What are your goals? What are you doing to get there?

[TinysMom]

This is a repeat of a topic we had months ago - I thought it might be fun to do again.

I'm quoting part of Pam Nock's post in another thread because that is what made me think of the topic..

pamnock wrote:

What are your goals? Are you selling to the pet market? Do you want to be a top exhibitor in the nation? How much are you willing to spend on new breeding stock? What is your favorite breed out of the ones you have and which variety would you like to focus on?

Without goals, it's impossible to set a path to success!

Even though I've been working on certain things with my rabbitry - I really needed to hear (see) Pam's words.

I think sometimes it is good to have folks ask us what our goals are - and I know that once I set goals for my rabbitry - it really helped me make decisions (like what breeds to bring in - what I was looking for in a rabbit before I decide what to bring in),

So...what are your goals? What steps are you currently working on to get there?

 

[mistyjr]

Hay! You stolen that from my thread! :biggrin::surrender

 

[wooly_queen]

2010 - 2011 Goals:

1. A BOB leg for a homebred wooly. I might die when/if it happens. lol I'm trying! I bought some nice rabbits and these new babies are looking good...maybe it will happen next year.

2. Expand my colors... Right now I am working with Agouti, AOV, Broken and Self groups. (chestnut, pointed white, broken agoutis and selfs, black, blue, REW) I'd like to get into more agouti colors. So I have a new blue baby and I am hoping to make some opals...then I would like chinchillas and squirrels as well. Then I'll be all set color wise. Just gotta get to breeding and buying. lol

3. GET MY SHED BUILT. So my woolies won't be exposed to so much moisture and buggies...bleh. It will also be much eaiser to keep them warm in winter and cool in the summer. Gotta make some money to buy all the wood and then some shingles for the roof...and some paint. It's going to be rather expensive... then I need some new stacker cages to save space. XD

4. Make some money. This one is the hardest! lol I need so much money to build the shed and improve my herd...but I have no time for a job at the moment...June is a busy month...maybe after that I could get one. I don't have a car...poor mom will have to drive me all over. XD I'll get my license next year hopefully. I need some ideas for things to make and sell. I'm rather crafty and hoping to start using my paintng skills and creativty to make some cute stuff to sell.

5. Perfect my culling skills...lol I need to get better at choosing my best babies and picking good stock to buy. I don't want to make any mistakes! I have some mentors and they are teaching me the ways of wooly picking. I'll get there eventually.

I think that would be it "goal" wise.

 

[RabbitLover94]

1. Get a breeding pair of Woolies. I currently only have 1 Mini Lop, 1 Lionhead, 1 Rex mix(pet), and 1 Jersey Wooly. I plan to accomplish this goal this weekend though by getting a Blue Otter Wooly doe!!

2. Have a homebred BOB Wooly. I might die if this happens too!! =D

3. Get an A/C unit in the rabbit barn. Tired of those frozen bottles!

4. Get more stacker cages!

 

[iluvdutchrabbbits90]

1. Get my rabbit barn we plan on having it by july :biggrin:because 15 rabbits in my room is just way too many they need to move into their rabbit house :wink

2. Have one of my own baby lions or dutch win something at a show lol

3. Have enough hutches so in nice weather all the buns can be outside for the day.:coolness:

 

[mistyjr]

My Goals!

1. Sell almost of all my rabbits.
2. Clean out the shed and cages.
3. Get Better Rabbits (Wooly).
4. Going to a show in July without My Aunt. (First)
5. Carrier cages
6. Redo my Rabbitry Website.
7. Register Rabbitry, Breeders.
8. Read and get info on Wool's.

:X:grumpy

 

[Jashaira]

1) Get my does to breed. Re-bred both Elops and bred the wooly last week.

2) Reg my Rabbitry with ARBA

3) Get Bart his 3rd leg (I hope to do this next show season his fur needs working on)

4) Move to a bigger house with a barn so the rabbits can live out of the house and in a nice barn with nicer cages.

5) Buy some more woolys and angora as breeding stock. (only after I move to a house)

6) Would love to get a BOB one day or even a BIS that is my dream...

 

[Lishka]

My goals are lofty:

1- I am happy with my herd, but I am working on breeding up! I want to breed what I have, keep the good quality babies, and sell the parents, and siblings. A few of mine will NEVER leave me.

2- Continue working on my Red Woolies, and hopefully see them get passed and be able to show them eventually and win BOB with one.

3- Make a name in the wooly world so people know the name Sacred Meadows Rabbits!!!

4- Keep working with the Std Chins, and promote the breed and help some new breeders get a start in them.

5- Continue learning more about my breeds and other breeds!

I want to eventually be able to help someone else the way I have been helped by other breeders. I also want to continue to keep my daughter involved in rabbits (I give her some of my best!!) !!!

 

[TinysMom]

Now that you've shared your goals...what steps are you going to take to get there?

What can you do this week? this month?

