4thqtr2022-compressed

Official Publication Of The National Mini Rex Club 4 th Quarter October-November-December 2022 

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NMRRC Publication Quarter 4 October-November-December 2022 

02

Your Committees 

AD Manager 

Visit us online at 

www.nmrrc.net

National Mini Rex Rabbit Club––––––-Visit us on the web @ www.nmrrc.net 

www.nmrrc.net 

Contents 

Officers Reports Page 5 

24K auction Page 20 

Julie Stewart Page 21 

Tammy Wheat Page 22 

Joe Kim Page 23 

Ethan Harvill Page 24 

Allyse Sullivan Page 25 

Armando Cabrerra Page 27 

Trio Ad and Info Page 28 

Banquet Flyer Page 31 

Financials Page 34 

Disclaimer 

The NMRRC reserves the right to refuse 

publication of any articles or advertisements it 

deems not to be in the best interest of its 

members. 

President 

Jeremy Watmuff 

nmrrcpresident@gmail.com 

Vice-President 

Mark Charles 

nmrrcvicepresident@gmailcom 

Secretary 

Doug King 

nmrrcsecretary@gmail.com 

Treasurer 

Lee Bastyr 

nmrrctreasurer@gmail.com 

Newsletter Editor 

Cheryl Parks 

nmrrcnews@outlook.com 

District One Director 

Diane Walker 

blazinbunzrabbitry@yahoo.com 

District Two Director 

Armando Cabrera 

mandojudg@aol.com 

District Three Director 

Travis Knight 

tjknight627@yahoo.com 

District Four Director 

Sandra Neal 

nealduck1@gmail.com 

District Five Director 

Amanda Marquardt 

ilminirex@gmail.com 

District Six Director 

EthanHavill 

eharvill@vols.utk.edu 

District Seven Director 

Michael Mageles 

michaelmageles@outlook.com 

District Eight Director 

Beth Bickel 

Bickelsbunnies@gmail.com 

District Nine Director 

Piper Smith 

pesmith@ptd.net 

The articles, opinions or statements published 

are solely the responsibility of the authors.

Cheryl Parks 

Newsletter Editor 

Nmrrcnews@outlook.com 

Hi Mini Rex Family, 

American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) 

convention is so close!! I hope you are getting 

ready to attend. I start checking off things I 

need to do before the big show. The first 

thing is picking out the rabbits that will be 

ready to show. Sadly, so far, the weather has 

not helped with the coats. Next we try to get 

them use to sitting on the show table. Some 

of the rabbits like to pretend to be a running 

breed. We have not been to many shows this 

year. So they need the practice. 

Thank You Travis Knight for your service to 

the club as the D3 director. 

Any time you want to submit an article or 

pictures…please do! This is a newsletter for 

all the members so please participate. 

The banquet tickets and the trio raffle tickets 

are available. Check out the flyers in this 

newsletter. 

Hope to see you in Reno! 

Chery 

My list keeps growing. It is like taking children 

on a trip. The list keeps growing of things to 

remember. 

I would like to thank the members that wrote 

articles for this newsletter. Thank you, 

Armando Cabrera, Joe Kim, Julie Stewart, 

Allyse Sullivan, Ethan Harvill,and Tammy 

Wheat. Be sure to read their articles. 

Deadline for content for next issue is December 1, 2022 


05

Jeremy Watmuff 

President 

nmrrcpresident@gmail.com 

Greetings Mini Rex Breeders! 

It is hard to believe that the fall is just about upon us and 

that means we are just weeks away from the ARBA 

convention in Reno. Once again the board of directors 

has voted to subsidize the banquet price as a way to 

allow more members to attend the annual banquet and 

auction. As you make your final preparations, leave 

room while packing to bring along an item or two to 

donate to the youth raffle or the banquet auction. 

Trio raffle tickets are currently on sale. This is a great 

fundraiser for the NMRRC as well as a great way for a 

breeder to obtain three animals from top breeders 

across the country. Thank you to this years donors – 

Sandy Lowry & Joe Kim, Doug King and Jordan Crawford. 

You do not need to be present to win however the 

winner is responsible for transportation. Tickets can be 

purchased on our NMRRC website as well as at the 

show. 

Elsewhere in the newsletter you will find the results of 

the clubs recent vote to accept Amber, Himalayan 

(Chocolate & Lilac) and Tortoise (Blue, Chocolate & 

Lilac). Following the vote, we are now looking for 

guidance from the ARBA Standards Committee to let us 

know when these changes will go into effect. Until that 

time, we are unable to show the new varieties. The club 

will post on our website and social media when we have 

confirmation on the effective date. 

We Need You! The NMRRC frequently needs the 

expertise of our members and this is a great opportunity 

if you are looking to get involved. We are currently 

looking for members that are interested in helping to 

update the NMRRC Guidebook. We are looking for 

individuals with experience in publishing, 

editing/proofing. Please let me know if you are 

interested in helping. 

Just a reminder that the 2023 National Mini Rex Show 

will be held in conjunction with the Ohio Mini 

Convention in Columbus, Ohio. Our banquet and host 

hotel will be the Embassy Suites located at 2700 

Corporate Exchange Dr in Columbus, OH. Additional 

rooms will become available in our room block as the 

host hotel makes them available to us. Please continue 

to use the link on our website or call the hotel directly to 

check room availability. The dates for the event will be 

May 5-7, 2023. Additional information will be available 

in the coming months. 

