Rant
Mood:  cheeky
Now Playing: Mellow jazz on WEIB fm
Lately, there has been a lot of conversation on the one of the lists about the health of the new Germans. Most of this has come from people that have not had the animals for any length of time, or haven't talked to people who have had them for long periods of time. I find this to be incredibly frustrating, as it is causing a panic for the new people involved in the German angora.

What I have noticed, having had these animals here at my place for almost a year:

They are incredibly hardy animals. My rabbits are housed outside, in a barn. But it still gets cold in there, and this winter, we even had a day where it was 25 degrees below zero, and that isn't including the wind chill. They even closed school on that day, yet my rabbits were fine. Not a runny nose, watery eye, ANYWHERE.

They are excellent mothers. Annie and Mia have put my other rabbits to shame in the mothering department. Their kits are growing strong and healthy.

They have amazing coats on them. Filled with crimp, long, and the ability to grow 1 pound of wool every three months. Not only that, but they don't freak out at shearing time, either using the scissors or the electric shears.

They are personable and friendly animals. I'm not seeing the skittishness that I saw with my English or French. Just laid back, mellow animals. Holding them is a pleasure.

These are my observations. I'm probably biased, but I'm allowed to be. Everyone else is being biased with their observations, and sometimes, I just get tired of not saying anything in my animals defense. :)

One more thing to take into consideration when you read about someone discussing the health of their angoras; you don't know what their rabbitry is like, or what the sanitation conditions are like. These are things to consider, as a dirty cage, not removing the wool every three months, or other factors that involve sanitation will affect the longevity of the animals. Please remember that!

On to other things:

Yesterday I finished plying the Border Leicester yarn that I'm spinning to sell up at MA Sheep and Wool. I also need to finish the swatches for the IAGARB posters (and get those made up too; thank goodness I hardly have any work to do this week!), and to do up the posters to promote the workshops here at Bay Colony Farm. So those of you reading this; if you haven't gotten in your application yet, do it now! I can't hold spaces, and they might all be gone by next weekend. :)