My 10 rabbit show steps
1. Look for shows
2. Get excited about shows within 6 hours 1 way.
3. Plan to spend X amt and blow the budget every time.
4. Make plans to be there by telling other ppl.
5. Wait until the last minute to send entries.
6. Question the meaning of your existence and rip your rabbits apart.
7. Freak out and hyperventilate as you pack for the rabbit show day of reminding yourself that u will never do this again.
8. Get to the venue and remember these ppl don't hate you.
9. Forget to eat and/or hydrate all day.
10. Pack rabbits and drive home.
Rinse and repeat.
2. Get excited about shows within 6 hours 1 way.
3. Plan to spend X amt and blow the budget every time.
4. Make plans to be there by telling other ppl.
5. Wait until the last minute to send entries.
6. Question the meaning of your existence and rip your rabbits apart.
7. Freak out and hyperventilate as you pack for the rabbit show day of reminding yourself that u will never do this again.
8. Get to the venue and remember these ppl don't hate you.
9. Forget to eat and/or hydrate all day.
10. Pack rabbits and drive home.
Rinse and repeat.
10 steps to handling a Rabbit Show Hangover
1. Accept this is a thing and remember how "fun" it was.
2. Cry and lament over the state of your bank account.
3. Go over each rabbit and realize how wrong/right the judges were.
4. Consider canning them all and start over and/or getting out completely.
5. Realize #4 is totally not going to happen and resolve to be a better human being.
6. Put the rabbits away, while breathing a sigh of relief that this show is now over.
7. Feed, water, put carriers away and cry again because you wanted rabbits and now you have to do some dirty work. Feel free to question the meaning of life at this time.
8. Finish up and go peel off the layers.
9. Shower, eat, drink, take some pain killers, drink some more. This step may need to be repeated for up to a week.
10. Console yourself that it will "be different next time" as you scour for more shows because you are addicted and need to know when to expect your next "show fix".
2. Cry and lament over the state of your bank account.
3. Go over each rabbit and realize how wrong/right the judges were.
4. Consider canning them all and start over and/or getting out completely.
5. Realize #4 is totally not going to happen and resolve to be a better human being.
6. Put the rabbits away, while breathing a sigh of relief that this show is now over.
7. Feed, water, put carriers away and cry again because you wanted rabbits and now you have to do some dirty work. Feel free to question the meaning of life at this time.
8. Finish up and go peel off the layers.
9. Shower, eat, drink, take some pain killers, drink some more. This step may need to be repeated for up to a week.
10. Console yourself that it will "be different next time" as you scour for more shows because you are addicted and need to know when to expect your next "show fix".
10 Things I Should Know Better than to do
1. The 1 time you pre-packed and prepped so now you think you can replicate this in seconds the morning of because, ya know, you did it that last time.
2. Resolve to fill up the gas tank in the vehicle the night before (because it was easier that one time you remembered) only to realize you forgot and now have to get up even earlier (or pack faster).
3. Realize halfway into your trip that you have forgotten basically everything to properly groom your rabbit and scramble to remember if there is anyone going that would a) let you borrow some stuff and b) not judge you for having a brain fart.
4. Realizing you forgot the *%$^&*! tattooer and must now beg, plead and pledge your allegiance to the first kind soul that lets you use theirs. Bonus if they offer to tattoo for you (you are now and forever indebted)! As a last resort, you scrounge up money and pray you can afford another one. All this because you either couldn't be bothered at home or literally forgot and didn't realize your nicest rabbit had naked ears.
5. You packed snacks and drinks and either a) still decide a hot meal is better than the swill you packed or b) forget them in your haste to not miss the cutoff for day of show.
6. Think you can master expertly organizing your rabbits in carriers with ZERO prep time. Instead, you just load and go, and they are in complete disarray when you go to put them on the table.
7. Realize that half your entries are now blowing their coats because, of course, the weather is being an @$$^%*( and can't stay steady for longer than 5 hours.
8. Readily agree to share a room to save money only to realize too late that you have nighttime issues and don't really like sharing a room. This will promptly lead to a panic attack that you will spend the next however long talking yourself down from over and over.
9. Become so proficient that you have wittled down your show necessities to fit neatly on the way to the show, that you don't ever bother to photograph it beforehand as reference for the end of the day when you are tired, cranky, hungry and your last working brain cell is screaming for mercy.
10. Resolving to organize stuff neatly in the car so you won't lose anything and promptly throwing all your stuff in the car you so can "just leave!" - but it was fun!
2. Resolve to fill up the gas tank in the vehicle the night before (because it was easier that one time you remembered) only to realize you forgot and now have to get up even earlier (or pack faster).
3. Realize halfway into your trip that you have forgotten basically everything to properly groom your rabbit and scramble to remember if there is anyone going that would a) let you borrow some stuff and b) not judge you for having a brain fart.
