Easter Weekend Police Line up.

All the usual suspects were brought in.

Rare Photograph of President Abraham Lincoln

Do Rabbit’s Feet Really Bring Good Luck?

Interesting question so let’s start at the beginning to answer it correctly. The ancient Chinese believed the human foot was important because they saw every organ in the human body had a pathway or a “meridian’ to the foot. Consequently people today who practice alternative medicine still believe our feet provide access to all of our body’s internal organs – think acupuncture.

Scientist believe there are approximately 7000 nerve endings in every human’s foot - so many nerve endings in fact that main stream doctors sometimes recommend their patients walk barefoot whenever possible when on grass or in sand to help stimulate the nervous system and generate better health throughout the body.

Now with all that said are rabbit’s feet really lucky? As the owner of a large Rabbit Ranch I see thousands of rabbit feet each year and to tell you the truth I am not sure if they bring good luck or not. Most “expert’s I know of can’t agree if they do. For many it’s just an old superstition. The reality however is the rabbit's foot is the most common good-luck charm around the world. A distant second is the shamrock (4 leaf clover) followed by soft piece of bark from a eucalyptus tree in third place.

Now the origin of the rabbit's foot providing good luck goes back to 6 BC; and though there is no connection between the luck a rabbit’s foot with any scriptural references many European Christians associate the rabbit’s foot with Eastre the goddess of fertility (the goddess today that many associate with Easter). The true believers say you only get the benefits of good luck if you carry a rabbit’s foot in your right front pocket. Others say it must be kept secure in the glove box of your car while you travel and still others say it should be tucked away in a purse or handbag not hanging from a key chain.

Someday try this fun experiment – it’s easy. The next time you watch an awards program on TV like the Oscars - the Emmy’s, the Golden Globe Awards, the Grammys Awards etc. quietly count the number of actors, actresses, directors, producers, songwriters, artists etc. who are holding a rabbit's foot. Watch how they gently rub it as the nominations are called out. It’s amazing how many people who held a rabbit’s foot actually won awards: Earl Flynn, Meryl Streep, Henry Fonda, Loretta Young, William Holden, Betty Davis, Burt Lancaster, Sylvester Stallone, Sharon Stone, Robert De Niro, Gina Davis, Al Pacino, Kate Winslow, Michael Douglas, Ben Affleck, Spencer Tracy, Humphrey Bogart, Kathryn Hepburn, Tom Hanks, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg just a few you might want to consider? Did they deserve their awards? You bet! Did the rabbit’s foot help? I really don’t know.

Now if you are not in to watching award shows here’s another exercise to try. Observe the number of NFL and college coaches who hold rabbit’s feet during a title games or super bowl events; or watch the coaches and managers in the NBA or MLB as well as NASCAR pit crews and PGA caddies.

Personally, I was amazed to learn Michele Obama clutched a rabbit’s foot during both of President Obama’s Presidential debates. Was it a coincidence? Could be! I just don’t know. Also look at old portraits of Christopher Columbus, Admiral Byrd, Captain Cook and even Captain Morgan (that’s right the Caribbean privateer --- he was not a pirate; who after he retired from the high seas began to distill spiced rum.) Look closely at their belts, sashes and boots - see the small rabbit’s foot dangling? Did they have them for luck?

All I can say is people around the world think rabbit’s feet are lucky. You have to decide for yourself.

We just received a recommendation about our rabbits that we are all very proud of.

Very Little Law Enforcement Humor - from a Rabbit Rancher

Did you hear about the midget fortune-teller who escaped from a County Jail? The Sheriff and his Deputies have her officially listed as a small medium at large.

Fun in the Snow

With the weather so nice today Katie let Spencer and Ben go play in snow behind the barn # 2.  Man did they loved being outside.

Hard to believe but next month - hopefully around March 25th (if the Farmer's Almanac is correct) we will be letting the herd out to pasture.  Boy are they ever ready to go outside and graze.

Are Rabbits Left Pawed or Right Pawed?

