Bird Houses

Beautiful bird houses found throughout Grand Army Farm.

Completely Angora Book

I managed to buy a copy of the Completely Angora book co-authored by Leslie Samson. I also received a pamphlet to join IAGARB.

Grand Army Farm Angora Goats

Rosalie has a very nice flock of Angora Goats. They are so cute and provide her with wonderful, lustrous fiber. Below you will see one of her Anatolian Guard Dogs which are always on the look out for the safety of their herd.

Grand Army Farm

Rosalie offered room and board for a nominal nightly fee at her Farm. I took a few pictures of the breathtaking views.

The farm was very cozy and impressive. It sure beat having to stay in a stale hotel room.

 

Winte Fiber Retreat at Grand Army Farm, Labadie, MO

I took few pictures of the Winter Fiber Retreat at Grand Army Farm. I was so privileged to meet Leslie Samson and Rosalie Truong, as well as many other wonderful people.

I learned tremendous amount of information about Angora rabbits in general, and especially the German Angora. Below are some pictures of Leslie evaluating and judging a German Angora and Rosalie shearing it to collect its wonderful wool.

Notice that at after the rabbit is sheared she needs to be coated to prevent her from being cold and getting sick or worse. Rosalie has a room that she heated to ensure her shorn angoras were cozy and comfortable.

The weather in MO was not as cold as I though, however, for a naked rabbit, any small draft can significantly affect her.

Winter Fiber Retreat at Grand Army Farm in Labadie, MO

On my way to Winter Fiber Retreat at Grand Army Farm in Labadie, MO.

I will be staying at the Rosalie's Farm, which was established in 1901! I am ecstatic to learn a lot more about Angoras, taking a felting class,  visit this farm, and make new friends.
The trip is a long one, but I know it is well worth it!

This is my schedule:

Friday December 12:
Angora Management Class 1-5 pm
Teacher : Leslie Samson

Saturday December 13:
Registration and free shearing demo starting at 0900 AM.
Lunch on your own
Felted Flower Workshop: 1-5 pm

 

I will stay overnight Friday and Saturday and return home Sunday. I am hoping to take pictures to post on my blog.

Continued work on my line (Road To Angora)

Well, it has taken me several years to re-build and am still working hard on improving my line. This year, I managed to get some litters and 3 promising show prospects. However, I have not been able to attend shows as I truly wanted to due to work constraints and personal reasons.

However, m quest still continues to develop my breeding program where I can be competitive at the National level. It is very hard to truly work on one's line. I have been working diligently to only keep the best rabbits and cull the rest. I also have been working on a side project with my angoras, but that is another post.

I am hopeful for showing in 2015, but then again, with work constraints, it is hard to tell right now.

Vote for Lil Peck for NARBC District 2 Director

My very good friend, Lil, is running for District 4 Director of the National Angora Rabbit Breeders Club.

Elections for this office and District 2 Director will be held in the spring. Here is a link to her page where she included her resume for review.

Please vote: Candidate for Director of District 4 – Lil Peck
(California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Hawaii. International: Mexico, Central America, Pacific/Asia)

TRBA Fall Show

Make plans to attend the TRBA Fall Show in Killeen, TX. 

12/5/2014 TRBA Fall Show - A 3601 S WS Young Blvd, Killeen

Ken McCracken 832.260.2398 caltxrab@gmail.com

12/6/2014 TRBA Fall Show - B 3601 S WS Young Blvd, Killeen

Ken McCracken 832.260.2398 caltxrab@gmail.com

12/6/2014 TRBA Fall Show - C 3601 S WS Young Blvd, Killeen

Ken McCracken 832.260.2398 caltxrab@gmail.com

 

RabbitCon at Forth Worth

This year I had the privilege to attend RabbitCon. I have to be honest, I had been a bit hesitant and didn't think it would be this good. However, I was quite impressed with the presentations and presenters. We had a blast learning SO much about rabbits.

The hardest thing for me was choosing the best presentation to suit my needs. All of the topics were very informative and creative. I am definitely making it a point to attend the next RabbitCon at Convention and I highly encourage any true breeder of rabbits to attend, too.

ARBA Convention in Fort Worth, TX

I had the privilege to attend the ARBA Convention 2014 in Fort Worth, TX. I did not show any rabbits this yes, but am hopeful for next. Too many work commitments got in the way to stay the whole week at Convention. However, the few days I stayed I made the most of it and was exhausted by the time I got home.

Here are just  few pictures I took with my cell phone:

Here is Linda Cassella, grooming one of her rabbits.

Here is Betty Chu, grooming one of her rabbits.

 

This is an awesome grooming table I bought at Convention from BunnyWood, Custom Wood Products, (916) 364-7391

This is Brian Flading. He and his wife, Kelly, did a tremendous job helping out at Convention. Brian looks tired and resting on the cart. I know the feeling and I just helped our a few days!

ARBA CONVENTION 2014

Time is flying by and it is important for all of us to prepare for the ARBA National Convention. This year, Texas will host this prestigious event.

It is imperative that we begin the process checking which rabbits will go to Convention and which will stay home.

Be sure to look at deadlines!   click HERE for website.

Masks to clean the rabbit poop, pans and fans

This is a funny picture of my son, Dontavious and me getting ready to clean the rabbit shed. I thought it was cute to post it. The reason for the masks are because of allergens and Dontavious' history of asthma.

When we clean our shed two times a year, we do a complete scrubbing of the shed, cages, etc. This time, we only cleaned the poop, the pans, and the fans. This is enough to create dust that will agitate me or my son, and we always take precautions.

Summer Heat can be Deadly to rabbits

In past years I talked about the summer heat and how deadly it can be for any rabbit, especially the English Angora. Recently, there was a tragedy experienced by a fellow angora enthusiast due to the heat and a malfunctioning air conditioner. The horrific scene was four English Angoras, one a multiple winner, succumb to the unforgiving heat. Such a sad ordeal has been experienced by many other breeders, but when it is someone you know well, it hits close to home.

Thus far, the heat index in San Antonio has not reached the 100 mark. However, it is expected that next week we will experience 100 degrees days. It is imperative to remember to check the rabbit barn daily. True, we cannot be inside the barn 24/7 and, unfortunately, accidents will happen. However, we need to visit the shed daily as much as possible to check the temperature inside the barn, the fans and the a/c unit and ensure all are functioning properly.

I visit my rabbit in the morning before going to work and after I return from work in the evening. Right now, one of my sons is at home and I usually ask him mid-day to put in the frozen ice packs in the rabbit cages to ensure the rabbits get to rest and cool next to them.

The main thing one should do is always to:

• Keep fresh water available. Check the water bottles to ensure they are clean and working properly.
• Keep a fan going on to circulate the air and leave some open window or door to the shed to allow clean air to come in and out of the shed, especially if there is a malfunction in the shed.
• If you have an air conditioner unit, keep it on timer to save electricity and to ensure it doesn't burn out.
• If you have a misting system, make sure it is working properly
• Use frozen tiles or ice packs in the cages so the rabbits can rest on or next to them.

There are many things one can do to keep their rabbits cool and comfortable, but mainly be vigilant at all times. I hope we all survive this summer without major issues or huge loses. Let's pray this year is not as hot as last.

Part 4 of our small vacation (Texas State Aquarium, Corpus Christi, TX)

Part 3 of our family vacation (Texas State Aquarium, Corpus Christi, TX)

Beautiful aquariums