“Get involved. You don’t want to look back at your life 

and realize that you successfully managed to stay out of 

it” ~ Robert Breault 

Until Next Time, 

Jeremy 


06

Mark Charles 

VICE PRESIDENT 

nmrrcvicepresident@gmail.com 

NO REPORT 


07

Doug king 

secretary 

Nmrrcsecretary@gmail.com 

\Secretary September 1, 2022 

Hello Everyone, 

Well today is the 18 and I am scrambling to get all my 

required info to Chery tonight!! I’m way late and I’m 

sure I’m going to be in trouble!! 

Duties as Secretary have been crazy. Sanction requests 

have been filling up the mail box in what seems like 

record numbers. Great to see so many clubs back in full 

force. I’ve been traveling to judge and hitting some 

local shows, numbers have been impressive! 

ARBA just put out a notice of top breeds winning Best In 

Shows….guess which breed was #1? You got it, yea 

Mini Rex! 418 BIS since July 1!! We are the top dog!! 

Now what everyone wants to hear 

about….Convention!! Hoping everyone is planning to 

attend. I know it is out West(ish), but I’ll promise no 

earthquakes or tidal waves. And the best news our wild 

fires are under control. No excuses not to attend! 

Elsewhere in the newsletter Director Armando has 

outlined details of the week’s events. Things not to 

miss: Membership Welcome Party, hosted by me so 

you know it will be fun!!! That will be on Saturday 

October 1 around the club’s booth, 6 o’clock. Second 

must do is the BANQUET! This year it will be a themed 

event. Luau in Paradise!! We encourage Luau themed 

clothing, we’ll have leis to hand out….Lets make it a 

great and fun event. Tickets are just 

$25 (adult or child) to members, that is a 60% 

discount!! The Board is trying to make the event more 

accessible to all! Tickets through the webpage or mail 

payment to me. Next up we need everyone to attend 

the general membership meeting!! This is when we 

discuss the happenings of the past year and what 

coming up next year. The meeting will be Monday 

following the famous 24K Auction! Speaking of the 24K 

Auction, Allyse Sullivan has a terrific line up of top 

notch rabbits that could help anyone’s breeding 

program!! The 24K Auction will start at 10am 

Monday. Bring money!! It is events like the 24K 

Auction that allows the Board to offer such a great 

deals on our banquet. Immediately after the auction 

we will draw the lucky winner of the Trio Raffle. 

Tickets available now on line and will be available all 

week at the booth. BIS is that day at 3pm. On 

Tuesday the 4 Jeremy and I present our Sable 

Martens and Smoke Pearl Martens to the ARBA 

Standards Committee. We will be one of the first 

presentations reviewed so start time is 8:00am. We 

would love support from the membership!! 

I will be busy as ever but if anyone needs help, just 

look me up or yell!! 

Happy to help with any questions! 

Be safe, be kind and I can’t wait for Convention!! 

Doug 


08

Lee Bastyr 

treasurer 

Nmrrctreasurer@gmail.com 

Hello Mini Rex Friends, 

It has been an incredibly busy summer and it’s gone by way too quickly. Mine has been filled with many projects. One 

of the most exciting ones is a watering system in the rabbit barn thanks to some very generous and hardworking 

friends. I’ve waited a long time for this and it is incredible! 

The financial report for 3 Fiscal Quarter/2ⁿ Quarter of 2022 is included in this Newsletter. 

Trio Raffle tickets are now available on our website. Don’t miss out on getting yours for a chance to add some amazing 

animals as well as supporting the club. 

It’s hard to believe that next month we’ll be in Reno. I hope your barn is full of potential winners as you compile your 

entry list. Safe travels to all and looking forward to seeing you soon. 

Lee 

Mark Your Calendars 

2023 

Mini Rex Nationals 

Columbus Ohio 

Mini Convention 

May 6, 2023 


09

Diane Walker 

blazinbunzrabbitry@yahoo.com 

1 

Washington - Oregon - Idaho - Montana - Wyoming - Alaska Japan - Canada (Saskatchewan, British 

Columbia, & Alberta) 

Greetings from the Pacific Northwest. As I’m writing this we are still in the 90s here in Central Oregon but the 

days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler. Fall will be here before we know it along with 

Convention. I hope all your buns are staying cool and your convention prospects are coming along nicely. 

We have been asked by our illustrious newsletter editor to provide some insight to rabbit raising so I would like 

to speak on the topic of ventilation in your rabbitry. I often see posts on various rabbit Facebook pages from new 

people asking how to keep the odor and ammonia smell down especially during the summer. We all have 

different ways of keeping our rabbits cool depending on the part of the county we live in but the one thing we all 

need is ventilation. I have used a standard industrial type ventilation fan that can be purchased at any home 

improvement store or off Amazon. My fan has a temperature sensor but I want it to run at certain times so I 

have the fan plugged into a simple timer. That way as it starts to cool down in the evening I can run it for 30-45 

minutes and then periodically through out the night. I use a hand held rechargeable vac to clean it in the summer 

when the fur is flying and then a full size shop vac to give it a more thorough cleaning in the spring and fall. I 

realize that there are other things that we must do to keep our rabbits cool during the hot summer months but a 

ventilation fan is one of the first steps to keeping your rabbits cool and healthy. 

I hope a lot of you are planning to attend convention in Reno since it is so close, relatively speaking. I look 

forward to seeing your there. 


