Jan's Giants

Stop SOPA!

2012-01-17T21:57:00.002-05:00

The Politics of Rabbits Pt 4

2011-11-26T16:18:00.002-05:00

After the events of the last ARBA Convention in Indianapolis, I've been thinking very long and hard about how I was going to address what happened there. Specifically, regarding the Standards Committee and the Broken English and Broken Satin Angora presentations, although I do know the Jersey Wooly and Lionhead breeders have similar issues.

Basically, our presentations, which had been gone over by experienced breeders and some notable ARBA judges, got disqualified for truly ridiculous reasons.

The Broken English Angoras went up first. The Standards Committee, showing a true lack of knowledge of - the SOP (you know, that document they're supposed to be the ultimate authoirity on?) - tried to DQ the Broken English because one pedigree had a Chocolate Tort coming out of two Fawns. Well, in Angoras, this is entirely possible. Fawn is not a dilute color in Angoras. But not in Netherland Dwarfs, so the Standards Committee tried to say the the SOP for Angoras was wrong, and therefore the DQ.

So, let me clarify that a bit for you. The Standards Committee said that IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THE ANIMALS MET THE CURRENT SOP, they were DQ'd because the current Standards Committee did not agree with the ESTABLISHED SOP for Angora Colors. Essentially, they tried to impose another breed's color definition upon us. They made no mention of any other reason, we have lots of witnesses.

I took it upon myself to go to the ARBA General Meeting, and waited patiently until the meeting was opened to questions from the floor. I raised my hand, introduced myself, and asked if the Standards Committee had the authority to impose one breed's color standards upon another breed. I was assured that this was certainly not allowed. Well, I responded, they just did, and I gave the details. I was assured that it would be looked into.

When the presenter of the Broken English went back to dispute the ruling, the color issue wasn't even mentioned. Instead, a brand-new, never before-mentioned DQ, that of the junior doe being cow-hocked, was raised. The presenter grabbed said doe and demonstrated that she was not cow-hocked, just a bit pinched, but the Standards Committee denied her appeal and that was that.

Does that seem right to you?

On to the Broken Satins. The Standards Committee went from trying to find a genetic impossibility to trying to create one. They said that a Broken Tort was really a Broken Copper. Now, said Broken Tort was out of another Broken Tort and a Broken Black. Those of us who know genetics know that that isn't possible. In fact, the rabbit in question had no eye rings and no ear lacing. The rabbit did have what could be called rings when its wool was blown into, but they were not true rings, the experienced eye could see that the young rabbit simply had a new coat growing in behind the old one. This is typical of breeds that are pluck-able, especially among young angoras, pluck-able or not.

Another NARBC member kindly consented to having her true Copper rabbit presented to the Standards Committee to show them what a real Copper looks like, but when the presenter of the Broken Satin Angoras went back to appeal, she was denied, in spite of showing them in the SOP that the rabbit did in fact meet the Tort color definition. The excuse was that this particular rabbit didn't look like her other Torts - well, of course not, they were older and their coats looked different! We never got the chance to bring the copper doe up.

So, not only do presentation rabbits have to be good to excellent representatives of their breed, now they also have to be identical as well. No difference between juniors and seniors, apparently.

Does that seem right to you?

I won't go into who these warped ideas come from. Everyone who was there and saw what went on, and saw just who could waltz in and out like they owned the place, despite not actually being on the Standards Committee, knows of whom I speak.

I think it's time the members of ARBA took back their club. It is OUR club, it does not belong to an elite few, and abuses of power cannot be tolerated. We need to either clean house, or better yet, exercise our veto power. What veto power?

Well, we can create it:

ARTICLE IX

Alterations—Amendments—Resolutions

Section 1. Any alteration of, or amendment to, the Constitution to be offered at any annual or special meeting of this Association shall be made by Resolution, in writing, signed by one hundred (100) or more members of this Association in good standing. The Resolution must be received by the ARBA Executive Director not later than 1 May, so that the signatures can be verified. Once verified by the ARBA Executive Director, a copy of the resolution must be forwarded to the ARBA Resolutions Committee no later than 10 May of the year, if it is to be
presented at the annual meeting. All resolutions are to be confined to one subject. All resolutions shall be published in the ARBA Bulletin at least forty-five (45) days in advance of the annual or special meeting at which they are to be considered, in order that members may have the opportunity to form an intelligent opinion on their
merits. The Constitution may then be amended by an affirmative two-thirds vote of all members casting votes at a regular or special meeting of the Association for a Resolution, provided that the notice of the purpose of any special meeting has been stated in the call for such special meeting.

Section 2. Any proposed change in, or amendment to, the Constitution may be submitted to the members of the Association at any time by mail ballot, to be voted upon, and the ballots counted, in the same manner as is provided for balloting for the election of officers. An affirmative two-thirds majority of the ballots cast shall be
required for passage of any proposed change or alteration.

Section 3. A Resolution adopted at an annual or special meeting of the Association shall take effect on January 1st following such annual or special meeting. Any change or alteration voted by mail ballot shall take effect sixty (60) days after the date of certification by the Election Committee.

So, we can pass a Resolution giving the membership veto power over the decisions of the Standards Committee.

Thoughts?

Show Rabbit Protection Society group

2011-09-24T13:00:00.001-04:00

The SRPS now has its own Yahoo group where you can ask questions and get answers regarding the Society's purpose, goals, and how you can help.

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/showrabbitprotectionsociety/

Support Debe Bell!

2011-09-13T20:01:00.000-04:00

> I have the official word to let anyone/everyone know about the hearing on
> the 21st, Judge Green courtroom 1 at 9:30 am. Our attorney figures that
> several house rabbit society people will be there, animal control and
> foothills as well as a lot of DA's to try to show me as a wacked out
> hoarder, etc. So, we need lots of bodies. Call and/or email anyone that
> is interested in supporting our agricultural rights. Full scale,
> facebook, whatever....the more the merrier!
> Thanks
> Debe
>

Even if you don't live in Colorado, please forward this to any you know that
lives in the area and might be interested in supporting Debe.

Even if you don't own rabbits, if you live in the Denver area and support our right to breed animals, PLEASE SHOW UP AND SHOW SUPPORT!!!

God Bless the USA

2011-09-11T09:27:00.002-04:00

http://youtu.be/tNqUORIFV4I

Show Rabbit Protection Society

2011-09-04T17:51:00.001-04:00

http://showrabbitprotectionsociety.webs.com/

Show Rabbit Protection Society first formed in response to the heartbreaking case of Debe Bell of Colorado, who had a sudden raid on her farm while away at work, with a tip phoned in anonymously to a reward hotline offering $2,000 dollars cash for animal abuse tips. Debe has no idea who the person was, and there are other obvious problems with the case as well. But in any case, her 193 rabbits were removed by Animal Control and House Rabbit Society to the animal shelter. Debe was then informed that the cost of keeping the rabbits in the shelter would be $5.00 per day per rabbit until her case was decided. This was over a month ago now, and she still has not been to court or convicted of anything at all.

It would have cost Debe $815.00 a day to keep her beloved rabbits x minimum of 30 days so far= $24,450.00 per month. Considering Debe is not a rich person and also was encumbered with the expense of hiring an attorney, she did the only thing she could do...turned over ownership of her beloved pedigreed show stock, grand champions as well, that she has been working with for 28 years to Jefferson County Animal Control who packed them off to House Rabbit Society among others. Debe has now watched all of her beautiful beloved show stock neutered/spayed and put up for adoption to who knows what kind of homes on Petfinder.org.

I got to thinking this is a situation in which the accused is sentenced prior to ever entering the courtroom. She will never see her bunnies again, has lost the stock she loved the most, her reputation is destroyed, her privacy invaded by strangers, but most of all, considering the number of rescues performed by rabbit rescuers from their own foster homes and adoptive homes, Debe has no way of knowing if her precious rabbits will be abused, neglected, starved, dropped, suffer injuries or turn out well. And what an excruciating ordeal for any rabbit owner who finds each and everyone of their own bunnies coming up for adoption to who knows where on Petfinder.org when they themselves have not even been tried, charged or convicted of anything simply because the impound fees are so enormous.

I have no intention of arguing the correctness of the charges, whether or not Debe Bell raised her rabbits properly or not. She has already been tried in the court of public opinion and for some she is innocent and some she is guilty.

My intention is to try and make it possible for show rabbits to be held in trust by experienced breeders, at no charge to the accused, until their case is resolved. If guilty, no harm has been done to the rabbits, they can continue their career after their foster home adopts them out to other show rabbit homes still intact, still able to produce. If innocent, the poor breeder can have at least their stock back. It will be up to them to repair the trauma, the reputation loss and so, but at least the rabbits will be well cared for in the show manner they are used to and not packaged up incorrectly by well meaning but completely inexperienced volunteers from some newly formed rescue group.

Whether people want to face it or not, more abuse of rabbits occurs within foster homes of rescue societies than it does anywhere else. The foster homes are emotionally pressured into taking way more rabbits than they legally, financially or physically can have, and the foster homes are only inspected by each individual society they belong to anyway, thereby skirting any intervention by legitimate animal control.

Not many show rabbit breeders I know want their beloved rabbits in those types of hidden hands.

So we have formed our charitable association to solicit funds, tax exemptions pending our 501c3 status, to help pay breeder impound costs. We have formed to create a network of experienced show rabbit breeders that are members of ARBA to care for the rabbits in the manner show rabbits are cared for and to hold the rabbits in trust until the final disposition of the accused breeder's case.

We operate completely independently of any other animal group, either for or against animal rights, for or against farms, breeders. We tried to solicit the interest of active dog breeders and other rescue societies, only to find ourselves bogged down in a disgusting swamp of political maneuvering, propaganda, infighting, power plays, gossip, demands we become vegans, demands we support PETA, arguments over which species was most important, and calls for Obama's birth certificate all wrapped into one blathering Tower of Babel. After we were called Nazi's by both sides of the animal rights equation, we decided to simply maintain our integrity, reject all propaganda for or against the preservation of show rabbit stock and domestic animals period, abandon all other pro breeder/animal rights radical groups as emotionally disturbed and keep our eye very simply on protecting show rabbits in trouble.

We promise to do what is within our legal area to do to keep the rabbits unsold, unaltered, and show ready until we either return them to the breeder if allowed or put them up for adoption ourselves.

Won't you support us in this fight to end the devastation of overly severe financial care costs to show rabbit owners and breeders and the trauma to the rabbits in inexperienced hands?

Join us on Facebook.

Plausible Deniability

2011-08-23T19:56:00.006-04:00

So, re: The Debe Bell Debacle:

I contacted Colorado Crime Stoppers, complaining about the way the Debe Bell case was handled. This is the response I got:

larry wieda

To jansgiants@hotmail.com

Good Morning. Not sure why you sent this to Colorado State Crime Stoppers? We do not pay rewards or reveive tips. What Crime Stopper program are you talking about? Please advise.

From: jansgiants@hotmail.com
To: board@coloradostatecrimestoppers.com
Subject: rabbit seizure in Colorado
Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 07:03:22 -0400

Hello,

I'm emailing you to voice my concern about how your program was used to falsely accused a successful and highly respected breeder of show rabbits in Jefferson County, Colorado.

First allow me to introduce myself. My name is Janet Gruber, and I am President of the United Angora Rabbit Club. I am also a Director of the National Angora Rabbit Breeders Club. I am also someone who has in the past been falsely accused of animal abuse myself. Fortunately for me, my local sheriffs are farmers and know proper animal care when they see it. Nothing ever came of it for me.

Unfortunately that was not the case for Debe Bell. When the House Rabbit Society (which is not an animal welfare organization, it is an animal rights organization, entirely different goals altogether) showed up at her property and were allowed entry by a roommate, the first thing they did was to turn off the air conditioning to her barn. Then they started removing perfectly healthy rabbits, in fact the 'technicians" involved even remarked about how healthy they seemed. A neighbor called Debe at work when she saw what was going on, and Debe rushed home. Upon arrival, she was threatened and intimidated into signing the rabbits over to HRS. After a couple of hours of no air conditioning, they then took the temperature with a faulty thermometer that Debe had lying around, and it showed 84 degrees. Not only is this not too hot for the rabbits, but witnesses say that it was actually not that warm at all.

The long-haired rabbits have since been shaved down to the skin, supposedly because HRS says they were matted and dirty, witnesses say they were not, At any rate, the evidence has been tampered with and now Debe can't prove they weren't. They are now in totally inappropriate conditions, double up in dog crates, sitting in shavings and their own excrement instead of on wire floors like they should be. They are also being fed an entirely inappropriate diet, which will sicken and possibly kill them, and the HRS will use that as proof that they were sick to begin with. The media took the HRS' word for the "deplorable" conditions, which did not in fact exist. Debe's rabbits were housed in spacious cages with wire floors, all their droppings fell into pans under the cages, they were not present int he cages themselves, contrary to the news report. Those of us familiar with the situation are pretty sure she was 'turned in" by a jealous fellow rabbit breeder, we know who it was but we just can't prove it. This person has been trying to make trouble for Debe for years now.

In short, no crime was committed until Crime Stoppers created one. An innocent person's right to unreasonable search and seizure was violated, she was blackmailed, her rabbits stolen from her, and her good name maligned. She now has to screen her phone calls and is being harassed.

I understand that you were warned this would happen. Well, shame on you! I wonder, how much did you pay this anonymous tipster? Now that this has happened, what are you going to do to prevent it from happening again? And why on Earth did you get the House Rabbit Society involved?

Needless to say, I think you should be sued. I hope Debe pursues this, and I wish her luck. There is talk about creating a legal fund for her. She is not in this alone.

Sincerely,

Janet Gruber

I responded that this was given to me as the address responsible for the program, and got no further response.

Today, I contacted the Colorado Attorney General because clearly, Debe's Constitutional rights had been violated. Here is the result, I have yet to hear back from my response:

The local DA is ignoring the violations and is pressing charges based on illegally obtained evidence. Who, then can she turn to if not the CO Attorney general? Are you essentially saying that there is no oversight of local law enforcement?

Funny, CO CrimeStoppers also denies any responsibility, even though it was an anonymous CrimeStoppers tip that started all of this. Funny how no one wants to help the little guy here.

Janet Gruber

From: Attorney.General@state.co.us
To: jansgiants@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: Violation of Debe Bell's Constitutional Rights
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2011 22:21:06 +0000

The Office of the Attorney General has no authority over local law enforcement or Colorado’s locally elected sheriffs. You need to contact your local district attorney’s office.

From: Janet Gruber [mailto:jansgiants@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 4:09 PM
To: Attorney General
Subject: Violation of Debe Bell's Constitutional Rights

Debe Bell, a long-time and well-respected rabbit breeder in Colorado, had her climate-controlled barn raided because of an 'anonymous tip'. It seems her barn was '4 degrees above the ideal' and she had some butchered rabbits in the freezer. OH MY!

http://www.9news.com/news/article/209235/339/200-rabbits-seized-from-deplorable-conditions

Sheriffs entered her property illegally, she was not there to give them access, and proceeded to trample all over her rights. Yes, 4 cages out of 184 were dirty, but she and her 4-H kids were going to address those cages that weekend, I believe this, because if she wasn't keeping up with things, there would have been a lot more than 4 dirty cages. The House Rabbit Society, a notorious ANIMAL RIGHTS organization, led the raid. The HRS is allied with PETA, a group that has been placed on the terrorism watch list by the USDA.

This has gotten national attention, and needs to be investigated. The sheriffs involved need to be disciplined. Animal Rights organizations cannot be allowed to dictate what proper livestock care is.

Janet Gruber

I also emailed (via a website contact program) the governor's hotline and the local Jefferson County Internal Investigations. I have heard nothing back from either.

It seems that nobody wants to take responsibility for the violation of Debe's Constitutional rights. I guess Debe, an ordinary citizen simply living her life and wishing everyone else would do the same, is somehow unworthy of protection? If so, how would the rest of us fare? This makes me very sad, and very fearful for our country.

Pics of Six Bells Rabbitry

2011-08-20T11:54:00.002-04:00

Try this Facebook link to an open group and see if you can scroll through the pics. One of the Jefferson County pics is there, of a dirty cage with a litter in it, also there is the one pic they let Debe take before they threatened to ‘haul her away’, and the rest she took after the raid. Notice in all but the one JeffCo pic, the cage floors are clean.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=129276657167682&set=o.125157017579447&type=1&theater

Now I understand that there are those who might not keep that many rabbits, who might find even these pics objectionable, but you’d also find most dairies objectionable within a hour after milking and cleaning. Personally, I find it remarkable that 184 cages look this good. I think it’s a testament that Debe is a good caretaker and her 4-H kids do a good job helping her out. What a shame that all their rabbits were stolen, and 30 years of Debe’s work has been for nothing, all for 3 dirty cages, when a simple warning and follow-up inspection would have prevented this.

