We welcome two new residents to the rattery today, having made a long trip up from England last week. Although I have bred marked rats before, it’s normally been unintentional – this is the first foray into breeding marked for show. They’re as yet unnamed, but I am now the delighted owner of a pair of black downunders.
Many thanks to Lyn at Brammocks Rattery for giving me my new additions, and Mel of Debonayr rattery for transporting them up to Scotland for me.
I’m aware of a few enquiries over the last couple of weeks that I haven’t had a chance to respond to yet – if you have emailed through the enquiry form, don’t worry as I will be back in touch as soon as I get a chance.
The last of the babies went off to their new homes tonight, leaving me with just the kittens I am keeping – so it’s finally a bit quieter here, and I can get to know the gang I am keeping a bit better.
From the silver agouti litter, I have kept two bucks and two does. They’re very sweet, laid back rats, and their colouring is just what I’d hoped for. I still haven’t named them, but I will get some photos and names decided soon!
The younger litters turned seven weeks old just before the SRC’s cup show in Perth, and sothey came along with me for their show bench debut. My two does won their classes (agouti and silver fawn), but it was a day for the boys. Hawthorn Funky Town, silver chocolate, won his class, the AOV section, and 4th in the Supreme Challenge – and Hawthorn Balthazar was not only best Champagne and best self, but overall Best in Show.
Anyway, plans are currently afoot for the next Hawthorn litters – I’ll be updating the blog shortly with more details, stay tuned.
Precious’s babies are now four weeks old, and the younger litters are now just over two weeks. They’re growing quickly, and looking great. There are lots of different shades in the silver agouti litter, though whether that’s to do with different types of silver agouti or simply different shades, I’ll not know until they’re a lot older. They tend to all live in a hammock at the moment, waiting on the cage door opening so they can come out to play.
Flutterby’s babies have turned into something of a surprise, with the “black” kitten actually being chocolate, and at least one of the agoutis turning out to be a chocolate agouti. Up until a few days ago, the girls were keeping their kittens very separate, in two nests in different corners of the cage – but recently they have decided to just put them all in together, so there’s one nest with all the kittens and both of the mothers on top. They both seem very happy with the arrangement, the only downside is that I’ve no idea which silver fawn or champagne kittens come from which mother!
I’m now taking reservations for kittens from my current litters – so if you have already filled in an application form and are still looking for kittens, then do email me if any of these are of interest to you.
I have a pair of does – one silver fawn, and one agouti – available, and five bucks in all different colours, so ideally they will go as one trio and one pair. They can be collected at either the April 21st SRC show in Perth, or the April 14th NERS show in Preston.
Hawthorn Flutterby (agouti – BOA at Cleveland 2011) and her sister Hawthorn Dragonfly (silver fawn) both have babies, with Flutterby’s litter being born on the 27th February, and Dragonfly’s brood turning up on the 28th. I was expecting silver fawn and agouti, but I’m pleasantly surprised to see we have some champagnes and a black kitten in there too.
Precious’s eleven kittens continue to do well – we have six bucks and five does. Happily, they are all silver agouti, and all very beautiful. There are some amazing marbled patterns in this litter too.
This week has been mainly geared up with organising myself for the Scottish Rat Club show in Livingston on Saturday, which I am show seccing. All the entries are now in, the paperwork is being printed, and I’ll spend this evening filling in critique forms in preparation for tomorrow. At least it’s only an hour’s drive to the show from here so I even have a chance at being on time!
I won’t be showing as I don’t like to show when I have new babies in the house, and as of this morning we have eleven new additions courtesy of Precious. All eleven seem perfect, healthy, and full of milk, and Precious herself is in fine form. It’ll be a little while until I can tell exactly what we have so there won’t be any news on reservations until they’re three or four weeks old at least, and I can decide what I want to keep myself. More photos to follow once they’re a bit more silver and a bit less pink.
Saturday saw me at my first show of the year, judging the Yorkshire Rat Club‘s January show. There were about seventy entries, and some lovely rats there but the final decisions were easy – a quality rat always shines through. There were lots of marked compared to what I’m used to seeing up in the North and in Scotland, and some really nice examples. I also got to judge my first downunder – a very cute black downunder hooded dumbo boy.
And of course I didn’t come back empty handed. The wonderful Lisa of Blairwitch Stud dropped off my two new arrivals from Rivendell – a very sweet ivory doe, and something a little bit more unusual …
Please meet Rivendell All That Glitters, who is probably best described as a golden silver agouti. I’m still trying to decide who will be best to mate her to when she’s of age, but I’m sure whoever it is we will have some beautiful kittens from her.
2012 has started with a website move and redesign for Hawthorn rats – to a blog format that should be easier and quicker to update. It’s January, and it’s time to start making plans for the coming year.
The first plans we have for this year are to move along with our silver agoutis – this is my absolute favourite variety, a bright and striking combination of near black on a white and grey background, completed with cranberry red eyes. Hawthorn Precious Metal and Hawthorn Erasmus will hopefully give me a litter in February of this year. Precious is the best coloured silver I have bred so far, and she knows she’s special – she’s an outgoing and social girl, who is a real favourite round here with visitors. Erasmus was originally reserved to go to Ratoon rattery when he was a baby, but I just couldn’t let him go, and thankfully Lizzi agreed on him staying here. He’s a big, solid boy with the gentle intelligence of his mother, Origami. Hopefully there’ll be news on kittens from this pair to post soon.