Many long time friends of Ralph’s Rabbit Ranch know we get all sorts of questions each week from people around the world. Last week was no exception.  A young girl from Abilene, Kansas, a High School sophomore named Melissa, wrote seeking help with a term paper she is writing on Animal Husbandry.   Her question was:  ‘are rabbits right pawed or left pawed’.  I thought it was a good question so I will share our reply back to her.  

Science tells us that 10 - 12 % of the human population is left handed and that that percentage has remained constant the past 300,000 years.  We are told 30,000,000 people in the U.S. are left handed and that woman are more likely to be righted than left. 

Up until the mid 1950’s scientists claimed that “handedness” was only a human trait that did not apply to lower forms of animals.  Today we know this is wrong.  Animals of all species display traits of “handedness” whether they are Cats, Dogs, Cows, Horses or even Goldfishes.  “Handedness” is a universal phenomenon in all living creatures.

To help you think about ‘Handedness’ here’s a question for all NASCAR enthusiasts.  Which way to NASCAR vehicles race around a track?  Clockwise or Counter Clock wise?. For those of you who don’t understand the difference – clockwise races are designed to favor right-handers drivers while counter clockwise races favor left hander drivers.

Try this. Think about baseball.  Do ball players run the bases clockwise or counter cock wise?  When a player runs from first to second base and then to third and finally home is he running clockwise or counter clockwise?  If you said counter clockwise you are correct. Ball players run a left hander lap just as NASCAR drivers drive counter clockwise.

What about thorough breed horse racing - either saddled or buggied?  Do the horses run clockwise or counter clockwise. The answer = “left-handed” laps.  There’s no real plausible explanation for this however since the vast majority of professional athletes (human and horses) normally lead with their dominant hand or foot going left makes them have to excel harder in order to win. 

My understanding of rabbit ‘handedness’ has been acquired over the 14 years I have been raising rabbits commercially. Even though experts say 10 - 12 percent of the human population exhibits left handedness our personal observations here at the ranch reveals almost 30% of any given rabbit population is left pawed. We know this from three things.  First, by the way rabbits initiate their leaps and hops.  Left pawed rabbits push off with their left paws whereas right pawed rabbits kick off with their right paws.

Second, when rabbits position food a left pawed rabbit will use the left front paw more than a right pawed rabbit will.  Finally, when a rabbit gnaws on food like a carrot - left pawed rabbits gnaw from their left side while right pawed rabbits begin gnawing from the right side.

Since we keep accurate records on our breeding cycles we know that older does tend to give birth to more left pawed kits then younger does.  We also know that left pawed rabbits are more aggressive and appear more intelligent.  How do we know this?  Left pawed rabbits are generally the first ones to come out during feeding times and they push and buck to defend their position in the feeding line.

Studies conducted by the AMA suggest left handed males have higher levels of testosterone and mature later sexually than right hander’s - which we agree.  Left pawed bucks are always more prolific during our scheduled breeding sessions; unfortunately the downside from a Rabbit Ranchers perspective is since left pawed bucks sexually mature later we get less quality breeding time out of them.

Finally and this is an easy test for you to perform on your own.  The next time you see a rabbit in your yard or in a field take a moment to study it.  Left pawed rabbits tend to look to their left about 70% more often than their right pawed counterparts.  Right pawed rabbits favor looking to their right side seldom to their left.

Hope this all makes sense and gives you a better appreciation for rabbits.  Your friend Ralph

Annual Labor Day Race - the best event of the year.

This Saturday - September 3rd, 2016 - we will be hosting our 12th Annual tortoise vs. the hare race.  As usual we will be substituting a turtle for the tortoise and a rabbit for the hare. Its amazing how each year this race gets more exciting.

Hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend. 

Ralph & Gabe     

Rabbit Fur and Sexual Arousal

Rabbit legends abound in every culture and all the friends of Ralph’s Rabbit Ranch who have been out to the ranch have seen the huge piles of letters we receive each week from across the country asking various questions about rabbits and the folklore tales about rabbits. 

