THE RARE GOLDEN GLAVCOT AND ALL INFORMATION WE CAN FIND
THE GOLDEN GLAVCOT IS A FANTASTIC BREED, THEY ARE PLACID IN NATURE (ALTHOUGH THEY CAN JUMP VERY HIGH!) AND INCREDIBLY SWEET AND LOVING. WE HAVE FOUND THAT THEY LOVE NOTHING BETTER THAN TO NUZZLE INTO OUR NECKS AND THAT THEY ARE MORE COMFORTABLE HELD WITH THEIR HEADS PLACED ON OUR SHOULDERS. THERE ARE VERY FEW GOLDEN GLAVCOTS, AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS GG'S AND EVEN LESS ACTIVE BREEDERS OF THEM. THEY GET AN UNFAIR ATTITUDE TOWARD THEM EVERYWHERE THAT THEY GO BECAUSE OF THEIR 'WILD' LOOKS. THIS JUST MAKES US LOVE THEM ALL THE MORE. WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE BRED SOME CRACKING LITTERS SO FAR THIS YEAR AND WE HAVE REALLY MANAGED TO RAISE THE PROFILE OF THIS RARE BREED. AT LONG LAST PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THEM AND WE HAVE MORE BREEDERS INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH THEM. WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT IN TIME THEY WILL BE REGARDED WITH FONDNESS BY OTHERS AS MUCH AS THEY ARE WITH US. THE HISTORY OF THE GOLDEN GLAVCOT IS SOMEWHAT VAGUE AND THERE ARE NO DOCUMENTS OR BOOKS TO FILL IN THE GAPS, OUR JOB NOW IS TO CREATE THIS INFORMATION AS WE FIND IT DURING BREEDING AND KEEPING THEM IN THE HOPE THAT THIS INFORMATION WILL BE PRESERVED AND THE FUTURE OF THE GOLDEN GLAVCOT BE SECURE. THE GOLDEN GLAVCOT IS A FUR BREED AND WOULD INITIALLY HAVE BEEN USED FOR THEIR FUR, THIS WE BELIEVE IS THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THEIR DEMISE AND EVENTUAL EXTINCTION, THE BLUE GLAVCOT AND ALSO THE SILVER ARE EXTINCT. IN THE 1960'S A GENTLEMAN FANCIER, MR J IRONS WORKED TO RECREATE THE BREED, TO DO THIS BROWN SIBERIANS (ANOTHER RARE FUR BREED), BROWN BEVEREN, HAVANA AND AT SOME POINT THE WILD RABBIT WERE USED. THE RECREATED BREED WAS FIRST SHOWN BY MR IRONS AT DONCASTER SHOW IN 1976. A LADY NAMED MEG BROWN TOOK AN INTEREST IN THE BREED AND WAS TOLD BY MR IRONS HOW TO CONTINUE WITH THE BREED, THIS IS WHERE THE ADDITION OF THE WILD RABBIT CAME IN. THE DESIRED COLOUR WAS REACHED AND THE GOLDEN GLAVCOT WAS SHOWN JUST AS IT IS TODAY UNDER THE RARE VARITIES. IN MOST GOLDEN GLAVCOT LITTERS THERE ARE STILL BROWN SIBERIANS BEING BORN, IT IS SAID THAT THESE BRED BACK INTO THE GOLDEN GLAVCOT LINES IMPROVES THE COLOUR, IN FACT IT HAS RUINED WHAT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE WITH THE BREED TAKING US MORE OR LESS BACK TO THE BEGINNING. IN THE TWO LITTERS THAT WE HAVE HAD SO FAR THE LITTER SIZES HAVE VARIED GREATLY BINDI OUR 2 YEAR OLD DOE KINDLED A LITTER OF 2 WITH ONE NOT SURVIVING, HAZEL OUR 7 MONTH OLD DOE KINDLED 8 WITH AGAIN 1 NOT SURVIVING. WHEN THEY ARE BORN