10

Armando Cabrerra2 

mandojudg@aol.com 

Arizona - California - Hawaii - Mexico - Nevada - 

Greeting District 2 Members- 

It is this time of year that I have to confess I have a 

rotten attitude towards summer, resent that today’s 

high is 108 degrees and I am absolutely over it. As I 

write this article, I am contemplating our upcoming 

ARBA Convention in Reno, NV. Conventions are a 

welcomed, annual, event that take place in cooler 

weather, allows us to get together to enjoy each 

others’ company, and an opportunity to show our 

beautiful breed in anticipation of obtaining a big win. 

District 2 is looking forward to hosting this year’s ARBA 

Convention. I want to thank members of district 2 who 

have already volunteered to help. Please consider 

lending a helping hand during show day to ensure the 

judging of our breed is successfully and timely 

completed. We will also need volunteers for our 

booth. The more help we get, the easier the workload 

for all. :) Please see additional information related to 

ARBA Convention in this newsletter. 

Elsewhere in this newsletter are also the results of our 

vote-in varieties; thank you to everyone that voted. 

Standardss Committee Report 

Dear NMRRC Club Members- 

I want to personally thank all of our members that 

voted on the opportunity provided to us by the ARBA 

Rabbit Standards Committee to vote-in eligible 

varieties to our breed standard. Once the ARBA Board 

votes on our ballot results, the following varieties will 

be added to our ARBA Mini Rex Standard: 

-Amber 

-Chocolate and Lilac Himi 

-Blue, Chocolate and Lilac Tort 

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Julie 

Hanna-Stewart and committee for the prompt tallying 

and reporting of results. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Armando Cabrera - Chair 

NMRRC Standards Committee 

Keep your animals cool, clean and well fed so they are 

hopefully primed and ready to show this Fall. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Armando Cabrera 

District 2 

Our club has voted to accept 

the 3 proposals offered. 

Amber Yes 37 No 20 

Himi Yes 52 No 5 

Tort Yes 54 No 3 


11

Travis Knight 

tjknight627@yahoo.com 

North Dakota - Nebraska - South Dakota - Minnesota - Iowa - Wisconsin 

D3 Newsletter 

I would like to thank all of our D3 enthusiasts for 

an enjoyable run as you D3 director. After 

convention I will be stepping down and Allyse 

Sullivan will be taking over. Please feed you 

information and concerns to her as D3 is a strong 

district with great people and quality animals. It is 

nice to see D3 doing well at national level shows. 

We are empty nesters here at home, as Sierra is 

now living in Texas and will be working on an M.S. 

in athletic training after she completes her Texas 

residency requirements for universities. My barn 

is still full of mini rex and Nigerian dwarf goats so I 

have plenty of things to keep me occupied. I plan 

to downsize the barn a bit but keep both rabbits 

and goats - showing locally and at national-level 

shows when I can. 

There are so many good people that keep shows 

running and mentor beginners. Keep up the good 

work! We need your care and dedication. Covid, 

derechos, RHDV2, and politics/economics are all 

challenges that we can work through. Chin up and 

move on! 

Thanks, best wishes, and see you at a show soon! 

Travis 


12

Sandra Neal 

nealduck1@gmail.com 

Arkansas - Colorado - New Mexico - Oklahoma – 

Convention is closing in on us and everyone is making 

their final decisions on who to take, which ones to 

sell etc. this show will decide if all your preparations 

breedings and culling have been fruitful or in vain. 

This year I don’t have anything that I think is a barn 

burner but I have a couple that I like. We all have 

years that we feel were better for breeding and 

others not so much. Sometimes we need to regroup 

and just cull harder. The minirex as a breed is 

becoming better and better and some breeders are 

just a step ahead of the others. I do feel that a few 

rabbits that I placed with other breeders have helped 

their herds so that is always a good thing. 

I hope everyone has already made their reservations 

for convention, gathered up their risers, coop cups, 

and tags for marking their rabbits. Arranged for 

transportation if they are flying, always check on 

your reservation for your dog kennels. Or made 

arrangements for your rabbits to be transported to 

meet you there. 

I always enjoy seeing all my friends at convention , 

going to eat or just see some sights while there. The 

friendships made during my years of showing have 

made showing rabbits that much more enjoyable. I 

can’t wait to see you all and see your amazing 

rabbits. 

Sandra Neal 

District 4 


13

Amanda 

Kansas - Missouri - Illinois 

Marquardt 

ilminirex@gmail.com 

Summer is just about over and fall will soon be upon us. 

The summer heat and humidity were intense this year. 

There was even a series of rain events that were record 

breaking. My area saw relentless triple digit 

temperatures with a 5-10 degree heat index on top of it 

for a majority of the season. That is not the norm. There 

were a few breaks in the weather that did bring cooler 

temperatures, but also brought a large amount of 

rainfall in a short amount of time. Parts of the St. Louis, 

MO area received 10-13” of rain in a 24 hour period! 

I am fortunate that I did not lose any rabbits due to the 

extreme heat or from flash flooding. My rabbits are not 

housed in a climate controlled environment. They are 

kept in barns under plenty of shade with fans. For most 

of the summer I did provide frozen water bottles for 

them to lay next to. After several days, the rabbits 

looked forward to them and the ice bottles became 

“magnets” as the rabbits instantly laid next to them. 

The ice does eventually melt which is why I wait to give 

them to the rabbits until the afternoon. 

