From left to right is Greg, Kristi, and me (Heidi).
Hello! My name is Heidi Brown and I am from Brinkhaven Ohio
(amish country) which is about 20 minutes from Millersburg.
I have been raising rabbits for 10 years now. I have a medium size rabbitry with 30 holes devoted to New Zealands and 40 holes devoted to Netherland Dwarfs.
How I got started was the way most rabbit breeders start, with my 4-H projects! I got my first rabbit of my own when I was 8 years old, but I have been around them most of my life. My first rabbit was a Dutch buck that took B.O.B at my county fair my first year in 4-H.
Over the years my family has had a few different breeds including Californians, Champagne D'Argents, Holland Lops, Dutch, Havanas, Mini Rex, Mini Lops, Silver Martens, and Silver Fox. I currently raise Netherland Dwarfs and New Zealands.
Through the years I have taken many 4-H projects including market lambs and breeding sheep, market rabbits and breeding rabbits, market goats, market hogs, dairy heifers, and a beef steer. This is currently my 10th year in 4-H and I am planning to take a market lamb, breeding sheep, market rabbits, breeding rabbits, a market hog, a market goat, and breeding goats.
I started raising sheep in 2004 when I bred 2 of my ewes and ended up with 4 ewe lambs! I bred 4 ewes this year and I currently have 5 ram lambs that will be market lambs, and 2 ewe lambs. I currently have 9 older ewes and 1 ram. I am planning to keep 3 of the ram lambs for me and my brother to have as market lambs! I will probably have 2 ram lambs for sale in April.
I have a very large family with 4 sisters and 3 brothers! They are Jenni (Marvin) Yoder, Brett Brown, Mandi (Rod) Howard, Kristi (Greg) Rogers, Kari Brown, Brian Brown, and Brad Brown. My parents are Bill and Joni Brown. I also have 4 nieces and 4 nephews, they are Karrina, Devin, Isaiah, and Damon Yoder (Jenni's kids), Darian and Sierra Brown (Brett's kids), Alexis Stump (Kari's baby),
and Keira Howard (Mandi's baby).
Keira is a 3 month premie born on May 11th. Mandi her mommy was due August 8th but due to high blood pressure she developed pregnancy toximia. Keira was delivered by c-section weighing only 1 lb. 12 oz. !!!
I didn't really show much until fall of 2001 when Greg gave me and Kristi "Rogers' Fuz" she was probably the nicest nz doe I have owned! You can kinda see where it went from there! In 2002 I went to my very first ARBA convention in Peoria IL where I took B.O.S Dutch with my homebred black junior doe "SRR Pride". In 2003 I went to my second ARBA convention in Wichita KS and I took B.O.B and B.O.S New Zealand with littermates "SRR Flora" and "SRR Felix". Flora also went on to win Best Of Group which was really exciting for me! I never could have gotten that far without the help of Greg Rogers, who is now my brother-in-law and my sister Kristi, thanks a lot for all your help! I don't know where I
would be without you guys!
I have a lot of friends I would like to thank for just being there for me, I hope I don't forget any!! They are the Saunier Family, the Hostettler Family, Katie Hirschman, Cheryl Carpenter, Harold Lindeman, Mindy Boday, Heather Litchfield, and Fred, Les, and Courtney Bond. Thanks a lot guys!