This Means War follow-up

2011-08-19T00:13:00.003-04:00

I am simply amazed at the willingness of some so-called rabbit breeders to accept at face-value a VERY FEW photos taken by the HRS, claiming to be representative of Debe Bell's rabbitry, when Debe herself was threatened by deputies from taking her own photos. Why would they prohibit Debe, and the local news station from going in and taking photos, but not the HRS, an un-abashed Animal Rights organization?

And why did the local news stations ignore a subsequent invitation from Debe to take video footage?

Debe did not have access to her own barn until late that night, after all the rabbits had been seized and everyone left. So, people who wonder why she didn't clean the food and water bowl out have, and have had, the answer, she wasn't allowed to, but they ignore that. WHY??!!

I am simply flabbergasted that some people actually think that because 3-5 cages out of 184 had poop piled up in them, that this makes the breeder abusive. Never mind that the rabbits in question had the entire rest of the cage to hang out in, never mind that the rabbits inhabiting those cages were happy, bright-eyed, and healthy. Never mind any of that. Those very few cages were not in perfect condition, so therefore she must be guilty.

I'm ashamed, embarrassed, and fearful for my hobby.

This Means War!

2011-08-17T20:56:00.002-04:00

http://www.khow.com/cc-common/podcast/single_page.html?podcast=fullshow_boyles&selected_podcast=08172011PETE6A.mp3

Above is the link to Talk Radio 630's Peter Boyle's interview with Debe Bell regarding the recent raid of her rabbitry. There are 3 parts, and I believe discussion and calls continue into the next show. Anyway, it's very educational, and it points up the fact that the animal industry is in danger of being outlawed, and if we don't do something, we are all at risk.

What we need to do, collectively as rabbit breeders and enthusiasts, is to educate the public regarding PROPER rabbit care, and to educate our local law enforcement as to Constitutional Law. Yes, it is a challenge, but the alternative is to give up our hobby/livelihood.

This goes beyond breed loyalties. We ALL need to band together and declare war on all those Animal Rights idiots who seem to loathe Humanity's very existence, and make it clear that Humans have the right to breed and harvest animals to feed and clothe our families. There is nothing illegal, immoral, or unethical about it, and those who try to make it illegal are in direct violation of the Constitution of the United States of America, which guarantees an individual's right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Not to mention protection from illegal search and seizure.

I have taken my website down. I'll still keep my blog, but from this point forward I will not, under any circumstances, ever sell any rabbit to anyone I don't know personally. No one I don't know personally will ever visit my barn, which has been moved to a secure location away from my home. So don't even ask.

It's a dirty, rotten shame that I have to go to such lengths to protect my animals from people who claim to love animals. But look what happened to Debe's babies. Sickening. Disgusting. Wrong. Then there's the fact that 12 of the animals seized, spayed/neutered, and being sold, actually belonged to 4-H kids. Then photos were posted, narrowly cut to show 3 cages in their worst possible light. No information on if those cages was occupied by, say, litters of 8, no mention that litters like to poop and pee in their food and water dishes. Those of us who breed rabbits know this, the public doesn't, and that's what these folks are counting on. Lack of knowledge and experience. No mention that some of the rabbits shown were recent rescues, dropped off on Debe's doorstep. No mention that a white angora can look like that after one night in a transport cage (or in a dog crate sitting in its own urine and feces, like these rabbits were kept in after their seizure). No way to know when or where these photos were actually taken. No redness, no matting shown that prevented urination and/or defecation like the authorities claim.

We're being sold a package of goods, and those of us who lack knowledge, experience, and/or skepticism are falling for it.

About so-called 'Rabbit Rescues'

2011-08-15T20:24:00.002-04:00

I don't know about you all, but this has been bothering me for some time now. These so-called rabbit rescue groups, who literally steal perfectly happy, healthy rabbits from breeders, then beg money from the public and ultimately 'adopt' (read: SELL) them out to the public - assuming for one moment that these rabbits actually did need 'rescued' (and from recent events that is indeed a pretty big assumption); wouldn't the money that is begged, borrowed, and stolen in order to support said rabbits in even worse conditions from that which they were 'rescued' from, be better spent on hungry children? Wouldn't the humane butchering of these supposedly 'thousands' of homeless bunnies, and the distribution of the extremely healthy meat thereof to hungry children, make a lot more sense?

Or are bunnies more important than children?

"Spenditol"

2011-08-13T12:03:00.001-04:00

http://youtu.be/dBoYYc1APr8

HSUS conflicting with USDA-APHIS? Say it ain't so!

2011-08-12T23:54:00.001-04:00

http://www.kennelspotlight.com/HAS_HSUS_HIJACKED_APHIS.pdf

Another target

2011-08-09T23:07:00.001-04:00

Apparently Bunny World Foundation (an Animal Rights organization, as opposed to animal welfare) has targeted my good friend Franco Rios.http://www.facebook.com/index.php?lh=a782d73e668414b3cb60f6b20894d6d0&#!/pages/Bunny-World-Foundation/125339407504490

A success story

2011-08-03T19:48:00.002-04:00

I've been getting a lot of emails, some of them very surprising, all positive, regarding my posts on the HRS and the plight of Debe Bell. One of my friends gave me permission to pass this story along:

"I am so shocked to read the report. They are accusing her of being a hoarder and stuff. That is horrible. Thank you for posting on this situation. I tell you, I am afraid now. Just early this month, I had a person that lives few blocks away from our new property go into my acre and intimidate my youngest son, J-----. Luckily, he left a card so I called him and he told me that my two horses were "emaciated and dying". He then said, "I am willing to help you, my wife and I are vet technicians, give them to me and I won't call SPCA on you." Well, I freaked out, told him, let me think on it and I'll call you back. The next day I went to the Sheriff's office and filed a complaint on him and he is barred from coming into my property--he will be arrested. They checked my horses and said they are NOT emaciated and they know that I have hay, feed, and bread, water, and other stuff and my horses have good weight. One of them is a thoroughbred, so keeping weight on him is tougher, but he is doing well. "

Fortunately the sheriffs where my friend lives, like my own local sheriffs, know livestock and what constitutes good care. The problems start when law enforcement officers, for whatever reason, buy into the idea that animals require the same or better standard of care as most humans. When this occurs, those who are sworn to serve and protect us wind up serving and protecting the wrong people.

Responsible Animal Owners Legal Defense Trust

2011-08-02T18:17:00.000-04:00

From my friend Joyce:

We have received many inquiries as to how people can help Debe Bell with her legal defense bills in fighting her animal cruelty charges with Jefferson County. This was an attack on all rabbit breeders and it could happen to any one of us at any time. Debe intends to fight the charges and takes particular issue with the way the rabbits were seized and taken from her. The House Rabbit Society has been given too much power and is now "the voice" for responsible rabbit ownership with animal control and the DA's office. We as rabbit breeders from the show community need to take a stand with Debe in setting the record straight and protecting our rights to own and breed rabbits as livestock. Any amount you can give is greatly appreciated and will be paid directly to Debe's attorney, Liz Kearney.

I have set up a trust account with Chase Bank and can receive donations by paypal https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=7YMB43ZDLELQS&lc=US&item_name=Responsible%20Animal%20Owners%20Defense%20Trust&currency_code=USD&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF%3abtn_donateCC_LG%2egif%3aNonHosted

or by mail;

Responsible Animal Owners Legal Defense Trust

c/o Joyce Holliday

PO Box 1287

Berthoud, CO 80513

If you have any questions or concerns or want to know further details you can respond to this email address. Please forward to anyone you think may be interested in donating.

Thank you,

Joyce Holliday

Rabbit Education Society

2011-07-27T22:38:00.002-04:00

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Rabbit-Ed-Society/

If you want to know what is REALLY best for your bunnies, instead of the politically-correct Vegan Bull$hit espoused by the ASPCA, HSUS, and the House Rabbit Society, get the scoop from experienced breeders of rabbits, before it's outlawed.

The House Rabbit Society

2011-07-24T19:16:00.002-04:00

Many of you may be familiar with the state of Animal Rights legislation in this country, and many of you may not. Essentially, organizations like PETA and the HRS have somehow become the 'authorities' regarding animal welfare. These organizations regard abuse as:

1. Breeding animals - for profit or otherwise

2. Eating animals

3. Treating animals as livestock

4. Housing your animals outside our home

5. Not treating animals as human beings

If these organizations have their way, no one will be able ever get a pet except from approved shelters, and those who do get pets will have to submit to ridiculous requirements in order to get them.

Things like 4-H, a healthy activity for young people that teaches responsible livestock management, will be a thing of the past. Eating meat will become either illegal, or so expensive as to make it beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. Animal fiber will meet the same fate. Both these organizations oppose the 'exploitation' of animals. They'll do anything to achieve their goals, including infiltrating organizations that traditionally have supported the livestock industries, including the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association).

A case in point is Debe Bell, a long-time and well-respected rabbit breeder in Colorado, whose climate-controlled barn was recently raided because of an 'anonymous tip'. It seems her barn was '4 degrees above the ideal' and she had some butchered rabbits in the freezer. OH MY!

http://www.9news.com/news/article/209235/339/200-rabbits-seized-from-deplorable-conditions

The media naturally took the HRS' words as gospel and their report made it seem as if the poor rabbits were living in feces, when in fact the feces were appropriately residing in the trays below the cages. They also reported a small amount of dead rabbits being seized, accidentally leaving out that these were butchered rabbits they grabbed from her freezer.

The HRS intimidated Debe into signing over the rabbits, who are being sheared to the skin. In other words, they are destroying the evidence that the rabbits were in fact well cared for. Those of us who breed Angoras for wool know that even well-bred rabbits will have a mat here or there. But does the local magistrate know this? Probably not, and that's what these terroristic organizations are counting on.

They count on the fact that most Americans are so far removed from the fiber/food chain that we won't recognize a healthy animal when we see one, and will ASSUME that an angora with a mat here or there is being neglected. They count on the average American being horrified at the thought of eating a bunny. And you know what? So far, they're right.

These people have seized these rabbits, put them on a totally inappropriate diet, and rabbits will die in their care, and they'll use this in court to prove how 'sick' the rabbits were. They'll also shear the angoras down to the skin and throw away the evidence, so Debe will have no way of proving that she did not neglect them. These are their tactics, and in any other case, it would be considered tampering with the evidence and would be thrown out of court. They get around that by having an AR-friendly veterinarian claim that it was necessary because the rabbits were so dirty. How convenient!

We have to do something about this! All people who breed animals for fiber, food profit, whatever, need to band together and stop this violation of our Constitutionally guaranteed right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If people out there regard their pets as the same as humans, fine, that is their right, but their rights end when they try to impose their opinions on the rest of us via legislation, lawsuits, harassment, and other means they use to force their views upon the rest of humanity.

There is nothing illegal, immoral, or unethical about breeding animals for profit. It's about time we banded together and fought for our rights. We shouldn't have to, but we obviously do.

Heat and bunnies

2011-07-22T19:38:00.002-04:00

My outdoor cages are under deep shade, but even so I have hiding boxes in them so the bunnies can go still darker. Out of all the babies born this Spring I kept just two, one of them does have a dropped ear, but I'm not going to hold that against her, she's just that good, and the Spring and Summer here have been that hot. The other has a killer body, and very nice wool, but has some 'normal' fur on her front paws. It's still long, but not wooly. Fortunately I have the perfect buck to breed her to when she comes of age.

The indoor bunnies (I might add that even the outdoor bunnies were indoors today) are mostly older bucks and show prospects. Yes, I do have a few REWs, but their numbers are dwindling. Black has taken over the rabbitry.

Some of my bunnies refuse to go near the frozen 2-liter bottles of water I provide for them. I can usually train them by allowing them to suffer the consequences of their bias, then putting them in a small transport cage where they can't get away from the bottle, and by this time they're too hot to care. They learn to appreciate the bottle. From that point forward, they plop down next to it as soon as I put it in their cages. However, this is only effective if you're around to monitor them while they are 'in training'.

Some never do learn to go to the bottle, and those either die or get eaten. I know that sounds cruel, but let's face it, when you're trying to breed a better rabbit, you have to take more into consideration than just conformation, wool production, and color. These same rabbits, if in the wild, would get eaten by other creatures because they're just too stupid to live.

Ultimately, I want angoras that produce a reasonable amount of wool, with good color and conformation, that reproduce well and have the sense God gave - well, a rabbit.

Shearing Party

2011-06-09T21:56:00.003-04:00

Every year I hold a shearing party somewhere in the tri-state area to help newbies with their shearing skills, mainly to encourage them, because frankly all angoras look ridiculous without their wool lol! This year some good friends of mine agreed to host it for us, and even promised to host it every year if we so wish.

Anyway, we originally had about 20 attendees promised to attend, but life happens, and only four people besides myself managed to make it. We had a wonderful time! We had oodles of food, I got to demonstrate the German red clippers, we toured a nearby fiber mill, and we even sold a couple of bunnies.

I wish I had pictures to show you, but I was too busy. However, I do have some very nice bunnies to promote for a friend of mine. It turns out that a purebred black German buck of mine carries the gene for chocolate! He's managed to produce two litters this year, and in one of the litters, out of a black Giant doe bred by me, is a chocolate doe! She's really nice, I was soooo tempted to buy her myself, but I need to concentrate on blacks right now. I still may purchase her black brother. Anyway, she is for sale, and I can connect interested parties with her seller, the price is a firm $150.00 - cash.

The same sire has another litter out of a REW Giant/German cross doe. The dam is sired by Samson's Oscar, so this litter is 75% new import German, and 25% Giant. This litter has REWs, blacks, and chestnuts. Their prices are $75.00 for bucks and $100.00 for does.

Contact me if interested in any of the babies, I'll put you in touch with my friend. You can reach me at

jansgiants at hotmail dot com

Memorial Day

2011-05-28T16:23:00.000-04:00

The real reason for our holiday:

http://purduejax.org/memorial.html

Babies, babies everywhere

2011-05-22T15:32:00.004-04:00

A welcome change this year is that every single doe I bred took the first time and had litters of 8 or more! And then of course, the very best baby of all came to visit me at work:

Observations regarding Osama bin Laden's demise:

2011-05-18T20:25:00.001-04:00

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/letters/s_737533.html

1. Since the United States supposedly froze Osama bin Laden's assets after 9/11, where did the money come from to maintain bin Laden over the years since then? The key to that would reveal our truest enemy -- the one who should be taken on next.

2. Why is the capture and killing of the world's most wanted terrorist not "Bush's fault," as is everything else, according to the Obama administration?

3. Why is the Obama administration against waterboarding -- a non-life-threatening event -- and yet sees fit to shoot a terrorist in the head?

4. Being against waterboarding, why would President Obama then OK a burial for bin Laden that was actually waterboarding in the extreme? Think about it: They strapped bin Laden to a board and shoved him into the water!

Volcanic activity, Nuclear power, and weather

2011-05-01T17:58:00.002-04:00

http://blog.imva.info/world-affairs/radioactive-jet-streams

While I think (hope) this fellow is over-reacting, I'm posting this because of the point that volcanic activity has a heck of a lot more impact on our weather than we ever could. Climate change? Well of course, the climate has always changed and always will. It's the weather, that's what it does. But not because of us.

Jan and Charlotte do Nationals

2011-04-18T14:53:00.004-04:00

My good friend Charlotte and I went to the lovely town of Amana, Iowa for the NARBC National Specialty Show. Charlotte had an incredible weekend, her Pointed White French Angora Senior Doe swept the BIS's, taking BIS in both Open shows as well as the Nationals. In the picture above, she has won Best 4 Class in show A.
My Chocolate Satin Angora Senior Buck, Somerhill Banja Luka also had a good weekend, taking BOS in the two open shows.

I showed off a junior Black Giant Angora Doe, and she got great comments from everyone.

The town of Amana was simply lovely, and the local folk could not have been friendlier. Everywhere we went, young men held doors open for us, sales people and waitresses were helpful and friendly, the local shops were to die for, the folks with CRRBA could not have been nicer, all in all, a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I hope we have Nationals there again. But with better weather. The weather was the one thing that was crappy. But, what can ya do?

Needless to say, I spent way too much money. ;) I had a lot of company in that. We also had a great time getting together, our NARBC Secretary, Margaret Bartold, hosted a nice get-together in her hotel room, and we all got to sit around and enjoy each other's company.

