New to shows

[lpmorgens]

Hi,
We are going to participate in our first show later this month. Can anyone tell me if there is a special cage that I need to bring my rabbits in? I see photos of rabbits on these cage/tables that appear were brought by the owners. Or can I just bring them in a carrier?
Thanks,
Liana

 

[Sagebrush]

You will want to use a rabbit carrier with enough room for the rabbit to lay down and have food and water in with them.

 

[SableSteel]

You can bring the rabbit in any cage you want (small cages fit more into a car, wire floors keep them clean before a show and wire sides help keep airflow, so if you buy show carrier cages, that's what they'll look like. If the cage is too big, the rabbits can slide around in it during the ride, which isn't good for them), and when the breed is called, you carry it up to the show table, which has show cages provided by the club (if you see videos of judges getting rabbits out of cages, it's those). The clerk or writer at the table can help show you where to put your rabbit, then you stand behind the table quietly and watch, returning it to its travel cage once its class is finished. If it's a one day show, you only need water, if they're staying overnight you need feed too. Hay is good to provide to keep their stress down. Water bottles leak during car rides, so I'd suggest either emptying them for the ride or using dishes instead.

 

[Random Rabbit]

Most show rules state that the rabbits must be in leak proof carriers. Since they rent the facilities they do not want urine and manure on the floors.
People have used cat carriers... but the floors of those are smooth and the rabbit can slip and side during travel. Plus the rabbit would be sitting in their waste making them dirty.
The wire carriers with a solid metal, or plastic, drop pan keep the rabbit contained, clean and fairly easy to get in and out.
Best of luck showing and be sure to have fun.

 

[macksmom98]

All this is great advice. I found mine on bunnyrabbit.com, but they can be purchased other places too. You will want a wire bottom and something to hold the waste and urine for sure!

 

[SarniaTricia]

Liana
I posted this a while ago on my FB page, but I am happy to share this:

First you map your show location and plan on getting there 1/2 hour before the registration desk closes.
The night before, go over your rabbits, pack them, food, grooming supplies, camp chair, travel dishes, lunch for yourself etc, for quick loading in the AM.
Print out your showing sheet and write out your choices of rabbits. (tattoos - in left ear... if your rabbit doesn't have a tattoo, pick a letter & number and get it tattooed there... someone always has a pen, some charge)

Saturday's show meant I needed to be in Lansing for 7am.
That meant getting up at 4am, packing the car with rabbits, grooming supplies and being on the road for 5am.

Drive to the show and rush in and get your rabbits registered.
Registering your rabbits means getting a little card and filling one out for each of your rabbits, for each show. Then submitting and paying for each rabbit that will show.

Bring your rabbits in and make a small space for yourself. Pull out each of your bunnies and brush them, double check your rabbit's ear tattoo and sex, trim the nails; Then you sit around and wait for your rabbit breed to be called.

When it is, you wheel your travel cages to the judge's table and they go alphabetically by colour, senior buck, then senior doe; then junior buck and junior doe... until all the colours are done. Then the best of each colour are rated against each other.

The judging can be 10-15 minutes for small groups or hours for larger groups. The judging is done with anxious owners, hanging around the table listening over the noise in a large hall to the judge talk about your rabbit. You use what is said about all the rabbits to understand better how to pick show winners and select breeders in you own barn.

Between showing events you Visit with other rabbit people, shop at the rabbit suppliers, put tickets in for draws and wander around and look at the beautiful rabbits.

RE: carriers... what ever you have will be fine...Sablesteel has done a good job of answering that for you... if you want to upgrade, bring $$ there are likely venders to purchase from.

REMEMBER TO BRING CHAIRS!!!!

This is the show "Table":


This is a photo of one of the shows I was at in Michigan:

 

[hotzcatz]

The rabbit shows we have around here are smaller so folks just carry their rabbits up to the show hutch. There's a whole long line of holes next to the judging table. The judge looks the other way and everyone brings their rabbits up and puts them in a hole. The back of it hinges up to put the rabbit in and the other side hinges up for the judge to take the rabbits out. The people that brought the rabbits are suposed to step back a bit or sit on the chairs next to the judging table.

Once the line of judging holes is filled, the judge turns around and starts taking buns out and judging them. Once they've been judged, they're put back in the holes and afterwards, all the folks go up and get their rabbits.

Since we have angoras, we take samples of yarn and knitted things from angora as well as business cards and pamphlets in case someone wants to contact us later.