Below is sent from Amanda McVoy. Congratulations and 

thank you for sharing! 

In May, district 5 member Shelby McAvoy took BIS, 

under judge Tara Parker, at the Bunny Bunch Rabbit 

Club show in Topeka, KS. She won the top honors with 

4J’s Tres Leches, a home raised broken blue junior doe. 

In May, Mini Rex took top honors in both the Youth and 

Open at the SWMHR show in Carthage, MO. Dave 

Switzner, of Baptist Ridge Rabbitry, was BIS Open with 

his home raised Chocolate doe and Shelby McAvoy, of 

4J’s Rabbitry, was RIS with her home raised Blue doe. 

This was the third time these two have paired up to 

represent Mini Rex with top honors. In 2015, they both 

had BIS @ Harrisonville, MO and in 2017 they both had 

RIS @ Sedalia, MO.The 2022 win is extra special as this 

was Shelby’s last show as an ARBA youth. Therefore, it 

is only fitting that she and Dave get to share the 

accolades one last time. 

With the hotter than normal summer this year, I noticed 

several of my juniors developed summer ears. At a 

young age their ear length went past the maximum of 3 

1/2”. Many were culled early due to it. Some breeders 

may say that summer ears are genetic while others 

believe that environmental (heat) influences are to 

blame. I do believe that the heat this summer did make 

a difference in the long ear length in some of my litters. 

The parents have correct or even desired ear length and 

not all rabbits in the same litter developed long ears. 

Has anyone else noticed long ear length this summer in 

their litters? For those who also keep their rabbits in a 

non-climate controlled building, how do you keep your 

rabbits cool in the summer? 


14

Ethan Harvill 

Hello All! 

eharvill@vols.utk.edu 

I hope you are as excited as I am about fall shows! It will 

be so nice to see friends from across the country as we 

hit many annual shows. In addition to some of my 

favorite shows, ARBA convention is also around the 

corner. I hope everyone is excited to head to Reno 

Nevada. The last convention held in Reno was a huge 

success, and I am looking forward to another great year 

on the West Coast. 

One exciting announcement coming from the Linda 

Thompson Memorial Youth Scholarship Committee is 

the change to offer an online option for applicants 

starting next year. I would like to say thank you to the 

committee members who supported this change, as 

well as the NMRRC board for the support of this 

progressive change. All materials will be able to be 

submitted directly to the youth scholarship committee, 

under one submission. This will eliminate candidates 

sending multiple documents, the committee having to 

wait to receive scanned copies for review, and 

ultimately will make all documents accessible in real 

time at once. More information on how to complete the 

application will be coming out soon, as well as the link 

to access the online submission portal. 

As we start to gather for fall shows, please feel reach 

out and ask questions. I look forward to seeing you! 

Best, 

Ethan Harvill 

Alabama - Georgia - Florida - Louisiana - Mississippi - 


15

Michael Mageles 

michaelmageles@outlook.com 

New York - New Hampshire - Vermont - Massachusetts - 

NO REPORT 


16

Beth Bickel 

Bickelsbunnies@gmail.com 

Michigan - Indiana - Ohio - Kentucky - Canada 

TIME TO BUY YOUR TRIO RAFFEL TICKETS!! Contact me 

bickelsbunnies@gmail.com or nmrrc web page or at 

convention!! 

Hello from district 8! Hope this finds all doing well! Been a 

rather toasty summer here! 

Before you know it many of us will be traveling to Reno.. 

Paul is going and I am hoping to make it too! 

Showing season has been going well with mini Rex showing 

well in our district. 

Congratulations to all our winning members. I have not 

received much information from my district 8 members. 

Looking forward to seeing the new variety’s hit the tables 

soon! 

Congratulations to Harper Gootee on winning BIS at 

Kentucky state Fair and BIS at Hamlet! 

Congratulations to Lane McCall on his BOS at Kentucky 

State Fair 

Congratulations to Fran and David McCall on BOB and BOS 

at Kentucky State Fair 

Congratulations to Julie Stewart on BOB at Indiana State 

Fair 

Safe travels to all traveling to Reno and best of luck, hope 

to see you there! 

Again, please send me show results to post in the 

newsletter 

Beth Bickel 

District 8 director 


17

Piper Smith Debruler 

pesmith@ptd.net 

Pennsylvania - West Virgina - Virginia - New Jersey - 

Greetings Fellow NMRRC District 9 Members! 

I hope everyone has had a wonderful summer! 

Fall show season is in full swing and it’s been 

awesome seeing so many Mini Rex garner high honors 

throughout our district. Please send in photos so they 

can be shown in the newsletter!! 

We are very excited for the upcoming ARBA 

Convention in Reno! This newsletter highlights the 

NMRRC related info for the week. Everything can also 

be viewed on the NMRRC’s Facebook Page. I am 

available to answer any questions, also! 

Plans are coming together for the National Mini Rex 

Show that will be held in Ohio in May 2023. I hope 

that many D9 members plan to attend this event since 

it is so close!!! I think a centrally located National 

show will have excellent attendance and quality. 

As always, please feel comfortable to reach out to me 

with any questions or concerns! I am available via 

email, text, or Facebook messenger 

I look forward to seeing many of our members at fall 

shows in the coming months and everyone at 

Convention next month! 