The ARBA Convention will be held in Indianapolis this year, I hope to see many of you who couldn't make it to Nationals.

Doin' fine!

2011-03-12T14:35:00.002-05:00

Isn't that a fine sight indeed? Even the runt is fat! All broken except for one possible REW, we'll see what eye color the white one has.

"Entitlements"

2011-03-10T18:56:00.002-05:00

A number of things have got me thinking lately about the important things in life. The case of the Wisconsin politicians who fled to Illinois and the reasons they gave for doing so particularly struck me as to why this country is in the shape that it's in.

There are so many things people nowadays think we can't get along without. Computers, air conditioning, cable TV, and social welfare programs. Huh? How does that last one fit in?

Simple. My grandmother turned 100 last year. She sat at the table and reminisced about a few things, and after she'd retired for the evening her kids and grandkids sat around and talked about all the changes she'd seen in her lifetime.

When she was a kid, there was no welfare. Sure, there were soup kitchens and charities if you needed help, but mostly, if you didn't work, you didn't eat. Conversely, if you needed to eat, you could find work, it might not pay well, it might be hard work, but if you really wanted to work and eat, there was always a way. Sometimes you had to leave home and go where the work was, but it was there.

Nowadays, you go on unemployment and stay on it until you find the 'right' job. I know, because I've done it. If you don't find the 'right' job, unemployment might be extended. Or, if you're a young, pregnant mother, you can go on welfare.

Healthcare? That's a recent entitlement. It didn't exist back in Grandma's time. Of course, neither did heart transplants. Back then, if you didn't take care of yourself, or if you contracted a fatal disease, you died. Of course, most folks were too busy working for a living and cooking real food to turn into the overweight slobs most of us are (and you all know I'm overweight - although I am in better shape than my shape would lead you to believe).

Then there's our schools. We spend more and more money, and our kids get less and less education. Clearly, education and money are not linked. Think I'm wrong? Check out this link to an 8th grade exam from 1895:

http://people.moreheadstate.edu/fs/w.willis/eighthgrade.html

Now, how many computers did those kids in 1895 have? None. How many teachers? Usually one teacher taught several grades, and the older kids helped teach the younger ones. There was no teachers union, no Dept of Education, and if your kid got out of line, he got punished. He also got a quality education.

Now, why is it that kids learned so much more back then with so much less? Then tell me how cutting school budgets will hurt our children's education. Sorry, I'm not buying it. Teachers teach kids, money doesn't.

Just as you and I learn to spend our money more wisely when we have less of it, our government needs to do the same.

What is more important to you, having a fancy, late-model car, or having health insurance? Having cable TV, or an IRA? Spending money on fast-food, or sitting down at home for a healthy, less expensive, home-cooked meal with your family?

If we'd all get our heads out of our arses, and force our government to spend money responsibly, and ONLY on the things it is Constitutionally mandated to, we'd all have more money because we'd be paying fewer taxes, and we could pay for our own benefits instead of paying out the butt and holding other taxpayers essentially at gunpoint (IRS agents can carry guns now, you know!) and forcing them to pay for us.

There are very, very few things that the government can do better than individual Americans can.

So, those politicians from Wisconsin claim that budget cuts will kill the economy, ruin education, and prevent people from getting healthcare. Is this really true? Or will it simply force people to start acting in their own self-interest, which is what they should have been doing all along?

Nice day!

2011-03-08T21:10:00.003-05:00

An uplifting week, despite some - well, disappointments. Hayden Eli turned one month old this week! And, my broken Satin doe had 9 babies tonight! Not purebred, I've had trouble finding a broken Satin buck that isn't closely related to my doe, So, I bred her to a broken blue French buck. But, he wasn't just any ole buck, he came from arguably the very best lines in the country. A quick peruse of the litter revealed most, if not all to be brokens. YAY!

The disappointments this week had to do with honesty and openness versus saving face. As the leader of an organization, I am answerable to its membership. When members ask me about a very real issue that I (and others) have tried unsuccessfully to resolve, what do I tell them? That I'm not allowed to deal with the issue because I myself am not perfect? That by even inquiring about the issue I am accused of attacking the person responsible? That I myself am attacked regarding an issue that the membership itself doesn't seem to consider to be an issue? It's pretty darned frustrating to not even be able to discuss this issue.

Fortunately, I do know who my friends are. And now, also who they aren't.

Hayden and his blanket

2011-02-12T21:08:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the poor quality of the picture, phone cameras aren't the best, but here is my grandson and the angora blend blanket I made for him:

This blanket will not be used as his regular blanket. Not because it isn't safe, but because the cats love it and keep trying to spirit it away! So it will be used as a travel blanket to use as a shield when my daughter has to nurse him when away from home.

The long-awaited announcement!

2011-02-08T23:45:00.002-05:00

Introducing Hayden Eli, my new grandson. I even got to assist with his birth. :) He was born at 8:13 pm this evening, and he weighs 6 pounds 2 ounces.

Angora and infants

2010-12-30T22:44:00.002-05:00

So recently I had a rather heated discussion with some ladies in a spinning group. A couple of these ladies swear up & down that angora is dangerous to infants. Since I know families who have used angora in their baby items literally for generations, I was quite surprised. One of the ladies insisted that her own infant had "choked" on angora. I asked her if it had been imported chinese angora yarn (which is famous for shedding) or quality homespun and never did get an answer.

The reason this subject came up is that I am knitting a blanket for my first grandchild and it is an angora blend. The body is spun from angora and natural colored BFL, the border will be a satin angora and tussah silk blend. Needless to say, this will not be an 'everyday' blanket! But even so...

I did some research and found nothing indicating that angora is a danger to infants.

So, I thought I would ask all of you. Do you think angora is dangerous to infants? Mind you, it seems these days everything I ever used with my kids seems to be dangerous - how did they ever survive? But seriously, do any of you believe that an item made from well-constructed homespun angora blend would really endanger a baby?

My final decision on Purina Fibre3

2010-12-03T21:26:00.003-05:00

So, after over a year of using Purina Fibre3 and observing how my rabbits perform on it, I'm switching to Purina Show. Both have no corn, but the Show formula has 16% protein, and Fibre3 only 15%. Once upon a time, Fibre3 had 17% protein, and I was quite happy with it, but with the reduction to 15% my rabbits did not hold their condition. I think Fibre3 is a marvelous feed for those whose rabbits tend to be overweight, but it just doesn't cut it with most of mine.

I've also tried a new supplement, Dr Cheeke's YQ+. My rabbits give it mixed reviews, but most of them do eat it, especially if it is included in my mix of Calf Manna, Showbloom, and crimped oats. I was anxious to try it on a buck who came home from Convention with sneezes, because it is supposed to help with stress and illness. So far, it has made no difference on that front, but it definitely does reduce the ammonia in the urine. For that reason, I give it a thumbs-up.

I have no shows planned until the PA Convention, which I plan to attend unless the birth of my first grandchild preempts it. :)

UARC plans to have a 'fun' class for all angora varieties under CODs, specifically Black Giants, Broken English, and Broken Satins. So, if you breed those varieties, plan on showing some at the PA Convention February 5 & 6. We need to get good examples out there in front of judges and other folks. We need to educate everyone on what makes a good example of these varieties, because apparently some supposedly educated people don't have a clue. :(

Jan and Charlotte go to Convention

2010-11-13T09:35:00.002-05:00

Nope, sorry, no good pics. I was too busy, and when I did have time, my feet hurt too darned much. We must have walked at least 10 miles each day, if not more. One thing I will not do again is stay at the Hyatt - any Hyatt. I'm still waiting for the dust to settle and see what they actually charge me. I won't get into details, but we were not impressed. I think from now on we'll likely stay at a Days Inn or Best Western and drive in every day. You get a lot more for your money that way.

Luke did well, he placed 3rd in a class of 9 colored senior bucks. Had Convention been a month earlier, he might have won, but he coat was slipping too much. I'm in the process of plucking him down. I plan on plying his wool with a single of tussah silk. :)

I learned a lot from the new variety presentations. One thing I learned was to keep a camera handy and document everything. In fact, I think ARBA should have a few camcorders on hand to videotape the rabbits being handled and any faults or DQ's that are found. I think this would be very helpful to everyone in understanding what the Standards Committee is looking at and how they arrive at their decisions.

That's all for now. :)

Giant Angoras Pt IV

2010-10-31T10:32:00.004-04:00

Reproduction. It's a sore subject with some. Some folks claim not to pay much attention to it. (Yeah, right!) Some say folks who are concerned with it are trying to run "bunny mills". (Yes, that got back to me, too.)

I currently have 17 cages. Most of them I keep empty because I need them when I have litters. I currently have two breeding pairs (some bunny mill!) both of which have nice litters nursing. I also have a couple young potential breeding pairs, plus a couple good friends work with me and have some of my stock.

As many of you know, I currently hold the Certificate of Development (COD) for Black Giant Angoras. Anyone who is familiar with this process knows how long and demanding it is. I will need to make three successful presentations to the ARBA Standards Committee. The make-up of those presentations is very specific:

1st Presentation:

Senior Buck

Senior Doe

Junior Buck and Junior Doe from the above pair being bred together.

2nd and 3rd Presentations:

Senior Buck

Senior Doe

Intermediate Buck

Intermediate Doe

Junior Buck

Junior Doe

The 2nd must include at least one pair from the 1st, and the 3rd presentation must include a pair from the 1st or 2nd.

So what does this have to do with reproduction? Simple. In order to meet those requirements, my animals can't just look good and produce lots of nice wool. They have to reproduce "ON DEMAND". Not once a year, not 'maybe next year', not after some missed breedings, but when I want/need them to.

ARBA has a good reason for those requirements. It's not enough to be able to meet or even exceed a standard, all that is moot if the animal cannot reproduce itself. Reproduction is something that rabbits are supposed to do exceedingly well. Few breeders want to spend a lot of time and money on a rabbit that cannot reproduce when they want/need it to.

The momma bunny (Roberts' Mopsie) pictured up there in my banner with a litter of ten cost me $25.00. She had a successful show career, and she reproduced bountifully for myself and for the nice lady I eventually sold her to. Back then my shearing skills were definitely sub-par, but she still gave me ten ounces of prime every shearing. That's my idea of a rabbit! Her daughter from that litter exceeded her mom's performances on the show table and with shearing weights, and produced many fine litters. Her daughter performed similarly on the show table and in the breeding pen, and even once got faulted on the show table for "almost too much density". The pictured litter is the first litter from her daughter, the great-granddaughter of Mopsie, who also had a successful show career and conceived her litter in September, on the first try. :)

What's interesting about this doe is that I never sheared her until right before I bred her. I have a friend who is very successful in showing Giants who doesn't shear her juniors, so I decided to give it a try. I kept her inside all summer in the air-conditioning, and never had to groom her except behind the ears and around her vent that entire time, except when I showed her for a few BOBs in the first 2 weeks of September. Her show coat gave me 15 ounces of prime, plus about 4 ounces that I chopped up and kept to use in her nestbox when I clean it out.

Anyway, I just wanted to put out there why I feel reproduction is such an important characteristic to keep track of and breed for. :)

Jan and Charlotte do Rhinebeck

2010-10-17T15:57:00.003-04:00

My good friend Charlotte, who has some of the best French Angoras in the country, accompanied me to Rhinebeck this year. We went to pick up a doe from another good friend, Amy Spang. The chocolate doe is a daughter of JG's Milo, a black Giant buck, and one of Amy's excellent does. Amy is working on developing her own Giant line, and this doe will contribute to my Otter Giant line. I named her Nellie, because she is a "nervous Nellie", although now that she is snug in her own cage she has calmed down considerably and is even approaching "friendly".

I came home with some marvelous, "AMERICAN-MADE" !!!! square knitting needles made by my friend Terry Kunst of Twin Ponds Farm. These needles are made from recycled wood and will be knitting a luscious 2-ply yarn of natural colored BFL and chocolate angora, resulting in a baby blanket for my first-born grandbaby, due on Valentine's Day. :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Can you tell I'm happy?

Painesville UARC Specialty

2010-10-10T09:09:00.003-04:00

The UARC Specialty at Painesville went off well. We didn't have as many entrants as we would have liked, Pam Barnes got started late and was en-route, others had previous commitments, but we still had 29 entries and made a small profit for the club.

No Giants were entered, and I had the only Satin. Nancy James took BOB and BOS English, and Tina Vance took BOB and BOS French, plus BIS!

It was a real pleasure getting to know Maureen Varvir better. She wrote for the NE Ohio Open show, and helped me write for the LGR&CC, Wool-A-Rama, and UARC Specialty shows. She's a very nice lady, and her English doe had a phenomenal coat, she swept the BOB English in the other shows.

I also got to meet Barb Gaul, a very nice lady and fairly new breeder who has French and Satins.

There was a horse show going on next door, so there was plenty of visiting back and forth, and we may have sparked some new interest in rabbit breeding. :)

Luke's litter arrived while we were at the show, 7 babies, all alive and snug in a perfectly constructed nest. There *might* be a dilute in the litter. There are at least 3 brokens, and colors appear to be blacks, chocolates, and torts.

Luke's Banner Day

2010-10-03T13:56:00.003-04:00

Somerhill Banja Luka (aka "Luke"), our Satin Angora buck, had a banner day for the most part yesterday at the Blennerhassett and UARC shows, taking BOS in the UARC show and BOB in the Blennerhassett Open show. He won his class in the Jackson show, but lost further honors to a really nice junior buck owned by my friend Annette at Lilac Haven, you can check him out here.

Luke will be a father soon with a nice broken doe I got from Joan Hastings. :)

Giant Angoras Pt III

2010-09-30T18:55:00.005-04:00

Crossbreeding with other Angoras. Why do it? Well, some folks want to increase wool production in their Satins, French, and English, but retain the fine texture and other characteristics which make their breeds special. Giant breeders want to bring in colors. Actually, Giants have always come in colors - but that will be another post. :)

I've kept in touch with quite a few breeders who have crossed other Angora breeds in with their Giants for different reasons. Some people had French who were constantly going overweight, and Giants who were constantly underweight. Seems like a good idea, except that there is a difference in wool types, and French are medium-boned, you want a bigger boned breed if you are trying to improve your Giants. However, careful selection and culling certainly can result in a better Giant from this cross. Some people had English and wanted faster coat growth. Unfortunately, this cross usually results in loss of the lovely, soft texture of the English. It also softens the texture of the Giant. But again, careful selection and culling can bring the best of the two together. I personally like my Giants a little softer than what has become the norm.

By far the most popular crosses between Angora breeds are French/Satin and German/Giant. I won't go into the former, since it doesn't involve Giants, but I've done a whole lot of the latter, with mixed results. The following is MY OPINION, based on MY EXPERIENCE. Your mileage may vary.

The older German lines in this country, pre-2002 imports, benefited my Giants enormously. So did the first crosses with the 2002 imports. Then things started going wrong - at least with fertility and sickness - when I got really serious and chucked most of my older bloodlines for the 2006 imports. My opinion is the increased density (and documented coarseness) of the wool in the import bloodlines resulted in increased body temperature, similar to that of a fat (obese) rabbit. Fat rabbits don't breed well and aren't healthy, and neither did/were my rabbits, the more import blood they had. I looked at feed, I looked at housing, I looked at air quality, I looked at everything, until eventually I realised that none of those factors had changed, but the rabbits had. I've since gotten back to my older bloodlines, thanks to several satisfied customers, and my rabbits are breeding again. :) I have not totally abandoned the import bloodlines, the bucks usually perform well, and I still have one doe and one buck from them, but I've yet to get babies from either. Maybe because I'm breeding them together? I dunno.

So lately I've been using fuzzy French Lops for color and size, my old bloodlines for density and texture, and my Otter line to improve color. My Otter line tends to be small, soft textured, but incredible bodies and color. The plan is to blend the three bloodlines and wind up with the perfect colored Giant. My Blacks are there, the Otters are close behind. I've also brought some very successful REW Giant lines in.

Edit - I forgot to put my conclusion in regarding crossing Giants and Germans. :)

My conclusion is, a little bit of German blood is very beneficial. More than that, and you start having issues. My advice is to get a really good buck, use him a couple of times, then keep him around as a wooler.

Next installment - Colored Giants, genetics and history.

Giant Angoras - Pt II

2010-09-21T17:20:00.002-04:00

Crossbreeding. It is how the Giant Angora came into being. Without going into politics, suffice it to say that Louise Walsh had to come up with a bigger rabbit, so she looked in her barn, and the 2 best bucks she had at the time were a Flemish Giant and a French Lop. The results are a matter of history, the Giant Angora was accepted as a breed in 1988.