Is there something you can do that will help you towards that goal? For instance - I'm going to pick on Lishka cause her post is right above this and I can read it....you want to continue learning more about your breeds. Is there something you can do towards that this month? Maybe visit certain websites? Contact another breeder to mentor you? Seeing if you can put your hands on other woolies at a show or a breeder's place and make notes on what something feels like...(for example...X's BabyDoll has strong shoulders...Y's Cassanova has good ears).

Maybe you can go through your own herd and make a list of the strengths and weaknesses of your herd so you know what you need to look for in the next rabbit you add to the herd?

If you want to help someone else - what are the things you have learned already? Write them down or list them. If you have a website - put together a page of helpful information about the breed...that way more people may reach out to you for help.

I'm still working on my list and hope to post it tonight or tomorrow. When I thought of all the stuff that went into what I wanted...and started writing it down - it overwhelmed me a bit.

By the way Lishka - sorry for choosing to use you - but you were the closest example I could see on my screen since I was using quick reply.

 

[RabbitLover94]

Haha! Updating my goals already! Plus, stealing some from others! Lol!

1. Get a breeding pair of Woolies. I currently only have 1 Mini Lop, 1 Lionhead, 1 Rex mix(pet), and 1 Jersey Wooly. I plan to accomplish this goal this weekend though by getting a Blue Otter Wooly doe!!

2. Have a homebred BOB Wooly. I might die if this happens too!! =D

3. Get an A/C unit in the rabbit barn. Tired of those frozen bottles! Completed today! Only 5 bucks!!

4. Get more stacker cages

5. Register rabbitry with ARBA.

6. Join the National Jersey Wooly Rabbit Club and the Kern County Rabbit Breeder's Association.

7. Fill out the paperwork to register my Wooly buck as a Grand Champion.

 

[Shaded Night Rabbitry]

1. Breed an outstanding replacement for L69 and BEA. I would love to move them on, and feel comfortable with their replacements as broods. (Currently their possible replacements are on the show tables, or about to be.)

Steps to do this: just keep watching the babies. breed, and get a live litter out of the replacements before I move them on.

2. Bring short, well-furred ears into the lines. I have most of the parts, but can't seem to get them all on one.

Steps to do this: buy stock from Jamie Harris. Cull out the type and ears of BEA. Mix the new REW buck in with the short eared junior (at the end of this year) to reinforce the random well furred short ears she has. (Which he also has.)

3. Learn to cull for the hippo gene. I haven't heard of any pluses to the carriers (which is why I'll let the MF gene slip. I can generally see the difference), and I don't need to be losing babies for no reason.

Steps to do this: Remove proven hippo carriers from the lines. (As much as possible. If someone is outstanding, I'll probably let it slide.)

4. Learn the meat market. I won't go too in detail, but I want to do a meat pen for auction at the fair either this year or next year.

Steps to do this: Purchase breedable Champagne D'Argent stock later this year. Have brother teach techniques of... Certain things. Prep a meat pen for next year's fair.

5. Pay back my parents. I owe them a good $500+ in stock, cages, and feed. I'd love to be able to pay them back by the end of this year, with the sales of fair babies. (Which I should be able to pay back about half from that.)

Steps to do this: Sell off this year's fair babies. Only keep 4-5 out of the 30. Start advertising on website, and word of mouth advertise it at upcoming shows.

6. Breed a show rabbit that can beat Kiddo for BOV or BOG.

Steps to do this: continue and expand the breeding program. Purchase higher quality stock.

8D That's most of the near future goals. I have some long ones, but those can come later. XD

 

[Lishka]

I actually have a wonderful mentor, and have been to several shows, and feel pretty comfortable with the JW. I really need to try to find someone to help me more with the Chins, in my area. I am working well with my reds. I am happy with the first breeding. Just waiting for them to reach breedable age.. The other goals, well, I am going to start bringing the Chins to shows even if I am not showing them, to introduce them to other breeders. I am also visiting sites about rabbits I am interested in and reading standards, and scanning through my SOP book!!

 

[countrybuns]

My goal is to create my own quality line of lionheads. I want to see them pass and I want to have a positive impact on their breeding. I want homebred rabbits that show well and that other breeders want to add to their own lines to improve them. My goals are pretty long term and I don't expect them to come to me over night but I am willing to put the time and money into it. I also want to be seen as a serious breeder and not just another person who wants a barn full of cute little bunnies. That too will take time and I start producing wuality stock i am sure people will see that I am serious.

Right now I am researching and trying to learn everything I can about lionheads so that I can make the absolute best decisions for my herd. I know I will make mistakes in the beginning but I hope to learn quickly.

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

My goals:

1. Get a loft in my shed

• How/Steps: I have plywood already on 2x4's in the form of shelves that were taken out of my mom's shed, so I'm gonna ask my step-dad if we can figure out a way to get one of them in my shed, set it on the rafters, and then it will be a lovely loft!
• When? Hopefully today!!