Cheers, 

Piper 


18

Youth Corner 

I’m sure everyone is itching to get back into the show room after the long HOT break. Living in Texas, I know 

we are looking forward to the upcoming cooler months. We would like to thank everyone that participated 

in the Photo Contest, we got several cute ones in that made the decision very difficult. Congratulations to 

Alex Ewing (7 and Under), Avery Speed (8 to 13), and Chase Walbourn (14 to 18) for submitting awesome 

photos. 

Let’s talk about Convention. The Youth Committee will hold a raffle at the NMRRC booth. The proceeds from 

the raffle will support the Linda Thompson Memorial Scholarship Fund. We are still looking for items to be 

donated to the raffle. Please, if you have something you want to donate, send me a message on Facebook, 

or email me at (MallorysBunnyRabbitry@gmail.com). 

There will be a special section of the raffle reserved for those 21 and over. These items will be mostly wine 

and liquor, that will be wrapped in paper bags making them unidentifiable. We are needing donations for 

these items as well! This idea is that if your ticket is drawn, you get to pick a surprise bottle. However many 

bottles we have, is how many drawings there will be. 

We decided to try to have a few fun activities for the kiddos at Convention. We will have a scavenger hunt, 

age-based trivia, and a coloring contest. We are also trying to get together a little clinic for the youth on 

evaluating mini rex. If this is something that you would be interested in, send me a message. 

Hope to see everyone in Reno! 

Lizz Beason 


19

Continued on Page 21 


20

Continued from Page 20 


21

24 K Auction–Don’t Miss it! 

Hello everyone! 

My name is Allyse Sullivan, and I am the new chairperson for the 24K auction committee. I am so 

excited to take on this new endeavor, but I am even more thrilled to have Becca Forney, Cole 

Simons, Michelle Bauer, and Jason Ross joining me on the committee. We are looking forward to 

putting together the 24K auction for you all at this upcoming convention in Reno, Nevada. This is 

always such a fun convention! The 24K auction will be on Monday, October 31st after the general 

membership meeting. The auction will likely take place where Mini Rex was judged. 

For the 24K auction, we have reached out to quite a few breeders for donations, and we are 

excited to share them all with you as it gets closer to convention. We are hoping to post pictures 

and updates as we get definite donations. If you have a rabbit you would like to donate to the 24K 

auction, please find me, Becca Forney, or Cole Simons at Convention or message us beforehand. 

We will have awards for the highest bidder and highest seller. 

What you should know about the 24K auction: 

∙ It is held once a year at the ARBA Convention in Fall. 

∙ The committee will select and auction quality Mini Rex rabbits for each auction. 

∙ 50% of the sale price per Mini Rex shall go to the NMRRC and the remaining 50% goes to the 

donor (unless the donor wants to donate more to the NMRRC). 

∙ The committee has the authority to refuse or limit the total number of animals auctioned. 

∙ At a minimum, four rabbits must be selected for youth only auction. 

∙ There will be awards available for highest bidder and highest seller. 

If you have not already, feel free to join our new Facebook page- 24K Auction: The Elite of the 

NMRRC. We will be posting updates and results here. Feel free to reach out to me or any members 

of the committee if you have questions or concerns. 

See you all in Reno! 


22

In the spirit of fun and to copy a FACEBOOK time waster….here’s a Mini Rex Version of: 

HAVE YOU EVER?? 

Shared By: Julie Stewart 

Give your self a point for each of these you are guilty of. Scoring chart at the bottom. 

1. Tried to breed two bucks together. 

2. Tatoo’d in the wrong ear or upside down in the right ear. 

3. Got black marker on your rabbit putting a coop number ear in the Right ear, give yourself 

two points if the rabbit was white. 

4. Got DQ’d at ARBA or Nationals for no permanent tatoo. 

5. Put a nest box in the wrong cage thereby putting a litter on the wire for the correct rabbit. 

6. Forgot to enter fur at Nationals or ARBA. 

7. Been scolded by Doug King 

8. Forgot to bring a sold rabbit to ARBA/Nationals. 

9. Left a rabbit at ARBA or Nationals 

10. Hidden Jason Ross’ phone (or wallet) from him. 

11. Forgot to cut your wire tie on a coop at ARBA and your rabbit did not get shown. 

12. Forgot to write down a breeding and have no idea who the sire is. 

13. Had an entire litter of unshowable color rabbits because….you don’t know why! 

14. Bought something silly for way too much at the Mini Rex Banquet auction. 

15. Donated something to the Mini Rex Auction that sold for way too much. 

16. Have yet to figure out how to show Mini Rex in groups. 

17. Entered one mini rex then unknowingly brought a different one to show at ARBA 

Convention or Nationals. 

18. Cannot name all the varieties of mini rex....to date. 

19. Do not own a CURRENT ARBA Standard of Perfection. 

20. Cannot name the Mini Rex Breed Slogan. 

Scoring Key: Whatever number you got, minus it by the same number to give yourself a perfect 

score because you are reading the newsletter and took the time to have some mini rex fun! 


23

It’s that time of year – 4H and FFA groups are reaching out for show stock. I usually get two kinds 

of buyers. “I am looking for the highest quality black otter buck that I can purchase for my 

daughter to win the county show.” And the other: “I am a single mom and I want my son to have 

a great experience in 4H this year with a show rabbit.” 

That’s the dilemma. Like many of you, I have a few FFA teachers that contact me. This year, my 

first request was the ‘high quality’ one. When I spoke with the teacher, I reminded her that I 

often get that request and the kids that normally win at county are the experienced youth 

breeders that have raised their own rabbits. Here at home in Texas, we have three youth that are 

doing very well and sharing the wins. I remind the teachers that I rarely have something available 

that can beat these hard working kids. 