Over the years, due in part to the rarity of the breed, people have attempted to re-create them. I've done it, too. Satin Angoras are another breed often subject to crossbreeding. While not a bad idea to bring genetic diversity into the breeds, and to improve body type, many breeders have had issues with "wool depression" in the early generations.

I used Tans to bring the Tan Pattern into my Giants. Those early generations definitely had issues with molting and wool block (not to mention temperament!). However, when I bred Thriantas in, I did not have the wool block problem, although they did molt. Nor did I experience it when I used fuzzy French Lops (the wool gene exists in the breed). Why, I wondered? I know at least some people have also had the issue when using New Zealands and Satins.

I *think* the answer has to do with flyback vs rollback coats.

My *opinion* is that breeds with flyback coats should not be bred into angoras except for terminal crosses for meat. Or, the best shorthaired babies should be kept for breeding and the wooled babies culled for at least a generation or two to give the gut, which seems to be narrower in breeds with flyback coats, time to expand.

Breeds with rollback coats have longer hair, and they molt, and I believe their guts have adapted to it. Now, I have no scientific evidence to prove this, simply things that have been discussed between myself and other angora breeders who have had experience with crossbreeding.

Brian Hartzell agreed with me on this, and he often stopped me at shows to ask how my Giants were coming along. When he judged some of my 1/4 French Lop. 3/4 German "Giants", he got even more excited that I was about them. I'm not exaggerating, I have witnesses, lol.

So my recommendation is, if you want to crossbreed because you're having difficulty finding good examples of your breed at an affordable price and within reasonable driving distance, it's not a bad idea. Just think about these considerations:

1. Don't try to pass them off as purebreds unless and until the crosses are off the pedigree

2. Use breeds with rollback coats if you can

3. If you can't, wait at least a couple of generations before you start keeping wooled babies

4. Select for non-matting coats that don't molt

And just a couple more thoughts:

1. For Giants, select a breed that has heavy, not medium bone. Ears and shoulders are easier to breed out than sore hocks.

2. Wool has more points than type.

3. I'm not being critical of anyone, just passing on information that may or may not be helpful

4. If someone you know has already crossbred in the breed you are interested in, by all means take advantage of their hard work! No need to reinvent the wheel!

That's all, folks! :)

Giant Angoras PT I

2010-09-15T20:20:00.003-04:00

A reader asked if I could post more about Giants. I've written a few posts of their origin, and their close relation to Germans, so I'll skip that this time around.

The thing that distinguishes Giants the most from the English, Satin, and French is their coat. They have 3 types of hair in their coat. First is the thick, straight guard hair, which supports and extends up over the wool, giving the rabbit a halo effect. Second is the awn fluff, which is sort of half-way between a guard hair and under wool. It has a guard hair tip, but is very wavy and finer than the guard hair. Last is the underwool, fine, crimpy, soft, and dense.

Technically, all angoras have awn fluff, but Giants and Germans have more of it.

Another distinguishing factor is size. The minimum weight for Giant bucks is 9 1/2 pounds, the minimum for does is 10 pounds. In order to get that weight, or better yet more, you need bone. I've read from several good sources that short, wide feet indicate good bone, and since I started paying attention to that, I think I agree.

Being large rabbits with heavy coats, you can literally get a pound of wool from one clipping. Personally, I prefer a somewhat softer, finer coat, but I still get nearly a pound of wool per clipping.

Currently, Giants are showable only in Ruby Eyed White (REW), or albino. Colors are being worked on, and I have been notified that my Certificate of Development for Blacks has been accepted. My first presentation will be at the 2012 ARBA Convention. Wish me luck!

Next post will be about cross-breeding, something I have a lot of experience with.

Above is JG's Princess Clover right after winning 2 BOB's during a trip to New York.

If Islam is a religion of peace...

2010-08-25T22:06:00.003-04:00

... why is it that they don't police themselves? Why are they putting up mosques where they aren't wanted or needed, instead of banding together and attacking the terrorists within them?

So I wanted to elaborate on this further. Do I hate Islam? No. I do not respect it, however. I've seen the videos by major news networks of Iraqis and Afghanis - among others - who teach their children in school about how evil the US is. They go right on camera and freely profess it. We, OTOH, do not teach our children that people different from us are evil, nor do we teach that Islam is evil. We don't have to. The terrorists do a fine job of that all by themselves.

Occasionally some idiot will point out atrocities performed supposedly - and in some cases really - in the name of Christianity. Hundreds of years ago. We outgrew that phase. Once in a great while some idiot will blow up an abortion clinic. Yet, even though most of us abhor abortion, the perpetrator is arrested and brought to justice. We don't glorify them, we're ashamed of them. That's probably why it seldom happens.

OTOH, there are extensive lists of terroristic acts in many countries performed in the name of Allah, and these terrorists are heroes in their countries. Especially if the acts of terrorism are against the US.

Check out this site: http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/

Read through the entire site, you might not agree with everything, but it is nevertheless very thorough and damning, even if only a fraction of it is true. And it's way more than a fraction that is true.

Anyway, if Islam wants to impress upon Americans how peaceful a religion it is, it needs to quit forcing itself upon people, even if it is legal, and Islamic countries need to band together and annihilate terrorism within their ranks. Until they do, they are and will be part of the problem.

New discovery

2010-08-21T21:30:00.002-04:00

A good friend of mine has a set-up at the local farmer's market. While perusing her wares, I asked about the felted alpaca yarn balls she had. She told me a friend of hers had tested them, and they are a substitute for fabric softener. You just throw them in the dryer with your clothes, and they take out the static. Now, I am acquainted with the friend who field-tested them, and I know she wouldn't say such a thing if it weren't true, so I bought one. That was about six weeks ago, and I've since bought another. They do indeed work. In fact, they do a better job than fabric softener. Not only do they take the static out, they also pull the hairs off your clothing, so black clothes are black, not black with assorted colored hairs sticking to them. It seems to work equally well for pulling dog, cat, and rabbit fiber from the clothes.

I don't know if the felted balls have to be alpaca. I just know they work. really, really well. I'll never buy fabric softener again.

Calling for photos

2010-07-15T18:21:00.002-04:00

I'm hoping I can get photos of red and fawn descendants of the tan-based reds and fawns I have sold to folks, plus photos of the original reds and fawns . I kinda need them to settle a spirited discussion, my photos of them as babies aren't all that clear.

Anyway, I had promised to post about some of the new stuff going on here at Jan's Giants. Bob has Broken Satin Angoras, yay!!! I got him a broken black doe, who turns out got impregnated somehow by her brother and surprised us a couple days after we got her with babies. We're keeping the broken chocolate tort, but the broken black is available. Both are heavily marked, very friendly (could be because of all the attention they're getting, lol) and look to be bucks. That could change, though. Let me know if you're interested. Excellent bloodlines! Later this fall we'll breed the broken doe to our chocolate satin buck from Lisa Rodenfels. Broken Satin Angoras are going to be a fixture here. :)

A Slight Change of Focus

2010-06-09T21:55:00.002-04:00

As many of you know, I've been working on colored Giants (and German hybrids) for about 7 years now. My first two angoras, in fact, were black German hybrids. I am now going to focus almost exclusively on the colored rabbits, REWs (albinos) will still pop up and be shown, but if you are looking to buy showable Giants, I'm probably not the best bet right now. I've slowly farmed out my REWs, right now I only have 3 left, 2 of my own breeding and another not of my breeding but definitely from my bloodlines, and they will be living here pretty much forever.

I also have some REWs that will be going to Convention who are pre-sold, so don't worry, if I promised you a rabbit, it will be there. :)

I have a bunch of good folks helping me out with breeding the colored Giants and German hybrids, and we hope to make a significant contribution to the Giant breed in the near future.

Meanwhile, there are other things cooking here at Jan's Giants, I'll be posting on them soon. :)

What I've been up to lately...

2010-05-05T21:23:00.003-04:00

That's me on the left, immediately after finishing the last leg of the Pittsburgh Marathon Relay. Yep, you read that correctly. I (mostly) ran 4.3 miles, along with 4 co-workers, to benefit our local Gilda's Club. Gilda's Club provides cancer support for the whole family, the whole time, free of charge.

I've been working out and losing some weight, I have a long way to go, but what I have done so far has made a major impact on my health, arthritis is now GONE, blood pressure is down, blood chemistry is great and I should live a lot longer now, assuming I don't step out in front of a bus or anything...

When I started on this odyssey, I could barely make it from the car to the office after a half-hour walk at lunchtime, my arthritis was so bad. My co-workers had serious doubts that I'd be able to keep it up, but I did, and I repeat - the arthritis is GONE. Really, it's gone.

So, even if you really, honestly think that you just can't exercise, do it anyway. It will hurt like hell at first, but if you work through the pain and keep it up, you will prevail, and you'll live a longer, healthier, happier life.

Oh, and the rabbits are doing great! Got some BOBs and some BOSs this year, just about every time out. :)

Should the Government be forced to use the same healthcare plan as the rest of us?

2010-04-14T13:56:00.001-04:00

http://fleming.house.gov/

I vote a resounding YES! Please make your voice heard!

Unfortunately, not an April Fool's joke either...

2010-04-02T16:02:00.002-04:00

You have to see this to believe it:

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/04/01/congressional-tipping-point-not-an-april-fools-joke/#more-18094

How did this guy get elected?

Not an April Fool's Day Joke

2010-04-01T22:47:00.001-04:00

http://humanewatch.org/index.php/site/post/this_is_not_an_april_fools_day_joke/

Humane Watch ad in today's USAToday.

What a stroke of genius!

Federal Racketeering Lawsuit Stuns HSUS

2010-02-22T21:05:00.001-05:00

It's about freaking time!

http://www.consumerfreedom.com/news_detail.cfm/h/4111-federal-racketeering-lawsuit-stuns-hsus

You may have missed our New Year’s Eve exposé covering the dismissal of a federal lawsuit pushed by a consortium of animal rights groups that included the deceptive Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The groups alleged that Feld Entertainment (the parent company of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus) mistreated elephants in violation of the Endangered Species Act, but in December a judge tossed out the lawsuit. Now the plot thickens: The circus is suing HSUS, two HSUS lawyers, and a number of other animal rights organizations under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. (The lawsuit is exclusively available at HumaneWatch.org.)

The original animal rights lawsuit, filed more than nine years ago, was based on information provided by a former Ringling elephant “barn helper” named Tom Rider. After Rider left his circus job, he was paid by animal rights groups to testify about the supposedly “bad” treatment of elephants there. In all, the original lawsuit’s plaintiffs paid Rider more than $190,000—his sole source of income for years—while the litigation made its way through the court system.

Sound a bit like pay-for-play? As Judge Emmet Sullivan noted in his December ruling that dismissed the animal rights groups’ lawsuit: “The Court finds that Mr. Rider is essentially a paid plaintiff and fact witness who is not credible, and therefore affords no weight to his testimony…. [T]he primary purpose [for the payments] is to keep Mr. Rider involved with the litigation…”

Based on Judge Sullivan’s finding, Feld is suing everyone who played a part in this collaborative scheme (hence the “racketeering” aspect). This includes Rider and a nonprofit “Wildlife Advocacy Project” charity that the Washington, DC law firm of Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal allegedly used to launder money between their plaintiff clients and Rider.

One of these clients putting up dough to support Rider was the Fund for Animals, which merged with HSUS in 2004.

Feld is leveling bribery, fraud, obstruction of justice, and money laundering charges against HSUS and two of its corporate attorneys, three other animal rights groups, Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal, and all three of that firm’s named partners. It’s an earth-shattering lawsuit. Today we’re telling the media:

America’s farmers, ranchers, hunters, fishermen, research scientists, fashion designers, and restaurateurs have seen for decades how the animal rights movement can behave like a mobbed-up racket. But it’s still shocking to see the evidence laid out on paper. In a treble-damage lawsuit like this, a jury could actually do the humane thing and finally put HSUS out of business completely.

You can read the full, 135-page lawsuit over at HumaneWatch. It’s worth more than a glance. If these allegations are proven true, HSUS employees might be finding themselves walking the same breadline they’ve tried to put so many others in.

Square knitting needles

2010-02-13T20:46:00.004-05:00

Today I went to the Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival. I went with the intention of catching up with a friend who was a vendor there, and with buying a longer set of dpns (double-pointed needles). I had a set with a sock-in-progress on them, but they were too short and I kept dropping stitches - annoying, to say the least. Especially as I turned the heel. Anyway, at the festival everywhere went it seemed I saw Kolláge square needles. One booth had a knitting sample out so you could try them, and I liked how they felt, so I got a set in the size I'm using for the socks. I finally sat down tonight and tried them, and I'm not sure why, but they are indeed easier to knit with. The package says they are perfect for slippery yarns or if you knit tightly. Check both of those for me. So, they get my stamp of approval. If only they weren't made in China. :(

"Mission Statement"

2010-01-17T19:31:00.003-05:00

I decided to come up with a sort-of mission statement for my rabbitry. There are a couple of people out there who claim to know what I "really" mean when I say something straight -forward and in plain English, and what they claim I "really" mean bears little resemblance to what I actually say, but here goes anyway. I'm sure some folks will have a field day with it, but I don't care.

The goal of Jan's Giants is to promote the Giant/German Angora to its fullest. I want to produce a true all-around workhorse of a wool rabbit, who is robust and healthy, and meets Louise Walsh's vision of an economically housed and fed rabbit. I want to breed a non-molting wool producer that can be shorn every 90 days, every 120 days, or whatever suits the owner, much like today's English Angoras, but with faster wool growth and more density. This rabbit should not require more special care or diet than any other angora, in fact it should require very little in the way of grooming, apart from a monthly nail trim and a trim around the vent area. It's wool should withstand mill production but still be soft, not scratchy.

Angora wool typically is 12 - 16 microns:

http://www.apparelsearch.com/Definitions/Fiber/Angora_Wool_definition.htm

Fine sheep wool can be as high as 22 microns:

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ansci/sheep/as989-8.htm

I want rabbits whose wool measures no more than 20 microns, preferably less, who can produce 12 ounces every 90 days, and who reproduce - well, like rabbits. Specifically, I expect my does to be able, ready, and willing to produce 3 litters a year. That's a month to be pregnant, 8 weeks to raise the kits, and a month to re-condition. I expect my bucks to get the does bred in 9 out of 10 attempts.

These rabbits should reach 10 pounds of weight by 8 months of age, and should have a good commercial body type. They should come in other colors besides REW.

They should also be friendly, laid-back, and easy to handle. They should perform just as well on the show table as they do in wool production and reproduction. They should also make great pets.

That's what I'm shooting for. That's my idea of the perfect Giant/German Angora. It might not be yours.

World-wide deep freeze

2010-01-08T23:09:00.002-05:00

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article6975867.ece

http://www.accuweather.com/news-weather-features.asp?partner=&traveler=0&date=2010-01-04_1701&month=1&year=2010

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jan/05/uk-faces-coldest-winter-weather

http://www.accuweather.com/ukie/bastardi-europe-blog.asp

What's interesting is, while researching this post, I found similar articles from 2008 and 2009. I also found articles claiming the freeze is actually a result of global warming.

Um, sorry, you can't have it both ways. The above reasoning reflects the shift from claims of global warming to the somewhat more believable claims of "climate change". Of course the climate is changing, that's what the weather does. Duh!

There have been an estimated 5 other global warmings - all before Man appeared on the planet. All immediately following the 5 "Ice Ages".

Want to read some truly funny stuff? Google "global warming 2012". Hmmm... it's 2010 but none of those things seem to be happening, in fact I'd welcome some global warming right about now. How about you? ;)

Sweater 101

2009-12-31T15:43:00.003-05:00

On my web page, under Cool Links,

http://jansgiants.com/coollinks.html

I have a link that will tell you:

How to make the sweater you want...

with the yarn you want...

and have it fit!

I have bought this ebook, and I have to say, it is everything the author says it is. I seldom push specific items, but when I do, you can bet they'll work as advertised, and this one does.

Enjoy!

More on Purina Fibre 3

2009-12-28T15:46:00.004-05:00

So, I got a couple of bags of the new feed, I mixed some with the last of the old formula and the bunns seem to like it just fine. What I decided to do is buy a richer hay mix to make up for the reduced protein content. Fortunately, the guy I buy hay from is a sort of "hay connoisseur", it's what he does for a living and he has several mixes available, all of which he grows himself. In a way, I think this may have worked out for the best, as the hay and the pellets are now more balanced in protein and fiber content, which is good for hind-gut health. OTOH, I'm now buying more expensive hay. So, I'm currently paying about twice as much now for pellets and hay than I was 3 years ago. Yet gas prices have gone down and stayed down...? Hmmm...