4. Realizing you forgot the *%$^&*! tattooer and must now beg, plead and pledge your allegiance to the first kind soul that lets you use theirs. Bonus if they offer to tattoo for you (you are now and forever indebted)! As a last resort, you scrounge up money and pray you can afford another one. All this because you either couldn't be bothered at home or literally forgot and didn't realize your nicest rabbit had naked ears.
5. You packed snacks and drinks and either a) still decide a hot meal is better than the swill you packed or b) forget them in your haste to not miss the cutoff for day of show.
6. Think you can master expertly organizing your rabbits in carriers with ZERO prep time. Instead, you just load and go, and they are in complete disarray when you go to put them on the table.
7. Realize that half your entries are now blowing their coats because, of course, the weather is being an @$$^%*( and can't stay steady for longer than 5 hours.
8. Readily agree to share a room to save money only to realize too late that you have nighttime issues and don't really like sharing a room. This will promptly lead to a panic attack that you will spend the next however long talking yourself down from over and over.
9. Become so proficient that you have wittled down your show necessities to fit neatly on the way to the show, that you don't ever bother to photograph it beforehand as reference for the end of the day when you are tired, cranky, hungry and your last working brain cell is screaming for mercy.
10. Resolving to organize stuff neatly in the car so you won't lose anything and promptly throwing all your stuff in the car you so can "just leave!" - but it was fun!
Steps to Picking KEEPERS
1. Breed rabbits and get excited about the "potential".
2. Keep looking and handling the litters, unconsciously getting attached and building castles in the sky.
3. Start posing and evaluating at the age you have determined best shows you "future potential".
4. Remember #2? Those castles crumble. Resolve to never build those again. Note: this never happens because that is your favorite part of this whole crazy thing.
5. Cry because you either A) have too many grow outs, B) have too little you actually want to keep or C) hate your life because you always do this to yourself and always need a second set of eyes at this stage.
6. Go into a panic because now you have that many more rabbits to feed and can barely keep up as it is.
7. Question everything as you go through the grow outs a second time and compare notes to see if you are going nuts or if your first impression was right. At this point you declare either victory or defeat and do your 2nd cull.
8. Line up all your seniors. At this point all the "crap" and "brood" are usually gone that you don't need and you are left in despair as you are forced to make a choice between ones you like/love and realize it's like picking a favorite child/pet/furry offspring and tell yourself you are NEVER doing this again as you cry yourself to sleep and post the sale ad.
9. See the fruits of your labor when you win with homegrowns.
10. Happily plan your next set of breedings, promptly forgetting the agony of the last 6 to 8 months.
Repeat over and over.
2. Keep looking and handling the litters, unconsciously getting attached and building castles in the sky.
3. Start posing and evaluating at the age you have determined best shows you "future potential".
4. Remember #2? Those castles crumble. Resolve to never build those again. Note: this never happens because that is your favorite part of this whole crazy thing.
5. Cry because you either A) have too many grow outs, B) have too little you actually want to keep or C) hate your life because you always do this to yourself and always need a second set of eyes at this stage.
6. Go into a panic because now you have that many more rabbits to feed and can barely keep up as it is.
7. Question everything as you go through the grow outs a second time and compare notes to see if you are going nuts or if your first impression was right. At this point you declare either victory or defeat and do your 2nd cull.
8. Line up all your seniors. At this point all the "crap" and "brood" are usually gone that you don't need and you are left in despair as you are forced to make a choice between ones you like/love and realize it's like picking a favorite child/pet/furry offspring and tell yourself you are NEVER doing this again as you cry yourself to sleep and post the sale ad.
9. See the fruits of your labor when you win with homegrowns.
10. Happily plan your next set of breedings, promptly forgetting the agony of the last 6 to 8 months.
Repeat over and over.
Guide to Easy Rabbit Raising
1. Realize right off the bat that this is NOT and will NEVER be easy.
2. Buy a buck and a doe.
3. Breed said buck and doe.
4. Have a litter.
5. Realize you have now exponentially increased your feed bill and workload.
6. Question your sanity as you inevitably deal with DOAs, peanuts, hippos, stuck kits, mastitis, etc.
7. Reevaluate your life over and over after each litter.
8. Evaluate, cull, evaluate, cull, evaluate, keep, cry and breed again.
9. Find the bastard that got you into doing this in the first place and either thank them or cut them out of your life for doing this to you.
10. Still get exciting about the process because deep down you enjoy the pain.
**Your mileage may vary.
2. Buy a buck and a doe.
3. Breed said buck and doe.
4. Have a litter.
5. Realize you have now exponentially increased your feed bill and workload.
6. Question your sanity as you inevitably deal with DOAs, peanuts, hippos, stuck kits, mastitis, etc.
7. Reevaluate your life over and over after each litter.
8. Evaluate, cull, evaluate, cull, evaluate, keep, cry and breed again.
9. Find the bastard that got you into doing this in the first place and either thank them or cut them out of your life for doing this to you.
10. Still get exciting about the process because deep down you enjoy the pain.
**Your mileage may vary.