ARBA CONVENTION TIPS
Debbie Vigue, ME
I have put together some helpful tips for you to get the most out of your trip to the ARBA Convention. I've attended all but two ARBA Conventions since 1986. I doubt I'd have traveled to so many places if not for this "rabbit habit". While much of the time was spent in the showroom, some sightseeing has been squeezed in here and there. I hope you can too!
SHIPPING RABBITS BY AIR
Air travel with rabbits has changed greatly. The cost has gone from $50 per kennel one way to over $300. It is less expensive to ship rabbits as excess baggage and check them in with your luggage, only a few airlines allow this, such as Delta. Check your local carriers to see if they allow rabbits as excess baggage or as airfreight.
Shipping as Excess baggage - It is usually required to put your carriers into dog kennels. This helps protect your rabbits from the elements and is a more uniform way of presenting them to the counter attendant for shipping. No modge-podge of varied carrier sizes or travel locks that could pop off. I don’t believe in smashing rabbits into too small coops to save money. I’ve seen ridiculous amounts of rabbits (24+) into one kennel. They are crammed into holes so small that however they are placed in them, there they stay for the whole trip until arriving at the showroom, no turning around, not putting their head up or head down and no room for water or feed dishes if the flight is delayed. There needs to be room enough for them to turn around and still fit in 2 dishes. I can put 2 four hole carriers in with a carpet on the top in a large kennel. I bag some hay (you can sit on it to compact it down) and set it on top of the carpet to use up those several inches of empty space above the carriers. Some airlines allow no more than 6 rabbits per kennel, so check on that also. If there are empty holes, use for your grain baggies or supplies. The back bottom of the kennel will have the least airflow, so it makes sense to face empty or supply holes towards the back and on the bottom. You will need two dishes per hole. Also a vet health certificate may be required which is good for a certain number of days. Make sure it covers your travel dates. Have your vet add an acclimation declaration if cold temperatures are expected on departure dates. Your rabbits are checked in
with your luggage. The kennels are charged a flat rate, which is usually $150 or more each way. You will need to make reservations for your kennel when you make your own airline reservations. Don’t wait until later or you may have a ticket to fly and no room for your kennels. The airlines set limits as to how many kennels can be on one flight depending on plane size. Gone are the days when we departed Portland, OR with 42 kennels on board!
Shipping as Airfreight - Rabbits by airfreight requires you to make a reservation with the freight office at least one week prior to shipping. You will need to check the rabbits in two hours before the flight in a
separate freight area of the airport. Many require a 1” spacer on all sides of the carrier, and all require a
hard lid. You will also need to have two crocks in each hole (one for water and one for feed). Some airlines
require a health certificate and some do not. Check with your carrier on the specifics. This option is more expensive than shipping rabbits as excess baggage. But while it is more expensive, more airlines will accept rabbits as airfreight than as excess baggage. Shipping rates are determined by the weight of the shipment and do vary between airlines. Expect to pay at least $150 for a three-hole carrier.
FEED AND WATER
It is helpful to either bring or buy bottled water and, bring your own brand of feed. Some conventions list the feed that is donated and available in their catalog, but it is possible they may run out or not bring the particular type you use. Generally metal cups are provided with the coops but are do not always have smooth edges, so plan to bring your own. If you use water bottles bring plastic cable ties to zip tie the
bottles onto the cages. They are less likely than metal hooks to get knocked off and lost. Water bottles provide cleaner water than cage cups, which get poop or shavings kicked in them. It is also easier to tell how much your rabbit is drinking with bottles. However, use bottles only if your rabbit is already used to them, don't start new at convention. Be sure to refill with fresh water daily. Write your name or use an address label on all your watering cans, water containers, feed cups and bottles (include your cell phone number).
Measure out how much feed you will need for each day, place it in a quart size Ziploc bag and write the
day on it. That way you will only need to bring in one small bag daily instead of a big container to drag around the showroom aisles. Pack a few extra bags for rabbits you are selling and a couple of empties for the new rabbits you will undoubtedly buy.
If you have finicky eaters, pack their treats, such as papaya tablets, carrots, bread, parsley, oatmeal,
sunflower seeds. Always, always bring hay if you can. There usually is an Oxbow or other hay vendor there but you will pay a premium price for it. If packing space is tight, it is worth it to buy hay at the showroom. I would not bother packing a hayrack.