New Year's resolutions

2009-12-22T19:58:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been an interesting year! It's had its ups & downs. After looking back, upon much reflection, and seeing the advice of a good friend being born out quite literally, I've decided to cut back on blogging, keep the content of my website down, and keep most of my current activity to myself. It seems there are people out there who troll my blog just to try to pick stuff out of it to deliberately misrepresent. And to think I was warned it was going to happen and I didn't quite believe it. I do now. Takes me awhile, but I do catch on eventually.

Lack of information works for other people, now I'm going put it to work for myself. :)

I'll still post the political stuff, and genetics, feed, health, and general care posts, but specifics of how and what I'm doing... I think not. I've developed a respectable local market for my goods, so I don't need to advertise much anymore. I've gone back in time, so to speak, and it's working for me. I'll still be promoting the things that work for me, and addressing the things that didn't, however. So stay tuned.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

Purina Fibre3

2009-12-13T13:39:00.002-05:00

Well, it seems Purina, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to alter the formulation of a perfectly good rabbit food to cater to pet owners. The protein in the formula has changed from 17% to 15%. I have not gotten any of the new feed yet, but I guess I need to decide what I'm going to do about it.

My feelings right now are that I'll just up the amount of Calf Manna in the grain treat I give a tiny bit. Either that, or add some ShowBloom to it.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

2009-11-26T09:23:00.002-05:00

May you all be blessed with an abundance of health, wealth, and wisdom. May your bunnies produce lots and lots of wool and winnings. :) Oh, and lots of baby does, too! ;)

From the floor of Congress to you...

2009-11-05T18:28:00.001-05:00

... the truth about the national healthcare bill:

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=G44NCvNDLfc

Elderly couple available

2009-10-18T15:15:00.002-04:00

I have a bonded pair of old-line Germans available. They are magnificent, good wool producers, but are 5 years old. I will only let them go to someone who will coddle them, keep them indoors, and treat them royally. If you feel you can meet their needs, comment here. They have treated me well, I want them to go to a spinner's home. They must be kept together.

wooler bucks

2009-09-16T21:10:00.002-04:00

To elaborate on the wooler bucks, they are old-line Germans, not the recent imports. So, if you liked the older German Angoras better, these smaller and finer-fleeced bucks are available for an excellent price. They have a somewhat incomplete pedigree (2 generations) but will have a full 3-gen pedigree when bred to your does. $25.00 a piece, if you come & get them.

Wooler bucks for sale

2009-09-09T20:26:00.002-04:00

One Giant and two Germans. The Giant is the heaviest producer, and the biggest bunn, around 11 1/2 pounds. No pedigrees, aprox. 2 years old. Contact me for more information. Gotta make some space for the keeper babies. :)

WHAT A JOKE!!!

2009-08-18T18:21:00.003-04:00

My "conference call" with Senator Casey was nothing more than a pre-recorded propaganda session. :(

In it, he plagarized a speech given by Bill Clinton back around 1992 where Bubba claimed that "if we do nothing, American families will spend over 50% of their income on healthcare costs."

Funny how that still hasn't happened, isn't it?

He also claimed that the OBAMA healthcare package would reduce the deificit (which has nearly TRIPLED in 7 months under OBAMA. WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE???? OBAMA has tripled what it took Bush EIGHT YEARS to do!)

In fact, even the Congressional Budget Office has acknowledged that this package will worsen the situation:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/16/cbo-chief-health-bills-would-be-more-costly/

He also cherry-picked some examples of people who "fell through the cracks". He neglected to mention that people who know they are sick should not decide to have babies and quit their jobs. Don't get me wrong, I truly do feel bad for such folks, but...

Is it too much to ask that we use a little common sense? Any time you create a .gov program to help people who have made bad decisions in life, you perpetuate those bad decisions, because people start thinking they have the right to keep making those bad decisions because the .gov will/should/MUST take care of them. Look at welfare. We used to have families of single moms with 6 kids living off the .gov teat. When Republicans forced welfare reform through, and mandated that only 2 children would be paid for, viola, suddenly poor moms started having fewer kids, they went back to work, and the welfare rolls decreased:

http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/_nypost-welfare_reform_works.htm

The point is, it is human nature to take the easiest route. If a safety net is offered, it is relied upon, not used temporarily, then cast away. If we hold people accountable for the decisions they make, and allow them to suffer the consequences, they learn and do not repeat them.

I've been on welfare, food stamps, and I've gone 3 years without medical insurance. I do feel for these people. But the answer is not to enable them. The answer is for them to grow up and take care of themselves. It's a simple matter of priorities. What is more inportant? A big-screen TV, or medical insurance? A cool car, or medical insurance? A case of beer in the fridge, or medical insurance?

Socialized medicine has never, ever truly decreased medical costs. It may appear to, but when you look at the tax burden it imposes on the productive members of society, you see that it in fact increases health care costs - and waiting times.

I have no problem in taking care of people who TRULY cannot care for themselves. I do, however, have serious issues with paying for the care of people who WILL NOT take care of themselves, because they know someone else will. That is what the OBAMA plan will bring us to, history has demonstrated it over and over.

http://www.cato.org/pubs/bp/bp112.pdf

"When Massachusetts passed its pioneering health

care reforms in 2006, critics warned that they would

result in a slow but steady spiral downward toward a

government-run health care system. Three years later,

those predictions appear to be coming true:

•Although the state has reduced the number of

residents without health insurance, 200,000

people remain uninsured. Moreover, the increase

in the number of insured is primarily

due to the state’s generous subsidies, not the

celebrated individual mandate.

•Health care costs continue to rise much faster

than the national average. Since 2006, total

state health care spending has increased by

28 percent. Insurance premiums have increased

by 8–10 percent per year, nearly double

the national average.

• New regulations and bureaucracy are limiting

consumer choice and adding to health

care costs.

•Program costs have skyrocketed. Despite tax increases,

the program faces huge deficits. The state

is considering caps on insurance premiums, cuts

in reimbursements to providers, and even the

possibility of a “global budget” on health care

spending—with its attendant rationing.

•A shortage of providers, combined with increased

demand, is increasing waiting times to

see a physician.

With the “Massachusetts model” frequently

cited as a blueprint for health care reform, it is

important to recognize that giving the government

greater control over our health care system

will have grave consequences for taxpayers, providers,

and health care consumers. That is the lesson

of the Massachusetts model."

“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it”

Someone turned me in!!!

2009-08-17T22:15:00.002-04:00

Remember hearing in the news that the Obama Administration was looking for people making negative comments about their healthcare plan? Well, apparently someone turned me in.

Tomorrow night Senator Casey of PA will call me to participate in a conference call about the OBAMA healthcare plan.

LOL. I am armed with facts and ready.

Losing Our Way of Life Pt III

2009-08-09T15:47:00.002-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD_YOlUBoIk

I decided to give it some time before I continued with this series, and I'm glad I did. I have a few installments planned. This one is about the healthcare plan that the OBAMA administration tried to shove down our throats without giving legislators time to read it. They sounded like one of those irritating TV salesmen...

"This is the greatest thing that ever was, But YOU HAVE TO ACT NOW!!!!! Or it will be gone forever!!!!"

Yeah, right. Watch the video above.

Pumpkin update

2009-08-01T17:49:00.002-04:00

Due to the cool, dry weather we've had until very recently, this pumpkin is not nearly as large as it should be for 21 days old, but it has finally taken off this week and about tripled in size. Its estimated weight is 59.3 lbs. Hopefully it will be at least 10 times that size by weigh-off. I can't wait to see how its color turns out, its shape is quite nice.

I wish I could find the article online, our paper published an article, based upon studies by NASA and the US Naval Research Laboratory, that said that the last few cool (!) years have been due to an unusual lack of sunspots and lack of a strong El Nino, but that the activity on the sun's surface is picking up again and we should expect a strong El Nino and a mild winter.

How refreshing to see a liberal rag finally admit that global warming is caused by the sun. Now if they'd just take the next logical step and quit blaming humans for it!

Enough is enough!

2009-07-24T22:45:00.002-04:00

I've been silent for a long time on NARBC affairs. I am still unhappy about a false claim of fraud (that went out to EVERY SINGLE NARBC HOUSEHOLD) in regard to a former President's request that the NARBC have its own PayPal account... which, ironically we presently do have, with NO retractions in the newsletter apologizing for the mis-statement...

But it is obvious that some folks just cannot let go, and are determined to color every office change as support of their false allegations. These are the same folks who insisted that the NARBC could not have its own PayPal account... read the link.

I just want to take this opportunity to say that I have absolute confidence in the vast majority of the NARBC officers, board members, and their decisions.

Banks vs Credit Unions

2009-07-03T15:59:00.002-04:00

I know, this is way off the usual path for me, but an experience a good friend of mine had recently brought back some painful memories. His story is below. To preface it, I don't know how many of you are familiar with my life after my divorce many years ago, but I made some very stupid decisions and wound up on the verge of bankruptcy. I was briefly on welfare, and spent about 10 years doing menial, low-paying jobs, just barely scraping along. I had a lot of banking woes. Sky Bank was the only bank that treated me decently, the only one that admitted that they had made a mistake and refunded fees to me. I eventually wound up working for Sky, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Too bad Huntington bought, raped, and pillaged them.

Anyway, somewhere along the line I had an employer who had Credit Union membership as a benefit. I joined, and have never looked back. Credit Unions used to be hard to get into, the laws have been relaxed and it is a lot easier now. Banks are all about making money for themselves, and they view you and me simply as a way to make money. Yet, with all their fees, they needed bailed out? Credit Unions, on the other hand, are all about SERVICE. Yes, their goal is to SERVE YOU. My credit union links my checking and savings accounts FOR FREE. No more bounced checks! If there is a problem, they CALL ME. They try to HELP me. They bend over backwards to save me from paying fees.

Credit Unions have all the options banks do, but they are non-profit, they want YOU to make money.

Here's Roland's story, and I hope it motivates you to check out your local Credit Union. You'll be glad you did! :) Oh, and if you feel like it, pass his story along to others.

An Essay to a Bank

Dear Citizens Bank,

Although my story will not sway you nor even cause you to flicker an eye, I hope that this essay will inspire the millions of individuals out there to not only demand you change your ways, but ultimately force the entire banking industry to change how it thinks and operates.

I know that we have all been there. Due to circumstances beyond our control we’ve accidentally bounced a check. And due to our accidental miscalculation you relish in taking that check, returning it immediately, and assessing us enormous fees that equate to an astronomical interest rate. When the other person gets the check back you also charge them a ridiculous fee to their account. The interesting part is that this is all done by automated computers, so you claim. Because it is done this way no individual can “stop your check” from being returned, even if you put money in the account at 9 am the next morning.

So let me get this straight…a computer system that over its lifetime may only cost you a penny to return a check and a penny to process it as received you are earning $37.00 from the individual who bounced the check and if you happen to also be the receiving bank of the returned check possibly $20.00 from that customer as well. So for simple math purposes let us round this to an even $50.00 that has been earned by the banking system that cost them roughly two cents to process. Now most banks do not return the check right away to the depositor, but in effect re-deposit it. But for sake of Citizens Bank, I will assume that you do return it to the depositor when you get that check back. A postage stamp at the current rate is about forty-eight cents, for simple argument. I pulled out my calculator Citizens Bank….that’s a ten thousand percent profit! For doing absolutely nothing!

Not to mention the headaches you have caused the customer and the depositor (if you happen to be the same bank.) This is why I blanket this to all the banking industry…you are all guilty of this to some degree. But wait…it gets much MUCH better! You see, you have discovered that if your system pays the largest check first, you get to bounce even MORE checks! Isn’t that ingenious? What a profit model you have! One simple math error on our part will make you anywhere from fifty bucks to three, four, even five hundred dollars!

So why do you do this? You claim to be customer oriented…you try to sell me multi million dollar advertising campaigns that stated you are the best bank around. In reality you all do this. You make money off of the poorest people of our society forcing them to stay poor. You rob those who are ignorant and have no other means. Rather than just charging one simple fee you continue to compound the fee until we are utterly unable to do more than go to the ‘company store’ and worship you as the golden lambs you are!

Let us now explore my personal story…you see, you claimed to be about customer service. In reality you are serving the customers for lunch. What you did to me the other day needs to be heard and told. I am going to say five words that will ruin your bank forever, causing your company and the entire banking industry to crumble under its own greed. You say I am one customer, I have no power. You say if I don’t like it go elsewhere…to where your satanic brothers do the same screw job! But no more. I will bring you down and you are about to see that my pen is much mightier than your lawyers.

On Wednesday of this past week I was so excited to know I received my first direct deposit into your bank from my hard working job. It took me two weeks of waking up, and going to work, to obtain a nice paycheck. In that paycheck my mortgage payment was going to be taken out. Normally I would have written a check, taken it to the post office, and dropped it off. In an attempt to earn higher profits you have instituted a bill pay program online. I was excited! I will save a postage stamp. During the set up there is always a long list of rules and regulations that nobody ever reads. You know this. You hope that this happens. And it did. I clicked “I agree.” Your tellers told me, that it’s a great product! All I need to do is go in, tell it when I want a bill paid, and it pays it. How much better can it get!?

When I went online I was amazed…the check I thought I was paying on Wednesday actually was paid on Tuesday. But wait…HOW? I’m over drawn! Oh my God! What do I do. Then I take a look at the check…wait…it was post dated for today…but you paid it the day before? You made an error! So I called your so called customer service number. That was when I learned how customer friendly you really were. Apparently bill pay when I put a day in, that is the day you promise to have it there by…not the day you plan on sending it! But that wasn’t how it was explained to me! You said, I agreed online to it, so it was my fault. Oh, by the way it will cost you $74.00 and we are returning the check! What do you mean you are returning it!? Yes, we are returning it because although you got over a thousand dollars today and could cover it, we just don’t care enough about you so we will be returning it. It is beyond our control! How is it beyond your control!? It’s automated!

So you’re telling me after I’m trying to explain to you that it isn’t my fault but yours, that I’m a stupid person and I should have read the disclosures better, even though your own staff told me something that contradicted it? That is correct sir! So now my mortgage company will charge me a $25.00 fee for a returned check PLUS it is now late? But it isn’t my fault!! I told your system to pay it today, NOT five days ago. Well, when you say that the date it is due you want us to pay it by that date. We don’t care if you have money in your account; our third party bill paying company doesn’t care. They want to make sure your check gets there on time. But you just made $74.00 for doing nothing!? But it isn’t our fault sir. How could it not be your fault!? Your online system is confusing…wait…now I get it. You WANT IT THAT WAY!

I flat out told the lady that because of that error they must make a million dollars or so a day….she didn’t care. There was nothing she could do and would not refund my fees. It was my fault that I misunderstood their very sneaky online bill pay program. So now not only is my mortgage past due, not paid, but I have just lost $74.00 to Citizens Bank and they really didn’t care. My Mortgage Company was charged most likely $10.00 by their bank, but will charge me $25.00 to cover their services. Because of this magnificent Bill Pay Program that your sales people pretty much sold to me as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, I am now out $99.00 from my paycheck!

I am furious. I’m upset. You don’t care that in reality you made $74.00 on a one day loan if you can even call it that. My mortgage payment was $686.00. A debit card purchase for groceries which also went through, but you actually paid because you had no choice, for about $90.00 hit my account. Because you paid my mortgage first, you got another $37.00 out of me for my grocery bill! So let’s do the math Citizens Bank…on an APY you just charged me about 37,000% to borrow money for one night…that you still returned! How is that legal!? How!?

Well my friends, Citizens Bank could legally do that to me. And they did. They also have done this to you and your friends. And they will continue to do it! But not just Citizens Bank….every other Bank in America does it. Now some have better policies than others, but the majority follow the lines of Citizens Bank.

Don’t you think it would have been fair after charging me that much money to wait until maybe Noon the next day to see if I put cash into the account!? Actually you KNEW it was coming because ACH deposits hit the Federal Reserve SEVERAL days before you give me credit and they give you credit. You KNEW it was coming. But you didn’t care. You hope that when my mortgage company tries to charge me $25.00 through another check that it TOO bounces and you get more fees!

