Brook Creager: A Rabbit Race to the Top

Newsletter June 2012 A publication brought to you by Purina Mills, LLC FEATURED STORY: Brook Creager: A Rabbit Race to the Top Just three years ago, Brook Creager and his family became actively involved in the rabbit business. Now, the family has not only raised rabbits, they have raised a star. Brook's father raised rabbits as a hobby when he was younger. A few years ago, he became interested in the animals again and shared his experiences with Brook. One day, the family decided to purchase a few Rex rabbits. In their search, they fell into the rabbit hole and haven't come out since. "When we first got involved with rabbits, we didn't realize the rabbit industry was so big, with shows and so forth every weekend," said Carie Creager, Brook's mother. "After learning about the business, we started our son on rabbits and entered him into national competitions. After just three years, my son took Best Opposite Sex in Youth Rex Nationals." Not only did Brook and his rabbit, Hilt's Spartan, place second at Youth Rex Nationals in 2011, but he also took Grand Champion at their local fair. After his outstanding success in those competitions, the family packed up for a trip to Indianapolis to enter Brook and Hilt's Spartan into the 2011 American Page 1 of 5

Rabbit Breeders Association competition. "This last year, the Youth ARBA Convention was held in Indianapolis, just three hours away, so we all went," Carie said. "We took Brook and Hilt's Spartan and they ended up winning Rex Youth Best of Breed!" All of Brook and Hilt's Spartan's successes were not just pure luck. The duo embarked on a great journey of learning in preparation for showing. "The first step in learning about rabbits was figuring out what feed to use," Carie said. "There are always issues with the coat, molting, weather changes and body condition in rabbits. We had a really hard time finding a feed close to home that worked well. We were traveling to Michigan to get Purina feed for the longest time. Finally, another breeder and I convinced our local Tractor Supply store to get Purina feed in stock. After that, not only did we feed it to our rabbits, we fed it to our horse, cats and dogs as well. Now we feed them all strictly Purina feed. It's a product that we noticed made a huge difference in our animals all-around, and now it's accessible to us, too." Carie goes on to explain that with Purina feed, the proof is in the pudding. "Everybody has their own opinion about feed, but we have noticed that with Purina feed our rabbits stay in condition longer. The proof is in Hilt's Spartan. Everyone was just amazed that the same rabbit won events throughout the whole year." Hilt's Spartan's success is just the tip of the iceberg. Brook has won more than 21 awards since he started working with rabbits. However, Brook is not boastful. Rather, he is a softspoken 16-year-old boy that takes his praise in stride. because of all his accomplishments." "He is a very quiet young man, but he gets the biggest smile on his face when he is talked about," Carie said. "He doesn't brag about it, but his winnings last year were a big enough deal that our local paper did an article on him. Our Tractor Supply Purina dealer came to do a photo shoot with him and his story made it into Tractor Supply's magazine, 'The Voice,' Brook's success with his animals can be attributed to his dedication and support system. If things ever get off track, his family, friends and Purina are right behind him. "If something goes wrong, Purina makes it right," Carie said. "We had an experience at Nationals where there was some confusion over the benefits of Purina as far as acknowledgements were concerned because of where we bought our feed. When our salesperson found out, she made it absolutely, 100 Page 2 of 5

percent, over and beyond right." Although Carie's family is very focused on raising show-quality animals, their rabbits are first and foremost family pets. "I personally think all rabbits should be treated like they are your pets," Carie said. "You can't skimp on anything for them. It can be hard in these days to supply what is needed all the time, but I think if you are going to make the commitment you should do it the right way. It is well worth it. Our rabbits are not just show animals, they are our pets." RABBIT TIPS: Rabbit Cage Plans Although you can purchase a cheap rabbit hutch for around $100, if you're looking to either spend less or create a customized hutch, building your own can be a great alternative. Many plans, in a variety of styles, are available online for free. Below are directions and plans from Purina to help you create a DIY hutch that will protect your rabbit in nearly every climate. Building Materials: 2 ft. 2" x 4" (door support) 66 ft. 2" x 2" (back, front, side framing) 80 ft. 1" x 6" (roof and hinged panels) 72 ft 1" x 3" shiplap, 8 pieces. 8 x 4" (back) 42 ft. 1" x 2" (braces and nailers) 9 ft. x 30" 1/2 x 1, 16 gauge, galvanized mesh (floor) 15 ft. x 24" 1 x 1, 14 gauge, galvanized mesh (front and sides) 36 sq. ft. 45# felt roofing paper 21 x 1 x 1/2" x 4" door latches 8 Hinges (door and side cover) Miscellaneous nails, hooks, eyes and wire Note: Hutch size varies depending on what breed you own. These plans are for medium breeds. If you raise small breeds (3 to 6 pounds) you can cut the hutch length to 3 feet instead of 4. Giant breeds (14 pounds and heavier) need more room. For them, extend these plans and make each hutch 6 feet long. All the sizes listed above are sizes recommended for one doe and her litter. Things to Remember When Designing and Maintaining Your Hutch: Page 3 of 5

Your hutch should protect your rabbit from drafts, but also provide clean, air circulation using wire mesh on part of the hutch works well. Your hutch should provide space equal to four to five times the body size for each rabbit you are housing. Bedding should be one to three inches thick don't use pine or cedar shavings. Provide an area of solid floor for your rabbit to rest on and to prevent sore hocks carpet, wood, and synthetic fleece cloth work well. Keep your hutch one to three feet off the ground. Clean bedding each week and remove soiled bedding daily. For a printable version of these plans visit rabbitchow.com. PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Get to Know Purina Rabbit Chow Natural AdvantEdge Show Feed Purina Rabbit Chow Natural AdvantEdge Show Food is completely balanced and specially formulated to help produce shiny fur, successful growth and optimal reproduction. This blue ribbon winning food contains added vegetable oils for superior fur quality and is designed for enthusiasts who raise and show rabbits and want the winning edge. The Natural AdvantEdge Show Food superior, consistent, natural* nutrition FREE from all fillers, preservatives, and artificial colors Formulated for excellent fur quality vitamin A and essential fatty acids for healthy skin & lustrous fur Corn free diet created especially for the unique needs of rabbits Complete, natural* nutrition no additional supplements necessary and great for rabbits of all ages Helps create winners formulated to help give you the winning edge on the show table High-quality plant proteins loaded with natural nutrients found only in plants that optimize vitality and support immune function Added lactobacillus, yeast and balanced fiber supports digestive health with added yucca shidigera to aid in odor control Proprietary amino acid profile building blocks of life from protein for optimal muscle and tone Highly palatable for proper intake and growth Purina FeedGuard Nutrition System stringent quality standards help ensure many of the industry's highest quality ingredients available are used, provides greater nutritional consistency bag after bag and considers all key nutrients and their interactions with each other to better support overall rabbit health As always, when changing your rabbits from one feeding program to another, make the change gradually, over a five to seven day period. Mix the new feed with the old, gradually increasing the amount of the new feed (it's always important to allow time for the rabbits' intestinal flora to adjust to any new feed). Continue to feed at the same time each day evening is best. Clean the feeding dish daily so uneaten food does not become stale and moldy. And always provide plenty of clean, fresh, cool water to rabbits at all times. Page 4 of 5