CONVENTION HOUSE KEEPING TIPS
A convention tip for your carriers is to use puppy pads instead of shavings. It makes them much easier to
clean out. If the pan is deep enough put down a thin layer of shavings, then a puppy pad (with a few
shavings on top if preferred). After cooping your rabbits, discard the soiled puppy pad. Now they will be ready for a sweet smelling ride home. If the host club offers a storage room be sure to clearly magic mark your name on the carriers. If your vehicle has room, store your carriers there, they'll be much easier to access on checkout day and they won't go missing. Don't put the carriers under the coops, as this is hazardous; most host clubs won't allow it. When someone’s foot or something catches on a stored underneath carrier, it has been known to dislodge the coop leg supports bringing all the cages and rabbits crashing to the floor.
Pack a mini-dustpan and broom to clean the coops. Bring some shavings with you if you have extra room. You can generally find bags of shavings to refresh the coops at the beginning of the week but they become scarce latter. The coops sit on wooden "trays" on which the host clubs may put a small handful of shavings. This isn't nearly enough to keep a rabbit clean for a week. The animals need a good couple of inches of shavings so they don't become soiled from sitting. You may reserve wire "risers" from vendors, or bring your own. You can find out the cage size from the host club. The rabbits will sometimes kick or dig the shavings out of their coop or the simple act of resting in the center will shove the shavings out the sides. To help combat this I put thin cardboard or heavy construction paper on either side of the coop. This requires some extra work bending and folding to get it thru the surrounding wire but I feel it is worth it. The purpose is 3-fold. It helps keep the shavings contained so you can at least shove it back into the coop. It keeps other rabbits from spraying yours and maybe provides a bit of prevention if a neighbor sneezes. And it helps lessen bunny squabbles when the bucks take a dislike to each other and try to start a fight. Be careful not to spook neighboring rabbits when inserting these dividers.
The breed clubs frown upon the cleaning of coops while the judging is going on, as it makes it harder for the runners to get around. It is ideal though for the owners because the rabbits are out of the coops making them easier to clean. Generally you have to drag a bag of clean shavings and an empty bag for the soiled bedding from coop to coop. Take care not to spook the rabbits in the bottom coops when dragging these bags by them. Don’t dump dirty bedding in the aisles.
It helps to have a small container to dump dirty drinking water as you simply can't dump it on the floor. Also wipe up water spills. Most convention floors are slippery when wet. I prefer to buy a gallon jug or two of water to bring with me than use what comes out of local taps. Write your name on the jugs also.
Rabbits are displayed by class, so unfortunately, your animals will be spread out through the breed's area. While all your solid senior bucks will be cooped in one row, the solid junior does may be two aisles away. Generally the cooping is three tiers high, numbered vertically. So if you have 3 bucks, coop 100, 101 & 102, one may be on the bottom tier and the other two will be a top tier and second tier.
A handy thing to use at convention is a metal shower ring. Punch a hole through your business cards and place them on the shower ring. Clip it on a For Sale coop. Try to place it away from the rabbit's reach, as they love to chew on the dangling cards.
Many exhibitors use cute signs or small items to mark their coops making their own rabbits easier to find. It might be a colorful ping-pong ball, tags, used CD's or small toys. Some folks also print out miniature pedigrees, plastic coat and attach them. The Evan's Pedigree program allows you to print out these mini pedigrees. Many sellers write the birthdate, sale price and sometimes bloodlines on their “For Sale” signs.
Just be sure to remove whatever you use prior to departing so the host club doesn't have to do it when breaking down coops.
Write your coop numbers on the back of your exhibitor name badge you will be provided at convention. Wear it daily, this helps you can find your rabbits quickly. Your name badge identifies you and where you are from to other exhibitors.
If you scratch a rabbit, you can keep your feed, water and other supplies in the scratched cage. For feeding I use a round plastic tool tray that has three divided compartments in it. I put a baggie of grain in one, a baggie of oatmeal and baggie of striped sunflower seeds in the other two. I can easily carry this from aisle to
aisle. The handiest thing to carry a water jug, feed and hay, cleaning supplies and grooming kit is one of those rolling wheeled crates. You can empty it out to put a bunny in while you clean its’ coop. Set something over the top to prevent escapees.
HELPING AT CONVENTION
On the Day of Judging every breed club needs "runners". These are the folks that help bring rabbits up to
the judging table and back to their coops. The person working behind the table with the judge is called the "Ramrod". They control and hand out the coop ticket. The coop ticket has both the coop number and ear tattoo number.
If you are a runner, the Ramrod will hand you a coop ticket, you will locate the correct coop, double check the ticket against the rabbit's tattoo ear number and the coop number in the other ear. Then take the rabbit back to the Ramrod for judging. Once in a while an owner will have mixed up rabbits/coops, so you want to make sure you are bringing up a rabbit that matches the ticket. Keeping track of the large classes of Hollands is work enough, without having mix-ups.