But then I learned an epiphany. I learned Five Words that will change it all. I learned how that $74.00 is about to ruin your bank! You see people; banks just are out there to make money. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing saying they care about their customers. They don’t! If you believe that you are already a slave to them. In reality they are a greedy business with no particular face…well almost. They will claim that you own some of the bank if you have a mutual fund or own stock…but you know there are other industries you can invest in. More than likely if you have owed these fees you are on the bottom rung of society. You don’t own stock or maybe even have a retirement plan. So now here is something they don’t want you to know about. Did you realize that you HAVE an option!? You can go to a Credit Union!!! Credit Unions, although they deal with banks to do their clearing, have so much money they can actually leverage for you and force rates so low that they can’t charge you so much for bounced checks!?

They give you home and personal loans at rates so low it’s incredible! They know your name! My account number is FIVE DIGITS LONG!!?? They are insured just like the banks for $100,000.00! And when you bounce checks they are more likely to call you or transfer money from a savings account…and this isn’t a fee that they charge. They realize mistakes happen and they won’t kill you for it! They have debit cards! They have Credit Cards! They have online banking! They also have online bill pay…however they put their disclosures in BIG PRINT! They know your name! And most importantly they are non profit! They are there for YOU…you aren’t there for them!

Citizens Bank…you have screwed me for the last time. You lost a customer. And although you are like, who cares…he’s so small and has no money…you say that about every customer. And these five words are about to change the entire banking industry. If you agree with me...if you’ve been screwed over by the banks and you now see they don’t care…if you want to join me in bringing them to their knees and forcing them in the true American way of Dollar Votes to realize we won’t stand for being abused this way…if you know friends who have been victimized the same way that I have been…forward this e-mail and print it…listen to these five worlds….

THAT BANK DOESN’T DESERVE ME

I implore you to leave your banks and find a credit union in your area. There are hundreds. Their ATM networks are so vast you wouldn’t believe. You can use your Credit Union’s card at other credit union ATMS for no charge! Just think of what you would save! Your bank and that other bank charges you nearly $5.00 for that!!?? Think of what YOU will save. Trust me. Citizens Bank doesn’t care about me. They don’t care about you. Every big bank in America…even smaller regional banks…they don’t care. They make fees off of your hard earned money so that their rich CEO’s can bankrupt the company and leave with millions.

So remember, That Bank Doesn’t Deserve Me! And if you want them to hear us in great numbers, take this essay with you to the bank. When they ask you why are you closing your account show them this letter. Make it count! And rejoice when you realize how much nicer Credit Unions are. I don’t work for one. I don’t really know anyone at one (until I met the friendly people the other day.) Now I love them. They are caring and understanding. Don’t let the Banking Industry tell us that they deserve such massive profits off of our or in my case THEIR mistakes.

Citizens Bank…You don’t deserve me!

Signed,

A Very Unhappy Former Customer,

Roland Wolfgang.

Pumpkin update

2009-06-28T11:31:00.002-04:00

Yes, I know, it needs weeded some more - you should have seen it on Friday, lol. There's dirt on some of the leaves from me burying the vines this morning to protect them from pests. There's also yellow on some of them, I was trying some organic fertilizer spikes and whenever I'd place one under a root node I'd get these yellow spots on the leaves, so I quit using them, and the rest of the plant is nice and green. It also got attacked early on by cucumber beetles, I took care of them. :)

Anyway, I have a female flower out at about 10 feet, which is a good position, I'm starting to bend the vine to accomodate it. Pretty soon I'll have to provide shade for the flower, and later the fruit. Not today, though, it's a nice, cool, overcast day and we should be getting some rain to wash the dirt off the leaves.

This says it all

2009-06-22T20:47:00.001-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeYscnFpEyA

Joys and Sorrows

2009-06-12T22:55:00.002-04:00

Joys:

The Pens won the Stanley Cup.
Eric Stewart will be the new ARBA Executive Director.

Sorrows:

Bob Whitman
Brian Hartzell

Two people who always had time for me, one lost an on-going battle with his health, the other taken much, much too soon.

pumpkin update

2009-06-02T18:50:00.000-04:00

Here's the plant, a little bit bigger. Sure could use some heat!

2009 Jan's Giant Pumpkin

2009-05-26T18:15:00.003-04:00

And we're off!

I got this baby in the ground Saturday. This plant is from a seed from last year's pumpkin, the 452.5 Gruber. I also have a 1004 Holland that will grow under the bunny cages, it will be the pollinator for this year's pumpkin.

Happy Memorial Day

2009-05-24T20:02:00.002-04:00

Well, the patriotic picture of the bunnies didn't work out quite the way I had planned, I couldn't find a suitable backdrop for them, but here they are anyway, my red, white, and blue bunnies:

May we remember and honor all those who gave their lives protecting us and our way of life.

Meet Dusty's Smoke

2009-05-14T19:06:00.003-04:00

Here is one of my newest additions to the rabbitry, Dusty's Smoke. He has a very promising body under all that fluff, and the crimp to his wool is amazing. He'll get his first shearing soon. Smoke has an interesting mix of bloodlines that should mesh beautifully with my own.

Members of Dark's litter are finding their way to their new homes, all but the little tort should be gone by the end of the month. She'll hang around here until we can figure out a way to get her to Vermont, as well as a way back home for a bunny I'll be getting. I'll be posting a very patriotic picture of these bunnies over the holiday weekend. ;)

I took a day off work today to help out at an alpaca shearing. A friend of mine has around 50 alpacas and today they all got nekkid. They weren't too thrilled by it all, but the shearer was quick and gentle and they were each done in less than 5 minutes, none the worse for wear. Now there are bags upon bags of fiber to be skirted, sorted, and washed. I plan on buying a pound of some beautiful golden fiber.

Pics coming

2009-05-05T19:31:00.002-04:00

I've had such a frustrating Spring trying to get rabbits bred, that I did some housecleaning (actually, I lent out some bunns to other breeders to see if they would have better luck) and brought in some new bunns.

I went to an old acquaintance who no longer breeds and bought a trio of rabbits, a buck and two does. They are related to Mopsie, who is the doe with the spectacular litter of ten who graces my blog and my web page. The buck will be sold along with one of my baby does from Dark's colorful litter, the does are staying here to be bred. They are from some excellent older lines, and if they do half as well as Mopsie did they'll do 10 times better than the newer lines I was so heavily invested in. I also picked up a gorgeous dark black buck from my good friend Dustin. :)

NAIS and horses

2009-04-14T18:22:00.004-04:00

From:

Contact:

National Assn. Of Farm Animal Welfare
280 Fair Ave, Suite #35
Fairview, OH 43736 USA
Ag.Ed@...
April 13, 2009

FOR TIMELY RELEASE, PLEASE

NAIS vs. the Equine Owner

by R. M. Thornsberry, D.V.M., M.B.A.

Dr. R. M. Thornsberry, DVM, MBA, President of R-CALF USA

It is important for horse owners to know why NAIS is being forced on the equine industry within the United States. The United States and many other countries signed a World Trade Organization (WTO) treaty in the 1990â€™s which obligated the first world countries, which had spent literally millions and millions of taxpayer dollars to eradicate contagious animal diseases, to develop a system of individual animal identification. The individual animal identification was demanded by the Organization of International Epizootics (OIE), a WTO world wide governmental agency, tasked with developing trade rules and internationally obligated trade regulations that would force animal and meat trade between countries that had eradicated contagious diseases with those that had not eradicated contagious animal diseases. In other words, the United States, which had eradicated Equine Piroplasmosis in the 1980â€™s, a tick borne protozoal infection, would, by identifying all equines, be forced to trade with countries that had not eradicated Equine Piroplasmosis. In general, the argument goes something like this: Once you can identify every equine at birth and trace their every movement off the farm from birth to death, a first world country that has spent millions of taxpayer dollars to eradicate Equine Piroplasmosis, can no longer prevent trade with those countries who have refused to spend the necessary resources to eradicate Equine Piroplasmosis.

The United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) no longer seeks to carry out their mandate to prevent the introduction of foreign animal and plant diseases into the United States. Currently, USDA-APHIS in supporting NAIS, spending millions of tax payer dollars to entice livestock and equine owners into the system by promoting the acquisition of a free Premises Identification Number (PIN)from their respective state departments of agriculture. Producers of cattle, and equine owners, are the two classes of livestock owners who have overwhelmingly refused to receive an internationally sanctioned encumbrance to their private property. The USDA says a PIN is the first step to a painless process of identification of all livestock ownersâ€™ physical locations, and that this PIN number is essential for the USDA to find a farm and quickly trace the movement of animals in the face of a contagious animal disease outbreak.

Yet, in any location within the state of Missouri, and I am sure in most states, you can simply punch 911 into your phone, and in a matter of 15 to 20 minutes, the police, the fire department, the ambulance, the sheriff, and usually the Conservation Commission Agent will be at your doorstep, but the USDA says they cannot find you? At every Agricultural Services-USDA office in the United States, you may obtain a description of your farm or ranch, including a current aerial photograph. You can go on Google Earth, type in your physical address, and privately obtain a detailed satellite photograph of your farm or ranch, providing such detail, that you can actually count individual cattle or horses in your pasture, and the USDA says it cannot find your farm or ranch in a contagious animal disease outbreak? The reasons the USDA want you to obtain a Premises Identification Number have nothing whatever to do with the USDAâ€™s ability to find your farm or your cattle or your horses. My 10 year old grandson can find my farm, a detailed satellite photograph of my farm, my telephone number, my mailing address, and my physical address on his computer in a matter of seconds. Itâ€™s called Google!!!

The USDA-APHIS has testified before the United States Department of Agriculture, House of Representatives, Committee on Agriculture, Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, March 11, 2009 that the NAIS would have to be electronic in nature to function as envisioned by the WTO. This simply means no visual tags, hot or cold brands, tattoos, ear notches, or individual color markings or descriptions will be allowed for individual animal identification. While this is a problem for other types of livestock, for the equine industry, it becomes a major hurdle to overcome. For equines, dogs, cats, fish, poultry, and many exotic animals, the only acceptable means of electronic individual animal identification is a surgically implanted glass enclosed electronic microchip. This implant is not nearly as simple to surgically implant within an animal as some are led to believe. When I implant a chip into an animal, I clip or shave the area. I scrub the area with surgical preparation soap containing iodine, and I finish by spraying the area with a surgical site disinfection iodine-alcohol solution. Lastly, I inject the area over the site of implantation with lidocaine to render the skin and underlying tissues devoid of sensation. The chips come individually packaged in a sterile container. To maintain this sterility, I must be sterile, which requires a surgical scrubbing of my hands, and the donning of a pair of sterile surgical latex gloves. Only after this extensive preparation, am I ready to actually implant the chip in the nuchal ligament of the mid neck area of my equine patient. Compare this process to the cattle producer who simply places a small eartag in his cattle.

The glass enclosed chips do not always stay put. Like a splinter in your finger, the body often mounts a response to a foreign body, even one as innocuous as a piece of sterile glass. The response may include the formation of a sterile abscess around the chip, or it may simply be painful and generate a negative response from the horse as it turns its neck or tries to graze, or attempts a performance endeavor at a race, show, or event. Chips have been known to migrate quite extensive distances within the body of an animal. Ask any veterinarian that works in this area of interest. Simply finding a chip to make a reading in some animals becomes a major undertaking. Only recently, has another side effect of chipping become known. A small percentage of veterinary patients have developed a cancerous growth at the site of implantation. While the incidence is low in animals whose lives are relatively short, an equine patient, living to the age of 20 to 35 years, has much more time to develop a cancerous growth around the implanted chip, than does a dog or cat, whose lifetime is closer 12 to 15 years. For a very complete summary and analysis of the scientific literature on microchips and cancer, see Katharine Albrecht, Ed.D., â€œMicrochip Induced Tumors in Laboratory Rodents and Dogs: A Review of the Literature, 1990 to 2006,â€� available at www.antichips.com/cancer.

With all that being evaluated, the primary reason the USDA-APHIS desires to force the NAIS system onto the livestock sectors of the United States is simple: Bruce Knight told a large group of bovine practitioners at our annual meeting in Vancouver, Canada in September 2007, when asked why the USDA was pushing so hard for NAIS, and I quote, â€œIt is quite simple. We want to be in compliance with OIE regulations by 2010.â€�

Now I donâ€™t know about all you equine owners, but we cattle producers do not look kindly on an international agency in Belgium telling us what we can and cannot do with our livestock in the United States. Our grandfathers and fathers spend untold millions of dollars to assist the USDA in eradicating many serious contagious animal diseases during the last 75 years. Why would we now acquiesce to a system that will open up our privately owned animals to contagious animal diseases that we whipped and wiped out many years ago, for access to our marketplace to animals and meat from countries who have chosen in that same time period to ignore eradication of contagious animal diseases? No way!!!

We live in the United States, not the WTO. We have a Constitution that directs our legal system, not the OIE. We have a government by the people, for the people, and of the people. It is time for the people to stand up and say, â€œEnough with the one world government junk!!!â€� If equine owners do not stand up and unite their voices with other livestock producers, NAIS will become mandatory in the United States. It will cost the equine owner in excess of $50.00 a head to implant the electronic microchip desired by the USDA and the WTO. You will then be required to report any movement of your horse or horses off your property, and for any reason. Imagine the bureaucratic nightmare and the paperwork requirements of reporting to your government every time you go on a trail ride, every time you go to a show or an event, and every time you trailer a mare to go to the stud. There will have to be an NAIS office in every county seat to process all this data, keep track of your information, and report any violations to the USDA. Just imagine the fines and enforcement actions that will be carried out to enforce this NAIS system on the livestock industry of the United States of America, including equine owners.

R. M. Thornsberry, D.V.M., M.B.A.
March 28, 2009

Max Thornsberry, D.V.M., is R-CALF USAâ€™s President of the Board of Directors. Thornsberry and his wife Brenda reside in Richland, Mo. He is the owner and manager of TNT Cattle Co., as well as Avanco Feeds.

Thornsberry has a B.S. in Agriculture and a minor in Chemistry from the University of Missouriâ€™s College of Agriculture. In 1977, Thornsberry received his D.V.M. from University of Missouriâ€™s College of Veterinary Medicine. In 1992, Thornsberry acquired his M.B.A. at California Coast University in Santa Ana, Calif.

Thornsberry is a past president of both the Missouri Stockgrowerâ€™s Association and the Missouri Cattlemenâ€™s Association. He also is a current member of the Academy of Veterinary Consultants and the American Veterinary Medical Association.

National Assn. Of Farm Animal Welfare - 280 Fair Ave, Suite #35 - Fairview, OH 43736 USA - Ag.Ed@...

Still more cuteness

2009-04-11T17:53:00.002-04:00

One of the frustrating things about raising rabbits is having a litter and wanting to keep every one of them. :) I have to repeat this breeding. These babies are so friendly and so cute, there is not a shy one amongst them. Somehow the other day, three of them got out, they must have jumped out as I was feeding them (in the dark) and they roamed all day. Come evening, as I was feeding, something didn't look right, why were there only 4 babies in the cage? Not to worry, I called the bunnies and all three came running to be scooped up and put back with Mom. :) Ya gotta love that!

I wanted to keep a buck from this litter, but right now there appears to only be one buck (imagine that!) and he is promised to someone. I wonder if I can talk her out of him? Not likely, he's really nice. Oh well, I guess Dark has another date with Crosby in her future...

More colorful baby pics

2009-04-04T10:15:00.003-04:00

The babies continue to grow and are getting very curious about their world. They also harass their mother incessantly, poor dear! I have more requests for these babies than I can fill! I need to keep a buck from this litter, plus I might keep the fawn doe, but everyone else is already spoken for.

Oh, this is too darned funny!

2009-03-29T08:12:00.002-04:00

I found this on another blog I follow, enjoy!

http://videos.komando.com/2009/03/23/

Updated baby pics

2009-03-28T21:35:00.002-04:00

Eyes are opened, and they're creeping out of the nestbox. They haven't started harassing their mom yet, but that can't be far behind. ;) Just look at that rufus!

Sunrise's fat babies wait for me to feed them, they've learned all about chow time. :)

But the little black is shy, and tries to hide behind Mom.

The "Impossible" Reds

2009-03-21T08:18:00.004-04:00

I'm feeling pretty excited about having Tan-based Reds. One of the babies is indeed a Tort, I'm thinking Blue but I'm told Black Torts look a lot like Blue at first, and the level of rufus in this baby is pretty high for a dilute - but time will tell.

The eye bands and other Tan markings are starting to color up in the two Reds, making them harder to distinguish. I'm including a picture of the Black Tan Pattern so you can more easily see how the rufus really starts coming in the markings with time. I'm hoping the reds will color up so much that they appear to be Selfs.

