Mini Satin Information

Mini Satin
Working Standard

Submitted by J. Leo Collins, April 15, 1999

Varieties: Californian, Red and White

SCHEDULE OF POINTS
General Type ………………………………………………………………………55

Body……………………………………………...................………………………45

Head and Ears………………………………................………………………….10

Fur………………………………………………………………………………….25

Color……………………………………………………………………………….10

Condition…………………………………………………………………………..10

Total Points……………………………………………………………………… 100

SHOWROOM CLASSES & WEIGHTS

Senior Bucks & Does ----- 6 Months of age and over, weight 3 1/4 to 4 3/4 pounds.

Ideal Weight 4 pounds.

Junior Bucks and Does---- Under 6 months of age, maximum weight 3 3/4 pounds.

Minimum weight 2 pounds.

Note: Juniors exceeding maximum weights may be shown in a higher age classification. No animal may be shown in a lower age classification than its true age.

Each variety to be exhibited individually.

GENERAL TYPE- Points 55

Body - Points 45: The body is to be rather short and close coupled, with well developed shoulders and hindquarters. The depth of the body should approximately equal the width at the hindquarters, loin, rib section and shoulders. The top body line should rise in a gradual curve from the base of the ears to the center of the hips and then fall in a smooth curve downward to the base of the tail.

Head & Ears - Points 10: The head is to be round and full, more developed in bucks than does, with a short neck. Ears are to be erect, rather stocky and well furred.

FUR - Points 25

COLOR - Points 10
White is the only colored that has passed and is showing at this time.

CONDITION - Points 10

Per A.R.B.A. definition.

Artical on Mini Satins

by J. Leo Collins

The ARBA Convention at Providence was exciting for the Mini Satins this year. I was able to bring enough Mini Satins to make the Standards Committee presentations and show and discuss the Mini Satins with many fellow breeders of both Mini Satins, Satins, and other interested ARBA members.

The White Mini Satins passed the Committee 9 to 0 again this year and with two successful presentations, is well on the way to providing an exciting new breed with the attempt for the third and final showing next year in Indianapolis. The Red Mini Satins failed this first attempt at a second showing and we will have to try again next year. We have a year to improve and I have been promised help from other Red breeders. As long as the presentation animals are owned, bred and raised by the breed sponsor, outside help is permitted. The Californian Mini Satins failed for the second time at the first showing because of a disqualification missed by me on the junior buck. The Committee did like the Cals and they would have passed except for the one disqualification. The Cals will have to wait for a future Variety presentation.

My understanding is that the ARBA board did approve the proposal for the ASRBA to include the Mini Satins when they become a recognized new breed. It took a lot of hard work by our ASRBA officers to accomplish this expressed desire of the Satin Club with the ARBA Board.

The Mini Satin is a unique new breed but the relationship to the Satin breed does deserve representation by the ASRBA and I am very pleased that our Satin breeders have so clearly voted their acceptance of the Mini Satin.

While I am writing about the two breeds I would remind you that in my opinion there is only one Satin, it's neither a Standard Satin nor a Regular Satin, it always has been and should continue to be just a Satin. The Mini Satin is a new and separate breed with it's own Mini Satin name.

There are similarities however; the beautiful fur description is the same except for length. Mini Satin fur length is not specified in the Working Standard but you will find it is about 1/8 " shorter then Satin fur as befits a smaller animal.

The commercial type description is similar except for the addition of the words, rather short, which comes right out of the Florida White Standard and again is appropriate for a much smaller animal.

The head and ears become much more important on the Mini Satin with 10 points allotted much the same as the Florida White and the Mini Rex, two small commercial typed breeds. Our Satins only have 3 points on head and ears and hence not such a major factor.

An ideal Satin in miniature would be a very good Mini Satin but perhaps not ideal as the Mini Satin should be a little shorter and with a rounder head.

The ideal weight for Mini Satin senior bucks and does is 4 pounds. That compares to 9 1/2 pounds for Satin bucks and 10 pounds for Satin does.