It is possible that an ear number change made it to the paperwork but not to the coop cards, which are
printed out and stapled to coops well before check-in. If the coop is locked, tell the Ramrod. They may decide to send a runner to the cage again after a short period of time. If the coop says scratched, again tell the Ramrod. They will check if the rabbit is indeed a scratch on the paperwork and the ticket just didn't get pulled before showtime.
After an animal is judged and ready to go back to its' coop, the Ramrod will motion you over for pick up. Once again, take the coop ticket making sure it matches BOTH the rabbit’s ear tattoo and coop number before heading off with it. You can weave the coop ticket in the cage wire by the dish as a courtesy to the exhibitor that lets them know the animal has been judged and returned.A very important thing for anyone carrying rabbits at convention is to take special care removing and depositing our precious cargo. DO
NOT pick up a HL by the scruff of its' neck. Be very careful that the hind legs don't catch on the cage doorway as some animals splay their hind legs out when being picked up. Sometimes our breed gets stuck into smaller coops with smaller doors and removing them is tricky. As much as our Hollands aren't happy to
be in a convention coop, they aren't too pleased to be removed either.
SUPPLY SHOPPING
Shopping at convention for supplies is a lot of fun. Before you purchase anything, go around the entire
showroom of equipment dealers and compare prices. Some dealers give discounts if you buy multiples, such as a dozen or more.
When choosing coop cups, get something comfortably wide enough to accommodate the senior bucks’ fat faces. If buying medications, check the expiration date. No sense in buying a medication you seldom use just to have on hand and have it expire 3 mos. after convention.
Visit the craft booths for unique raffle table items, Christmas gifts, or treat yourself. Think outside the
award box and pick up rabbit decorative items to use at our next show or awards banquet.
HLRSC MEETING AND BANQUET
Don’t forget to attend the HLRSC Annual meeting and the HLRSC Banquet. Both are great for mingling with others that share the same passion for our Hollands.
If you get a chance to go to an ARBA Convention, GO GO GO! There is nothing like it. It is like a bit of bunny Christmas morning seeing all the rabbits, all the possible rabbit supplies, crafts and equipment you'd ever dream of seeing. And like they say, "for a week, you don't have to explain why you raise rabbits to anyone.”
Debbie Vigue, ME
I have put together some helpful tips for you to get the most out of your trip to the ARBA Convention. I've attended all but two ARBA Conventions since 1986. I doubt I'd have traveled to so many places if not for this "rabbit habit". While much of the time was spent in the showroom, some sightseeing has been squeezed in here and there. I hope you can too!
SHIPPING RABBITS BY AIR
Air travel with rabbits has changed greatly. The cost has gone from $50 per kennel one way to over $300. It is less expensive to ship rabbits as excess baggage and check them in with your luggage, only a few airlines allow this, such as Delta. Check your local carriers to see if they allow rabbits as excess baggage or as airfreight.
Shipping as Excess baggage - It is usually required to put your carriers into dog kennels. This helps protect your rabbits from the elements and is a more uniform way of presenting them to the counter attendant for shipping. No modge-podge of varied carrier sizes or travel locks that could pop off. I don’t believe in smashing rabbits into too small coops to save money. I’ve seen ridiculous amounts of rabbits (24+) into one kennel. They are crammed into holes so small that however they are placed in them, there they stay for the whole trip until arriving at the showroom, no turning around, not putting their head up or head down and no room for water or feed dishes if the flight is delayed. There needs to be room enough for them to turn around and still fit in 2 dishes. I can put 2 four hole carriers in with a carpet on the top in a large kennel. I bag some hay (you can sit on it to compact it down) and set it on top of the carpet to use up those several inches of empty space above the carriers. Some airlines allow no more than 6 rabbits per kennel, so check on that also. If there are empty holes, use for your grain baggies or supplies. The back bottom of the kennel will have the least airflow, so it makes sense to face empty or supply holes towards the back and on the bottom. You will need two dishes per hole. Also a vet health certificate may be required which is good for a certain number of days. Make sure it covers your travel dates. Have your vet add an acclimation declaration if cold temperatures are expected on departure dates. Your rabbits are checked in
with your luggage. The kennels are charged a flat rate, which is usually $150 or more each way. You will need to make reservations for your kennel when you make your own airline reservations. Don’t wait until later or you may have a ticket to fly and no room for your kennels. The airlines set limits as to how many kennels can be on one flight depending on plane size. Gone are the days when we departed Portland, OR with 42 kennels on board!
