Garden State Rabbit & Cavy Show

Only had 1 intermediate Champagne doe to bring to show since everyone else has babies in the box or wasn't in adequate show condition. A very lovely outside show that was like old times (no one had masks on!). To bad I didn't have more stock to show as we had 5 reputable breeders there with some lovely animals. My doe finished in the middle behind 2 breeders that have been raising this breed for quite some time which is what I expected. I did bring home 2 senior does that came from another breeder selling out of her stock. One of them has 1 leg already and the other has 2 legs. The babies in the nestbox currently will be available for sale after June 23rd. I may have a few proven does and bucks available, please check the For Sale page. This is my last rabbit show before we have our third child! I hope to show at some prominent shows in the Fall dabbling in some guinea pigs as well (now that we have a few homebreds up and coming) with my young son!

Catskill RCBA Show

Grand Champion Black Duck's Blueberry #BD192

Had a great time connecting with new people I haven't met before that breed Champagnes! I only showed one day due to having little kids at home still but I was happy to finally Grand my PaSRBA winner (from 2019), Blueberry. Covid really has done a number on absolutely everything to say the least. She earned 2 legs yesterday which means she has enough legs to be registered as a American Rabbit Breeder's Association Grand Champion.

ARBA Judge Paul Kyle judging Champagnes

I brought 7 rabbits in all being my first show in over a year!

History of the Cayuga Duck

Our ducks drying off from a spring swim.

Cayuga Duck Egg

We love our black iridescent green ducks. They also lay us beautiful light gray to dark grey eggs. Sometimes we get a gem like that to the left that is very mottled and speckled. They lay darker eggs earlier in the laying season which get lighter as the season wanes. They lay about 100-150 eggs per year and can also be used for meat purposes. This breed is a Livestock Conservancy breed listed on 'watch' list. First described in early 1800's and thought to be of English origin originally, the Cayuga duck is named for the Native American people of Cayuga Lake in the Fingerlakes region of New York. They are a very docile and hardy duck well adapted to the Northeast. They are also great foragers and can very easily sustain themselves on their native environment.

One of our first animals purchased together at a local auction was a 'wild' black drake. He stole our hearts when he hissed at us viciously peeking into the box so we had to buy him. He cost us about $6 and could fly so we had to clip his wings (domestic Cayuga ducks do not fly). Eventually his pin feathers grew out and he disappeared. A few weeks later I saw a familiar black duck about a mile below us bathing in a small mountain stream. We had a few more sightings of him over the next year at different water spots on 'the hill' till he disappeared completely but his namesake lives on at Black Duck Farm where we will always be a little different and a little wild.

Cayuga ducks swimming on the pond

Sources:

The Cayuga Duck, it's Early Years-the Facts by Jonathon M. Thompson

Max watching Rosie swim with the ducks