As many of you are aware we have tried to occasionally share our answers to the most popular questions we receive - like: “Does a Rabbit’s Foot Really Bring Good Luck” and “Can Rabbit Meat Seasoned with Paprika Really Accelerate Weight Loss and Increase Fertility” and "Were There Really Such Things as "Jack-O-Lopes in the Past". 

Without a doubt though the most often question we receive is - “Is Rabbit Meat Really an Aphrodisiac - Can it or does it really improve the desire and quality of active sex lives?”

Well not long ago, a 54 year bank teller from Toledo, Ohio wrote us to ask “Is it possible to Heighten One's Romantic Feelings or Stimulate One's Sexual Desires by using Rabbit Fur during sexual foreplay?” Well the short answer is - “it depends”; and the long answer is “Absolutely”!

Now, anthropologists know from their site excavations that civilizations around the globe have been using rabbit fur as part of their romantic, foreplay for centuries. The Mesopotamians, the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Mayans and just about every other advanced ancient civilization always considered rabbit fur precious as it was an integral part of their mating rituals. 

In 2011, 99% of the couples who were surveyed in Europe reported having achieved greater sexual results and more intense sexual interactions with their partners when they added rabbit fur to their sexual foreplay. However, like with most situations, there are always exceptions to every rule. 

Regrettably, people with overly sensitive skin such as red heads, light blonds and Albinos, as well as individuals who are prone to peanut, milk and shellfish allergies seldom report any significant benefits from including rabbit fur in their intimate encounters.  Many believe the tinsel strength of their hair follicle's are different; thus the feel little or no significant impact when they incorporate rabbit fur into sexual foreplay activities.

Now with that one caveat stated - rabbit fur does seem to heighten the sexual arousal and passionate feelings as well as prolong the gratification among most couples during their conjugal interludes. 

Here's what I know from first-hand knowledge. Remember this is not based on any scientific study.  However years ago when we first opened Ralph’s Ranch we had a small gift shop near the front gate (just off of Hwy F).  In this gift shop we sold a variety of rabbit products: primarily rabbit’s feet, rabbit jerky, rabbit fur lined gloves, rabbit fur boot liners, rabbit fur ear muffs, rabbit fur hats, rabbit fur hand muffs, rabbit fur collar extensions (which people loved because they cold easily be adjusted for just about any winter coat).  

Anyway Gladys who was our feed blender at that time, was from Austria. She convinced us to offer a fur lined personal foundation garments - for both men and women. The items she suggested were rabbit fur lined brassieres and panties for the women and jock strap type foundation garments for the men.  

We went ahead and took Gladys advice and developed an assortment of garments she said where always popular in Austria, Bavaria, Tryollia and the Czechoslovakian areas of Eurpose - all nears the Alps. The garments we designed were lined with ‘Grade IV’ rabbit fur. These foundation garments were sold as items outdoor enthusiasts and winter adventurers might enjoy to help keep them warm. You know people who skied cross county and down hill, as well as snowmobilers, hunters, hikers and ice fisherman, etc.

Our initial thought was these quality fur lined foundation garments would help protect and keep the erogenous zones of men and women warm and cozy while they were out of doors for extended periods of time during cold winter weather. 

Almost immediately, feedback began to pour in from those who bought and wore our fur lined foundation garments.  Some wore them for work like late shift police officers, linemen for utility companies etc. as well as those you just went out and played on the weekends in the snow.   Many I remember were initially embarrassed to share their feedback.  However almost everyone giving feedback noticed a significant surge in their amorous feelings after wearing our fur lined garments during the day.  Everyone wanted to know if it was the rabbit fur contact that heightened their sexual arousal and was it normal to have such overpowering primal urges after wearing rabbit fur foundation garments.

