Mum has added a nine berth buck/ running on block to her rabbitry. The block was made by my dad who always makes things properly and to a very very high standard. Here is mum and Holly cutting the ribbon at the official opening ceremony. On the far right you will see the new hutches and next to that, attached to fence, a colapsable grooming table.

Work has also been underway at my house also. More details to follow.

Thank you very much dad for mums new hutches!

Pictured below at 2 weeks and 4 days old.
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Wow! Naugty girl Heather sent a mini report and photo of Fivers success to the Fur & Feather magazine and they published it in the September issue (page 74)

Not actually a brilliant photo of Fiver as he's holding his ears back, but it was the end of the day! What a clever and handsome boy he is !

We were rather pleased to find this photo of Romeo on the BRC website in the shows photo section. He is a cracking little bunny with such a sweet temperament.

Romeo is going from strength to strength. Since this photo and still in the U5 section he recently gained Best of Breed at another show!

Article reproduced by kind permission of David and Wendy Byng.

Nicky Walters, Kirstie Harris and Madison White on a high at East Stour.

' A group of friends brought together by the internet are boosting entries throughout the Southern Area Shows.

The architects of the group are the administrators of the forun Bunnies-R-Us -

Nicky Walters (lovemylops), Kirstie Harris and Tanya White (Chalcroft Stud) - but it is unusual to see one without the following of other members of the forum.

Many of the group are showing French Lops out of a line started by Nicky and obtained their first rabbits through Nicky's child-minding services or through her website.

Nicky has to share her showing interest with supporting son Jake (football), daughter Lauren (twirling) and her own interest in arts and crafts.

Kirstie has added rabbit (French and English Lop) showing to her other interest in showing horses. She has participated in the Horse of the year show, the Royal International and has recently won at tthe Royal Windsor Show. She exhibits Hack, Intermediates and small hunters. Currently she is completing her studies in equine science.

The third administrator is more of a mystery woman and is represented in photos by her more forward daughter Madison. Tanya is another busy woman and in addition to bringing up her family and showing rabbits she runs a busy nursery at Bognor.

The rabbit forum has grown over its 2 years in existence and has members throughout the country'.

Shown in this photgraph taken at East Stour are Kirstie, Madison, Debbie, Shannon Lafferty, Joanne Small, Nicky and Heather.

Mother and daughter Debbie and Heather exhibit under the name Barrowbunnies Stud and show Mini Lops, as does Joanne Small who had her first success with best lop at Romsey. Unfortunately she could not witness this success as she was recovering from hospitalisation. Her return to the show halls was celebrated by the group.

Also, it is very complimentary to receive customers from Europe wishing to purchase our rabbits. We will keep you updated!

For those on our waiting list we will keep you informed, as more litters are due in the next week to fortnight.

Why so happy I here you ask?

Well because a few months ago he had a partial moult and was left with a blooming great big triangle moult line in the middle of his head. Although still doing OK at the shows he rarely got further than a CC. I feel that this has really been holding him back, so I am dead chuffed he is finally moulting again...hopefully this time that silly triange will dissapear!

Please keep your fingers crossed for him!

I did intend to run it through my sooty lines, but on further thought I have decided to also introduce REW's. In addition I have also managed to obtain a medium siamese sable doe that carries non-extension, which will be suitable for breeding seal point, but she also carries himi, so that will be an interesting one!

I'm still getting to know my new buns, there are some real charecters amoungst them. They are still young and a bit gangly (given their age) but I can see their potential shinning through.

A new page will be created for them in the near future. We hope you like them!

My heart was in my mouth. To hell with decorum... dashed outside in my (loose fitting) nightie... yep, one choc doe running around behind the dog kennel... armed with brooms and foul language we attempt to corner her, but she’s having a great time playing hide and seek. After a couple of minutes there is an awful realisation… omg! There are 3 others in that hutch.

Not any more.

