help on my little rabbit plan please

so i not have a trio of lionheads and a pair of dutch. the dutch doe has 4 2wk old kits. the lionhead does are due this week/next week. so now i went from no rabbits to about to have loads of popples. :lol:

so right now i am:
*trying to contact people in 4H in the area. this is very frustrating for me. hopefully i can talk to one of my sisters friends who was really into 4H and she can give me some people to talk to.

*working on making signs for for-sale rabbits with info about them

*making a list of places to put up the flyers/signs (stores, laundramats, newpaper ads, internet ads, etc.) also i am on quite a few forums so i could post them there as well.

*made a facebook for my rabbits. "Homestead Nowhere Rabbitry" feel free to friend me

*make pedigrees for dutch kits (only 2wks old so i have to wait to sex them. and of i cannot find any pictures of dutchs that have the coloring of two of them. two are black but the other two are brown like their sire and have "frosted" kind of fur like the steel dam.)

i was trying to find something that would tell me what are standards for 4H rabbits and cannot find anything so far. disqualifications? breeds? are lionheads allowed to be 4H rabbits? because they are not an ARBA recognized breed yet.

also i am hoping to get some meat does and have meat kits. for eating here on the farm as well as selling. i cant seem to find anything on selling meat rabbits in ohio though. and there is no one in the close towns that i have found yet that have rabbits for selling. as meat or pets. i am not sure yet wether this is because a lack of people wanting them or just a lack of people in the area selling them...

any info/links/tips/suggestions are very welcome!

I can tell you lionheads are allowed in 4-h. My son showed one last year, and there was 4 others besides his. They had to show in the mixed breed class though.

Lion heads for 4-h depend on which county. At Our county fair, there is not "mixed class". Mixed rabbits are not allowed at all. I think that is kind of dumb but that is they way they do it.

4-H shows are typically judged according to ARBA standards. I don't recommend marketing Lionheads to 4-H kids until they are fully recognized, because it can be very disheartening to new 4-H members to get their bunnies just to discover that they cannot show them. Lionheads are considered mixed-breed until they are an accepted breed. Our county fair allows first year members only to show mixed breed, to give newbies the opportunity to get a new rabbit for their second year but still get to show their beloved first bunny.

I don't recommend advertising bunnies for sale until you're much closer to selling, especially ones that aren't born yet. As a lot of us know all too well that litters don't always go as planned. Don't count your chicks before they hatch!

As for locations, put up signs at local feed stores, grain elevators, and check out hoobly.com as well as local vet offices and pet supply stores.

Contact your county extension office for 4-H information.

Also, you need to give your new rabbits an adequate quarantine time before you start selling any to anyone else. What if they have something you don't know about? Take the time now to learn about your rabbits and how to care for them and breed them.

ohiogoatgirl":398q89xo said:

also i am hoping to get some meat does and have meat kits. for eating here on the farm as well as selling. i cant seem to find anything on selling meat rabbits in ohio though. and there is no one in the close towns that i have found yet that have rabbits for selling. as meat or pets. i am not sure yet wether this is because a lack of people wanting them or just a lack of people in the area selling them...

any info/links/tips/suggestions are very welcome!

Click to expand...

The laws for meat rabbits vary by local ordinances. For instance, I am in Cuyahoga County, and by Cleveland law I cannot butcher animals for anyone but myself, so if I sell rabbits for meat, I cannot offer them butchered nor charge for the service. I can say I have rabits for sell, with a price for live weight, and when they get there, I can offer to butcher them as a favor. I cannot sell my eggs either, though I know of someone a few blocks away from me with a BIG eggs for sale sign on the front gate. I do see several advertisements for meat rabbits on Craigslist.

oh, no i am not advertizing anything yet. i am a ways from that yet, i know it. just working on everything ahead of time.

Some 4H kids show ARBA too I would get a standard and know which dutch are showable.our fair doesnt allow mixed breeds for 4H.they use ARBA rules.our local ARBA show is not allowing lionheads too show.

Boy the Lion Heads are really getting a raw deal. They are rabbits, but it seems both ARBA and 4-H now are pushing this specialty rabbit away. That's truly a shame. And to tell kids they can't have a Lion Head because it will be hard because adults don't recognize it? Truly a shame. When you evaluate the temperament of a Lion Head, vs a temperment of a Rex or Polish or even their appearance, Lion Heads...hands down. One of the best bunnies a child could raise. And you can tell your 4-H President that too.

Time to start pushing this breed in the right way. Not push it away until recognized. How can it get recognized if it's being banned all over by ARBA and now 4-H.

