I am always interested in how people got started in
their "rabbit habit" and the following is my story. I am very humbled by
having such a quick rise from not really knowing what I was doing to
breeding my very own nationally award-winning rabbits. I cannot thank
the people who have helped and educated me along the way enough.
I am an active member of the American Rabbit Breeders Association, American Dutch Rabbit Club, Michigan Dutch Rabbit Club, Michigan State Rabbit Breeders Assocaition, Indiana Diamond Dutch Rabbit Club, Hoosier Dutch Rabbit Club and Ohio State Dutch Rabbit Club. Sycamore Rabbitry began in August of 2003. When I, Kristy Hume, realized I would no longer be able to show a horse at fair (due to the fact that my current horse is not the typical "pleasure" horse, but instead, a dressage horse), I decided that I wanted to be involved in Dutch rabbits.
Kristy and her dressage horse,
Toby, during show season 2007.
My younger years! We used to raise blacks, blues & chocolates.
Tom, one of the top breeders in Michigan, showed us several animals to choose from. We brought home three wonderful animals: a black buck (Buster), a blue doe (Tess), and a young, black doe (Panda). We then visited the Stump's rabbitry and brought home
a black buck (Chip) and a black doe (Oreo). Sadly, none of these animals are still with us, but they
live on in their strong impact on my herd. Almost every black or blue
in my barn goes back to these beginning animals! I can't thank Tom and Steven enough for providing me with such excellent beginning stock!
The "Super Litter" Every Dutch breeder loves finding a new litter containing all showable babies. On May 9, 2004, I experienced such luck when Tess had an exceptional litter of six excellent marked, show quality animals, sired by Buster. Three of the rabbits were sold at a young age. Then there
were the three animals I kept until they were seniors: Blue, Daisy
and Priss. Blue has always been spectacular on the show table, and
has the awards to prove it. He has been retired as a breeding buck,
and while he still occasionally finds his way to the show table, I mostly
focus on his babies. Daisy, a black doe, had been winning since she was a mere
3 months old and received numerous legs and significant wins, just like
her brother. At nearly two years old, Daisy finally got her chance
to settle into motherhood and produced some great babies - her most significant
being Gwen, a black doe who won 3 Best In Show awards in three different
states in 2008. Priss, another black doe, was a beautiful animal, but could never beat her sister. Priss ended up being sold to breeder Mike Smith, who in return gave me one of her babies, a blue buck named Benny who has been my strongest blue herdsire. Needless to say, it was a litter to say "wow"about and these rabbits really helped to get my rabbitry established in the Dutch community both through reputation from their successes on the show table to a solid foundation of my first home-bred breeding stock.
And Then Came the Grays... The original intent was to become involved in only two varieties of Dutch, and I chose blacks and blues. Of course, that didn't last long! At the National Dutch Show in 2005, I got my first gray. After much pursuit, and over a year later, I purchased two more gray does to establish my lines with. I have established a very qulaity gray line. Personally, I think my grays are my most constantly quality animals. I got lucky on a gray buck, with a very nice gray of my
own in the first couple of litters who became my first gray herdsire, Broer.
I no longer own him, as he was replaced by his son, Basil, who is not only
very successful on the show table, but is a superior brood buck. I
also was very lucky to snatch up an absolutely lovely gray buck (Laddy)
from Erik Ladd of Ohio. He has proven to be an exceptional show rabbit
and sire. Grays
have proven to be an exciting addition to the barn, as
I always seem to be learning something new! Additional "Outsiders"
Steels
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