NZ herd eval.

[Shara]

Two of these girls are unshowable, as far as I know, because of the color. But I want to know, of these three, what do I need to improve upon? Who would you keep babies from, and what should I look for to improve them? Be completely honest, and any tips on how to pose are welcome...

Willow.

Maple

Aspen

<br /><br />__________ Wed Sep 01, 2010 3:53 pm __________<br /><br />Oh, and as a side note: none of these girls were happy to pose, lol.

 

[ShadedNightRabbitry]

Poses are okay... It's more helpful for evaluations if you use two fingers to hold down the heads rather than you're whole hand. I know it's hard, but I have flemish and NZs too. =D So we all gotta deal with it.

In my opinion, Maple is the most promising. She has the best hips, is the least pinched in hind quarter, and has the best taper of the three. nit picky, but I don't like the ears. I'd still prefer them to be much more open... And they have a dirty base. I'm not sure if that's part of the broken standard or not.

Willow... Don't really like her too much. She's rather plain in my eyes. Choppy HQ. I like the height she gets up to. Very pinched in HQ. Same comment on ears. Could use more substance, to boot. The first photo she reminds me too much of a compact; I'm wondering if she was over posed?

Aspen. Another plain doe. Don't like the lack of taper. (Now, I don't have my standard, and I'm not super familiar with the breed... Lack of taper may be desired, may not be.... I'll update when I find my standard. XD)I don't like her hindquarters. The feet V too much for my tastes.

They're all okay does. Are they meat production or show stock?

 

[Shara]

They are meat does, going to produce loads of yumminess for my table. I would like to know, though, others opinions on them to improve ( everyone can improve, lol.)

Thank you!

 

[ShadedNightRabbitry]

ALL RIGHT. Let me correct myself. I was looking at them from a semi arch rather than a commercial view point... Sorry. XD I'm too used to the flemmies.

I rank them Maple, Aspen, Willow. I don't like willow at all. Sorry. =/

Maple is a much wider animal. She doesn't peak as high as I'd like, but that can still change. Get them all some time to grow up a little.
Aspen is a little funky still. Not sure what's up, but I don't like her as much as Maple.
Willow has long and low shoulders. That, and the V of the feet is enough for me to send her off for meat production or to eat.<br /><br />__________ Wed Sep 01, 2010 4:17 pm __________<br /><br />

They are meat does, going to produce loads of yumminess for my table. I would like to know, though, others opinions on them to improve ( everyone can improve, lol.)

Thank you!

LATE AGAIN. LOL.

You want beefier midsections/hindquarters for meat production. But I'm sure you already knew that. XD Choose the chunkiest, and cull the skinny ones.

 

[Shara]

Maple is my favorite body wise, as well. All these girls were born within a week, think, of eachother...Aspen and willow are full sisters, Maple has a different mom. Maple is by far the biggest of my three month olds. When you see them together, she REALLY stands apart as massive.

 

[MaggieJ]

I agree that Maple is the most promising. But all three should produce "loads of yumminess" just fine for the home rabbitry. You'll likely find yourself choosing the best young does from Maple's litters for future breeders... and Maple will likely have a longer career than the others, because you will tend to replace them when you have better does available. But you never know... I'd love to hear how they do, after each has had a couple of litters.

 

[dandee]

I know nothing about the SOP. but, i instantly twinged (not in a bad way, just the gut reaction) at Willow. her body just seemed bony and off.
but, again, I'm no judege.

but, on instincts, i pretty much agree with the above. either way, lover your buns!

 

[Shara]

lol, I just looked at willow, and I think tommorrow I will put a better body photo up, in case that helps a little. that above pic is terrible! But willow's my least favorite too, however, of course that means she is the nicest in personality.


maybe I'll foster some Maple kits to a nicer doe. Maggie told me you can tell when they are first born, that you pick the wider, meaty newborns. I don't know if thats exactly what she meant, but that interpetation sounds right, that big kits grew up to be big babies. So if I fostered big kits to someone nicer, I could get gentle babies, right?

 

[ladysown]

you can. I find it fascinating when I have a holland lop raise a mini rex, or a mini rex raise a holland. The kits come out different then their litter mates raised by their own mommas. If I could guess at birth which kits would be my keepers... I'd put them with the opposite breed rabbit for raising.

 

[MaggieJ]

Well now, I know I said that about being able to pick out potential keepers at birth -- and with my rabbits I can, most of the time. But I think it is something that comes with experience. But you certainly could try fostering some to Willow. I'd let them all kindle and care for their first litters, to get an idea of how they do without interference. Then consider fostering or swapping for later litters.