Winning at County fairs and winning at ARBA shows is no different. We all love to win. It’s a cycle, 

and a learning experience. When a breeder gets their herd at a winning level and starts winning, 

they become popular, and their rabbits become desired. Here’s where the differentiation in 

continued success begins. 

Many of us have observed the different behaviors of winning breeders. 

One type of breeder becomes exclusive. You hear the words ‘my lines’. These breeders either 

don’t share their stock locally, or at all. It is interesting at this point that the winner has forgotten 

that they started with someone else’s rabbits. Over time, this breeder’s herd quality can suffer 

from the lack of good competition around them. The competition numbers can even decrease, 

since others lose interest, or bide their time by purchasing great stock elsewhere and take some 

time out to improve their herd. 

Another type of breeder shares stock with others who need to get started or need improvement 

in their herds. These breeders even get beat at local shows by their own stock that they have 

shared. Of course, that win is short-lived as the shared stock ages out and becomes brood stock. 

It takes time, but the new owner gets to improve their herd over the next year by breeding the 

new rabbit properly and brings good competition back to the shows. The breed improves, the 

exhibitor’s stock improves with the broader quality competition, and entry numbers increase. 

I recently experienced sharing stock with a national competitor. It was fun going through a few 

examples of our stock. I ended up taking home a doe, and loaning one of my bucks out for 

breeding a few does. This was a great experience. I have been doing this locally for years. I enjoy 

seeing the success from both youth and open breeders that have taken my stock and put them to 

breeding. This motivates me to keep going with a hobby that takes so much time. 

Now these are just a few examples, and we have all types of people who have different 

approaches to our hobby. Seeing this in writing or observing others helps review what type of 

breeder you are or want to be. 

Enjoy the hobby! 

Shared By: Tammy Wheat 


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Shared By: Joe Kim 

What I learned about Minirex in the past year: 

1. They change. The best one at 3 months is rarely the best one at 8 months. They are constantly 

changing. I’ve had a decent one at 6 months turn out to be the best one a month later. I keep 

everything good and hope one of them pops for the big show. 

2. Handle as least as possible before judging. I made the mistake of letting everyone handle my 

rabbits at the 2021 Convention. The more you handle them, the worse they look. Over handling 

makes them softer in flesh and less cooperative on the judging table. It’s fun to show and tell but 

it’s best to do it after judging is complete. With that said, Tans were the opposite of Minirex. 

Taking them out before judging and letting them run on a table made them more comfortable and 

move better on the table. 

3. Stick to a strict feeding schedule. I set my alarm so I feed at 7pm every night. Rabbits are more 

active at night and I want the feeders empty by morning. I want their guts empty during the 

hottest part of the day. I’ve never lost a rabbit to bloat. 

4. Do your worming 2 months before the big show. Fenbendazole does wonders for Minirex. But it 

did nothing for my Tans. I worm exactly 2 months before nationals and convention. I feed pellets 

and start their conditioner 2 months before the big show. I don’t feed hay or oats to any animals. 

When it gets really hot, my rabbits get a handful of straw to increase fiber and keep their gut 

moving. 

5. Stick to a routine. Don’t change feed. If you have fur and flesh problems, it’s rarely the feed. 

Don’t change your feeding schedule. Don’t add new supplements just because you hear it’s great. 

Stick to what’s worked and stick to the routine. 

6. Breed senior does 10-14 days before judging. Breeding them will bring them into prime fur and 

flesh on some. Doesn’t always work for all does. Bred does are less likely to lift while being judged. 

They are also calmer when bred versus a doe that’s in heat. 


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Hello All, 

Shared By: Ethan Harvill 

I wanted to take a second to discuss topline when breeding Mini Rex. This philosophy can be 

applied to many breeds. This conversation started with a discussion with a fellow breeder. Often 

times, and I can be guilty of this as well, breeders will evaluate type solely based of the high point 

of the animal. In reality, there is much more to consider. 

A notable trait that many breeders evaluate is the high point. While this is very important, high 

point is a sign of the roundness of loin that an animal carries. It is also important to note that that 

depth should always equal width. A rabbit that is deeper over the hindquarter should blend from 

the hindquarter into the shoulder. 

This excerpt below from Lowry and Kim’s Blog is excellent advice when evaluating profile on your 

herd: 

1. High point is a function of the roundness of loin. 

2. Rounder the loin, the shorter the turn over hip - pushing high point further back. 

3. Loin can be divided into two sections: a) the front section (the rise) and the back section (turn 

over hip). 

4. The front section of the loin in front of the high point which is part of the ‘rise’ should form a 

‘gradual curve’ in the loin as per the SOP 

5. The loin section behind high point should ‘round’ over the hindquarter as per the SOP. It’s 

important to remember that the front section of the loin should be a gradual curve while back 

section of the loin should be round. 

6. Roundness in the SOP is used to describe only the hindquarter: a) profile view of loin from front 

to back and b) rear view of hindquarter from side to side. 

7. Roundness is not used to describe the profile in front of the hindquarter as per the SOP. 


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What are non-dwarf rabbits? 

In all breeds that are genetic dwarfs, there is the 

possibility for non-dwarf rabbits and peanuts/runts. In 

this article, I’m going to explain what this means, 

breeding purposes, and different verbiage. This 

information is collected from my experience (raising 

mini rex) and conversations with other breeders. 