The ratio is 42% on the bucks and 40% on the does.

The actual measurements will vary but I have measured many of my best Satin does at 7" high by 7" wide at the hip and 14" long. The White Mini Satin doe in my presentation is 5 3/4” X 5 3/4" by 10" long. The junior doe was 5 1/2" X 5 1/2" by 9" long. So the length to height ratio for the Satins was 2.0 to 1 but the Mini Satin senior doe is 1.74 to 1 and the junior doe is 1.64 to 1. My best Florida Whites were often 6" x 6" by 11" or about 1.83 to 1.

It's interesting that even though the weights are in the 40% range the depth is in the 80% range. But that’s a result of the mathematics of the volume and the mass of the animals

We may soon have a Mini Satin breed but it will be many years before we have all of the Varieties that we would like, so be patient and enjoy your Satins while watching the growth of the new Mini Satin breed

THE ARRIVAL OF THE MINI SATIN

Jack H. Etnyre, President A.S.R.B.A.

Many years ago, perhaps while you were going about routine things at work or at home or even while showing your favorite, Satins, a “scientist” was hard at work on a special project. He was at work sorting and reconfiguring genetic material from known species to create something very special. He was driven to succeed where others had failed. This scientist was best known as a long term Satin Fancier from the state of Ohio with the name James Leo Collins, better known as J. Leo. His creation of course is the Mini Satin. Many years of genetic tinkering, thoughtful deliberations, frustrations and successes culminated at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on Wednesday, October 26, 2005 when the A.R.B.A. Standards Committee put their third and final stamp of approval on this exciting new breed—the Mini Satin has arrived! Early in 2006, the Mini Satin will take it’s place among the many other recognized breeds with full competition rights. One can only wonder when and where the Mini Satin will earn it’s first Best In Show award?

Unfortunately, the Red Mini Satin met a different fate when it failed to gain approval in Indiana. Added to it’s unsuccessful showing in Providence, the Certificate for Reds will now pass to the next holder, Randy Shumaker. Randy will be able to build upon the efforts of those Red breeders who went before him. We wish him success.

The Red Mini Satins should not be lonely in their quest for establishing a new variety for this new breed. Next year in Texas, there will be no less than seven potential new varieties eligible for their first showing. In alphabetical order, they are: Blacks, Chocolates, Coppers, Himalayans, Opals, Otters and Reds. The Chinchillas and Siamese have certificates that will make them eligible for their first presentation in 2007. At the time I am writing this, there is one additional variety with an active certificate, and it is for the Californian Mini Satins. There are two certificates for Himalayans which predate the Californian certificate. If either of these are successful, we will have Himi Mini Satins rather than Cal Mini Satins. The road to successfully presenting a new breed or variety is long and winding. Remember the recent fate of the Red and Cal Mini Satins. A lot of time, money, cage space, persistence and some luck must be with the certificate holders. We wish all of these certificate holders the best of luck. One additional hurdle will face these new Mini Satin varieties. They will need to pass through the Satin Standards Committee and receive the approval of the A.S.R.B.A. membership in order to be considered for a new Mini Satin variety. The membership and services of the Satin Club are available to assist these new variety certificate holders in their mission. I would encourage these members to use our communication vehicles such as this website and the “Satin News” to ask questions, seek help and/or report on your progress.

You should note that the Blue Mini Satins have not been mentioned. That’s because to date, nobody has requested a Certificate of Development for Blue Mini Satins. If interested, contact Tex Thomas for information on how to get a certificate. Also missing from the Satin counterparts is the Broken. The A.R.B.A. Standards Committee has indicated that no Broken Mini Satin certificate will be issued until after the formal acceptance of a colored, solid counterpart. By my accounting, that means at least three years.

On behalf of the membership of the American Satin Rabbit Breeders Association, I congratulate J. Leo Collins for this tremendous accomplishment. Few who were present when the approval was announced in Indianapolis will forget the expression of joy on Leo’s face. A picture is indeed worth a thousand words!