2. Get a BIS at a 4-H, Youth, or Open show with a homebred rabbit

• How/Steps: Work crazy hard, bring in new quality stock, enter open shows more! lol.
• When? Maybe this summer sometime? I'm hoping so! At least a 4-H BIS.

3. Become members of ARBA, and other clubs.

• How/Steps: Send in the forms.
• When? Well... when I get more ink for my computer, and then fill out the forms and print them. Hopefully before the end of next week though. Still have to find $12 that I can use for ARBA youth fee. haha.

4. Go to ARBA National Convention in 2011

• How/Steps: Get a job, save lots of money, plan litters so I have Jr's to take with me, and also keep improving my line
• When? From now until Convention, the work begins!

5. Sell all of the rabbits that I have available right now

• How/Steps: Have good advertising, keep in contact with those who have e-mailed me and see if they are still interested, keep on top of my online advertising
• When? Hopefully before WSRB Convention at the end of June!! I need two empty holes.

6. Possibly sell the rest of my wooden hutches/plastic cages

• How/Steps: Advertise, once again. Think if I actually want to sell all the cages, and how much $$ that could bring in, in order to buy more wire cages... and how many cages/stackers couldI buy with that $$?
• When? Possibly this week...

Emily

 

[Erins Rabbits]

Oooh, I lave a lot of goals.

1.) Earn a BIS with a homebred Himalayan. The best I've gotten with a homebred is RIS.

2.) Get better about culling out bucks. We keep far too many bucks- more than I like to have.

3.) Move onto my own property, and built a barn/shed for the rabbits. This one is long term. Hopefully within the next4-5 years, though.

4.) Upgrade to20 holes for himmies and 15 for English Spots. Another long term goal. One I get my own barn, it will come, though.

5.) Become recognized as a decent breeder with nice animals. Possibly become nationally ranked.

6.) Start showing in open.

7.) Focus on Blues! Weed out the other colors and focus on exceptional blue himmies.

8.) Win another BOB at convention.

9.) Win BIS at convention. LONG TERM FOR SURE.

10.) Breed the English Spots and focus on getting a winner.

11.) Get an interview this year in Minnesota competing for royalty. SUPER IMPORTANT TO ME. <3

And Finally, last and possibly the most important to me-

12.) Apply for my registrar's test and be working under judges by February. I've been studying my behind off for this thing. I NEED a registrar's liscense because I NEED to become a judge. xD

 

[Skybunny11]

After summer I am going to be seperating a bit from my mothers and my joint rabbitry. Here are my goals for my soon to be newer rabbitry.



1.Build a shed big enough for 20 rabbit cages confortably

2.Get a mini rex born at my rabbitry to go to get B.O.B

3.Start Breeding Chocolates and Blue eyed whites

4.Get at least 2 does for breeding

 

[Lishka]

I think its good to see goals, and ways we are striving to get there. This was a good thread!! Now, hopefully we can accomplish all or most of our goals in the rest of this year!! Good Luck everyone!!!

 

[PheonixRisingRabbitry]

Hello everyone!! New to this site and I really like this topic


1) Finish Building my 24ft by 12ft Barn with solar lights and fans (its going to look like a log cabin to match the house)

2) I want to be known nationally for my E Lops before I start with another breed this includes winning at the ARBA convention this year!!!

3) Get my website done I am so bad at that

4) To make some good life long friends in the rabbit community who have the same passion as me ( sorry if that is a little corny but I mean it)

Oh and I want to create the Best brood doe cage I have some ideas for this where there are not as many tasks involved when "the time" comes

 

[kwilds]

What a great idea! I am very new to breeding - had my first two mini rex litters last week. These are my goals for this year,

1.) Get 1 or 2 new rabbits with strengths that will compliment my current herd.

2.) Get better at posing and assesing type so I can recognize the good rabbits in my litters vs the ones that will go to pet homes.

3.) Find a good Sable point doe or buck.

4.) Get to some shows with my rabbits and LEARN, LEARN, LEARN! I think that it is far to early for me to consider any kind of BIS win but I want to take the showable rabbits I have and start learning what to look for in good stock.

Karin

 

[MyRabbits]

Wow. What a great opportunity to put down on paper (well, in cyberspace) the various thoughts that go on in my mind. Not sure the order to do this in, but here goes:

1) Have homebred stock place well at Flemish Giant specialty shows, against stock of well-established breeders;

2) Develop distinctive line of sandy Flemish Giants to contribute to the development of the breed long-term;

3) Get the flourescent lights installed in the barn and a few more hutches built; get the platform for the small refrigerator to keep meds and veggies in the barn built;

4) Have Beau, an Intermediate sandy buck, win a couple legs as an intermediate; have Nathan Detroit, a junior sandy buck, win another couple legs as a junior;

5) Breed London, our white buck, to a light gray doe with size and good fur so that maybe we will get a buck with better fur than London to be our stud buck;

6) Develop my skills in knowing which kits to sell off as pet quality, which as show quality and which to keep for our barn.