Prepping for the County Fair - Breeding Rabbits
Grooming
Show on Thursday, March 1st
Check In 4 pm
Show at 5 pm
You should groom your rabbit often. Grooming will help your rabbit’s temperament by allowing the animal to get used to being handled. It will also greatly improve the condition, luster, body and texture of your rabbit’s coat. It will also help you establish a trust relationship with your rabbit. The rabbit will learn to trust you and hence not become as stressed when handled. This will also help you to learn your rabbit’s habits. Also remember to cut your rabbit’s nails prior to the show.
Practice Posing
Practice makes perfect! You should practice posing your rabbits properly and going through the routine that the judges will use to check your rabbits for disqualifications and placings. This is also great practice if you will compete in rabbit showmanship. If you plan to compete in rabbit showmanship, you should say aloud each step as you practice checking and posing your rabbit. This will help you build your confidence since you will need to do so during showmanship in order to demonstrate to the judge that you know your rabbit stuff!
Some rabbit breeds are posed in a specific way, while some are not judged in a posed position. It is important that you know the proper pose for your rabbit and set the rabbit in this pose during the judge's evaluation. Practicing posing with your rabbits will help keep the animals calm while the judge is handling them. A rabbit that has not been handled will be scared or aggressive and will make it difficult for the judge to evaluate it. This could hinder your placing because it will not allow the judge to see your rabbits best qualities. The Domestic Rabbit book has a tutorial that states the pose and handling of various rabbit breeds on pages 227-231. It also has detailed information regarding the different poses and how to set the rabbit on the pose from pages 221-226. Use this resource to learn how to pose your rabbit.
Transportation
Transporting the animals to and from the show should be done as comfortably for the animal as possible. Exposing the rabbit to extreme heat or cold can be damaging to both the animals condition and health. Make sure that you take water bottles, feeders, feed and water to rabbit shows the rabbit show. If the rabbit it traveling in an air-conditioned car, make sure that the A/C vent is not directly blowing air at the rabbit as this can make them sick.
Be on time - Check in is 4 pm but you need to be alittle earlier if you have not done early entry. You can pick up an extra entry form at the extension office or online at KCJLS.com
It is your responsibility at a rabbit show to make sure your animals reach the judging table at the appropriate time. In order to accomplish this, one must pay attention to the order of judging, which judge will be handling your breed, and which variety and class is to be brought up for judging next. Make sure to double check your tattoo
What to Bring - Just a few items. Water, Feed, Treats (just in case the show is big and they need a snack),Rabbit grooming supplies (brush, nail clippers, rinse-less shampoo, baby wipes and a towel.), apron for you, and lint roller to clean your apron before showmanship. Just to name a few!!
Great resource for new showman is http://tx4-h.tamu.edu/explore/Explore_Rabbits.pdf
Also Texas 4-H'er has put two great videos on prepping for and doing the showmanship class. You will pay $5.00 at the gate for the class. Pee Wee do not have to pay.
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