The light in the hoop house seems to have stepped up the egg laying, thank goodness. They now have 14 hours of light. Some of the message boards that I have read, especially the backyard chicken folks, frown on this. They think that it is messing with the natural cycle of things. We feel that the chickens are not being mistreated but just work a little harder. They sure seem happy enough as they do their picking all around the house and pasture all day!
We have had some predator problems with the birds that are at the farm. Seems that a raccoon has figured out that there are easy dinners for him. We need to fix his wagon! He was able to knock one of the coop doors to the inside and killed two birds. He did some damage to a third. We brought her to the house and I put some wonder dust on her leg and then wrapped it with vet wrap. She seems to be doing OK, but time will tell. She can walk on her other leg and can roost.
Now onto rabbits! When Russ and I took the Sustainable Ag class this summer, Lynn said that he wished someone would raise meat rabbits in the area. I had raised Satin rabbits about 20 years ago and got to thinking that maybe I could do it again. (Russ said that the rabbits would be my thing.)
Well, I researched about raising them and I did find someone that sold the two kinds that I had decided to try. So off I went one evening with the chicken transport cages to purchase six rabbits, two bucks and four does. The breeds I chose are the New Zealand and Californians. They are both recommended meat rabbits with all of the same coloring, The NZ's are all white and the Cal's are white with dark points.
I beat it to my second favorite store, Tractor Supply, to buy cage making materials and rabbit feed. I can write a book about making cages but maybe another post! (Lesson 1 - get really good wire cutters!) I did buy a few rabbit cages too.
The rabbits that I bought were all juveniles, almost of breeding age. I do regret not getting pedigrees with them. I might have siblings that probably should not be bred together. (Lesson 2 - get pedigrees!)
I let them settle in a few days and then put a doe in with a buck and stood and waited. Nothing. So back to studying and reading every website out on the internet. Needless to say, I had forgotten a lot in 20 years. I did learn that the bucks will do their thing when the does are good and ready! (Lesson 3 - be patient!)
My first litter was born on the coldest night we had a few weeks ago. No hair pulled by the doe at all but I messed up big time as I had the nest box in the wrong does cage! That is what happens when the does all look the same. The babies didn't make it but I bred her again and she is due in two weeks.
(Lesson 4 - tattoo ears!)
One of the Cal does fell out of her cage. She somehow popped the cage door and the snap came off. I heard an animal screaming one morning right after our dogs went out. I didn't put it together for 15 seconds or so. Well, dogs will be dogs. They are great with the chickens but the rabbits, well, not so great. I ran out and told them to "Leave it!" and they did. However she was too far gone and died a few hours later. Dang it! (Lesson 5 - Sh!t happens)
The other Cal had five babies this week, but being a first timer, she didn't pull fur and of course it was very cold! We were able to warm one of them up but he didn't make it past two days. I think she will be OK next time as she did pull fur the day after they were born. I will breed her again in the next day or two. (Lesson 6 - the first time is hard!)
However, today has a much happier story! NZ doe #2 had a fine litter of seven babies last night. She pulled fur, made a nice nest for them and seems to be a good momma. Success! (Lesson 7 - sometimes things DO work out!) Things could still go wrong. My fellow rabbit/chicken/goat raising brother Allen reminded me that there is a reason that rabbits have so many babies - many of them do not make it. But I will take the good omen of three bad things in a row and then a lucky number 7 today!
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