# My first show!! Help??



## EastTexasRabbits (Jan 1, 2015)

My first experience showing rabbits. What is the process for getting ready and any other helpful tips y'all wanna share with me?


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## woahlookitsme (Jan 1, 2015)

What show are you going to? (I am in south texas and will be going to waxahachie next weekend so just curious!)

To prepare make sure your rabbits are all tattood. Groom any rabbits if you need to either the night before or morning after check in. It really depends on what breed you have. If it's an early breed there is not much time to get ready before they start calling the breed unless you get there early. The night before you can also clip nails. Judges really appreciate this. We fill out comment cards before hand because we have them at home. If you don't have them at home the show should have some by the check in table. Print out directions to the hotel/showroom or at least have the address on hand or already programmed into the gps. Also we print the show flyer and bring it with us. Normally shows will link a copy to the entry form to the flyer so print it out and fill it in before hand. If the show doesn't have it you can try looking on rabbit websites for an ARBA entry form. 

As far as buny supplies we have a lot on hand. Hay, pellets with the mixings, water, the pedigree book, nail trimmers and quick stop, something for grooming (carpet or the table), brushes, pens, sharpees, tab ointment, benebac, and electrolytes. Some people take disinfectants to shows so they can spray their carriers or the judging coops. 

Normally at shows there are vendors that you can purchase supplies from if you forget something. Oh and the night before we make sure our carriers are clean and filled with wood pellets and PDZ in the bottom on top of puppy pads. We also put a little hay in there


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## EastTexasRabbits (Jan 2, 2015)

I have dwarf hotots. D I need to bring their papers? And how do I even go about signing up for the show?? 

I'm looking at the Fort Worth open as our first show. I have a friend who lives near so it's a big easier for us to go show the first time


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## majorv (Jan 2, 2015)

No, you don't need to bring their papers to the show. You need to check the website for the Ft Worth Livestock show because I think the deadline to enter was Dec 31. Some shows have an early entry deadline and some you can enter the morning of the show.


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## EastTexasRabbits (Jan 2, 2015)

I was wrong, it was Houston I was looking at. It's in March


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## majorv (Jan 3, 2015)

Oh, ok. The deadline to enter is Feb. 1, cuz we're going. Just go to www.hlsr.com and go to the livestock show. You can look/print the exhibitors handbook and enter the rabbits online, or you can mail in your entry. Forms are there to print out.


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## woahlookitsme (Jan 3, 2015)

Yep we will see you there! If you see a girl running tans that will be me and you should say hi!! Hopefully we will have a lot of juniors there!


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## EastTexasRabbits (Jan 4, 2015)

I'm thrilled to be going! My friend shows show cows and will also be there at the same time so ill get to watch her.


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## EastTexasRabbits (Jan 22, 2015)

I'm just wondering. Would it kill my does chances of showing well if I bred her now? The babies would be 5 weeks by the time of the show and weaned off of her by then. 

Also what group would I need to enter my doe in? She's 9 months old so would that place her in the senior class?


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## woahlookitsme (Jan 22, 2015)

You can breed now and do as planned. I'll have to see if my mom remembers doing this with her polish but I'm thinking it's okay. We've taken a mom away from her babies to show her but the babies were 10 weeks. Tan moms don't normally show well after being bred but she had a gorgeous chocolate color (that doesn't happen often in Texas) so I took her. 

If she doesn't take I wouldn't breed her again until later. If it's not a first time mom people say the best time to show a doe is at day 14 of pregnancy. If it's a first time mom I wouldn't do this because there's already a lot of risk. You could easily wait until after the show

Yes she is in the senior class


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## EastTexasRabbits (Jan 22, 2015)

This will be her first litter. I'm a little worried about waiting until after to breed because she will be getting close to a year and I don't want to let her hips fuse before I can breed her.


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## majorv (Jan 22, 2015)

Hmmm, you're cutting it close on showing her. It's up to you though.


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## EastTexasRabbits (Jan 22, 2015)

I'm trying to decide whether I want to breed her and leave her home and only take one rabbit or whether I want to try and breed her and just try to get her bred in time to take her off the babies and go show. I'm just starting to show but it just sucks to go for one rabbit. Though I will if have too lol


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## woahlookitsme (Jan 23, 2015)

Rabbits hips do not fuse. This is a myth and is only true for guinea pigs. The reason why people say a year for a rabbit is because normally after a year a rabbit has put on more adult weight and/or fat. A large amount of fat built up around the ovaries makes it hard for rabbits to concieve (just like in people). For small breeds we normally don't have issues trying to breed at 1 yr of age. If the babies will be weaning or close to weaning age then Go ahead and breed her and wait the month for her to kindle. If she doesn't have any baby whatsoever then I wouldn't breed her again until after the show. If she has babies (whether she looses them or not) then she has had her first litter and will be fine to rebreed the next time.


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## EastTexasRabbits (Feb 2, 2015)

I'm officially signed up! I cut it a little close there. About a week ago I got my horse show schedule and wouldn't you know they had us showing very far away in the same day as the rabbit show so I threw away my entry forms for Houston... Then on the 31st they canceled the horse show!! (Anyone in Texas know about the Canton trade days? Well we were there buying more bunnies when I found out about the show!!) so I brought home a mini Rex pair and a lionhead pair and first thing I did was entered the classes online! I'm showing a mini Rex buck, lionhead buck, and my dwarf hotot buck. I decided to leave all the girls at home this time. 

Now I can start getting excited about the show!! Ahh!


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## EastTexasRabbits (Mar 19, 2015)

Had a great first rabbit show at HLSR!! I'm definitely gonna show rabbits again and I've been looking for more shows already aha ha. Might have caught the rabbit shows bug. 

I got best of variety and beat opposite variety with my lionhead buck in the first show, and best of breed with my dwarf hotot buck in the second show! Woohoo!


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## woahlookitsme (Mar 19, 2015)

Yayy good job!! I was there with my tans! I was going to post on here and see where you were but wasn't sure if you would see it


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## EastTexasRabbits (Mar 20, 2015)

I saw quite a few people sowing tans so I didn't say anything xD I was the only one with a dwarf hotot in the entire show lol. Except he got dq'd from the first show for being a few ounces overweight LOL. Got BOB on the second show though


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