Nationals is creeping up on me! We entered more than I think we ever had and I'm really starting to second guess my optimism of last week when entries were due. Spring molts and lack of junior heads is really not helping. We have until the 22nd (I believe) to make substitutions. Maybe by then I'll feel better about our entries, or not.
Mom has been diligently brushing the molty ones and I've been praying over those few who are now PRIMED that it lasts. (thanks Mom!)
I hope to work on a sales list this weekend. Unfortunately it will probably be ALL BUCKS! Does were far and few in between and the ones we did get are too young to evaluate properly.
We took a few weeks off to prevent litters under two weeks while we were in Ohio and I'm missing the babies.
In other news, we have 11 hens and a turkey that have decided to set. 11 hens much to Mom and I's disappointment. I've been earning scratch money selling fresh eggs at work and with so many hens setting it's cut our egg production down drastically. If anyone would be interested in the following please let us know:
Bantam Wyandottes (blue, black or splash) These are beautiful show birds from Garrett Justice
Splash or Blue Marans
Bantam Cochins
Who-Knows-What-Mixed-Variety pack
Blue-Laced Red Wyandottes
Turkeys!!!
We'll probably grow off a few to keep but I'm sure we'll have an abundance of chicks.
Melanie
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Bad Rubbish Repost.
I read this on Keep's Rabbitry Blog and asked her permission to repost it.
In the course of reading some of my favorite blogs, I came across a quote on Timothy Chan's website. It was in regards to "love letters" and one particularly nasty one he received from someone. At the end of his blog, he writes
There are, however, a certain set of people. Doesn't matter what age, gender, breed, etc. You know at least 2-3 of these people. They DELIGHT in making up nasty rumors about other people. They want to tear down their victims as people, parents, breeders- it doesn't matter how they do it, as long as they can do it. Fortunately, most experienced breeders know who the troublemakers are and can avoid them. If they hear something from a person like this, they can very easily say "Uh huh" and walk away knowing they were just fed a huge line of junk that is best ignored.
Newbies to rabbits are often the ones that fall the most victim to the gossipers though. "Oh no, you don't want to buy from __________. She kicks puppies and thumps kittens and her rabbits have snuffles and are pet quality and she charges $300 for them and I heard she pushed a kid in a wheel chair in front of a bus!"
Ok, that was a bit of a silly example (in part), but telling a newbie you'll get pet quality for huge prices- that often happens. Later, usually once the newbie has been burned by their new "friend", they realize that the person being talked about is completely different than they were led to believe.
How much trouble would be saved if the junk-talker would just try to be nice? Or if the newbie (or oldie) would not start trouble for the victim to get in good with their new "friend"? How much trouble would be saved if you just walked over to So-and-So and said "Hi! I'm new and I'm browsing- can I look at your sale bunnies? Would you explain type to me? How much do your prices usually run?" Go to the source. Is that person supposedly a horrible person? Try saying hi. Maybe they are just the victims of the rumor mill.
That isn't to say you will never hear true rumors. Sometimes someone will truly warn you to be careful around a person that is out to cheat you. You'll have to be burned a few times in learning who to trust and who not to trust. We all go through the "trial by fire" until we find our real friends and we discover the breeders we respect and trust.
Sometimes, a situation will blow up simply because there was a miscommunication. Maybe you don't think the rabbit you bought was worth $100 and the rabbit's breeder really does. Is that a reason to bash them for it? No. Remember- there is a difference between someone intentionally setting out to mislead you and cheat you, and between you two not seeing eye to eye on the severity of a fault or the quality of an animal. Be sure of the situation before you go telling people one way or the other.
In the meantime, let's all try to be better people. Let's work the rumor mill a little less. If you're a drama queen- STOP IT. And when you meet one of these people who make your life and the lives of other people miserable just because they can, or they get some kind of joy out of it- say "goodbye to bad rubbish" and turn the other way. You'll be better off for it, believe me!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Well said, thanks Kristen!
Melanie
In the course of reading some of my favorite blogs, I came across a quote on Timothy Chan's website. It was in regards to "love letters" and one particularly nasty one he received from someone. At the end of his blog, he writes
I thought this was particularly interesting. As people, we're bad about carrying rumors. I'll admit I've said to someone "Did you hear that so-and-so is going to sell out of X to get X from X?" We're nosy and we want to share our nosy with other nosy people.Lastly, if you have heard anything that didn't come from me, those are what we call rumors and 100% of the time is not true. One thing I learned in this hobby, always go directly to the source.
There are, however, a certain set of people. Doesn't matter what age, gender, breed, etc. You know at least 2-3 of these people. They DELIGHT in making up nasty rumors about other people. They want to tear down their victims as people, parents, breeders- it doesn't matter how they do it, as long as they can do it. Fortunately, most experienced breeders know who the troublemakers are and can avoid them. If they hear something from a person like this, they can very easily say "Uh huh" and walk away knowing they were just fed a huge line of junk that is best ignored.
Newbies to rabbits are often the ones that fall the most victim to the gossipers though. "Oh no, you don't want to buy from __________. She kicks puppies and thumps kittens and her rabbits have snuffles and are pet quality and she charges $300 for them and I heard she pushed a kid in a wheel chair in front of a bus!"
Ok, that was a bit of a silly example (in part), but telling a newbie you'll get pet quality for huge prices- that often happens. Later, usually once the newbie has been burned by their new "friend", they realize that the person being talked about is completely different than they were led to believe.
How much trouble would be saved if the junk-talker would just try to be nice? Or if the newbie (or oldie) would not start trouble for the victim to get in good with their new "friend"? How much trouble would be saved if you just walked over to So-and-So and said "Hi! I'm new and I'm browsing- can I look at your sale bunnies? Would you explain type to me? How much do your prices usually run?" Go to the source. Is that person supposedly a horrible person? Try saying hi. Maybe they are just the victims of the rumor mill.
That isn't to say you will never hear true rumors. Sometimes someone will truly warn you to be careful around a person that is out to cheat you. You'll have to be burned a few times in learning who to trust and who not to trust. We all go through the "trial by fire" until we find our real friends and we discover the breeders we respect and trust.
Sometimes, a situation will blow up simply because there was a miscommunication. Maybe you don't think the rabbit you bought was worth $100 and the rabbit's breeder really does. Is that a reason to bash them for it? No. Remember- there is a difference between someone intentionally setting out to mislead you and cheat you, and between you two not seeing eye to eye on the severity of a fault or the quality of an animal. Be sure of the situation before you go telling people one way or the other.
In the meantime, let's all try to be better people. Let's work the rumor mill a little less. If you're a drama queen- STOP IT. And when you meet one of these people who make your life and the lives of other people miserable just because they can, or they get some kind of joy out of it- say "goodbye to bad rubbish" and turn the other way. You'll be better off for it, believe me!
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
Well said, thanks Kristen!
Melanie
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