Lionhead Land Lounge 2008

[TinysMom]

I have to share this video I took a bit ago of Miss Bea & Robin. It isn't very good...but oh well. At one point we talk about the fact that Miss Bea can smell the buck Robin was just holding a minute or so earlier (New Hope).

Miss Bea came to me today and let me pet her for half an hour (shocking) and once during that time - when I stopped - she stood up on her hind legs and nipped me (lightly) to get me to pet her some more...




Peg

 

[maherwoman]

Aww!!! Miss Bea!!! You bring tears to my eyes, little sweetie...being so lovey-dovey...

And what an appropriately beautiful thing to respond to with my 10,000th post...

:inlove:

 

[JadeIcing]

How sweet!:biggrin2:

 

[TinysMom]

This is such a hard blog entry to write - I'm not sure what to say or how to say it. I'm not sad....I'm not discouraged....but I've made a hard decision - one that I've been going back and forth on for the last year.

First...I've been discouraged with many things about breeding lionheads. I love the lionhead breed....I love what they bring to my life. I love seeing the joy that they bring to the lives of others. But I must admit- I don't care for a large portion of lionhead breeders. I think sometimes they breed does too often and I hate the way that they look at animals as "livestock" instead of the wonderful animals that they are. I really felt pleased with the fact that I recognized the uniqueness of each rabbit...that I loved them for who they were.

As some of you who follow the rabbitry area may know - last month I bred some does. One of the does I bred was Saphira. I didn't have a problem when I bred her because I bought her for breeding. (I have a policy that if a doe becomes like a pet to me - I won't breed her). However, during the last month - she became extra special to me....and when she had some problems after delivery (or I suspected she had problems)...it started tearing me up inside.

At this point in time, I'm pretty sure she's gonna be fine. I honestly think she was just a first-time mama who was confused and that sort of confused me.

But during my time of worrying about her, I realized ~ I can't go on like this anymore. I can't keep "playing God" and risking the life of a doe (even if the chances of her having problems are very very small).

As soon as the last does that I've already bred are done giving birth...that's it....I won't have any more babies. I'll try to make the most of every moment I have with these last few litters...

Its time for me to move on. I don't have the drive to be a breeder - I don't have the ability to play God and make decisions that could put a doe's life in danger....even under the safest of circumstances.

I'm going to continue to focus on rehoming rabbits and I do have a number in mind of how many rabbits I want to rehome, etc. I expect it will take me 6-9 months to get my "herd" down to the number that I want to keep. After I go home and visit my mom in April, I'm going to try to pick up enough extra hours at work every month to neuter 2-4 rabbits per month for the ones I'm keeping. (I'm sorry- I can't afford to neuter rabbits at $100 or more each that I'm giving away or selling for the prices I sell them at).

This week I'm going to be working on a list of does and bucks that I want to keep as my pets....Saphira tops the list, along with Girly Girl and Moochi and some others. I've contacted Lisa to see if she wants Triad and Bun Jovi back - if not - they will each get neutered and have a girlfriend to live with them (once the girls are neutered too).

Piece by piece I'm going to move out my smaller cages and get bigger ones...so that the animals that are caged have larger areas....

My number of rabbits will still be bigger than most folks on this forum....but I'm ok with that.

As I share all this, I'm really not looking for comments from folks......I guess I'm just sharing so I have a place where I can put it down and come back and reread it when I miss babies and want to remember why I gave it up.

I'll probably still continue to moderate in the rabbitry...but I'm finding that I just don't have the heart to be a breeder anymore.

As I explained to someone - I stayed in it partly because there were so few of what I consider "ethical" lionhead breeders...I wanted to show that you can be a breeder and love your rabbits and not see them simply as livestock.

But the fact is....my rabbits have taught me so much....that I just can't see them as "breeders" anymore. They've gone beyond that....

....and I'm happy.

Peg

 

[undergunfire]

Peg...I have to say, I am extremely proud of you. I know you will be much happier with less bunnies to care for at a managable level. You'll also get to become closer with the bunnies you will be keeping. I think it's just awesome that you will be spaying/neutering the bunnies. Heck, maybe ALL your bunnies can live together !

I do have to ask though, because I am very curious because I really love him a lot....are you going to keep George and have him neutered? It would be so heart breaking to not be able to hear about him anymore.


A bajillion hugs :hug:!

 

[TinysMom]

I am keeping George for sure - along with Gracie. However, they will be closer to the end of the list for neutering.

