Lebanon Area Fair: Rabbit raising, winning are family affairs

(Lebanon) — Visitors to the Lebanon Area Fair can “ooh” and “aah” at Dakota Britting’s rabbits as much as they want, so long as they don’t put their fingers through the cage, trying to pet the bunnies. It’s a tactic that more often than not turns into a poke.

And bunnies don’t like to get poked, said their 16-year-old owner.

“The rabbits will get angry, and then I have to deal with their anger,” Dakota said.

“By the end of the week, they’re ready to scratch or bite, and they’re just ready to go home by then.”

Dakota owns 40 rabbits, and with her mom, Rhonda, and sister, Bobbi, 18, runs RGB Rabbitry of Quentin. This year, the family brought 18 rabbits to show and has done quite well, capturing best of breed in several categories.

Fern, a white Beveran, is the biggest winner of the bunch, winning best of breed as well as a number of first place ribbons. Joy and Jovian were also best of breed winners.

This year, William Britting, Rhonda’s husband, got into the act, showing a Checkered Giant named George.

“I work 12-hour shifts, so I don’t get to go to a lot of shows,” William said. “But I love animals, and this is a good thing for them, so I help out where I can.”

Boe, a Thrianta breed, also won best of breed. It was Boe’s good looks that made him a winner.

“It’s mostly (because of) his coat,” Dakota said, holding the deeply colored bunny.

“He’s fiery red. They call this type fire of the fancy, and it’s also the density of his fur; he’s extremely soft.”

Another winner is Thor, a head-scratching name for a bunny in one of the smaller breeds, a quiet Dutch rabbit.

“With the Dutch rabbits, it’s a little different; the judges look for ring color,” Dakota explained.

She demonstrated by blowing the fur on the rabbit’s back, which clearly revealed a ring of two colors.

Just like the Westminster Dog Show, rabbits at the Lebanon Area Fair are judged on their breed type and their bone structure. Judges look at a bunny’s face, cheeks and even the bottom of their feet, Dakota said.

“Dutch are the best for children,” Dakota said, due to their calm nature.

Now members of the Pennsylvania Rabbit Breeders’ Association, the family’s avocation began five years ago when Dakota came to a rabbit show at the Lebanon Expo Center and became entranced with a blue-eyed rabbit.

“It all started with Dakota,” said Rhonda.

The blue-eyed rabbit was a Beveran, so Dakota bought Potsie, another Beveran, for $75, and that started her foray into the world of rabbit breeding.

“I started with one, and then I got a lot,” Dakota said.

Rabbits are smarter than people realize, Dakota has found.

“The older ones know their names,” Dakota said. “A lot of times, Jovian will answer to her name; she’ll look at you when you say her name and come over.”

Some of her furry gang are considered pets, but it’s hard to get close to 40 rabbits, she said.

“It depends (if they’re pets); I’ve had some, that, once they weren’t good for show, I’d sell them, but, like Potsie, I kept him,” Dakota said. “It kind of depends on how much you connect with them.”

Much the same goes with naming the rabbits; a name denotes a pet status.

“Some come already named with their pedigree, but I’ve named a lot, too,” Dakota said. “Some breeders don’t name them so they don’t get attached to them.”

This year’s big winner, Fern, is one of Potsie’s offspring.

Another Beveran brought to the show is White Queen, who cost $200.

“I only sell them for about $60 to people starting out because you want it to be cheaper for them,” Dakota said. “The ones I buy, I buy from the best breeders (to show). I know people who will pay $300 or $400, and if it helps your breed, you’ll pay for it.”

Beverans, Dakota said, are the fourth rarest breed of rabbit in the world.

They also happen to be a meat breed.

Dakota doesn’t focus on that aspect of the bunny business and says she doesn’t eat rabbit meat, either.

“None that I’ve raised, that’s for sure,” she said. “I’ve sold rabbits a few times to people who just wanted them for pets, but at different shows, a buyer will be there, and he’ll give you so much per pound.”

The animals that get sold for food are usually the “bad” rabbits, Dakota said; those that bite, don’t show well or are getting old.

“It’s better than seeing it get old and decrepit,” Dakota said.

Last year, Dakota won best of show with her rabbits. With several best of breeds this year, she’s also done well. And she has a new competitor — her mom.

“I’ve been taking her all around the country, and I finally said, if I’m driving her around, I might as well do it myself,” Rhonda said. “I started out with three Mini-satins, and I inherited a Thrianta from my daughter.”

As Rhonda stoops to open the cage door of Jovian, the dark-reddish-furred doe bunny, she added, “Now these are my babies.”

It takes Dakota about 45 minutes each morning to feed and water her rabbits.

“They’re low-maintenance, but you have to keep an eye on them, and keep up with brushing them and cutting their nails,” Dakota said. “As you feed them, you run your hand over them to make sure nothing’s wrong.”

Some rabbits need to be fed twice a day, depending on their protein needs, while other rabbits need to have food in front of them all day long, she said.

While giving rabbits a little bit of lettuce or carrots is OK, too much will hurt their stomachs, Dakota said. A bit of bread will help plump out a skinny bunny.

Dakota has acquired all her rabbit knowledge by trial and error, she said.

“It’s a lot of work, but I get happy when I win best of breed,” Dakota said. “You’re always working to do better.”

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This article comes to us through a partnership between Lebanon Daily News and WITF.