I will need to try again.
White babies had their first brush and their Rings on. They
are all lovely. One stands out on type but the smallest has an
awesome coat. I am keeping all three as i desperately need
to perpetuate this line in my shed. |
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July 23rd. 2008 |
Big grooming night in the shed... did all 8 show coats ..
exhausting !
Mated Diva to Enfin.. So pleased with Diva's white
litter by Eliab I wanted to have something to breed this line
to, so wanted to bring in the Eternity line. Enfin is the
only son of Eternity I have.
Took some photos of Yanks. Really like this lad, he is
very "me". He is a pain to pose though, as he insists on
sitting up "a la pole" ... He is truly a lovely round shape
which is why I kept him but he refuses to show this off
LOL
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July 26th. 2008 |
Brulee has produced a litter of two scrawny Brown Greys to
Truffle. Was really hoping she carried self genes (she
still might) .. more Brown Greys! but at least they will
carry self, non extension AND chocolate... so they will be very
useful in the future :) She made a nice nest but is very
skittish so early days.. fingers crossed. I think she will be a
great brood in my shed.
Babies will be: AaBbCCDEe
Got a great mating with Leaves and Hiker .. the
most animated he has ever been ! Hope that's done the
trick.
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30th. July 2008 |
Brulee's litter are not doing well. One is very skinny not
feeding well the other had wool caught in it's eyes. I removed
the wool but it was deep and I am sure it will have injured the
eye. Not seen this before. She built a deep nest with her own
wool but it has been to the detriment of her baby.l Fingers
crossed it will be ok.
Put the white babies on wire today. Their front feet were
getting a bit stained, very hot here at the moment so I think
they will be happy to be on the wire floor.
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August 3rd 2008 |
Been an interesting couple of days. I had my eyes lasered on
Friday and have literally not been able to open them for 2 days.
The last couple of hours have been better so I popped down the
shed ( although I am banned from bunnies for a day or so ) Only
is nest building so I am hoping her mating to Hiker has taken
even though I thought he really didn't do a good job of it.
The scrawny baby in Brulee's litter didn't make it, the other
one is doing ok but I am worried about it's eyes. Will know in a
day or so when it should open it's eyes. All the show
coats are looking well. The white babies are outstanding. New
hitches should arrive tomorrow so I will be able to split up the
chocolate babies and do some re-arranging.
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August 18th. 2008 |
Arianna has had her 2nd litter by Truffle, a repeat of the
current successful chocolate litter. Looks like at least
one lilac in the litter. I am hoping to build up numbers
of lilacs so we can get the colour recognised by the BRC.
All the London rabbits are looking well, the chocolates might be
a little young, I have entered them but will make a judgement
call nearer to the day.
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August 31st. 2008 |
Well mixed blessings this weekend. Good news is Diva has
had a litter by Enfin. Sadly no whites but a Blue-Grey (Opal)
and a Brown Grey (Agouti). Nice fat babies too.
Sadly I have had scours in the shed again I think due to my
last bale of hay. My Chocolate doe that was going to The London
was sick for a couple of days but has made a full recovery. She
is now a bit light and I doubt if I will take her or her brother
to the London show at the weekend. Tragedy however, the
white litter have been really ill and I lost all three over the
weekend. They were all lovely and very much needed in the shed
but not to be. So sad about this. Everything else is doing
fine and eating and munching away, so heartbreaking as the
whites were doing so well. I guess being around animals for so
long you get used to all the ups and downs of living with them
but it is never easy when you lose the young ones. Back to the
drawing board :(
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September 9th. 2008 |
Just about recovered from the
London
show weekend. Had a good time meeting up with old friends
and some new ones. Rabbits did well with Chub coming 2nd
in a huge AOC under 5 month class. He did look a picture on the
table with his huge coat. He is just under 5 months.
My entry into the product competition was also
fruitful winning 1st in the beginner class and getting a lovely
rosette and 2nd overall product in show. Considering it is
my first attempt at hand spinning and knitting I was gob smacked
:)
BOB Angora went on to win Best in show of the
whole show, the Lovely white Adult bred by Richard and Simon, a
really lovely doe, beautiful shape and coat in great condition.
Well done guys.
At home in the shed things are moving along. I
have a litter by Diva and Enfin, a Brown Grey and a Blue Grey,
both lovely chunky kits. Also Possum has had a litter by
Enfin, three kits two mismarks and a Gold by the look of things.
The new chocolate litter are up on their feet and zooming about
the hutch, all looking great. The Lilac looks to be another buck
sadly, hopefully with the help of Sally May we can get this
colour recognised here. It is such a beautiful colour and they
seem to have amazing coats. The older boy is just
phenomenal, so sad I cant show him in open competition, he will
be shown in unstandardised classes at the club shows. Photos
soon.