I lost one of the Black Tans yesterday, poor thing got dragged out of the nest and chilled. :( This was one of three who needed some supplemental time with Mom at first, and was doing a great job of catching up to the others. I thought the entire litter was going to make it, but that's life.

Anyway, here's a picture of the Tort:

And here are pics of the bigger of the two red babies:

And here is a pic of the Black Tan, notice the rufus coming out in the markings:

I've had some interest expressed in the Reds already, I'm not sure if I'll keep one or not. I really don't have room for another project, lol, but they sure are pretty! Anyway, these babies will only go to someone who is serious about developing color in Giants.

Rainbow litter and bunny sex

2009-03-14T17:38:00.005-04:00

Do you see what I see? Three Torts! At least one of which looks to me like it might be a Torted Otter, or even ... RED. Now supposedly you cannot get Red without Agouti, but I have read that non-extension Tan looks exactly like Red. Time will tell. Besides the three Torts, there looks to be a REW, a Blue, a Blue Tan Pattern, and two Black Tan Patterns. Whether they will be Tan or Otter remains to be seen.

The lone self Blue puzzles me. I thought for sure Crosby was homozygous for Tan Pattern, but apparently not. I'm also wondering where Dark got the non-extension gene from. Her mom Yeungling never threw Torts, even when bred to bucks whom I knew for a fact carried it. So, that leaves Oscar as the probably source, although his breeding to Sunrise (pictured below) didn't result in any Torts. Speaking of Sunrise, here she is with her shy little brood:

I know Oscar carries wideband and throws some nice rufus, if he also carries non-extension, that opens the possibilty of purebred Red German Angoras! Woo Hoo!

I'm having so much fun with colors, I may someday abandon REWs totally. That would mean not showing, unless I or someone else starts getting colors developed and approved in Giants.

Which brings me to a funny thing I noticed about Nino, my purebred Black German. He's been having issues getting does bred. He tries his little heart out, but he just can't seem to connect. One day, as the doe who was in with him was getting frustrated, I took him out and flipped him over to see if something was in the way - maybe he got matted from trying so hard or something... warning... warning... explicit language coming up... leave now or prepare to be offended...

This rabbit's willy was out and ready, and was also a good THREE INCHES LONG!!! And curved! I honestly wonder how he possibly could manuver that sucker in there! No wonder he can't get anyone bred! Could you imagine if, proportionately, a man had one like that? Whoa, get out the yardstick!!! ROFLMAO!!!

Now I dunno, maybe all bucks are like that, I've never interrupted on at that point before, but GEEZ!

Losing Our Way Of Life Pt II - NAIS

2009-03-13T20:49:00.002-04:00

Although we have fought valiantly against NAIS, this administration is sure to implement it, along with other invasive and costly infringements on our privacy and right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Basically, NAIS does to animal breeders what H.R. 875: Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 does to produce farmers. Read below, and ACT:

Last Chance to Comment on USDA's Proposed Rule, Subcommittee Hearing, and Appropriations Update

The comment period on USDA's proposed rule to implement NAIS premises registration ends on Monday, March 16. Please take action now!

The proposed rule would require NAIS premises registration for existing disease control programs for goats, sheep, cattle, and swine. It also sets the stage for mandatory NAIS animal identification in the future.

You can comment here online through the Federal Register site and click on the yellow balloon under “add comments.”

An easier way to comment online is through the Organic Consumers Association's automated system, which includes a sample letter.

Please be sure to personalize the letter! It can be as easy as a couple of sentences at the beginning stating who you are (for example, a farmer, consumer, property rights proponent) and why you care about NAIS.

Congressional Hearing on NAIS

On Wednesday, the U.S. House Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry held a hearing on NAIS. The questions and comments of several of the Subcommittee members revealed that they view NAIS as a food safety program and critical for animal health in case of a “catastrophic outbreak.” One member said, in essence, that the costs to farmers financially, and in loss of privacy, must be weighed against the "cost in human life" if NAIS isn't implemented.

Yet USDA continues to provide absolutely no scientific evidence to support the claim that NAIS will do anything at all to improve animal health or food safety! What NAIS will do is impose government surveillance and significant expense on animal owners for no real benefit to the public. The only ones who will benefit from NAIS are the meat packers and exporters, tag manufacturers, database managers and other large corporations.

You can send written testimony to the Subcommittee for up to 10 days after the hearing, until Saturday, March 21. Send your testimony to the Hearing Clerk, Jamie Mitchell. Be sure to put “March 11 Hearing – Animal Identification Programs” in the subject line. Keep your comments clear, polite, and concise.

Be sure to send a copy to your Representative and Senators! If you are not sure who represents you, click here.

Appropriations Update

The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 was passed by the Senate and signed by President Obama yesterday. The bill includes $14.5 million for USDA to continue implementing NAIS. This is about half of what the agency requested, but still too much.

Thank you to everyone who called and emailed their Senators to try to strip the NAIS funding out of the bill. Although no amendment was offered, your calls still mattered! The Senators know that their constituents care about NAIS and are watching this issue, which will be important as we continue to fight NAIS battles in Congress throughout this year.

For more information about NAIS, visit and support LibertyArk.net

Losing Our Way of Life Part I

2009-03-10T18:01:00.003-04:00

This is the first of a series where I will attempt to demonstrate that the current Administration running the US is not promoting "Change We Can Believe In", unless you're a Socialist zealot.

http://cryptogon.com/?p=7362

The above blogger is a kindred spirit, and documents the Obama Administration's attack on small farmers and food producers, in the name of "safety". Check out the documenting links, and also read the comments at the end of the article, they're also very informative and thought-provoking.

Another cute baby pic

2009-03-04T19:43:00.004-05:00

Here they are again, I took this Tuesday when they were 8 days old. They're starting to look like bunnies! I'm keeping the otter on the right, the rest are going to a new home with their Mom.

I think this is the first time I've had a statistically correct litter! (Well, except for REW to REW breedings.) Chances were 50% Chestnut, 25% Otter, and 25% Black, and that's exactly what I got! I wonder if the sexes will also be statistically correct?

Baby pics

2009-02-25T17:52:00.005-05:00

Here are Oscar and Sunrise's babies. Two of them have white spots on their foreheads, they'll make nice woolers. One is the black, the other is, I think, a chestnut, but it's a bit early to tell. I think (hope!) one of the others is an otter, and the last looks like a chestnut.

Spoke too soon!

2009-02-23T18:32:00.002-05:00

Sunrise FINALLY gave birth to 4 fat, sassy, vigorous babies today. Looks like one black and 3 patterned. We'll see if I get a tan pattern. Odds are I should get one. No chocolates, all black. :)

I guess it's my turn...

2009-02-22T09:51:00.002-05:00

Over the years I have heard how hard it is to breed Giants, but never really had a problem. I'd hit the occasional dry spell, but nothing like this. I've been trying since November to get does bred, with only one successful breeding to my most reliable doe, Sunrise, and she let them freeze. :(

I've since bred her twice, once to Nino and once to Oscar, and still no babies. The last time she built a nest right on time, even pulled wool, but no babies. This time around, she built the nest on Wednesday, was due Friday, and today, still no babies, no wool pulled, even. :(

I have more does due over the next few weeks, hopefully SOMEBODY will hatch!

This morning, after checking Sunrise's (empty) nestbox, I shot Bob a sideways look and said, "Have you been slipping these rabbits birth control?"

He laughed that yep, he had indeed done that. ;) Good thing he was joking. :)

Louis and Lizzie are clipped down and (hopefully) bred. This of course means neither will be ready to be shown at Nationals. Oh well. Maybe if the weather stays cool I'll show them at Hamburg in late May or Frankfurt in June.

I've given it a lot of thought, and I may stop taking reservations for rabbits. I'll still honor the promises I have made, of course, but when I make promises of rabbits that have yet to be born, it prevents me from making changes to my breeding program when I want to. Except for the funk that Sunrise is in, my Tan line reproduces like - well, like rabbits. I'm certain Dark took, maybe not so certain about Cadbury, but then I bred her to Nino, and my German bucks just haven't been getting the job done lately. I'm not saying the fault lies with them, a lot of breeders I talked to at the PA Convention told me they're having issues, too. Could it be the bad winter we're having? Where the heck is that darned Global Warming when you need it? Oops, I mean "Climate Change". (They've switched to Climate Change so that no matter what the weather does, they can blame it on Man.) But I digress. Crosby is a spectacular breeder, he gets the job done and it is obviously successful. No flirting and fumbling around, he is all business, and I really like that in a buck. Anyway, I'd like to use him more, but I need to produce REW babies because I have them promised to folks, and I doubt he carries albino. I know Midas doesn't. So, once I've satisfied the promises I have made, I think I'll start integrating the Tans into the Giant line and focus more on them. I'll still get REWS, of course, but I won't have many to show with or sell. Which is OK, because I'm not in this to make money, anyway. And I'll have Louis, Lizzie, and maybe even Joy to show if and when their coats are prime and there is a show worth going to at that time.

Not showing so much will also free me up to spend more time in fiber pursuits. I have a used knitting machine on the way. :) If I can figure out how to use it, I plan to have a lot of fun with it.

RIP laptop, PaSRBSA shows

2009-02-09T19:52:00.006-05:00

My faithful IBM T30 has finally bitten the dust. I almost feel like I lost a friend.

I didn't keep track of much of the goings-on at the PaSRBA show. I was so busy grooming and taking care of rabbit sales and transportation stuff that I didn't pay much attention to results. Louis and Lizzie did well in the UARC Specialty judged by ARBA Prez Dr. Chris Hayhow. Louis took BOS and Lizzie was in the running for BOB, Terri Robertson's super Sr doe beat her out. In the PaSRBA Open shows, they both placed dead last in their classes on Saturday, they placed well on Sunday, but didn't win anything. Tomorrow they'll be shorn and bred. :)

Update: Got my show report today - Lizzie got a Best Wool on Sunday! Woo hoo!

Meanwhile back at the ranch, I bred Joy to Oscar one final time before he left to go visit a friend's German doe for awhile. I also had bred him to Sunrise, who will be going to her new home this weekend. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Joy actually took this time. At the same time, I bred Guin to Nino. I tried Dark and Crosby, but Dark wasn't having any part of it. I'll try them again tomorrow.

I picked up a new "Giant Fuzzy Lop", actually a purebred French Lop with wool, whom I named King Midas, since he is a gold-tipped Steel and I wanted to stick with the royalty names for these lines. I'll get a pic up as soon as I shear him. His first date will eventually be with Joy. I'm hoping to get a chestnut doe out of that breeding and breed her to Nino when she's old enough.

So hopefully I'll have some full nestboxes soon. :)

Menawhile, here are some pictures my friend Annette took at the show:

This is me holding Lizzie

And this is Dr. Hayhow judging Giants:

LETS GO STEELERS!!!!!

2009-01-25T08:56:00.003-05:00

Banjo says the Steelers will eat the Cardinals for breakfast! :)

It's no longer the Steeler Nation, Steeler fandom has gone beyond international even, and into space:

Steeler fans in Space

HERE WE GO FOR NUMBER SIX!

More NAIS

2009-01-18T15:34:00.001-05:00

USDA Publishes Proposed Rule on NAIS

Liberty Ark Alert: January 16, 2009

USDA Publishes Proposed Rule on NAIS

WHAT'S HAPPENING:
USDA has published a proposed rule that would mandate NAIS premises registration and animal identification for several key animal disease programs. This includes scrapie, brucellosis, tuberculosis, and Johne’s. If this rule is adopted, hundreds of thousands of people who own cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs will be forced to register their property and use only tags approved by the USDA for NAIS.

This proves, yet again, that NAIS is NOT a voluntary program at the Federal level. Participation in these disease control programs are often mandatory, or necessary for economic reasons, for farmers to stay in business. Converting the programs to mandate NAIS Premises Registration effectively makes NAIS an involuntary program, contradicting USDA’s continued claims that NAIS is voluntary.

TAKE ACTION:
Submit comments on the proposed rule. You can submit comments on the proposed rule through March 16, 2009, using either the online portal or regular mail:

1. Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal to submit or view comments, as well as related materials.

2. If you mail your comments, send two copies of your comment to:

Docket No. APHIS-2007-0096
Regulatory Analysis and Development
PPD APHIS Station 3A-03.8
4700 River Road Unit 118
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238

You should clearly state that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS- 2007-0096.

We will send out sample talking points to help people in submitting comments as soon as possible.

Here are some of the key points of the proposed rule:

1. If the rule is adopted, the NAIS Premises ID Number (PIN) would be the ONLY form of premises identification allowed for official uses such as federal disease control programs.

2. The proposed rule states that it will still allow the use of the National Uniform Eartagging System, but it would be linked to the NAIS PIN.

3. USDA claims that it has determined that the proposed rule is "not significant for the purposes of Executive Order 12866," which requires a cost-benefit analysis of federal regulations. But the agency never completed a cost/benefit analysis (and refuses to release its draft analysis). So it has no proof that the proposed rule’s benefits outweigh the costs to be inflicted on the animal owners.

4. The bottom line: The proposed rule would mandate portions of NAIS though official federal regulations.

Excerpts from the Proposed Rule

Below are a few excerpts from USDA's explanation of its proposed rule. The full notice and proposed rule can be found here.

From p.1635:

"[W]e are ... requiring that all PINs issued on or after the date on which this proposed rule becomes effective would have to use the seven-character alphanumeric code format." [Ed. note: the NAIS PIN]

"Identification eartags, as well as other devices or means of official identification, such as backtags and tattoos, that employ a premises-based numbering system that include a PIN could not be applied to animals 1 year or later after the date on which this proposed rule in finalized if the PIN does not employ the seven-character form."

"[T]his proposed rule would not require the use of the AIN. Other animal identification numbering systems currently recognized in the regulations for use on official eartags, such as the National Uniform Eartagging System and premises-based numbering systems that combine a PIN with a producer's livestock production numbering system, will continue to be so recognized. If the AIN is used, however, on an official eartag or other device (currently, it is only used on eartags and implants), only the format with the 840 prefix would be acceptable for use on animals tagged 1 year or more after the date on which this proposed rule in finalized."

From p.1636:

"Our proposed definition of official eartag would also require such eartags, including those that use the National Uniform Eartagging System, if issued or distributed in conjunction with a Federal disease program, to be correlated with the PINs of the premises to which they are issued, by means of the Animal Identification Number Management System (AINMS) or other recordkeeping systems approved by the Administrator. (Both the National Uniform Eartagging System and the AINMS are discussed in greater detail later in this document.) For this proposed requirement to be met, official eartags used in animal disease programs could only be issued, going forward, to registered premises that have PINs."

"Our proposed definition of official eartag would also require that when AIN eartags are used, the AINs would have to be correlated with the PINs of the premises to which they are issued, meaning that AIN eartags could only be issued to registered premises that have PINs."

From p.1637:

"The definition of official eartag in Sec. 79.1 would be amended to remove the option of using the National Uniform Eartagging System in the NSEP [National Scrapie Eradication Program]."

Online Voting

The official website of the President-elect has set up a section where people can vote on ideas, and the top ideas will be presented to President Obama after he is sworn in.

Several suggestions to stop NAIS have been posted. The one that has garnered the most votes so far is Eliminate NAIS.

You can find all the ideas that mention NAIS by searching the citizens briefing book. Please go vote for eliminating NAIS.

For more information on NAIS, visit and support LibertyArk.net

No babies...

2009-01-18T08:41:00.003-05:00

I guess the does thought it was too cold. I bred 4 does, and I could swear 3 of them took. But, no babies. :(

I'm going to wait now until after the PA Convention to breed again. Plus, I'm going to forget about, at least for now, trying to breed a purebred chocolate German. All my energy is going to be focused on producing the perfect Giant, colored or otherwise. To that end, some stock will be leaving here. Donna has hit her third strike, she'll be sold as a wooler. I can't keep feeding a doe who won't produce babies. It's a shame, she has a spectacular coat, but if she can't or won't pass those genes on, she's useless to me. Oscar will be camping out at a friend's rabbitry for awhile, making purebred German babies. :) Garritt, my little French buck, will be re-homed. He is a cute little fella, but doesn't make senior weight even for a French, so I'll find a spinning home for him. Sunrise will move on to a pet home. She has done her part here and deserves a comfortable retirement. Lizzie might be sold at Convention, if not, she'll be bred to Louis.

So, the only purebred Germans will be Nino and Joy. The rest will be Giants.