What are the names breeders use for non-dwarf 

rabbits? 

∙ 

∙ 

∙ 

∙ 

∙ 

Broody 

Mule 

BUD= Big Ugly Doe 

BUB= Big Ugly Buck 

Genetic normal 

How do you know a rabbit is non-dwarf? 

*best to compare to siblings to know the below: 

∙ 

∙ 

∙ 

∙ 

∙ 

∙ 

Shared By: Allyse Sullivan 

Longer ears 

Bigger frame 

Heavier in weight 

Narrow muzzle 

Usually deeper than siblings 

Will not produce peanuts/runts 

What does it mean when a rabbit has the dwarf gene? 

Dwarf gene rabbits tend to be showable within weight 

and ear length. It has a single dwarf gene. 

With Netherland Dwarfs, it’s common to get tweeners. I 

personally have not gotten many of these at all in mini 

rex. Tweeners appear to be non-dwarf, but they still 

produce peanuts/runts, so then you know they have the 

dwarf gene. Test breeding is a good way to know if a 

rabbit is genetically non-dwarf by getting peanuts/runts 

or not. Peanuts and runts have the double dwarf gene, 

which is fatal. 

How do you breed with a non-dwarf rabbit? 

Non-dwarf does are the most beneficial because they 

are larger and will produce more babies. None of these 

babies will be peanuts/runts. When you breed a nondwarf 

rabbit to a dwarf rabbit, you will get 50/50 nondwarf 

and dwarf and no peanuts/runts. When you breed 

a non-dwarf rabbit to another non-dwarf rabbit, you will 

only get non-dwarf rabbits. All of these non-dwarf 


rabbits will almost always not be showable at senior 

age. 

How do you get a non-dwarf rabbit? 

You can get non-dwarf rabbits out of the above 

breedings explained. You will also get non-dwarf rabbits 

by breeding two dwarf rabbits together. There is almost 

always at least one in each litter in my experience. See 

probabilities below. 

What are the probabilities within litters when breeding 

a dwarf gene rabbit to another dwarf gene rabbit? 

Dwarf gene- 50% 

Peanuts/runts- 25% 

Non-dwarf- 25% 

What are the probabilities of breeding a dwarf gene 

rabbit to a non-dwarf gene rabbit? 

Dwarf gene- 50% 

Non-dwarf- 50% 

*note- The litter in this breeding is almost always bigger, 

so you actually have a higher chance of getting more 

dwarf animals (showable) by doing this breeding rather 

than dwarf x dwarf. 

What breeds are genetic dwarfs? 

*note- this is based on my conversations with other 

breeders. 

27 

∙ 

∙ 

∙ 

∙ 

∙ 

∙ 

∙ 

∙ 

∙ 

∙ 

Mini Rex 

Netherland Dwarfs 

Mini Satins 

Holland Lops 

Dwarf Hotot 

Britannia Petites 

Dwarf Papillon 

Jersey Woolley 

AFL 

Lionheads

Shared By: Armando Cabrera 

The Basics of Rabbit Care 

By Armando Cabrera 

I was inspired to share some basic rabbit care information after a conversation I had with an acquaintance that’s 

been in rabbits for years. I realized that there is information out there that we sometimes assume others know. 

Some of these tips are based on some facts about rabbits that are important to know for producing quality 

animals for the show tables and for your breeding program. The Tips I am providing are my suggestions as a 

breeder, raising rabbits since July 1983; I am not an animal nutritionist. 

Tip #1 – Rabbits need water. Did you know that rabbits can only eat so much feed without water? I was a bit 

surprised to know how many breeders don’t know that. If a rabbit runs out of water, it will only be able to eat so 

much, until more water is provided. Again, rabbits need water in order to be able to consume the appropriate 

amount of nutrients which in turn will help maximize their flesh, coat and overall condition. 

If you use bottles or bowls for water, and you’re surprised your rabbits, especially does with litters, are not 

eating all or most of their daily feed portions, they are likely not getting enough water. When the weather is 

warmer, you may need to water 2 or 3 times a day. The same is true if it’s winter, and your bowls freeze. When 

you have frozen water bowls, you need to remove the ice, and water your rabbits so they have plenty of 

opportunity to drink the amount of water they need. The larger the breed, the more water they will require. 

Water makes up about two-thirds of a rabbit’s body and helps them digest food, absorb nutrients and remove 

waste. Water also helps keep rabbits’ body temperature within a normal range (102 °F to 103 °F), which is 

especially important during our warmer days of Summer. Again, rabbits need plenty of fresh, clean water in 

order for them to be able to consume the appropriate amount of nutrients, which in turn will help maximize 

their flesh, coat and overall condition. 

Tip #2 – Rabbits need a good quality, feed. There are many brands of show feeds out there and some breeders 

will argue that a certain brand or formula is the best, while there’s others stating it’s the worse. So which is it? 

I’m a believer that as long as you feed a quality diet from a quality milling source that uses quality ingredients 

and mills fresh feed at least every 30 days (always check the milling date), your feed will be sufficient to breed, 

raise and show quality animals. Nutritionally speaking, your feed should have a guaranteed analysis that 

provides a minimum 16% crude protein, minimum 15% crude fiber, and a minimum crude fat of 2%. The rest of 

the ingredients can and will vary, but the top 3 I mentioned, in my opinion, are essential. Just to share what I 

feed, my brand of rabbit feed, Templeton Feed & Grain, also has a calcium level of .45-.65%, a maximum salt 

level of .65%, and no more than 9% Ash. 

