Tips on raising Dwarfs

Tips on Raising Show Quality Netherland Dwarfs

If you are just starting out--Get some Big, Ugly Brood does!--You can also ask for a bred brood doe. You will get very discouraged if you only buy show quality or small does, you will have a hard time getting anything from them! And if you have a few BUDs (big, ugly, does) you will at least get some bunnies from them to show. Our best show bunnies have come from BUDs, they are our most valuable rabbits, they have never let us down, when we need to foster does, they will accept them.
Always breed a brood doe the same time you breed a show doe.
Pose your JRs every day, especially those that do not have the natural depth to pose naturally in the upright position--some people don't want to do this, but it is OK to practice. Put your hand on their chin and lift their head up, practice with them holding their ears up also.
Learn all you can about color coat genetics. If you have more than 1 variety of ND...breeding them and NOT knowing about color coat genetics is like jumping out of a plane without a parachute!
Worm your rabbits regularly, also treat for ear mites regularly! A rabbit with worms or other parasites will never get a prime coat. I learned this the hard way.
Never grab your show rabbits by their scruff... between the rabbits "meat" and his fur is a very thin membrane and if this membrane gets broken down, you will never get good, firm bodies on you show animals again.
Buy the best feed that you can find, and watch your rabbits weight, a rabbit can gain 8 ounces (and go overweight) in a month! Also, brood does with too much fat will not produce at all.
Try to stick with one or two compatible colors (e.g. otters and chestnuts, or silver martens and chins, smoke pearls and himalayans, black and steel, etc. I brake this rule and I get nice show quality rabbits in an unrecognized color. Or worse, a show, quality rabbit with poor color!
Only buy from good, reputable rabbit breeders, that will guarantee their rabbits, ask around, we all know who NOT to buy from!!
Visit the breeders rabbits, if you notice or hear any sneezing do not buy rabbits from them, this is inviting disaster.
Join ARBA and the ANDRC...they both send guidebooks that are invaluable and well worth the price of the membership.
Don't buy the most expensive rabbits you can find...our most expensive rabbits are show does that I am afraid to breed! They are expensive because they have a long show history, and have spent lots of money getting those legs. Some of the colors that I hate (chestnut, black otters, etc.) I will sell for $15 or less. I recently pre-sold a chestnut buck for $15 and he went on to win Best JR at a specialty show....the day that I sold him.
Breed your own winners! It is a bigger thrill to win a group with something that you bred and raised than with something that you bought. You can't even compare the 2. We don't speak highly of a person who spends hundreds of dollars on someones best from Kansas and and brings it back and wins with it. He has to go to Kansas, cause no one around here will sell him anything good, I don't think!
Don't ask to buy my best rabbits! I don't think you have enough money...i've put way too much energy, time and sweat into my very best, and you cannot put a price on them. I would not part with my best rabbit for thousands of dollars...You can probably get a real nice bunny from some of our best. Ask to reserve something, if I do sell something really nice, I always go back to the people that have asked me for something nice in the past, before I advertise that I have something really nice for sale!
Don't expect to do much winning for a year or two or longer. BOV is a good starting goal. Our goals after almost 4 years is BOG. Also, do not expand your rabbitry fast. You can get overwhelmed very quickly is you go from 4 rabbits to 60 rabbits! Start small and gradually increase your numbers.
Cull very hard, keeping a rabbit because you have empty space, will only lead to more mediocre rabbits, the more cages you have, the more "junk" you are likely to keep if you do not cull hard.
When you go to a breeder for stock, do not be afraid to ask questions, if you see alot of rabbits that don't LOOK like good quality show rabbits, ask questions....even the best breeder gets their share of ugly rabbits, anyone who tells you otherwise is lying! Expect that you too, will get many rabbits that will NEVER be Grand Champions.
Do not even try to make any money, I don't think anyone I know makes any money....on a real good month, we may sell enough to pay for the feed and show entry fees, and that's doing real good!
Do not buy and sell your stock like you do groceries, buy something, stick with it, and learn your own lines! You will never get any good, strong traits in your own line if you do.
On the other hand, do not keep something that doesn't produce well WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. We had a big, ugly doe that was given to us, because she never produced anything good, for her owner. That doe when bred with our buck, produced at least 1 really awesome bunny in each litter. I sold a brood doe that had 10 bunnies here, 8 of the bunnies had legs by the time they were 6 months old. She never produced anything good with her new owners bucks. Some bucks and does just don't click. If you don't get anything good in the 1st litter (and you think that you should) try it at least 1 more time. Or try another buck.
Buy the best buck you can afford...he will be the father of most every bunny you will have, you can afford to get less expensive does, but a good buck is essential.