THE KITS ARE A CHOCOLATE COLOUR, AS IS COMMON WITH MOST AGOUTI PATTERN THEY ARE BORN DARK AND AS THEY AGE THEY GET LIGHTER UNTIL THEY BECOME THE COLOUR THAT WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH. UNLIKE AN AGOUTI THEY DO NOT HAVE BLACK TICKING THEY HAVE BROWN GIVING A SOFTER LOOK. WE BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED THE RIGHT COLOUR IN OUR MATINGS AS THE NAME SUGGESTS THAT THEY SHOULD BE 'GOLDEN', MANY FOUND TODAY ARE TOO DARK AND THIS IS NOT HELPING TO DO THE BREED JUSTICE ON THE SHOW TABLE, WE HOPE TO CHANGE THIS AND WHEN WE SHOW THEM WE WILL TAKE ON BOARD ANY COMMENTS THAT ARE MADE AND PLAN ANY IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED ACCORDINGLY. WE WILL KEEP RECORDS OF ALL THAT WE FIND SO THAT THERE IS SOMETHING FOR FUTURE BREEDERS TO LOOK BACK AND REFER TOO.
AFTER RECENT TALKS WITH LONG-STANDING BREEDER EXHIBITORS WITH MANY MANY YEARS BEHIND THEM, WE HAVE BEEN DRAWN TO A FATAL FLAW IN THE GOLDEN GLAVCOT.
FOR MANY YEARS NOW THE BREEDERS WORKING IN THE GG'S HAVE BRED IN THE BROWN SIBERIAN BELIEVING THAT THIS HELPS WITH THE COLOUR. THIS HAD PROVED A VERY COSTLY MISTAKE, OTHER EXHIBITORS CANNOT TAKE A BREED SERIOUSLY WHEN IN MOST LITTERS THEY ARE PRODUCING TWO DIFFERENT BREEDS!
THE BREEDING IN OF THE BROWN SIBERIAN HAS MADE THE COLOUR TOO DARK, IT HAS ALSO RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF TYPE AND THERE ARE AS ALREADY MENTIONED BROWN SIBERIAN YOUNG IN EVERY LITTER.
TO ERADICATE THIS WE MUST BREED PURE GLAVCOT TO GLAVCOT FOR MANY GENERATIONS. THUS BREEDING THE SIBERIAN OUT.
AT HIPHOP'S STUD WE ARE CURRENTLY IN TALKS TO ARRANGE THE IMPORTATION OF A BUCK AND A DOE FROM HOLLAND, THIS WILL GREATLY HELP US IN TAKING THE BREED FORWARD.
WE HAVE ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE GLAVCOTS THAT WERE BROUGHT OVER INITIALLY (THAT ALL BRITISH STOCK MUST HAVE DESCENDED FROM IN SOME WAY) WERE PURCHASED AT SHOW AND WERE BOTTOM END IN TERMS OF QUALITY. THE BEST THING WE CAN DO NOW IS GO BACK ABROAD AND IMPORT DIRECT FROM A BREEDER ENSURING WE ARE BRINGING IN THE FACTORS THAT WE NEED AND WANT.
FURTER TALKS WITH A CERTAIN JUDGE HAS HIGHLIGHTED THAT THE BRC STANDARD FOR THE GG IS INCORRECT, THE GENETIC CODE TRANSLATES TO CHOCOLATE STEEL, ALL GG'S IN BRITAIN ARE NOT CHCOLATE STEEL RATHER MORE CINNAMON. ALSO THE BELLY SHOULD NOT BE CREAMY/WHITE IT SHOULD BE THE SAME COLOUR AS THE BACK ONLY LIGHTER. WE HAVE TAKEN ON BOARD ALL THAT WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED AND WE ARE NOW PLANNING OUR NEXT MOVE. WE KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO BE BRED IN TO CREATE THE CORRECT COLOUR AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME TO CORRECT.
