Sweet Dessert

The year ends with a bunch of pretty decent Holland Lops of US bloodline arriving in Malaysia on a rainy Wednesday evening. Correction. A victorious soccer Wednesday which brought joy to the nation with the declaration of our PM for an additional public holiday on the last working day of the year. Thank you, Mr. PM! (It would be a bonus if CNY eve is a PH too) *wink*

Anyway,this shipment came just in time to celebrate the dawn of sparkling new year which brings new hopes, joys and dreams to our humble rabbittry.

Prior to the arrival of the rabbits, Pines husbandman meticulously set up the cages with mesh-wire flooring, feeder and all other stuffs that are necessary keep the rabbit comfortable after a long journey.

This is our checklist:

-Shelves

- 2ft Cages carefully lined with mesh-wire flooring so that the feet of the little ones will be comfortable...

- Litter-box

- Feeder

- Water bottle

- Timothy Hay

- Nutridrops

Here is a picture of the set up

Then we waited for our Holland Lops to touch down at 8.20pm.

At 9pm+ we reached the airport. It did not occur to us the many procedures to follow in order to pick-up the rabbits. It was a race against time for certain department closes at 11pm and failing to obtain a green light, you would not be able to proceed to the next level and have to go home empty handed. It is liken to a game, getting pass one level after another to emerge as a champion and the trophy is bringing home the rabbits! So even though we did not win $1,000,000,000.00 but at the end of the game, we could go home with our rabbits and it was worth the experience.

This is how the rabbits looked like in the shipping box. Mind you, the box is heavy.

Save and sound

A sweet ending for year 2010.

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye 2010...

Four more days to kiss year 2010 goodbye and welcome a brand new year 2011. Looking back, 2010 has been a challenging year with its fair share of ups and downs but it has indeed equipped us with so much valuable "bunny lessons". This is the driving force that motivates us to improve Pines Rabbit for the year to come.

Here is a list of Pines Rabbit's new year resolution:

1) To breed stunning Holland Lops and contribute to the pool of QUALITY Holland Lops in Malaysia

2) To make new friends in this hobby

3) To acquire more knowledge about Holland Lops

4) To share our rabbit knowledge and experience with others and grow together

5) To rock MROA and participate in rabbit activities

Last but not least,

6) Support ethical breeding of our furry bun friends

At present, we are upgrading our rabbitry and are still waiting anxiously for our holland lop to reach Malaysia. If all is well, they should be here sometime this week. Below are some photos to share:

Blue otter Jr buck. like the cute package. Well can't really judge now. Just have to wait for his arrival.

Broken Opal Jr doe. Like the head and ear of this princess. Hopefuly she is nice.

And of course, Toto. He has not only just completed his molting cycle, he also just changed his title from junior to senior! However, his crown is still molting. It will be coming up nicely. Will update his photo later. But for now... meet Toto on his new litter box!

Happy New year to all!!!

An email to local breeders of pure breed rabbit

Dear rabbit breeders,

You must be surprised to receive this email from us. Firstly, allow us to introduce ourselves. Golden Pines Rabbitry is a small home-based rabbitry. We practice and support ethical rabbit breeding programs and also promote and educate others on responsible rabbit ownership. Of course, we breed rabbits as domestic pets and NOT to be ended up on a plate or a hot pot of yummy rabbit stew as someone else’s meal.

Our purpose is to establish a link among all local breeders to share expertise and experiences in raising rabbits in order to bring this hobby to higher levels as all of us are liken to a lone ranger at present. We work to breed quality rabbits in our own “secret lab”, trying to surpass each and other in offering nice rabbits to the local market. Some have taken the extra mile to import rabbits from overseas while a few have joined ARBA and have their rabbitry registered. This is a positive sign. Local breeders are now more educated about rabbits and are going for quality over quantity by breeding according to ARBA standard of perfection. Bravo! We could foresee in the near future, there would be many nice and pure breed rabbits of good bloodline in Malaysia. Besides, we could keep our fingers crossed for more rabbit shows and events on our shore. Now isn’t that something?

