About the Mini Satin
IF A LITTLE BIT OF SPARKLE IS WANTED THEN ADD AMERICA’S NEWEST BREED THE MINI SATIN
Mini Satins are an American creation, which began in the late 1970’s by a Mrs. Ariel Hayes, of Troy, Michigan, and she called her small Satins, “Satinettes.” To create the breed, the normal Satin breed was mated to Polish, and when she gave up on her breeding program in 1982, Hayes had the size down to 4.5 pounds. Ariel Hayes, disposed of the all of her Satinettes for pets or perhaps the dinner table.
During the late 1980’s a Netherland Dwarf breeder by the name of B. Pettit, began working on putting a satin coat to the Dwarfs. He would be joined by Sue and Verle Castle in 1990, when they purchased some of his stock. Pettit, created his small Satins by the normal Satin and Netherland Dwarf crosses. Later in 1990 a Michigan man was located that was breeding a Satinette, who said that he started in 1983, but would not divulge his methods or if they were purchase from Ariel Hayes. He said that he created the Satinette name. This man was not able to attend the National Rabbit Conventions to present the new breed, due to his work schedule during that time of the year, so by agreement with the Castles, it was decided that they would apply for the Development Certificate and present the new breed as Satinettes.
Sue and Verle Castle, wrote up a standard for the Satinettes and with agreement of the Michigan man, nine colors were chosen, which was then presented to the ARBA Standards Committee. The committee did not care for the colors chosen for the development of the breed, and assisted the parties with color selection and re-writing the standard. Colors now to be work on were; Copper, Red, Ruby-Eyed White, Sable and Siamese. The Michigan breeder, was less than happy with the changes made, and demanded that the Castles stop using the Satinette name, which they did not do, however they were forced to give up the development of the breed in January, 1994.
In February, 1994, a Jim Krahulec, purchased all of the Castle’s Satinettes, and began to develop the breed, but went to a larger version, as they were too much like a satin coated Netherland Dwarf, which gave rise to a new name and a new direction to follow in creating a breed called the Mini Satin. Krahulec, obtained three underweight normal Satin bucks and began to breed this with the Satinette does in the spring of 1994. By autumn of 1994 the normal Satins were disposed of in the breeding program, and the youngsters from those crosses were further mated to Mini Satin bucks. Jim Krahulec, submitted a proposed standard and five varieties; Black, Chocolate, Copper, Himalayan, and Red to the ARBA’s Standard Committee on June 30, 1995, and a Certificate of Development for the Mini Satin was granted in September of the same year. Jim, presented the Mini Satin at the 1998 ARBA Convention and Show in Portland, Oregon and again in Louisville, Kentucky in 1999, however the Mini Satins were failed by the Standards Committee.
J. Leo Collins, of Salem, Ohio, was granted a Certificate of Development for the Mini Satins, which were presented for the first time at the Wichita, Kansas ARBA Convention and Show in 2003, where two varieties; Ruby-Eyed White and Red, were accepted by the committee for a first showing, therefore completing one leg of their journey in becoming a recognized breed in America. In 2005 the Whites were accepted in Indiana and became the ARBA’s 47th new breed in 2006. The Mini Satins, are not to be found in Europe, as they prefer the Satin Netherland Dwarfs. This little sparkling rabbit weighs in at 3.25 to 4.75 lb. or 1.5 to 2.15 kg.
In the “Land Down Under,” an Australian by the name of Warren Hill, developed the Mini Satin, starting in 1999. Hill, mated a normal size Satin with a Mini Rex. A working standard was approved by the Western Australia Rabbit Council in 2000, with the breed receiving full recognition in 2002, with a total of 60 colors and 14 patterns, as recognized by the British Rabbit Council.
Written by Bob Whitman
Mini Satins are an American creation, which began in the late 1970’s by a Mrs. Ariel Hayes, of Troy, Michigan, and she called her small Satins, “Satinettes.” To create the breed, the normal Satin breed was mated to Polish, and when she gave up on her breeding program in 1982, Hayes had the size down to 4.5 pounds. Ariel Hayes, disposed of the all of her Satinettes for pets or perhaps the dinner table.
During the late 1980’s a Netherland Dwarf breeder by the name of B. Pettit, began working on putting a satin coat to the Dwarfs. He would be joined by Sue and Verle Castle in 1990, when they purchased some of his stock. Pettit, created his small Satins by the normal Satin and Netherland Dwarf crosses. Later in 1990 a Michigan man was located that was breeding a Satinette, who said that he started in 1983, but would not divulge his methods or if they were purchase from Ariel Hayes. He said that he created the Satinette name. This man was not able to attend the National Rabbit Conventions to present the new breed, due to his work schedule during that time of the year, so by agreement with the Castles, it was decided that they would apply for the Development Certificate and present the new breed as Satinettes.
Sue and Verle Castle, wrote up a standard for the Satinettes and with agreement of the Michigan man, nine colors were chosen, which was then presented to the ARBA Standards Committee. The committee did not care for the colors chosen for the development of the breed, and assisted the parties with color selection and re-writing the standard. Colors now to be work on were; Copper, Red, Ruby-Eyed White, Sable and Siamese. The Michigan breeder, was less than happy with the changes made, and demanded that the Castles stop using the Satinette name, which they did not do, however they were forced to give up the development of the breed in January, 1994.
In February, 1994, a Jim Krahulec, purchased all of the Castle’s Satinettes, and began to develop the breed, but went to a larger version, as they were too much like a satin coated Netherland Dwarf, which gave rise to a new name and a new direction to follow in creating a breed called the Mini Satin. Krahulec, obtained three underweight normal Satin bucks and began to breed this with the Satinette does in the spring of 1994. By autumn of 1994 the normal Satins were disposed of in the breeding program, and the youngsters from those crosses were further mated to Mini Satin bucks. Jim Krahulec, submitted a proposed standard and five varieties; Black, Chocolate, Copper, Himalayan, and Red to the ARBA’s Standard Committee on June 30, 1995, and a Certificate of Development for the Mini Satin was granted in September of the same year. Jim, presented the Mini Satin at the 1998 ARBA Convention and Show in Portland, Oregon and again in Louisville, Kentucky in 1999, however the Mini Satins were failed by the Standards Committee.
J. Leo Collins, of Salem, Ohio, was granted a Certificate of Development for the Mini Satins, which were presented for the first time at the Wichita, Kansas ARBA Convention and Show in 2003, where two varieties; Ruby-Eyed White and Red, were accepted by the committee for a first showing, therefore completing one leg of their journey in becoming a recognized breed in America. In 2005 the Whites were accepted in Indiana and became the ARBA’s 47th new breed in 2006. The Mini Satins, are not to be found in Europe, as they prefer the Satin Netherland Dwarfs. This little sparkling rabbit weighs in at 3.25 to 4.75 lb. or 1.5 to 2.15 kg.
In the “Land Down Under,” an Australian by the name of Warren Hill, developed the Mini Satin, starting in 1999. Hill, mated a normal size Satin with a Mini Rex. A working standard was approved by the Western Australia Rabbit Council in 2000, with the breed receiving full recognition in 2002, with a total of 60 colors and 14 patterns, as recognized by the British Rabbit Council.
Written by Bob Whitman
Varieties
Chinchilla, Opal, Siamese and White
Weight
Maximum Weight - 4 3/4 Pounds