WHEN WE RESEARCHED THE ABOVE WE FOUND THAT WE ARE IN FACT CORRECT AND THAT THE STANDARD IS NO LONGER THAT OF THE BROWN STEEL, THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE COLOUR STANDARD ON THE BRC WEBSITE HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THIS ALTERATION.
WE ARE FINDING SO MANY 'EXPERTS' ON THE BREED YET NONE OF THEM HAVE ACTUALLY BRED THEM. WE ARE BEING TOLD AT EVERY SHOW THAT THEY ARE NOT LIKE THEY WERE 20 YEARS AGO, OFTEN BY EXHIBITORS THAT WEREN'T EVEN AROUND IN THE FANCY 20 YEARS AGO TO HAVE SEEN THE BREED. THERE ARE ALSO THOSE THAT SAY COLOUR NEEDS ALOT OF WORK HOWEVER IF THEY ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE STANDARD THEY WOULD FAST REALISE HOW INCORRECT THEY ARE. WE ARE ALSO BEING TOLD THAT THE GOLDEN GLAVCOT OF TODAY IS WEEDY AND RUNTY (THIS IS A COMPLETE LOAD OF TOSH). TOO MANY INSTANT EXPERTS THAT HAVE NEVER EVEN SEEN OR HANDLED THE BREED LISTENING AND REPEATING WORD FOR WORD THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY HAD WITH OTHER EXHIBITORS WHO HAVE THEN IN TURN DISCUSSED WITH OTHERS. WE KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND THE FACT THAT WE ALREADY IN A SHORT TIME HAVE SO MANY NEW BREEDERS SET UP WITH STUD'S OF GG'S SPEAKS VOLUMES. WE ALSO HAVE AMERICAN BREEDERS WAITING TO IMPORT BUT THIS IS NOT AN OPTION AT THIS TIME AS THE NUMBERS ARE STILL TOO LOW IN BRITAIN FOR US TO LOSE THE SMALL GENE POOL THAT WE HAVE OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
OUR DOE'S
HAZEL
SHIMMER
HIPHOP'S BRIGID
GG X GG BRED BUT THERE ARE STILL BROWN SIBERIANS ARISING IN LITTERS THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO WORK ON TO PREVENT HAPPENING
VERY SADLY HIPHOPS BRIGID PASSED AWAY
HIPHOP'S EMBER
DAM HAZEL X SIRE FIVER
OUR BUCKS
FIVER
DIGBY
IN APRIL 2012 WE WERE FORTUNATE TO WELCOME AN ADDITIONAL 4 GOLDEN GLAVCOTS INTO OUR STUD 2 FURTHER BUCKS AND 2 FURTHER DOES, WE ALSO HAVE 2 OF THE DOES MATED
ON 7TH MAY HAZEL KINDLED 2 KITS SADLY ONE PASSED AWAY AT A WEEK OLD. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY THE ARRIVAL OF 8 KITS KINDLED BY HAZEL ON THE 13TH MAY, THERE ARE 2 BROWN SIBERIANS AND 6 GLAVCOTS IN THIS LITTER. WE UNFORTUNATELY LOST ONE OF THESE KITS ALSO. WE HAVE SINCE MATED THE REMAINING 2 DOES UP.
ON 7TH MAY HAZEL KINDLED 2 KITS SADLY ONE PASSED AWAY AT A WEEK OLD. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY THE ARRIVAL OF 8 KITS KINDLED BY HAZEL ON THE 13TH MAY, THERE ARE 2 BROWN SIBERIANS AND 6 GLAVCOTS IN THIS LITTER. WE UNFORTUNATELY LOST ONE OF THESE KITS ALSO. WE HAVE SINCE MATED THE REMAINING 2 DOES UP.