Now, everyone has worked so hard and invested so much to bring in quality pure breeds to our shore. Surely we hope our efforts and investments would not go in vain. But to be able to produce quality rabbits and maintaining certain standards in the herd, bloodline itself cannot do the entire job. We need to have the knowledge and experiences to achieve such. Anyone could start a rabbitry but a lonely quest has its limit.

We consider Pines Rabbit a newbie. There are so many things about rabbit that dumbfound us at times. But if we have a platform to share our knowledge and experience, this would definitely benefit everyone. Besides, we could increase the market share by having more hobbyists and a larger pool of stocks to share or exchange in improving our herd. On top of that, we could abolish the present monopolized market. That hampers the emergence of a healthy competition. So we shall see how things progress. Or perhaps someone can take the first move to suggest how to proceed to the next step?

Last but not least, we hope you breeders could respond to this by providing a brief introduction of yourself and some information about your rabbitry.

Since we initiated this, so let us be the first to start.

As mentioned at the start, we are a small home-based rabbitry. We started with mix breeds and after gaining some experiences we now aim to focus on pure breeds and, for the time being, it would be raising pure Holland Lops. At present, we are upgrading our barn. Hopefully some nice Holland Lops will come our way. Then we can start trading with others to widen the Holland lop gene pool. By the way, we also blog about rabbit. So if you have time, please visit http://pines-rabbit.blogspot.com/ you will be able to see some of our rabbits and some information sharing there.

Thank you

Brandon & Grace

A Sneak Peek Preview

The importation of Holland Lop (US bloodline) is now confirmed. We can't wait to pick them up when the time comes. Oh by the way, they all come with 3 generations pedigree.

Holland Lop Opal Proven Doe

Holland Lop Tort Proven Doe

Holland Lop Broken Tort Jr Buck

Holland Lop Black Jr Doe

Holland Lop Lynx Jr Buck

Photo unavailable

Holland Lop Broken Opal Jr Doe

Photo unavailable

At The Crossroad

Where are we heading?

We believe many breeders like us would have this question in mind of late. More so, a number of home-based breeder are starting to import rabbits from the US or neighboring countries.

So, we are now at a crossroad. We asked ourselves how should we bring up our humble rabbitry? Should we remain as we are or to bring it a notch higher? To take the right route or the left? Decisions. Decisions. Then finally, after much thoughts (and nights), we have decided to settle for breeding pedigree rabbits.

Now, there are two types of pure breeds in the market. Some come with a pedigree certificate and some without. As mentioned in our previous post, the purpose of a certificate is to show the lineage of the rabbit and prove the pureness of the rabbit. Pure breeds with certificate are pricey. As a breeder, having rabbits with pedigree certificate in your herd adds credibility to your herd. On the other hand, "pure breeds" without certificate are not priced as high but the purity is questionable.

We have decided that if we are going to share this hobby with others, we should share the best. Therefore we have stopped breeding normal bunny (some may call it color rabbit) and mix breeds. We intend to import Holland lops of US bloodline with pedigree certificate. Pedigree Holland lop in Malaysia is priced way too high than the US. According to what we have surveyed so far, there is no control over the prices of rabbits sold in Malaysia. As such, some rabbits are sold at sky high price and some at rock bottom price. Sometimes the cost is justifiable with reasons such as high shipping cost and the risk of bringing in the bunnies from a country of a different climate. Other times, the agents are just trying to make a quick buck out of the deal when there is a demand for such in the local rabbit market. Anyway, we hope with our upcoming imports, others would have the opportunity to own a quality Holland Lop at affordable price.

Hello Skipper! Hello Dot!

We present you...

The blue otter Netherland Dwarf Jr Buck- Skipper. We like this little guy - especially the color of his coat!

Breed: Netherland Dwarf

Sex: Jr Buck

Colour: Blue otter

DOB: 29 August 2010

Now, Dot, A hestnut Netherland Dwarf Jr Doe. Being 9 days older than Skipper, she is slightly bigger than him.