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18th September 2008 |
Just checking in. All litters are doing well. The chocolates are
really motoring about now , looking very even , nothing to chose
between them at the moment. The Blue and Brown Grey are
out of the nest, lovely chunky kits, really pleased with them,
just love their pedigree on paper. Possum's litter are
adorable, two Vienna marked a Gold and Brown Grey and a self
Gold that might be showable fingers crossed. This really is a
long term project so not really worried if they cant be shown.
I am intrigued to see if the extraordinary furnishings carried
by Possum get carried on to the babies. I have always wondered
where the immense furnishings carried by American Angoras came
from so I think this experiment will be a step forward to prove
my theory. The self Gold is a gorgeous deep Gold too so I
am hoping once the wool comes in, it will retain this depth of
colour.
Sadly out of the four earlier chocolate litter only one is
left in coat. Caramac who was a very ordinary baby is
stunning, really easy thick coat. The gorgeous lilac has
given himself a lovely haircut aarrggh.. and the pick of litter
doe , Caramel, has dropped her coat after having a brief spell
of scours. She is fully recovered and back up to weight and
might possibly grow her coat back so we will see. I already
clipped the other doe Bounty as she was chewed in the nest but
have retained her for breeding.
Chub and Yanks are still in coat and hopefully will make it
for the October Stock show, possibly even Bradford in January
but we will have to see on that front. Will take photos of
all the new babies soon.
Just bought a new motorbike :) Honda VFR
800 ! cool !
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12th. October
2008 |
Today was the National Angora Club Autumn Stock show held in
Coventry. Was a great day out seeing friends and talking
Angora all day. There was a good turnout for our Judge
Judy Connolly, Judy has been in the breed for many years, it was
nice to see her behind the judging table.
Best in Show was Yvonne Fothergill-Hobbs'
white seen here far right and Sally May's chocolate was second.
Both were lovely rabbits. Chub came fourth in the line up
behind Val Downer's white.
Yanks and Chub in the Adult line up.
Best in Show Yvonne's White Adult.
This little Brown Grey bred by Sue Fisher was
hard to resist so he came home with me :) he will be known
as Don's Arturo
Chub with Arturo and his brother.
Beautiful Smoke by Sally May. Really loved
this one !
Sally's winning Chocolate. Such a Glamorous
rabbit. I am hoping mine turn out like this !
Yvonne with Sandra Orr's lovely Gold baby.
Great to see Sandra back on the benches with her Golds.
Candy & Ray Everitt, Candy has at last joined
the Angora ranks and kept us amused at the judging table all day
:) Welcome aboard Candy, you did a great job at grooming.
We desperately need new people in the breed..
if you are reading this people.. why not join us !
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13th October 2008 |
Leaves produced a litter today by Truffle.. all Brown
Greys by the look of things which is a Bummer ! I hoped
she carried the self gene and so would produce Smokes, maybe
even Sooties. Oh well at least these babies will carry self and
chocolate so will be very useful in the future. I am
getting close now to where I want to be, but it has been a
desperately hard slog !
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December 8th 2008 |
Just an update as not written for awhile. Been the
usual ups and downs with the bunnies. The Blue Grey and Brown
Grey from Diva are doing well and nearly ready for the shows.
Arturo the little Brown Grey from Sue is lovely , quite small
still but should make the shows next year. The two little
Brown Greys from Truffle x Fallen Leaves are lovely, really
cheeky, gorgeous silky coats and tons of furnishings.
These will be so useful as an outcross for my chocolate line.
I have some other does mated so fingers crossed. Paula Pyke has given me Tuslety's Fantasia the fabulous white doe that
was best Ladies exhibit at the huge Bradford show. She is
a grandaughter of my lovely Crusoe. She is a real character who
loves her food ! She has been mated to Enfin, my heavily
Willowcot bred buck. Fingers crossed she produces some
whites for me. Must take some new photos and freshen
up the site a bit. In the meantime I will leave you with
another new addition:
Kassaro Dragons Smoke. A Black Smoke
Maine Coon Kitten from the famous Kassaro Cattery.
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December 23rd 2008 |
Merry Christmas everyone ! just checking in.
All buns are well and snug in their hutches. I will have some young stock available in the
New Year. All under 2 years old, some under a year. All will be
clipped and suitable for breeding, spinning, or just pets !
They are all pedigreed with full genetic mapping showing the
colours they are carrying. I rarely sell Angoras so here's your
chance ! All are great quality, I need to make room
for next year's babies.
1 Brown grey buck , 1 Gold Buck, 1 Chocolate buck, 1
Chocolate doe, 1 white doe. Collection from Reading
Berkshire or a local show or from Bradford in January.
Have a great Christmas.
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