By Julia Butler – GEMS Reporter
The Hop to it GEMS 4-H rabbit and cavy club held its fourth meeting Tuesday, Feb. 10. The meeting started with our club leader, Deb Brown, giving roll call. After the roll call was concluded, the 4-H pledge and the Pledge of Allegiance were led by the sergeant-at-arms Matthew Butler. After the pledges were said, Deb Brown, Jill Pfaff and Kristy Grieve led the club in a discussion about rabbit breeders and all the different rabbit breeds to choose from. The upcoming rabbit show in Grants Pass in March was also mentioned as a place to learn more about the different rabbit and cavy breeds, showing rabbits and cavies, and rabbit and cavy judging.
After this, the club then also discussed the 4-H rabbit resource handbook, the ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) Standard of Perfection handbook, their prices, and the different places to get them. The handbooks are excellent sources of information about rabbit and cavy care, breeds, handling, showing and also diseases. After all these discussions took place, the club additionally talked about the possession date for rabbits and cavies to go to the Spring Fair this year. There was also a discussion about judging, rabbit breeds, the Spring Fair and Fair judges.
After these topics, several club members gave some presentations. The presentations were started by Abby Gorsegner, who told the club about a rabbit disease called snuffles, along with all the different symptoms of the disease and what to do with rabbits that have it. After this presentation, Landon and Addy gave a talk about signs of heat stroke in rabbits and a few different ways to prevent heatstroke and treat it. In the last presentation, River informed the club about scurvy in cavies and the different ways to prevent the disease. Once all the presentations were finished, next month’s presenters and their topics were selected.
The next item of business for the meeting was the club’s annual Easter fundraiser, the Easter Eggstravaganza, in March, at the Donahue Frohnmeyer park in Medford. We planned some games and activities for the event and reviewed the event’s schedule, along with who would run which games and activities.
After all of these discussions took place, the club president and vice president Jaycee Zeller and Dianne Anderson led the club in a game. Once the game was completed, the meeting was adjourned.
The next meeting will be held March 10th.