Breed: Netherland Dwarf

Sex: Jr Doe

Colour: Chestnut

DOB: 20 August 2010

Considering Netherland Dwarf?

We never had a Netherland Dwarf before. Although we always wish to own a nice pair, we must admit, we were quite disappointed with the quality of most Netherland Dwarf which we came across. There were just too many of the so called "Pure Netherland Dwarf", most of which are mix breed. It is also a challenge to find a nice buck at affordable price $$ in Malaysia let alone a doe.

At this point, we would like to make a note. Bunny that comes with pedigree certificate or is from a Grand Champion bloodline does not guarantee the quality of the rabbit and its offspring. Pedigree is just a paper to show the bloodline of the bunny or to show the pureness of the bunny. If there is Grand Champion in the bloodline, it simply means that there are some good quality genes in such bloodline. But whether or not the genes would be passed down to the offspring is another matter. That is why all breeders cannot guarantee how the kits would develop as they grow. No one would guarantee the kits would be Grand Champion if they are produced from the Grand Champion line. The bunny however, would most probably place well on the table.

Below are some tips for those who want to purchase a quality Netherland Dwarf. We hope people are well informed, least they end up spending on mix breed or worst if the so called "Netherland Dwarf" purchased turns up to be a normal bunny. So start acting like an ARBA judge :)

There are 4 areas one should judge a Netherland Dwarf, Body, Head, Ears and Eyes. Sounds easy. But please go through the information that we are going to share below. You will realize that one needs a set of skills to judge. Don't worry, we are also learning ^_^

So let's start with the body.
A quality Netherland Dwarf should have compact body. Body of the Netherland Dwarf must cover everything from medium bone, wide chest, short neck, short and deep shoulder that is equal in width to the hip and nice hip with no protrusion of the point of the hip. Ideally, the hindquarters of a Netherland Dwarf should be well filled.

What about the head?
The head of a Netherland Dwarf must be large, but well balanced with the body. Nice head is propotionate to the body. Generally a buck will have a bigger head than the doe, so propotionate and balance of the head and body is the key. Surely you don't want your Netherland Dwarf to look like a big-headed doll! From the side view, the head should be rounded.

Now the ears.
This is quite easy. For an adult Netherland Dwarf, ears should be 2 inches max in length (there is no need to use a ruler or measuring tape to do this. Just estimate); wide in the base at the skull; pionted upward and not sloped back over the shoulder; open out to the side; not folded at the tip; rounded at the tip; extremely well furred; thick in substance, and not bowed when viewed from the front. If the bunny is still young, request to see the parents. If the parents have good ears, most prabably the kits would have the same.

Lastly, the eyes
This is the easiest. Just make sure that it has large, round and bold eyes. The width between the eyes should be equal to or wider than the length of nose from front of eye to tip of nose.

This is a sample of a quality Netherland Dwarf

Photo adapted from Lots-a-Hop's Rabbitry

Some informations above were adapted from "judging the Netherland Dwarf" written by Donelle Bomben. Special thanks to Donelle for sharing such priceless information

Project Weekend - Pink Bangs

While changing our printer cartridge this morning, the man of the house had a brilliant idea...

Check out FeiFei's cool pink bangs. He has the hottest bangs in town! :D

Warning: DO NOT try this on your bunny.

Now we wonder how long the dye would last on his fluff head.

Weaning young rabbits

This is one overdue post - but better late than never.

Since the 4^th of the month, we have started weaning the young rabbits. These rabbits at 7-8 weeks old are ready to be separated from the mother and are already feeding on their own. In fact, some baby rabbits start feeding on pellets from the 11^th day onwards. At this point, we would like to highlight that there are some unscrupulous breeders who would wean the baby rabbits as early as 3 weeks old or as soon as the rabbits are eating and drinking on their own in order to maximize turnover or productivity. The rabbits at this stage are at its cutest and is just the size of an adult's palm. Now, who wouldn’t say NO to a cute fur ball? But, hold your horses and hold that bank note in your pocket. Buying a baby rabbit like that means being weaned before its time and chances of the rabbit making to adolescent is slim and may develop other health complications such as being weak or having diarrhoea. Worse is, they may not be strong enough to overcome such weaknesses. Besides, you wouldn't be able to tell if "what you pay is what you get". Many paid for an Angora Rabbit but a few months later realized they had bought a normal bunny with long face and pointy ears instead!

