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March 2008 Next Meeting Tuesday March 25 The next meeting will be on Tuesday March 25, 2008 starting at 6:30 pm, at the fair grounds extension office. We have a guest judge coming to our meeting. To help understand the “lingo” of judging we have a guest judge coming to this meeting. He will be talking about what is the meaning of all the things judges say as they judge your rabbits. In addition, he will talk and demonstrate what judges are looking for in meat rabbits. This is a great meeting for 4-Hers and parents. Have you have ever said, what does the judge mean by that, or what is he looking for. IF so this is the meeting. As always parents are encouraged to attend our club meetings. Last Call: At the March 25, 2008 meeting this is the last time to do the following: If you have not turned in your order form for a free club t-shirts they are due Your club enrollment, list of projects are due If your rabbits are in the city of Van Wert, your permit is due Quality Assurance Quality Assurance is a required learning meeting for all 4-Hers (not cloverbuds). Rabbit Quaility Assurance is on Tuesday April 8, 2008. Our club meeting will start at 6:00 pm, and QA starts at 6:30 pm. YOU MUST ATTEND QUALITY ASSURANCE TO SHOW RABBITS AT THE FAIR. We have invited anyone in the county who is taking a rabbit junior fair project to join us for this quality assurance meeting. You will see a lot of visitors at this meeting. |
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February 2008 |
Monday February 11, 2008
The first rabbit club meeting of the season will be on Monday February 11, 2008 starting at 6:30 pm. The meeting will be at the fairgrounds extension office, and will last about 90 minutes. Parents are always encouraged to stay for our meetings.If you are planning on being in the rabbit club this year, you need to be at this organization meeting. If you can not, a parent can come for you. If that does not work you need to call advisor Chris Heizman (238-4554) so you are added to the roster.
We will be completing registration, completing the years schedule, paying dues, ordering club shirts, and learning some tricks to winning “blue” ribbons with your rabbits.
Also meeting calendars, activity sheets, breeding charts, and special activities will be announced. It is important to be at this organizational meeting.
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CLUB T-SHIRTS
We will be ordering club shirts at our first meeting (Mon Feb 11, ’08). Members get a free shirt, and parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, can also purchase shirts. You need to know correct number of shirts and sizes you want, at the meeting.
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$5.00
Dues for this year will be $5.00. Bring your dues to the to the meeting. Please bring correct change.
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Officers for 2008
The elected officers for this year are: president – Dan Lape, vice president – Justin Owens, treasurer – Jessica Freeman, secretary – Sarah Klinger, reporter – Samantha Overmyer, safety director – Justin Overmyer
Advisors for 2008
Chris & Christine Heizman-238-4554, Carl & Ruth Lape-238-3911, Phil & Sara Lape-238-3906, Don & Susan Mosier-749-4139, Fred & Marcia Pond-622-6404, Jacque Welch-238-3881, Judy Wortman-238-9830
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Rabbits Plus More
The rabbit projects are: 710 cloverbud * 225 breeding rabbits * 226 market rabbits
But there are many other projects in many other areas. Are you interested in clothing, food, rockets, radio controlled cars, fishing, woodworking, marksmanship. Learning with 4-H can meet many of your interests.
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Project Books
All the projects with 4-H are guided through a specific guide book. Guide books cost about $5.00 and are available from the extension office. In addition there are reference books for specific areas. In rabbits there is an excellent reference book, but I would suggest only getting one for the whole family.
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Green Guidebook
The Green 2008 Family Guide and 4-H project Requirements Book is the “GREAT BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE”. Each family will get one of these guidebooks at the March meeting, and they are available on line. (there is a link from our rabbit web site)
This book is from the Van Wert County 4-H office, and has the guidelines and requirements for 4-H projects and fair exhibition. Even if you have been in 4-H for years, you should read this every year.
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Attendance Policy
Being a member of any club is a commitment for all. The rabbit club is only as good as its members and its members being active. Remember by county 4-H rules, to be eligible to participate at the county fair, you must attend at least 50% of your club’s meeting/activities. So when you join a 4-H club, you are committing to participating a minimum of 50% of the clubs meetings/activities. Parents, this is your commitment also, since most 4-Hers rely on you to get them where then need to be.
It is Your Job to Know
Yes, everyone is busy, busy, busy. School church, activities, sports, family. To keep on top of what is going on in 4-H and the Bunny Hoppers you need to do a few things. First you must attend the meetings. Post the meeting on the refrigerator and the family calendar.
4-Her’s You need to read the newsletters from the extension office and the on line newsletter from the bunny hoppers.
PARENTS You need to read the newsletters from the extension office and the on line newsletter from the bunny hoppers.
There is a lot of information, dates, times, deadlines listed for you. You must attend the mandatory quality assurance, interviews, and judging. IT IS YOUR JOB!!
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Doe & Litter Guidelines and Breeding for the Fair
The Doe & Litter regulations summary from the fair book: A doe plus 4 or more kits from the same litter
between 4 and 8 weeks old at the show.
Therefore: babies born on Fri August 1 makes them 4 weeks old at the fair show
Therefore: babies born on Fri July 4 makes them 8 weeks old at the fair show
Therefore: babies need to be born between July 4 and August 1, 2008
So: breed the doe for doe and litter between June 1 to June 30, 2008
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Meat Pen and Fryer Guideline for the Fair
The meat pen and fryer regulations summary from the fair book: Meat Pen of 3 & Single Fryer rabbits are to come from your eight specially tagged rabbits. At the fair weigh in they must weigh between 3 and 5 pounds.
Generally the meat pen and single fryer project should be about 75 days old to meet this weight requirement, and good meat quality.
Therefore: Meat pen & single fryer rabbits for the fair should be born
between June 8 - 21 2008
So: breed the doe for meat pens and fryers for the fair between May 9 – 21, 2008
Junior, Intermediate, and Senior Age Rabbits
Junior Rabbits are to be less that 6 months old at the show
(generally rabbits less than 3 months old are to young to compete in a junior class)
Intermediate rabbits are to be 6 months to 8 months old
note: intermediate age rabbits are only in commercial breeds(6 class) not in fancy breeds (4 class)
Senior rabbits are over 6 months old in the fancy breeds (4 class rabbits), and senior rabbits are over 8 months old in the commercial breeds ( 6 class rabbits)
Therefore: junior rabbits for the fair need to be born after March 1, 2008 intermediate rabbits for the fair need to be born between
January 1 to March 1, 2008
senior rabbits for the fair need to be born before March 1, 2008 for the fancy breeds
senior rabbits for the fair need to be born before January 1, 2008 for the commercial breeds
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New City Ordinance effects Rabbits
Last September 2007, Van Wert City Council passed an ordinance (law) about farm type animals being raised within the city limits. This was about a 14 page ordinance, and one section was on rabbits.
As it applies to us:
#1 Anyone raising rabbits within the city limits must have a permit.
#2 Rabbit coops are to over 25 feet from your neighbors house.
#3 Rabbitry must be clean and neat, and feed stored properly.
#4 Manure must be disposed of properly.
#5 Rabbitry will be inspected by a city authority.
#6 Permits can be picked up from the city mayor’s office, or from our 4-H club.