HIPHOPS BRIGID
DOE
HAZELS LITTER
COMET'S LITTER - WE NEVER GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO PHOTOGRAPH COMET'S LITTER AS SHE WAS A PROTECTIVE MUM AND WE HAVE BEEN ON HOLIDAY ETC THE TIME JUST FLEW BY. SHE HAD 1 GG AND 2 BROWN SIBS - THE SIBS ARE GOING TO LIVE AT DARTMOOR ZOO AS PART OF AN EDUCATION PROGRAMME.
SHIMMER'S LITTER - AGAIN THERE HASN'T BEEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE WHOLE LITTER. 1 GG PASSED AWAY, 1 HAS GONE TO HELP ANOTHER BREEDER GET STARTED, 2 ARE STAYING HERE AT HIPHOPS STUD AND THE OTHER WAS A BROWN SIB WHICH IS GOING TO ANOTHER BREEDER THAT PREVIOUSLY HAD A BUCK FROM US.
WE FIND THAT ALL THE BABIES AROUND THIS AGE (7-9 WKS) GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY ARE A LOP RABBIT. THEIR EARS DO STAND ERECT BY THE TIME THEY ARE OF SHOW AGE. IT WAS NICE TO CAPTURE THIS AS AGAIN IT IS INFORMATION ON THE BREED. THESE BUCKS ARE ON OUR FOR SALE PAGE, THEY HAVE NOT CORRECTED THEIR EAR POSITION AND THEREFORE THEY ARE OF NO BENEFIT TO THE BREEDING PROGRAMME AS THIS WOULD MEAN BREEDING IN A MAJOR FAULT. THIS IS A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO OWN ONE AS A PET AND THEY WILL NOT DISAPPOINT.
COLCHESTER SHOW NOVEMBER 17TH 2012
TODAY SAW US ENTER OUR FIRST EVER STOCK. THIS WAS WITH THE RARE VARITIES CLUB. WE TOOK DIGBY AND HIHOPS THISTLE ON THIS OCCASION BOTH ARE ADULTS BUT THERE IS APPROX 7/8 MONTHS AGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. DIGBY WENT ON TO WIN THE 'CC' FOR THE CLASS NOT ONCE BUT TWICE. HE PLACED FIRST OUT OF THE 4 GG'S THERE THAT DAY. HE CAME BACK OUT FOR THE CHALLENGE AND ALTHOUGH HE DIDN'T PLACE WE WERE SATISFIED THAT HE HAD DONE ENOUGH. FOR A BREED THAT IS DISLIKED AND NOT SUPPORTED HE DID US VERY PROUD.
HAZELS LITTER BORN 30/11/12 SIRED BY FIVER
BUCK AGED 4 WEEKS
BROWN SIBERIAN LITTERMATE TO THE ABOVE
THE REST OF THE LITTER
SHIMMERS LITTER BORN 01/12/12 SIRED BY DIGBY
GOLDEN GLAVCOT BREED STANDARD
Ring Size D Points
1) Colour 35
2) Texture & Density
of Fur 35
3) Type 30
Total 100
1. Colour - A broad band of slate, merging into brown, tipped with light roan, the whole body interspersed with dark brown, nape of neck light brown, flanks and chest ticking off to a uniform shade slightly lighter than the body, under parts of body cream with slate under colour. Tail to match body colour on top and belly colour underneath, to be carried in a straight line.
2. Texture and density of fur - Very soft, fine and dense. Length of fur about 2.54cm (1in)
3. Type - Mandoline shaped and fine boned, dewlap undesirable, ears of medium length and erect, matching the body in colour. Head of medium size, free from coarseness, well carried on short neck, matching bone, upper parts of uniform shade and ticked to the body colour. Feet and legs, straight and fine with blue undercolour. Weight 2.26-2.72kg (5-6lb.). Firm in flesh, bright eyes and glossy coat.
DISQUALIFICATIONS - White patches on body.
FAULTS - Odd coloured eyes to lose 5 points. Drooping or lopped ears 10
points. White patches on feet 10 points. Black or white nose 10 points.