We give up on the choc doe for a while, knowing where she is and that she can’t go anywhere. So now we have 3 black otter does to find. By this time it’s entirely my hubby’s fault… if anyone is still asleep in our quiet village at 6.30am then they won’t be for much longer. I quickly scan the area, under the hutches. But all hubby's c**p is stored under there (by now he’s a murderer!)

I run out of the back garden, through the front garden and start to scan our old, wide box hedge… wait hubby sees one. But where I can’t see it... turns out to be in the hedge right next to the hutches…with no thought of my dress sense (remember loose nightie and oh did I mention no underwear) I’m on my knees, arse up in the air diving in to the undergrowth to retrieve bunny number 2. Returning to the hutch to put 1^st caught bunny back, 2^nd bunny runs up to me and says ‘take me home mummy’…phew. Just the choc doe to catch, and yep she’s still playing with us behind the kennel and 3^rd otter girl to locate... Tempted to get the collies out to do some tracking, but decide against it as one prefers to retrieve their poo and the other has a blood lust for any type of bunny.

By now my bottom lip is trembling and hubby says he’s going to finish making his cup of tea. WHAT! Divorce is in the air; hubby reads the signs well and wisely decides to assist in the hunt after all.

Those damned lilies are in full bloom but now I’m using my broom like a scythe, flaying around blindly through the tears. I decide to widen the search perimeter as neighbour has terriers (gulp). Otter doe number 3 hops along and stops long enough to tease me ‘here I am' she gloats, then runs off as fast as her little legs will carry her in to the lions den (next doors garden). Trapped between the 2 gardens, I dive on her like a hawk, but the slippery little so-in-so beats the odds and gets away. She goes to and forth several times between the 2 gardens  before I grab some part of her and finally get her back to the hutch.  Now, just that choc doe.. Somehow my arm extends longer than is humanly possible and she’s back in the hutch too.

Below is the show at Frome (March 09) Where our black mini lops are being judged.

A pair of new colours coming to Barrow Bunnies..........including a very pretty, popular but in demand colour. They are also already show quality, I am a very, very, very lucky girl. So exciting, won't spill the beans until they are here tho!

On sunday we took a very long drive up to Essex to see Kelly at Nivarda Stud. What a treat that was! We were lucky enough to be shown around her sheds and meet and handle a lot of her buns, including her Havanas and Rexes, we really learnt a lot....Kelly if your reading this thank you so much. The reason for our journey was to collect two buns. Dallas- an adult proven black otter doe, suberb quality and good parentage. Carries choc, blue, self and otter, intended as foundation for our choc otter line. Primrose- a sooty fawn doe kit. Again excellent parentage and has the making to be a very typey girl. Both are settling in well.

The litter of oranges have suddenly come into their own, it's like they morphed into show rabbits over night. I can really see their dad Bradders in them and can see little horseshoe heads appearing. I have decided to keep a buck and a doe, the remaining doe is going to live with a friend.

A friend has recently advised the use of rain water as an aid to grooming, going to give that a try this week, will let you know how it goes. I can see the logic in it, I suppose its like when you wash your hair abroad, it always feels different.

All in all, a good couple of days, gotta take the rough with the smooth but it's defo been smooth lately!

Heather x

• Love seeing that potential show buck appear before my eyes at 3 weeks old. Bingo!
• Me watching a good mummy rabbit with her kits, (even the Big Ugly Doe’s!)
• Special cuddles with my rabbits.
• Watching the rabbit’s hop, skip and dance in the run on the lawn.
• A husband that builds me SOME rabbit hutches.

 
• Hate having to go out on a cold wet day to do my chores. I know! It has to be done, but oh to have a shed!
• Rabbit fur that gets up your nose and in your mouth, you try to remove it and get more instead!
• Cracking does mated to cracking bucks that produce no litter or small litters!
• BUD’s that kindles huge litter of more big ugly bucks!!
• A husband that won’t build me MORE rabbit hutches.