Baby rabbits would depend on the mother’s milk for nutrients as they are still developing and their digestive or immune system is not strong enough to fend them even though they may be eating or drinking on their own.

Question: When to wean?

It is subjective. Based on our experience, 7 weeks is ideal though there may be times when a rabbit is ready to be separated from its mother at 6 weeks old while some may require more time with the mother.

Question: How to wean?

Take one at a time from the mother. Start by taking the biggest or the strongest. Alternatively, you may take all of them away except for one, which you could separate it from the mother a week later.

It is advisable not to wait past 12 as certain sources claimed that rabbits may get pregnant as early as 13 weeks. We don’t know how true it is for we would have separated the baby rabbits from the mother by then.

You may also determine the sex of the rabbit and separate the males and females into their own cages.

Do check their teeth for any signs of "wolf-teeth" or malocclusion. Make sure the upper teeth do NOT meet the lower teeth or the lower teeth do NOT overlap the top teeth. The teeth will dig into the gums and the rabbit will not be able to eat. This would require clipping by a vet on a regular basis.

Question: How can I tell if I am being offered with a rabbit which is barely a month old?

Sizes of the rabbit vary according to its breed. Know the standard size of the specific breed of rabbit you intend to buy or find out more about the rabbit's parents from the seller.

Question: What to look out for when purchasing or adopting a young rabbit?

Observe the characteristics and physical attributes of the rabbit. A healthy one has shiny eyes, clean ears, nice coat, is active, inquisitive and eats well. Also, check on the feces and make sure no signs of diarrhea or other health problem. Oh yea...free of fur mites!

Question: What to feed a young rabbit?

It is not advisable to feed a young rabbit below the age of 6 months with any fresh veggie or fruits. This is because their digestive system may reject and can have diarrhea. Best is stick with pellets, hay (timothy) and clean water.

When the lion R-O-A-R-S

Here is our young Lionhead - Kayla, whose Dam is Jess and Sire is Sean.

This photo was taken when Kay is 1 month old. She is a tort Lionhead and is a little camera shy.

Pines's Kay at 2 months old.

Look at her perfect pose (okay, not 100% perfect but almost). There has been a number of inquiries for this tort bun but we had to decline for we have decided not to sell this doe - yet. She seems to have the attributes of a good Lionhead.

Now Kay is 3 months old. She looks like a buck though. But upon checking (or sexing the rabbit), Kay is a she-bun. A doe to be exact. She has a nice head and a compact body. Just one thing... her ears need to improve as they are a bit long for a Lionhead. Ah well, never mind... let's see how she develops. Hopefully the ears would stay short in proportion to the head and size of the rabbit. So stay posted for more ROARing news! :D

What happened to Toto

It has been awhile since we last updated this blog. Anyway, today we would like to share some pictures of Toto's progress.

This is Toto when he was 2 months old.

Good structure but the ear is a tad bit long at this stage. He is also in the midst of molting. Posing, fail! Need practice, practice and lots of practice.

Toto at 3 months.

Molting has completed. He is now covered with new fur. His head is also beginning to grow bigger and yes, we like his bone. Posing, another YES - Improvement! :)

Four months.

Check out his head. His crown is also starting to develop. WOW!

Toto 5 months old.

Look at the bone, the crown, the ear and his structure!!! :) They are all coming together. He almost got the perfect pose too. We can't wait for another month to see his development :) Toto also may be having company in the near future. So he may have a partner (or more) and would not be lonely anymore. :)

Muzzy's Kits

New born kits - d.o.b. 15 August 2010

Few days old...

2 Weeks old... 29 August 2010

3 Weeks old... 04 September 2010

4 Weeks old... 10 September 2010

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