Stay away from large pet chains for rabbit feed. Most are months old and full of dry veggie treats/fillers that 

don’t provide much nutritional support. The older the feed, the less nutrients it will have, since feed loses its 

nutritional value over time. I once had found a bag of rabbit feed, in a large pet chain store, that was exactly 1 

year old…true story! 

Tip #3 – Provide your animal a safe and controlled environment. The most ideal housing is a temperaturecontrolled 

building with caging that is appropriately sized for your animals. Now that I’ve shared the “ideal,” in 

most cases, it’s financially feasible to provide good caging for our animals, but a temperature-controlled building 

can be quite an expensive feature that may be difficult to afford. A small shed, open sided barn with tarps, space 

within a larger barn that is shared with other species, is a perfectly acceptable alternative, as long as the rabbits 

have good caging in good ventilation, protection from extreme weather and drafts, protection from predators, 

and the ability to keep them in a clean environment. 

In summer weather, swamp coolers, for those in dryer climates, are a great alternative for cooling animals in 

buildings that are not sealed well enough to run air conditioning. Even fans and/or misters, that are strategically 

placed, so animals don’t get wet or direct air, can be very effective in keeping your animals comfortable and 

alive. 

Continued on Page 30 


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As for winter, there are outdoor heating alternatives, but understand that some can be dangerous in a barn 

with loose hay and bedding. When heating is needed, make sure the equipment is secure, and placed in a 

cleared location, with good/safe wiring to prevent fires. Please note that as long as your rabbits have time 

to gradually adjust to weather changes, especially winter, they have the ability to adjust to very low, cold, 

temperatures without the need for heating, but you need to provide some help. Stuffing hay or straw in 

cages for animals to get off the wire and bed themselves down is very helpful. You will need to add 

supplemental grains to their daily diet, such as a mix of barley, or oats, with some calf-manna. I know 

many breeders are against corn, but in my opinion, even rolled corn in the grain mix can be helpful, since 

it’s a hot grain that can help your rabbits stay warm in extreme weather. It’s amazing what a tablespoon of 

grain mix can do to support your rabbits’ warmth production without sacrificing flesh and coat 

development/maintenance. 

I wanted to add that winter, but not extreme weather, is the best time of year to condition animals, as long 

as you provide consistent, quality nutrition, in a comfortable environment. 

Tip #4 – Be consistent and have a schedule. 

I believe that when it comes to conditioning and improving your herd, consistency is absolutely key. 

Do your best to feed and water your animals at the same time, every day; if you feed twice a day, do it 

around the same time, every day. Most breeders only feed their animals once a day, so you can imagine 

how an animal’s body and functions will respond if today I feed at 5:30 P.M., and tomorrow at 6:45 P.M., 

and then 9:00 P.M. the next night, and then back to 6:45 P.M., etc. This type of feeding schedule is 

incredibly bad for building and maintaining your herd. Metabolically, it’s so important that an animal is fed 

when its body says it’s meal time…you won’t get that if you’re constantly changing the time you feed your 

animals. When animals are hungry, their bodies start consuming their reserves. The same goes for thirst, 

lack of water will affect the water percentage of an animal’s body AND in the case of rabbits, as I 

mentioned in Tip #1, they won’t eat if they have no water. 

Tip #5 – You must cull. 

When you are caring for animals in order to improve your program/herd, you must cull. Since I’ve focused 

so much on nutrition, although I don’t want to dig that deep here, as you feed your feed of choice, and 

you’re doing so consistently, practicing the tips I’ve shared, you will begin to identify animals that thrive, 

grow and improve, while others do not. You have to be tough and ask yourself, if this buck in this litter 

looks and feels great, why am I keeping the sibling that looks rough and weak? Over time, you will be 

selecting animals that thrive on your feeding, watering and husbandry practices. Can you see what I’ve 

been leading to now?!? 

Please remember, it costs as much to raise a great quality rabbit, as it does a poor quality one. If you’re 

afraid to make a mistake and get rid of the wrong one, there are breeders/judges that are willing to help 

teach you. In the event you don’t have someone and you do make a mistake, you can always repeat the 

breeding and produce more. 

One reason for culling is so that you can control your numbers and separate animals, ideally, by 8 weeks of 

age. It’s difficult to condition animals that are crowded together. Every litter has one or two animals that 

eat more than their fair share and the slower eaters get robbed of the nutrition they need. Additionally, 

the longer siblings are together, the greater the chance that they discover their gender and start riding 

each other and/or fighting, which damages their coats, ears, and can cause serious flesh wounds from 

bites. 

I hope you found these tips helpful and I hope you have successful years raising beautiful mini rex! 

Armando Cabrera


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A Look Back At some past Reno Experiences

Past Reno Experiences

Income Statement/Balance Sheet 


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NEW MEMBERS 

Affiliated Specialty Clubs 

Illinois Mini Rex Club 

Kentucky State Mini Rex Club-KY 

Mountain States Mini Rex Club- CO. 

Majestic Mini Rex Club -PA. 

Midwest Mini Rex Club -WI. 

Louisiana Mini Rex Club-LA. 

Texas Mini Rex Rabbit Club 


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National Mini Rex Rabbit Club 

Cheryl Parks Editor

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