Germans certainly have left their stamp here, Louis, Guin, and Lizzie are 3/4 German and 1/4 French Lop. Their offspring will produce Giants with clean pedigrees. The German in their background is a blend of old lines and 2002 import lines. In my opinion, they have perfect texture and density. Special Dark, my young Black Otter Giant doe, is a daughter of Oscar. Her mother is a blend of Giant, French, Tan, and Thrianta (talk about genetic diversity!) Dark inherited her dad's wonderful wool and her mom's rufous. She'll be bred to Crosby, my Black Tan Giant buck. Crosby is heavily inbred back to my original Giant/Tan cross. He lacks texture (needs frequent grooming) but has a nice body, nice furnishings, and has every color gene I want (atat Bb C? Dd EE ww). Cadbury, my Chocolate Otter Giant doe, is a blend of Giant, German, French, and Tan. She has a wonderful little body and decent wool, and will be bred to Nino.

So, most of my breedings will be back to my own lines. Louis will be bred to either Lizzie or Guin, depending on whether Lizzie sells. Guin will be bred to either Louis or Nino. Nino and Cadbury will be bred together, and Crosby and Dark.

I have special plans for Joy . Those of you who attend the PA Convention will get to see those plans. :)

PS - please check out the Save Handmade image (it links to an article you will appreciate) at the bottom of the blog.

Make yourself heard

2009-01-08T19:57:00.000-05:00

"Top 10 Ideas for America"

The private website, www.Change.org, will present the "Top 10 Ideas for America" to the Obama Administration on Inauguration Day. "Stop NAIS" has made it to the second round of voting! It is competing against 86 other ideas to see if it can make it into the Top 10. The second round of voting will end at 5 pm next Thursday, January 15.

TAKE ACTION

STEP 1: If you are not already signed up for the site, register at: https://www.change.org/admin/sign_up

STEP 2: Go to http://www.change.org/ideas/view/stop_nais. Be sure to click the box labeled "vote!" to the left of the Protect Our Food Supply -- Stop NAIS! Simply leaving a comment does not count as a vote. The box should change color and the text will change to "voted." You may have to try a couple of times.

STEP 3: Email all your friends, and ask them to vote also!

STEP 4 (optional): The most important thing is the number of VOTES that the idea gets. If you want to leave a comment after you have voted, think in terms of what will encourage other people to vote to stop NAIS. Keep your comment short and clear.

Remember that Stop NAIS! is competing against all of the other ideas for one of the Top 10 slots. Only the Top 10 will be presented to the transition team.

MORE INFORMATION

In the first round of voting, almost 300,000 votes were cast. So this is a great opportunity for us to get the NAIS issue in front of a broad audience during the voting process! And if Stop NAIS! makes it to the Top 10, it will be among the ideas presented at an event at the National Press Club on January 16, followed by a press release. The organizers of Change.org have committed to supporting advocacy campaigns for each of the Top 10 ideas, including encouraging their 200,000 members to support the effort.

This is a very quick, easy way to help us raise awareness about NAIS and potentially get significant new resources for this fight! Please go to http://www.change.org/ideas/view/stop_nais and vote now!

For more information on NAIS, visit and support LibertyArk.net

Fibre3 continued...

2009-01-04T15:52:00.002-05:00

So after considerable research, I've decided to stay with the Fibre3 and will probably use an additional supplement - Doc's Rabbit Enhancer. It is only 14% protein, so it will be safe to add without upsetting the protein balance. It also has Vit C, which is believed to help prevent digestive upsets in rabbits and has other benefits as well.

http://moldblogger.com/mold-allergies-at-home-remedies/

http://www.slipperybrick.com/2008/08/japanese-fridges-spray-vitamin-c-to-keep-food-fresh/

http://www.king-brand.com/articles1.php?id=14

If my local feed store (a Purina dealer) can't get it, I'll have to order it over the internet.

We'll see how it goes. I'll probably mix it with Calf Manna and feed it in the mornings with the bunns' hay. That way the protein will be more balanced throughout the day - helpful for maintaining proper gut flora.

My thoughts so far on Purina Fibre3

2009-01-01T17:16:00.002-05:00

It's been about 6 weeks since I switched everyone over, and I have mixed feelings about the results. The bunns all like it, and made the switch easily, which is good. It is a no-corn formula, which is good mainly because of corn's ability to harbor toxins from mold. It is relatively low-starch (http://www.rabbitnutrition.com/OurProducts/Products/RabbitChowFibre3/default.aspx)
which has it's benefits and its disadvantages. Benefits are that harmful bacteria have less starch to use for food, and so have lower potential for harm.
(http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/Rabbits/meredith.htm) One should see less incidence of enteritis, for example.

However, one thing I have noticed is that my rabbits have become leaner. Not a bad thing for breeding, especially for does, but not quite so desireable for showing them. Essentially, Fibre3 seems to be the Atkins Diet for rabbits. If I had Tans or another running breed, I think I'd be estatic. I do think it had a positive impact on the breedabilty of two of my (hard to breed) does. BUT everyone's pin bones are more apparent, so performance on the show table may suffer. I am also wondering how milk production will fare when said does deliver. It is nice to know, however, that with this feed I can put a rabbit on a diet without withholding feed.

I could feed one feed for show animals (Complete Plus looks good: http://www.rabbitnutrition.com/OurProducts/Products/RabbitChowCompletePlus/default.aspx) and the other (Fibre3) for brood animals. Or, I could keep using the Fibre3 and add a starchy supplement like whole oats to the show animals' feed. I used to mix oats, Calf Manna (or Sunshine Plus) and sunflower seeds (1 part Calf Manna, one part sunflower seeds, and 2 parts oats) and give that to the bunns with their hay in the morning, I could go back to that, and adjust amounts of the mix to the requirements of the individual rabbits. I'm using Calf Manna anyway.

But all this is way more complicated than I want to be. I'd like feeding to be a simple one or two-step process, easily replicated by other care-givers when I am traveling. In other words, I'd like one feed that covers all the bases.

I'm going to have to think on this. Complete Plus may be the answer.

Hopefully more bunnies on the way...

2008-12-13T17:28:00.002-05:00

Well Oscar truly is back! Just ask Joy, who is happily contemplating motherhood. I just hope she's better at it this time around. Sunrise was not so eager, I put her in with Oscar instead of Crosby, because I want to see if Oscar carries chocolate or not. Well, Sunrise wanted nothing of it. So, I'll give her more time and try again in a month. Likewise, her daughter Cadbury was not thrilled with Nino. Time will tell if that breeding took. She was somewhat more cooperative than last month, so maybe. Donna was all over Garritt like a wet puppy. I don't think Garritt ever truly connected, tho'. Why do rabbits only multiply like rabbits when you don't want them to?

So far, the Purina Fibre3 is working out well. I do think I'm seeing a bit more soft stools because of the slightly higher protein level. I'm also supplementing with Calf-Manna now, just a little, not quite a teaspoon. I was using Pen Pal's ShowBoost, but I became concerned with high kit mortality. I don't know why I suddenly saw so much bad mothering and lack of milk coming in, but the only thing that had changed back then was the supplement. I had awesome coats, but fewer babies that made it. So, when I changed feeds over, I also changed supplements. Maybe it will make a difference, maybe it won't.

Donna's coat right now is just stunning. The density on this doe is just amazing. If I can just get some babies from her...!!!

Clinton, Gore, Babbitt Gang Taking Over Obama Natural Resources

2008-12-08T21:47:00.001-05:00

Land Rights Network

American Land Rights Association

PO Box 400 - Battle Ground, WA 98604

Phone: 360-687-3087 - Fax: 360-687-2973

E-mail: alra@pacifier.com

Web Address: http://www.landrights.org

Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE - Washington, DC 20003

Clinton, Gore, Babbitt Gang Taking Over Obama Natural Resources

Obama prepares to finish Babbitt’s “War on the West.”

Rural America in grave danger!!

Please forward this message as widely as possible—quickly!

-----Draft of Environmental Organization Transition Plan For Obama

Administration Can Be Found At www.landrights.org

Omnibus Bill Report below.

-----Special Note: This plan is the Environmental Group outline for the next four to eight years of the Obama Administration for the Natural Resources part of the Government. Interior, Agriculture, Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, Council on Environmental Quality and others.

The change you've been waiting for is just about to arrive.

And on Federal lands and property rights issues, the change looks like a return to the bad old days of Bill Clinton and Bruce Babbitt's War on the West.

Leading the Obama transition team for the Interior Department are David Hayes and John Leshy. Hayes was Deputy Secretary of the Interior under Secretary Babbitt in the Clinton Administration.

Hayes now works for the World Wildlife Fund. Leshy was Solicitor General of the Interior Department under Babbitt. Leshy has spent his whole career trying to get natural resource producers, especially small miners, off Federal lands.

Both Hayes and Leshy have been mentioned as on the list to be Obama's choice for Interior Secretary. Incredibly, some of the other names being mentioned are even worse. Most of them served in the Clinton Administration and most of them have worked for one of the radical preservationist groups.

-----Think back to what those years--1993 to 2001--were like when Clinton and Babbitt were waging their War on the West.

----- (Remember that now both the House and Senate are controlled by the Democrats, who are generally not supportive of you. In the 90’s Clinton had a Republican Senate and House during some of his term that provided some check and balance. The danger today to you is much greater with the Democrats in complete charge of the Presidency, House and Senate.)

During the Clinton years ----

Logging stopped in our National Forests;

Grazing permittees harassed and arrested;

Huge areas closed to entry under the General Mining Law;

Trails closed to off-roaders and snow-mobilers;

Thousands of miles of roads closed by the Roadless Rule;

Inholders were denied access to their own property and under threat of massive land acquisition; and

Hundreds of species were listed as endangered under the ESA.

Now, the same people who gave us the Roadless Rule are getting ready to come back. They didn't get everything locked up and closed down during the eight Clinton years largely because the Republicans won control of the House and Senate. But now Nancy Pelosi is Speaker of the House and Harry Reid is Senate Majority Leader.

The radical preservationists that staffed Babbitt's Interior Department want to finish what they started.

Lock it up.

Close it down.

No natural resource production allowed.

Recreation and hunting prohibited on millions of more acres.

Huge new Wilderness Areas.

Hundreds and hundreds more endangered species listings.

Even widespread condemnation of private inholdings is on their agenda.

The 26,000,000 acre National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) is a first class example of what they are going to try to do nationally.

Here's what you need to do to stop the second War on the West.

Deluge your Senators office (For the New Congress) to urge them not to approve John Leshy, David Hayes or any other Babbitt Interior Department Alumni as Secretary of Interior. You do not want to have to fight for survival in a new Obama War On The West.

Call any Senator at (202) 224-3121.

Ask for their e-mail and/or fax number. Send them a letter opposing the new War On The West.

You must act quickly.

-----Urgent Action Required --

------You successfully defeated the giant Omnibus Federal Land Grab Bill.

But Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) Senate Majority Leader, promises that it will be high if not first on his agenda in the new Congress.

-----You must be all over your Senators like a cheap suit by phone, fax and e-mail to head of this terrible land grab. Call Any Senator at (202) 224-3121.

Chuck Cushman

Executive Director

(360)687-3087

ccushman@pacifier.com

If you wish to unsubscribe, reply to this e-mail with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. If you know of others who would like to receive these alerts, reply with their e-mail addresses.

Please forward this message as widely as possible.

It is incredibly important for you to forward this message. By forwarding the message, you can help get many thousands of copies of this e-mail as well as faxes and letters distributed.

Bunnies come, and bunnies go

2008-12-04T18:53:00.001-05:00

It's hard losing a litter. :(

JG's Sunrise was bred to JG's Crosby, and delivered 7 babies today while I was at work. Sunrise is my most experienced doe, and I have never had a problem with her. Until now. She failed to pull enough wool, and her babies froze. I had one I almost revived, he was moving, but he just didn't have enough in him. A couple of the babies had been fed, that much was obvious. :(

Of the 7 babies, all were Tan (which tells me Crosby must be homozygous for Tan, because Sunrise is not). 1 black, 2 blue, 1 chocolate and 3 lilac. I FINALLY get lilac tans, and this happens. I could just cry.

So, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. I'll give her a few days and breed her back to Crosby. I want those lilac tans! I'll also move her inside.

The MOM song

2008-11-30T17:40:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMhuAtyFCrw

A fellow rabbit breeder sent this to me, and it is WAY too good not to share! Enjoy!

The teflon President-Elect

2008-11-28T15:04:00.003-05:00

http://townhall.com/Common/PrintPage.aspx?g=6d78345a-c641-4273-8748-c85c77d833c3&t=c

This is so good, I had to post it. Obama supporters especially need to read this, and just in case you think this is anti-Obama, you're wrong. Obama is learning. I am actually getting a glimmer of hope that he may yet be a good president and not a puppet. We'll see.

The Teflon President-Elect
Larry Elder
Thursday, November 27, 2008

"How long do you think it will take for the press to turn on Obama?" a friend asked.

"Eight years, if he's in that long," I told him. "Doesn't matter what happens. Either they'll blame Bush or 'circumstances beyond Obama's control' while writing articles about how heroically Obama handles them." It's already started.

Take President-elect Barack Obama's campaign narrative: a) Bush/McCain deregulation created our problems; b) the policies of President Clinton brought success and shared prosperity, c) President Bush's tax cuts unfairly enriched the rich, d) Obama intends to end posthaste the Iraq war, which "never should have been authorized and never should have been waged," and e) through Gitmo/unlawful wiretaps/illegal interrogation procedures, Bush "shredded" the Constitution.

Let's review.

Ever heard of the Glass-Steagall Act? President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose New Deal policies Obama wants to mirror, signed it into law to prevent commercial banks from engaging in investment banking. Investment banking, the kind of work done by Wall Street titans such as Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns, raises money to package and sell securities such as the now-discredited "toxic" mortgage and mortgage-backed derivatives. Clinton, with the backing of many Republicans, allowed the banking/investment wall to fall by signing the 1999 Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, repealing a large part of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933. This led to the business model of the now-troubled and recently bailed-out Citigroup, a model impossible but for the repeal of Glass-Steagall.

The Clinton administration, during its waning days, published a paper called "The Clinton Presidency: Historic Economic Growth." It listed among its achievements "Modernizing for the New Economy through Technology and Consensus Deregulation."

Clinton denies -- correctly -- that his deregulation policies caused the current financial meltdown. "I don't see that signing that bill had anything to do with the current crisis," he said. "Indeed, one of the things that has helped stabilize the current situation as much as it has is the purchase of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America, which was much smoother than it would have been if I hadn't signed that bill." Blaming deregulation on the financial crisis ignores a whole chain of events, most notably the decline in housing values. But that didn't stop candidate Obama from screaming "deregulation," even though Clinton deregulated the financial sector more than did Bush.

Candidate Obama maligned the Bush tax cuts for benefiting the rich. But President-elect Obama now intends to retain all the tax cuts, keeping the lower rates on the "rich" until they expire in 2011 -- a far cry from his campaign promises.

What about Bush's "stupid" Iraq war?

Obama now wants Bush's secretary of defense, Robert Gates, to stay. Huh? Gates supported the successful surge and the change in counterinsurgent strategy. Sen. Obama opposed the surge, attempted to stop it, and predicted failure. Candidate Obama promised to have combat troops out within a year or 16 months of his administration, but President Bush and the Iraqi government now tentatively agree to have all troops out by 2011, a timetable unfathomable but for Bush's courageous and ultimately successful decision to surge.

What about the Guantanamo Bay detainees, the "evil" interrogation techniques and "unlawful" wiretaps?

Obama -- actually faced with governing -- seems now to understand the complex legal questions Bush grappled with. Gitmo contains some really, really bad people, and Obama's security advisers now appreciate the complex legal and logistical problems. Where to move the detainees? Moving them onto American soil creates a possible target for terror attacks. And what legal rights and procedures apply in moving the detainees to America? As for the Bush surveillance program -- which allegedly "shredded" the Constitution -- Team Obama signals an intention to retain many, if not most, of these "dreaded" policies.

Eric Holder, Obama's choice for attorney general, served as deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration. He agreed with Bush on a very important policy -- one opposed by liberal icons like Al Gore. Holder, in a 2002 interview, agreed that terrorists must be interrogated so we can learn information on their cells or future plans, and that the Geneva Conventions limited the amount of information interrogators could get. Clearly they were not prisoners of war, said Holder, and were, therefore, not covered by the protections of the Geneva Conventions. However, argued Holder, if we want our own prisoners treated well, we should treat the detainees very humanely and in a manner consistent with the Geneva Conventions -- a position that Bush ultimately came to.

So where does this leave us?

Bush wasn't so evil after all. And running for and governing as president are two different things. But don't expect the Obama-loving media to notice or care.

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