The Longer the Wool, the Less the Ring - Agouti Pattern

 

 

 

In this litter of 6 French Angora bunnies there are a solid chestnut agouti, two broken chestnut agouti and three chocolate agouti; photo taken at one day old in December 2015.    One of the telltale signs of newborn bunnies being agouti pattern is the pink ears.   If it were self color, the little ears will have the same color as the body instead of being pink.   

The same bunnies are now 6 weeks old, picture taken in early February 2016.

  

 

The solid chestnut is Lady GiGi on the left, the left is her sister Lady Godiva, a chocolate agouti.

 

 

Lady GiGi likes to stand up, takes after her daddy Freddie.






While her siblings have all gone to their new homes, Lady GiGi stays with Betty.   This is her when she was 4 months old. 






At four months old, Lady GiGi's Chestnut ring is very definitive with the help of a blower separating her wool in all directions.






Lady GiGi is 6 months old.

 

Lady GiGi's chestnut ring at 6 months old, not as definitive as when it's 4 months old.  



Lady GiGi is 8 months old with a gorgeous coat and achieved the Grand Champion status.  This picture is taken in the full sun.

 

Another picture of Lady GiGi taken in the shade.
 

At 8 months old with a gorgeous winning coat, the ring, however, is not as pretty as when it's a baby coat.
 
Why?

See the "Rubber band" theory at:

http://ncag.blogspot.com/2016/04/angora-color-and-wool-length-part-2.html

http://ncag.blogspot.com/2016/04/angora-color-and-wool-length-part-3.html



 

Roommate Companions

 

 

 

 

We are different but we are the same, we are the little ones that are sharing space in our mama's family room.   We are family.




 

Where is Betty?

 

 

 

 

When at the shows, people snap photos of Betty grooming.   Either Betty is small or the full coated rabbits are big.  Here are three such photos.

 

 

 

 

Betty grooming Donnica.



 

Betty grooming Franchesca.






Betty grooming Sunny Boy.



 

 

How Big is Your Show?

Shows are different sizes in different part of the country.    In general, the ARBA guideline is for a judge to judge no more than 250 rabbits on an given day.   It's quite common to assume 200-250 rabbits per judge,  so if you are trying to figure out how many rabbits are in a show room, take the number of judges then multiple by 200-250, you'll the get range of "entries".     Each "entry" is defined as a rabbit being judge once.   If it's a double show day, then each rabbit will be judged twice.  If a certain breed has a specialty show on top of the double all breed show, then the same rabbit will be counted as 3 entries.

Open and youth shows are separate, adult cannot show in the youth show but youth can show in the open show but not with the same rabbits that are entered in the youth show.
 

At the Solano RBA double open and double youth shows at Dixon, there are 9 judges.  From the number of judges, we can expect 1800 to 2250 entries.    Let's do a calculation from their assignment sheets:

Amy has 221.

Cathy has 156.

Armando has 240.
 

Allan has 230.
 

Ray has 256.
 

Melissa has 256.
 

Joe has 236.
 

Manuel has 230.
 

Chris has 241.


Total number of entries is 1810 that is within the range of 1800-2250.   Each breed is judged twice except that the Mini Lop was judged 3 times, the number of rabbits physically in the show room is about 880.

A show with this size is considered as a medium size show in our area.  It's quite normal to see anywhere from 6 judges to 12 judges in most of the shows here in the Bay Area to Central CA.    In case you are curious of how big or how small the show is, count the number of judges, and you'll get a good estimate.


 

 

Good Time at Mill Hall, PA



They are having a good time together, what's the occasion?
It's a rabbit show, of course!   
West Branch RBA holds a Labor Day weekend show on Sunday, 9/4/16 at Mill Hall, PA.  
From back to front are:  Angora family Eric, Annie, April, Alyssa, Jamie, and Gabe.

 

A nice showroom full of happy people.  
Look at the smooth floor, it's wonderful for rolling the carriers around.

 

 

Judge Piper is checking on the white Angora. 
 The wooden coops are so different from the wire coops in CA.

 

In the Angora specialty show, the French Angora colored senior doe (L) and the colored junior doe (R) are competing for the BOV then BOB.    The winner is... the junior doe.   

Little girl Abigail loves French Angora and especially the colored junior doe "Glenda the Good."   We are looking at a future Angora breeder in waiting.
 

Here is a close-up shoot of "HGF Glenda the Good".

Betty and her Rabbits at Dixon

 

 

 

 



Carolyn comes to visit at the Dixon show, left to right are Carolyn, Angelique and Betty.


 



When Carolyn visits, Betty gets pictures taken.  Normally Betty is behind the camera busy taking pictures of other people and rabbits in the show room.

 

 

Old boy Jake comes back to show to help the number of white English Angora but ended up winning a leg.
 

Carolyn has Jake's littermate sister Angeline, this picture is for Angeline to see her brother. 

French Angora Fair N Square is the Grandpa of several French Angora juniors being shown but he himself is still showing and still wants to be a big baby.

 

A close up of Fair N Square enjoying being held and cuddled.





 

 

 

Casey's English Angora Juniors at Dixon

 

 

 

Casey has quite a few English Angora juniors at the Dixon show, here is a white junior buck.
 

 

A fawn junior doe.
 

A red junior doe.
 

And another fawn junior doe.