Gee, sounds like the Lion Head is being treated just like the Kuvacz from AKC. Someone didn't like this breed so pushed it away until it started winning the basic shows. Gee, sounds familiar. Glad I LOVE Lion Heads, and will push this specialty breed to be recognized.

K

Don't count your chicks before they hatch!

Click to expand...

uh...shouldn't that be don't count your "popples" before they.... popple?

Can't you go online and find the 4H contact for your area? Then just talk to them?

here is the state website for Ohio http://southcenters.osu.edu/4h/index.htm

ZRabbits":1mggrlz3 said:

Boy the Lion Heads are really getting a raw deal. They are rabbits, but it seems both ARBA and 4-H now are pushing this specialty rabbit away. That's truly a shame. And to tell kids they can't have a Lion Head because it will be hard because adults don't recognize it? Truly a shame. When you evaluate the temperament of a Lion Head, vs a temperment of a Rex or Polish or even their appearance, Lion Heads...hands down. One of the best bunnies a child could raise. And you can tell your 4-H President that too.

Time to start pushing this breed in the right way. Not push it away until recognized. How can it get recognized if it's being banned all over by ARBA and now 4-H.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you mean by 4-H president...if you mean individual club presidents, we can't really do anything about Lionheads being accepted by the ARBA. Yes, they're nice rabbits, but until the breeders possesing Certificates of Development pass their three successful showings, we won't be showing Lionheads. Breeders have been trying for 20 years. And, until they pass their showings and become an ARBA recognized breed, they won't be shown in 4-H shows because 4-H shows, the majority anyways, are shown by ARBA standards. They aren't "banned" they just haven't passed the same requirements to become a recognized breed that other new breeds have passed.

i know with ARBA if you have the COD with you at a show you can show the bunny, is it different with 4H?

Cattle Cait":24021p16 said:

ZRabbits":24021p16 said:

Boy the Lion Heads are really getting a raw deal. They are rabbits, but it seems both ARBA and 4-H now are pushing this specialty rabbit away. That's truly a shame. And to tell kids they can't have a Lion Head because it will be hard because adults don't recognize it? Truly a shame. When you evaluate the temperament of a Lion Head, vs a temperment of a Rex or Polish or even their appearance, Lion Heads...hands down. One of the best bunnies a child could raise. And you can tell your 4-H President that too.

Time to start pushing this breed in the right way. Not push it away until recognized. How can it get recognized if it's being banned all over by ARBA and now 4-H.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you mean by 4-H president...if you mean individual club presidents, we can't really do anything about Lionheads being accepted by the ARBA. Yes, they're nice rabbits, but until the breeders possesing Certificates of Development pass their three successful showings, we won't be showing Lionheads. Breeders have been trying for 20 years. And, until they pass their showings and become an ARBA recognized breed, they won't be shown in 4-H shows because 4-H shows, the majority anyways, are shown by ARBA standards. They aren't "banned" they just haven't passed the same requirements to become a recognized breed that other new breeds have passed.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your input. Greatly appreciated. But it's not logical. How are the Lion Heads supposed to obtain this status if they won't let them show. I truly believe there is something other than Lack of COD's to get this breed recognized. And I have enough experience in the political arena New Jersey to know better.

Example: A lady in PA is one step away of recognition. Washington PA show application this Saturdays states "No Lion Heads". Why? I understand 4-H's position because they don't show anything that is not ARBA standard. But why not an open catagory in 4-H. Amazing what this could do to help the breed.

Thank God this attitude was not seen back in the early Dark Ages, because the Wild Rabbit would still be the only type of rabbit. Shame that this is what is occurring to this AWESOME Breed. My problem is that both Associations state they promote youth involvement, along with the preservation of all breeds. But it seems it's only certain breeds. And this is coming from Adults, not children. I find it very short hearted.

Finding out more and more info. I pried a door open and I'm finding info on this 20 years battle which started 12 years ago, not 20.

I'll keep researching, and I will find out what's really going on. And I will let all know because there are 4-H children who are raising these bunnies and are very proud of what they accomplished. Isn't that what 4-H is all about too. So shameful.

K

Our club lets the kids show Lion Heads and from what i've seen there is just so much variations in fur that i think that is why it is taking so long to get recognized?? From what i've also heard you can show them in ARBA but not all shows do and they can't go for BIS.

As for the OP i think you got great pre planning I would not advertise your address or listed phone number for contact though.You never know these days

Looks like ARBA is reconsidering the length of the skirt which has been the whole crux of this Lion Head recognition venture. But to stop them from showing until recognized, just seems odd. That's what's in question. Especially an individual going for her third.


Shame that you can't list your phone number now a days. Or any other information. Sad state of affairs. But good advise.

K