I am going back and forth about Billy Sunny.....he could get such a better home elsewhere...then again - he could get a worse home. I know Art likes him a lot...and he is almost as loving as Puck was. But the fact is...I think he could get more attention elsewhere. So deciding on him is really REALLY tough.

I'm going to work on rehoming a number of others first and I'm going to rehome them in various ways - I'm going to take photos in the next week or two and post them in the vet's office....partly because if people are already at the vet's...that means I know the animals will go to people who care about the animals they own.

I'm not going to do a big push on rehoming until AFTER Easter....

 

[undergunfire]

Gosh, I am sooooo relieved to hear that George will be staying :biggrin2:! Gracie and Georgie will look so cute together once they are spayed/neutered.

Billy has another place in my heart. I wish he could stay with you, so I can still hear about him and know he is doing well. He is so darn ugly, but cute.

 

[MsBinky]

Wow... I wasn't expecting this to be happening right now. I'll be selfish and say noooo because I will miss all the baby lionhead pics, stories, and videos but seriously, I can't imagine anyone causing you grief over this decision. :?Anyone who does really needs to butt out...

I don't want to relate the two, but I know personally that when you lose a heart bunny, you begin to see things differently. I totally sympathize with you not likingto have to makethose kinds of decisions. I think only a respectable person would make the decision you just made and I can only imagine how many people here will only respect you more for it.

I am a little curious to see how many pet bunnies you will end up with *Takes the popcorn out and watches you and Rosie battle it out*. It must be really hard having to choose, I hope that you don't bash yourself for not being able to keep them all.

I will miss the bunny breedings but I look forward to getting to know your buns in a different way. :rose:

 

[TinysMom]

MsBinky wrote:

I am a little curious to see how many pet bunnies you will end up with *Takes the popcorn out and watches you and Rosie battle it out*. It must be really hard having to choose, I hope that you don't bash yourself for not being able to keep them all.

I will miss the bunny breedings but I look forward to getting to know your buns in a different way. :rose:

Oh Rosie and I won't battle it out - there's no way I could get down below 10 bunnies....just no way at all. My goal is to get down to about 40 or 50.....that's still gonna be way more than Rosie and most other folks.

I can tell you a few of the first ones going on the list...

Does:

Girly Girl
Isenstar
Saphira
Kiwi
Sport
Miss Bea (but of course- I'm only adding her for those who might wonder)
Meathead
Princess Cordelia (who has wry neck)
Milina (lop)
Cocoa
Angela - who I hope to bond w/ Triad since he loves her so much

Bucks:
Triad & BunJovi (unless Lisa wants them back)
Recharged
Harry
Harriet
Marcus

I know that there are a lot of others I need to decide on also.....and I have some sickies who will always stay here - like New Hope who battles stasis and wry neck off and on, Hepburn who also battles wry neck at times, Hefty (who I thought I was gonna lose two weeks ago - but he fought hard to live and is still with us), and others.

The ones I do keep - I'm going to pick a few and share their stories and all about them...

Peg

 

[Haley]

I just wanted to tell you Im very proud of you, Peg. I know this was not an easy decision for you, but I think it is the right one.

I know you love your lionheads, but youre right, its a difficult thing to bring these babies into the world. Not to mention the fact that cutting down on the bunnies under your care will mean you will get to spend so much more time with the ones you will keep.

You were always a beacon of hope for me among breeders. I always admire your connection and love for your rabbits, something you dont see too oftenwith breeders, most of whom view their rabbits as livestock.

I support you 100% in this. I'll miss the pics of baby lionheads, but I know this will give you so much more time to love on the ones you will keep. And maybe open up a few pens for some special needs cases that may come along- you have a gift for dealing with those who need extra care.

*hugs*

Haley

 

[MsBinky]

Oh my Peg! I never realized you had that many :shock::embarrassed:LOL. I soooooo lost track

 

[TinysMom]

I have probably over 150 rabbits....I don't usually post the count.

I think I've come up with one great way to rehome a bunch of them - I just talked to Art and I think we're gonna go to the rabbit show in Seguin, TX at the end of March and take a bunch of them to rehome.

I don't mind giving away free bunnies at a rabbit show (many breeders do it all the time). I think we rehomed 12 or 20 or something the last time we did this (I want to say it was 12 or so).

I really like this idea - it is something I feel really comfortable with. The hard part is going to be making up my list of who to rehome - like I have an adorable chocolate buck named Chaucer....thing is...he's lost his mane so most breeders wouldn't want him unless they're breeding chocolates.

Yeah - the more I think about this idea - the more I like it.....