The feedback was so consistent - and evenly spit between men and women – we actually considered marketing our fur lined foundation garments nationally.  Barbra our office manager at the time contacted several big national retailers such as Macy’s, Adam & Eve, Victoria Secrets, Maidenform, Venus' Workshops, Cupids Corner and Wicked Temptations. Though there was considerable interest from all the outlet merchants we got nowhere because of PETA. PETA raised major objections with all the retailers and threatened to initiate boycotts with them thus their interest subsided.

Now I digressed - and I apologize - forgive me. The initial question was - “Can rabbit fur actually induce or heighten carnal delights”? Definitely! Rabbit fur is often thought by many to be a 'magic bullet' something that can re-ignite or re-kindle romantic flames and passions. 

Just a small swatch of Grade IV (by the way, for those of you not familiar with this term, Grade IV rabbit fut is the rabbit fur harvested from rabbits in late fall or mid-winter when the rabbit full is at its thickest and densest).  The reality many people encounter is that when rabbit fur is gently rubbed over their erogenous zones or their partner's erogenous zones (oh by the way human erogenous zones are those areas on the human anatomy that tend to ignite and perpetuate sexual arousal) it is the areas on our bodies that awakens our sensual arousal - almost to a point of where one becomes uncontrollable in their appetite for more.

For example, have you ever wondered why rabbit fur feels so luxurious to the touch or why it generates such great warmth when we wear it? It is because rabbit fur is one of the densest mammal furs on the planet. Unlike satin and lace which are both synthetic and lightweight and look very nice - rabbit fur has a feel similar to silk and the best part is it actually breathes.  Also rabbit fur unlike satin and lace rabbit fur is never affected by body heat or body moisture (such as perspiration) so it always says soft and luxurious to the touch and feel.

Any of you who studied history may recall that during the ancient Sanskrit era, it was the Hindus from India who began to identify and codify the seven principles of the art of the Karma Sutra (the seven ways to enhance sexual desires and ensure meaningful sexual pleasures). 
  No long after that - the ancient Greeks began to promulgate and encourage communal orgies - who many say were based entirely on the Karma Sutra principles. Ancient scripts written by both the Hindu and the Greeks detail the procedures for gently rubbing rabbit fur over a partner to unleash their conjugal hunger.

What it truly amazingly is that it doesn't take a lot of rabbit fur to arouse oneself or their partner; just a small rectangular swatch of rabbit fur approximately 6” x 9" can produce unbelievable carnal urges most people never dreamt of. 

A word of caution.  There is no doubt I am prejudice; but I can tell you wild rabbit fur will not work for sexual arousal for obvious reasons. The quality of any rabbit’s fur is directly linked to its daily diet. Wild rabbits forage on whatever edible food they can find in the wild; whereas domesticated or commercially raised rabbis - such as those we raise here at Ralph's rabbit ranch - are fed a consistent diet of good nutritious grains and other wholesome foods which results in all of them having a superior grade fur.

So the answer to the question for the bank tell from Ohio:  "Can rabbit fur really ignite sexual arousal and clear a path for greater personal contentment - The answer is an unconditional Yes - for most people!

Feel free to join us Ralph's Rabbit Ranch on face book at www.facebook.com/ralphsrabbitranch to learn about more rabbit legends and folklore. Better yet, link with us on ‘Linked In’ at www.linkedin.com/in/ralphsranch. 

If you have a questions about rabbits or rabbit fur send them to 

ralphsrabbitranch@gmail.com

As time permits we will get back to you. 

Epilogue:

Now for those of you wondering - remember it is always late December, the entire month of January and the first two weeks of February that we here at Ralph's Rabbit Ranch begin to harvest the winter rabbit fur.  Our rabbits are Wisconsin raised and that is the time of the year in the northern hemisphere when their fur is at its thickest. It is only during this time period that we feel comfortable to produce Grade IV rabbit fur swatches.


Be advised however that our rabbit fur swatches are always pre-ordered well in advance by couples interested in exploring rabbit fur sexual arousal. Though we actually produce over 14,000 personal swatches we are typically sold out of all our swatches by the first week of March of any given year. 

This is the Primary Reasons We Went Into the Rabbit Ranching Business