1. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BREEDING?
I began breeding rabbits at 13 years of age and I have been a registred breeder for 52 years. There are only 11 of us active in the organisation, we are of pension age and we don't have any young members. I also breed pidgeons, I am a member of the Kobursky larks and Romans club.
2. WHAT BREED DID YOU START WITH AND WHAT BREED DO YOU HAVE NOW?
I started breeding Great Činćils and Moravian blues. I have continued with them and in addition I have wild coloured dwarf goats, white blue eyes and red eyes. In the pidgeon aviaries I breed Koburk larks, Benešov blue pidgeons , Moravian ostriches and Modenkas.
3. WHAT IS SPECIFIC FOR A GIVEN BREED?. IS IT DIFFICULT TO BREED?
There is nothing specific to breeding rabbits. It is just important that the exhibited animal displays the marks of the breed, the required weight, colour and fur structure.
Its the opposite when breeding Koburk larks (pidgeon), for which the most followed attribute is weight and posture. For the individual varieties (total 3 - kaprata, non-striped and striped) emphasis is placed on details, the colour of bands and darkness of wings. Sometimes it is difficult to find such an individual, which meets all these criteria, were suitable for further reproduction and in breeding these types of characteristics were passed from generation to generation.
4. WHAT AWARDS HAVE YOU RECEIVED? AND WHICH ONE DO YOU VALUE THE MOST?
I most value these prizes: International champion in the International pidgeon exhibition INTERTAU in Brno in 1986, European champion in exhibition in Wels in Austria. At club competitions I also won many championship titles and various honourable recognitions at national shows.
5. WHAT BREED WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO NEW BREEDERS?
I would recommend Modenkas and from rabbits the Great Činčils or Moravian blues.
6. ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE FEED FROM ENERGYS HOBBY? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN FEEDING WITH THEM?
I bought feed for rabbits, laying hens, broilers and pidgeons in the days when Zemědělské služby Běstovice were still operating. Since 2009 when Heus a.s. Bought this company I had problems with distribution of feed to my house, which was soon resolved thanks to the help of Mr Jaroš, Skolilov, David and Fix.
Not only I, but other breeders in our organisation, are very satisfied with feed from the Energys Hobby brand. I personally order the Champion Rabbit, Classic Rabbit , Gold Forte Rabbit, Laying Hen Classic, Mini Forte Broiler, Midi Forte Broiler and for pidgeons I buy Pidgeon Premium granules which are great for young pidgeons. I have only the best experiences with them.
The thing I value about feeds from De Heus is that I dont have to add water for the rabbits or a mix of other medicines against coccidiosis because they are already contained in the granules. Thanks to that I don't need to worry about illness and searching for various medicines. I once tried feed from Germany from OVATOR, but it wasn't right, it didn't save my rabbits from illness much.
7. WHAT DAILY RATION DO YOU GIVE TO RABBITS? DO YOU MIX THE GRANULES WITH OTHER CEREALS AND IF SO IN WHAT RATIO?
I feed young animals only with granules, I give adults a mix of granules, barley and oats. In the calm phase I mix in a ratio of 1 part barley and oats to 3 parts granules. With gestating females I use a ratio of 1:2. I estimate the amount of feed at 80g/piece/day.
8.
Yes, before when the German Democratic Republic existed, we visited foreign shows. We bought breeding stock there who were not related. As you had to have an import licence from the Ministry of Agriculture and also fill in a customs form in order to bring in purchased animals, in the end we sometimes smuggled rabbits and pidgeons we had bought across the border. We hid them in various places in the car, in gaps, under seats and with the spare wheel so that they weren't visible and we hoped they wouldn't be found at the border. It was nerve wracking and we experienced a lot of stressful situations doing it.
I remember once when we were transporting rabbits and I wrote rabbit into the customs form. They stopped us at the border and the customs officer while checking asked me if the rabit was made from chocolate. Luckily enough I nodded yes and he didn't check us any more. If I hadn't done it, I could have said goodbye to the rabbit I purchased and as well as that paid a large fine.
