We all come across "THE" doe. The one that meets and exceeds our standards. I think we need a thread to honor these girls, so I'm starting one.
Meet Ruby, Rue for short. (She was named before I got her, I'd never willingly give an animal such a silly name!!) She came at a hard time for the rabbitry, the does who preceded her had issues, and I had yet to have one live litter out of 3 attempts, one of which I lost the doe to. (Beginners BAD luck, not knowing enough and having a mentor who was a fiber genius, but knew little on how to properly care for angoras, man do I wish I had RT then!). She was not a doe I wanted since I am not fond of REW's but as I wanted the cage stacks she was in, I had to at least foster her until she sold to get the cages. After seeing her wool production, I bought her, and it's a decision I'm glad I made. She was my first successful doe, and I'll never forget how exciting it was to have those first six, fat wiggly little kits!
Rue will always be my gold standard doe, never for conformation or any show qualities, but she has been the most wonderful mother I have yet to have. She was protective, though never to the point of aggression, her kits were always in he nest, well fed and covered with more wool than you would have thought one rabbit could pluck. She's the only doe I've ever had who seems to go through a small stage of depression once the last of her kits wean, and the only doe I could still trust putting her now 6 month old doe kit in with and she'd welcome her back (though I won't because let's face it, a total of 21 plus pounds of rabbit is too much for a 30x36 cage!). She even still insists on cleaning her when they're out in the yard running together.
She's given me five lovely litters in the two years I was breeding her, and now that there's enough of her genetics out there (I've only kept one of her kits back, but have friends who have her kits that I have access to) she's living the life of a spoiled retired fiber rabbit. I know most sell or cull old brood does, but Rue is the one doe I won't let go. She still does produce some amazing fiber, and at 13 pounds plenty of it, though I would keep her out of respect even if she didn't. Not to mention, she still helps out in the mothering department, even if she didn't know it. We've got -7 degree temps right now and if it weren't for her wool I shoved in the nest of the two does that just kindled, the kits would have froze as neither doe pulled much of their own fur (ones a good mom but never pulls until after, works in summer but not now, and the other doe is a first timer, so she might get it right the next time). Ruby herself has even been running around with mouthfuls of the straw I shoved in her box to keep her warm, though there won't be any more kits for her.
The does I've gotten since that litter have yet to live up to that standard. Most of the new angora stock I brought in from a new breeder I was trying last year were mental, and many of the other breeds have had their flaws too. (The champ doe is the one not pulling fur until after kindling, though past that she's a wonderful mother. Just a terrible choice to breed in winter!) I've learned which flaws I can live with (fur pulling) and which I can't (mental rabbits!) and deal with what I can I do have a new doe who so far has meet all of my temperament requirememts who is due for her first litter next week, and Rue's doe kit will be ready to breed in February, so we'll see how they do, but thanks to Rue they have a pretty high standard to meet!
Which doe has been monumental to your rabbitry?
Meet Ruby, Rue for short. (She was named before I got her, I'd never willingly give an animal such a silly name!!) She came at a hard time for the rabbitry, the does who preceded her had issues, and I had yet to have one live litter out of 3 attempts, one of which I lost the doe to. (Beginners BAD luck, not knowing enough and having a mentor who was a fiber genius, but knew little on how to properly care for angoras, man do I wish I had RT then!). She was not a doe I wanted since I am not fond of REW's but as I wanted the cage stacks she was in, I had to at least foster her until she sold to get the cages. After seeing her wool production, I bought her, and it's a decision I'm glad I made. She was my first successful doe, and I'll never forget how exciting it was to have those first six, fat wiggly little kits!
Rue will always be my gold standard doe, never for conformation or any show qualities, but she has been the most wonderful mother I have yet to have. She was protective, though never to the point of aggression, her kits were always in he nest, well fed and covered with more wool than you would have thought one rabbit could pluck. She's the only doe I've ever had who seems to go through a small stage of depression once the last of her kits wean, and the only doe I could still trust putting her now 6 month old doe kit in with and she'd welcome her back (though I won't because let's face it, a total of 21 plus pounds of rabbit is too much for a 30x36 cage!). She even still insists on cleaning her when they're out in the yard running together.
She's given me five lovely litters in the two years I was breeding her, and now that there's enough of her genetics out there (I've only kept one of her kits back, but have friends who have her kits that I have access to) she's living the life of a spoiled retired fiber rabbit. I know most sell or cull old brood does, but Rue is the one doe I won't let go. She still does produce some amazing fiber, and at 13 pounds plenty of it, though I would keep her out of respect even if she didn't. Not to mention, she still helps out in the mothering department, even if she didn't know it. We've got -7 degree temps right now and if it weren't for her wool I shoved in the nest of the two does that just kindled, the kits would have froze as neither doe pulled much of their own fur (ones a good mom but never pulls until after, works in summer but not now, and the other doe is a first timer, so she might get it right the next time). Ruby herself has even been running around with mouthfuls of the straw I shoved in her box to keep her warm, though there won't be any more kits for her.
The does I've gotten since that litter have yet to live up to that standard. Most of the new angora stock I brought in from a new breeder I was trying last year were mental, and many of the other breeds have had their flaws too. (The champ doe is the one not pulling fur until after kindling, though past that she's a wonderful mother. Just a terrible choice to breed in winter!) I've learned which flaws I can live with (fur pulling) and which I can't (mental rabbits!) and deal with what I can I do have a new doe who so far has meet all of my temperament requirememts who is due for her first litter next week, and Rue's doe kit will be ready to breed in February, so we'll see how they do, but thanks to Rue they have a pretty high standard to meet!
Which doe has been monumental to your rabbitry?
Well now that is classy Liz and all this time I thought you were running a shoestring operation, you obviously never showed me the attached wine bar. :evil: Good decision on your part actually. :lol:
