4H

J decided to join 4H this year, in their Rabbit Club.  I have been thoroughly frustrated with this club for the past 8 months, because it has been extremely disorganized.  I also felt like we had to learn on our own how to take care of her rabbit, as well as how to show it.

We moved the bunny out of the Chick-bit house back in June because it was getting so hot in there, and rabbits don't do so well in the heat.  He has been living on our front deck, where it is always nice and shady, and gets great breezes.  J also aims his personal electric fan on him when it is super hot out.  He is living large, let me tell you.  Despite our care, his coat started turning orange-ish once we moved him outside.

At first we thought his second-hand cage was rusty, so we wire-brushed it and painted it.  Then we thought he was getting urine stains on his coat, so we tried multiple things to clean it.  Nothing worked.

According to the judge at the Rabbit Show at the County Fair this afternoon, he is "sunburnt".  This apparently can occur even if he is not in direct sunlight, simply from the heat.  The judge was very helpful, and suggested several things to try to keep him cooler, but although he commented that J's rabbit had a "very nice structure", he did not win 1st because of his coat.

J's red ribbon is hanging above her, and
Chaz is in his cage, though he's hard
to see.

 

A separate part of showing your rabbit in 4H is Showmanship.  This is where the 4H-er does a head to tail assessment of their rabbit in front of another judge.  J and I (and Chaz, the rabbit, of course) practiced Showmanship over and over and over for the past 6 weeks.  J placed 2nd in this, right behind her buddy, V, who has been showing rabbits in 4H for 4 years.

Here J is doing Showmanship with Chaz -
she appears to be examining his hind legs
at the moment.

 

I am so very proud of J for trying something new, sticking with it, and pulling off a great show.  You rock J Bird!