Shipping as Airfreight - Rabbits by airfreight requires you to make a reservation with the freight office at least one week prior to shipping. You will need to check the rabbits in two hours before the flight in a
separate freight area of the airport. Many require a 1” spacer on all sides of the carrier, and all require a
hard lid. You will also need to have two crocks in each hole (one for water and one for feed). Some airlines
require a health certificate and some do not. Check with your carrier on the specifics. This option is more expensive than shipping rabbits as excess baggage. But while it is more expensive, more airlines will accept rabbits as airfreight than as excess baggage. Shipping rates are determined by the weight of the shipment and do vary between airlines. Expect to pay at least $150 for a three-hole carrier.
FEED AND WATER
It is helpful to either bring or buy bottled water and, bring your own brand of feed. Some conventions list the feed that is donated and available in their catalog, but it is possible they may run out or not bring the particular type you use. Generally metal cups are provided with the coops but are do not always have smooth edges, so plan to bring your own. If you use water bottles bring plastic cable ties to zip tie the
bottles onto the cages. They are less likely than metal hooks to get knocked off and lost. Water bottles provide cleaner water than cage cups, which get poop or shavings kicked in them. It is also easier to tell how much your rabbit is drinking with bottles. However, use bottles only if your rabbit is already used to them, don't start new at convention. Be sure to refill with fresh water daily. Write your name or use an address label on all your watering cans, water containers, feed cups and bottles (include your cell phone number).
Measure out how much feed you will need for each day, place it in a quart size Ziploc bag and write the
day on it. That way you will only need to bring in one small bag daily instead of a big container to drag around the showroom aisles. Pack a few extra bags for rabbits you are selling and a couple of empties for the new rabbits you will undoubtedly buy.
If you have finicky eaters, pack their treats, such as papaya tablets, carrots, bread, parsley, oatmeal,
sunflower seeds. Always, always bring hay if you can. There usually is an Oxbow or other hay vendor there but you will pay a premium price for it. If packing space is tight, it is worth it to buy hay at the showroom. I would not bother packing a hayrack.
CONVENTION HOUSE KEEPING TIPS
A convention tip for your carriers is to use puppy pads instead of shavings. It makes them much easier to
clean out. If the pan is deep enough put down a thin layer of shavings, then a puppy pad (with a few
shavings on top if preferred). After cooping your rabbits, discard the soiled puppy pad. Now they will be ready for a sweet smelling ride home. If the host club offers a storage room be sure to clearly magic mark your name on the carriers. If your vehicle has room, store your carriers there, they'll be much easier to access on checkout day and they won't go missing. Don't put the carriers under the coops, as this is hazardous; most host clubs won't allow it. When someone’s foot or something catches on a stored underneath carrier, it has been known to dislodge the coop leg supports bringing all the cages and rabbits crashing to the floor.
Pack a mini-dustpan and broom to clean the coops. Bring some shavings with you if you have extra room. You can generally find bags of shavings to refresh the coops at the beginning of the week but they become scarce latter. The coops sit on wooden "trays" on which the host clubs may put a small handful of shavings. This isn't nearly enough to keep a rabbit clean for a week. The animals need a good couple of inches of shavings so they don't become soiled from sitting. You may reserve wire "risers" from vendors, or bring your own. You can find out the cage size from the host club. The rabbits will sometimes kick or dig the shavings out of their coop or the simple act of resting in the center will shove the shavings out the sides. To help combat this I put thin cardboard or heavy construction paper on either side of the coop. This requires some extra work bending and folding to get it thru the surrounding wire but I feel it is worth it. The purpose is 3-fold. It helps keep the shavings contained so you can at least shove it back into the coop. It keeps other rabbits from spraying yours and maybe provides a bit of prevention if a neighbor sneezes. And it helps lessen bunny squabbles when the bucks take a dislike to each other and try to start a fight. Be careful not to spook neighboring rabbits when inserting these dividers.
The breed clubs frown upon the cleaning of coops while the judging is going on, as it makes it harder for the runners to get around. It is ideal though for the owners because the rabbits are out of the coops making them easier to clean. Generally you have to drag a bag of clean shavings and an empty bag for the soiled bedding from coop to coop. Take care not to spook the rabbits in the bottom coops when dragging these bags by them. Don’t dump dirty bedding in the aisles.
It helps to have a small container to dump dirty drinking water as you simply can't dump it on the floor. Also wipe up water spills. Most convention floors are slippery when wet. I prefer to buy a gallon jug or two of water to bring with me than use what comes out of local taps. Write your name on the jugs also.