Peg

 

[undergunfire]

TinysMom wrote:

I have an adorable chocolate buck named Chaucer....thing is...he's lost his mane so most breeders wouldn't want him unless they're breeding chocolates.

:nope: not Chaucer!

:tongue


I love the idea of rehoming at the show, it's a brilliant idea!


*hopes Chaucer and Billy get to stay home :baghead*

 

[myLoki]

BUT...I helped name Chaucer! You can't give him away!!!!!!



It's a rule....I just made up....


t.

 

[TinysMom]

myLoki wrote:

BUT...I helped name Chaucer! You can't give him away!!!!!!



It's a rule....I just made up....


t.

I just was out feeding and when I looked at Chaucer I realized....

I can't rehome him.

He's gonna stay. So is Marmalade....another buck I love that is his older brother (chocolate tort).

The hard part is....finding a way to finance what I want to do.....

I want to buy them larger cages and replace the cages in my rabbitry with the larger cages - but with two buns (neutered) to a cage so they have friends. I'd like to have a buck and a doe in each cage....

I'm hoping that the more I rehome bunnies - the less the food bill will be - and therefore I can buy cages with the difference in that....

Peg

 

[undergunfire]

Hrm, I wish some-sort of fundraiser thing could be done for you, Peg! New cages would be awesome.

What types of cages are you looking into getting?

 

[TinysMom]

undergunfire wrote:

Hrm, I wish some-sort of fundraiser thing could be done for you, Peg! New cages would be awesome.

What types of cages are you looking into getting?

Oh thanks - but I really don't want a fundraiser....I can raise my own funds and there are so many shelters that need fundraisers more.

Do you remember the cage Puck was in? I'd like to stack those size cages - with tiles on the floor and litterboxes and maybe a mat to sleep on. I forget the exact size...but then I also want to invest in some of the exercise pens (or make my own with NIC cubes) and let them get run time outside of their cages at least 2-3 times per week (like they used to when I had less rabbits).

I'm still thinking things through - I need to take measurements and pray about things and dream...

Speaking of dreams...my next post will share about one of them...

Peg

 

[TinysMom]

I've tried to go back and find the post where I shared it almost 3 years ago now...but I think it was one of the 1,000 of my posts that got lost in forum space a couple of years ago (long story - don't ask).

One of my dreams when I first got rabbits - was to take a few of them with me into the schools and do an educational program for the children. I gave up on it - well - because I got discouraged and we moved and were busy getting used to a new house.

Now that Tio is older - I think he might work well for this....I'm going to work with him and a couple of lionheads and maybe a lop....

Here as the original dream....I'd bring in the smaller rabbits and have them set up on a table and talk about them - how to care for them - what to feed them - how to not let them loose in the wild, etc. I'd talk about how to brush them, etc.

Then after showing them the smaller rabbits - I'd ask them if they wanted to meet "Tiny". Of course - in would come this huge rabbit. I know...messing with kids' minds...how bad of me.

I would ask them what they thought Tiny would like to eat and put out some lettuce and carrots and stuff like that - and then let him approach it and have them see what he took first.

I also wanted to have some handouts/information prepared ahead of time for the teachers to have - and I'd try to have different handouts for different grades.

This isn't something I'm ready to do yet - first I want to cut back on the lionheads....then I want to work on socializing a few specific animals so they will do well in a situation like this. I'm hoping Zeus can be taught to behave himself (ha ha ha ha ha). I'd also like to be able to buy a pet stroller (like a baby stroller) for him to ride in.

There is so much to think about....but I think this is going to be my next "focus" for rabbits in my life - besides loving on them.....educating the public on how to take care of them.

BTW - Miss Bea was a classroom bunny for the first year of her life....not that I recommend that. (Her breeder taught kindergarten). Still yet, I think that limited exposure like this might allow the public and kids in particular to learn more about rabbits...

Comments? Thoughts?

Peg

 

[undergunfire]

I do remember the cage Puck was in, and also what we moved Jenson into? They were nice and roomy, especially for Lionheads.

When you get the cages all set up, I know it will probably be a while from now, but let me know if you'd like me to send cardboard mats. We have this new box cutting machine at work that turns the box into a "weave" effect...just like a grass mat. So, they are totally edible, free, and easy to toss into the trash if they are peed on, ect.

 

[TinysMom]

Billy Sunday is definitely going to be rehomed....I'm crying about it - but they're tears of joy.

I'd share his photos here (I just took them tonight) - but I think I'll wait - I'll just share one for now...




The rest will come later....another place....another time....



Peg