Alchemist Acres Farm & Rabbitry

05/08/2026

Not sure who looks forward to hatching season more… me or Brayden. 🐣 🐥

03/18/2026

This is a wonderful thing for Tri Rex. I couldn’t think of anyone better to hold the COD for this variety.

Sooooo, we might have done a thing...

Together with the Tri-Rex fb admin team Gary Bunch and Amanda Johnson, and fellow tri breeders Elizabeth DaRosa Bello-Antao and Conner Calloway , we've put in, and been approved for a Brindle Rex COD from the ARBA Standards Committee.

Our goal with working to get Brindles recognized is to not only give tri breeders more showable rabbits in their program, but to help both varieties continue to improve in quality.

03/14/2026

We took a trip about an hour east today to the Bunnies on the Bricks show put on by the Pikes & Gibson RBA.

Our Senior Castor buck, Red Orchids BP3, decided it was a good day to show off, bringing home Best of Variety wins in both Show A and Show B. He also snagged Best of Breed in Show A and went on to earn Best in Show under Tom Green in Show A as well.

A big thank you to our friend Jess of Red Orchids / Ataraxia Rabbitry for sending me home with this buck several months ago. And thanks to the show committee and judges for putting on a quick and fun show!

Congrats to all of the other winners!

03/11/2026

Pictured are two of the furnace bantam cochins in this year’s breeding pens.

There is a lot of variation out there currently in the furnace variety, with some birds bordering gold quail rather than furness.

At its core furnace in the US it is typically gold wheaten (wh) or partiedge (eb) based. In addition to the wheaten/partridge, they also present melanization (MI). This is what is responsible for changing / extending the black coloration into areas that would typically be red or brown in tone.

In Europe, some lines seem to be entirely black/red (partridge) based. I have utilized wheaten in my pens in the past, but the male pictured is bobtail x Furness, which phenotypically is the black/red (partridge) variety.

It is my hope this year to improve ground color, as my hens are more dull than I would like. Exploring the genetics and processes used in Europe and Australia have helped me better understand what steps to take in my own breeding programs. I am hoping after this year’s breeding season to have more hens inline with the one pictured.

It’s important when working with non standard varieties like this to have not only type related goals, but also a standard set in your own program so that you have something to work towards year after year.

03/03/2026

My pen of Bobtail Bantam Cochins are one of my favorites in the barn.

03/02/2026

Hoppy Monday! 🐰

Here is a gentle reminder that we only have 19 days until spring! 🌱 🌼 🐣

03/01/2026

Spring has sprung at the farm… well, sort of.

All of our breeding pens have been trimmed and sorted for the upcoming hatching season.

Several Rex litters are just starting to leave the nest box, with more on the way.

We’re also officially participants in the NPIP program here in Illinois, which is an exciting step forward for our small farm.

Here’s a look at what we’ll be working on this year, along with a photo of Brayden and one of our Silver Pencilled hens during her trim yesterday.

02/28/2026

Our Silver Pencilled pen this season.

02/25/2026

A project pen of Furness Bantam Cochins. 🐥

02/22/2026

Brown Bantam Cochin project pen + a mahogany carrying Columbian hen for some Black Tailed Red project birds.

02/20/2026

Alchemist Acres Freya is another doe from the Tri program that really exemplifies the genetics that I am trying to lock in, just not the color lol. She is 2 years old and has maintained this body through out every one of the litters she’s had so far. I just bred her yesterday to a buck I picked up from ADM's Rabbitry a few months back, whose b***y is nearly as wide as hers.