Rabbits are displayed by class, so unfortunately, your animals will be spread out through the breed's area. While all your solid senior bucks will be cooped in one row, the solid junior does may be two aisles away. Generally the cooping is three tiers high, numbered vertically. So if you have 3 bucks, coop 100, 101 & 102, one may be on the bottom tier and the other two will be a top tier and second tier.
A handy thing to use at convention is a metal shower ring. Punch a hole through your business cards and place them on the shower ring. Clip it on a For Sale coop. Try to place it away from the rabbit's reach, as they love to chew on the dangling cards.
Many exhibitors use cute signs or small items to mark their coops making their own rabbits easier to find. It might be a colorful ping-pong ball, tags, used CD's or small toys. Some folks also print out miniature pedigrees, plastic coat and attach them. The Evan's Pedigree program allows you to print out these mini pedigrees. Many sellers write the birthdate, sale price and sometimes bloodlines on their “For Sale” signs.
Just be sure to remove whatever you use prior to departing so the host club doesn't have to do it when breaking down coops.
Write your coop numbers on the back of your exhibitor name badge you will be provided at convention. Wear it daily, this helps you can find your rabbits quickly. Your name badge identifies you and where you are from to other exhibitors.
If you scratch a rabbit, you can keep your feed, water and other supplies in the scratched cage. For feeding I use a round plastic tool tray that has three divided compartments in it. I put a baggie of grain in one, a baggie of oatmeal and baggie of striped sunflower seeds in the other two. I can easily carry this from aisle to
aisle. The handiest thing to carry a water jug, feed and hay, cleaning supplies and grooming kit is one of those rolling wheeled crates. You can empty it out to put a bunny in while you clean its’ coop. Set something over the top to prevent escapees.
HELPING AT CONVENTION
On the Day of Judging every breed club needs "runners". These are the folks that help bring rabbits up to
the judging table and back to their coops. The person working behind the table with the judge is called the "Ramrod". They control and hand out the coop ticket. The coop ticket has both the coop number and ear tattoo number.
If you are a runner, the Ramrod will hand you a coop ticket, you will locate the correct coop, double check the ticket against the rabbit's tattoo ear number and the coop number in the other ear. Then take the rabbit back to the Ramrod for judging. Once in a while an owner will have mixed up rabbits/coops, so you want to make sure you are bringing up a rabbit that matches the ticket. Keeping track of the large classes of Hollands is work enough, without having mix-ups.
It is possible that an ear number change made it to the paperwork but not to the coop cards, which are
printed out and stapled to coops well before check-in. If the coop is locked, tell the Ramrod. They may decide to send a runner to the cage again after a short period of time. If the coop says scratched, again tell the Ramrod. They will check if the rabbit is indeed a scratch on the paperwork and the ticket just didn't get pulled before showtime.
After an animal is judged and ready to go back to its' coop, the Ramrod will motion you over for pick up. Once again, take the coop ticket making sure it matches BOTH the rabbit’s ear tattoo and coop number before heading off with it. You can weave the coop ticket in the cage wire by the dish as a courtesy to the exhibitor that lets them know the animal has been judged and returned.A very important thing for anyone carrying rabbits at convention is to take special care removing and depositing our precious cargo. DO
NOT pick up a HL by the scruff of its' neck. Be very careful that the hind legs don't catch on the cage doorway as some animals splay their hind legs out when being picked up. Sometimes our breed gets stuck into smaller coops with smaller doors and removing them is tricky. As much as our Hollands aren't happy to
be in a convention coop, they aren't too pleased to be removed either.
SUPPLY SHOPPING
Shopping at convention for supplies is a lot of fun. Before you purchase anything, go around the entire
showroom of equipment dealers and compare prices. Some dealers give discounts if you buy multiples, such as a dozen or more.
When choosing coop cups, get something comfortably wide enough to accommodate the senior bucks’ fat faces. If buying medications, check the expiration date. No sense in buying a medication you seldom use just to have on hand and have it expire 3 mos. after convention.
Visit the craft booths for unique raffle table items, Christmas gifts, or treat yourself. Think outside the
award box and pick up rabbit decorative items to use at our next show or awards banquet.
HLRSC MEETING AND BANQUET
Don’t forget to attend the HLRSC Annual meeting and the HLRSC Banquet. Both are great for mingling with others that share the same passion for our Hollands.
If you get a chance to go to an ARBA Convention, GO GO GO! There is nothing like it. It is like a bit of bunny Christmas morning seeing all the rabbits, all the possible rabbit supplies, crafts and equipment you'd ever dream of seeing. And like they say, "for a week, you don't have to explain why you raise rabbits to anyone.”