a few lessons in rabbit husbandry

We now have two years of experience under our belts raising rabbits. We have learned a lot of useful information already, but we are far from experts. That's the thing with farming, with raising animals, you will never be done learning. Bring it on. As of today we have 17 rabbits in our little group, and the more animals you have the more likely you are to have problems. Here are a few of ours:


the girls

The first problem we had is with the smallest litter we have, which we have had in a large dog crate on the grass. They are starting to get pretty big, and coming of age, they are starting to get a little frisky. This is bad news bears. I was out watching them and saw three boys ganging up on one girl, so in a hurry I fixed up a cage and moved her into it. She was visibly shaken, breathing quickly, her hair a mess with tufts pulled out (that was the first sign I saw that something was going on.) The next day I watched the other rabbits and took another female out and gave her some company. We need to dispatch some rabbits, and we need more cages.


our boy hopper

The second problem we have is our only breeding buck, Hopper, has an ear that has crusty scabs covering the inside. After some quick internet research I am pretty sure that it is ear mites, and can be fixed up with some medication and cleaning the cage. I'm sure that it is very uncomfortable for him, the other morning it was bleeding a little bit from him scratching. We try to take the best care of our animals we can, and I'm sorry that I didn't pay closer attention and catch it before it got this bad. Always learning. We will go to Tractor Supply tomorrow after work and get some medicine for him. He came to us with a bad front foot from some unknown accident. He is such a trooper!

this one reminds me of Rorschach from the watchmen

Until next time,

Angela Kelly

Comments

puppy play date

Yesterday Trilli got to have a puppy play date with her best friend, Oreo, and a new boyfriend, Yeti. Everyone in our group has a dog or two, so socializing them is essential. With several large breeds covered in our pack, they can be a bit much at first. Oreo (the pit bull) is quick like lighting, nudging the others with her nose and batting her paws. Trilli (husky and lab) loves to play but has the biggest mouth, constantly barking. We're working on that. Yeti is a basset hound and great Pyrenees mix, still growing and just beautiful. He got along with the girls wonderfully, outside taking turns pouncing on each of them. It's great to watch a pack of dogs together, it's so natural for them, their own kind; friends. Hopefully next time I'll remember to bring my camera! Until next time, Angela Kelly

the dogs of luna acres - always ready to go

Our little farm is quite over run with animals, although most of them not the working farm type. The three dogs take turns guarding the place and sleeping on the couch. They all have their flaws and strengths, but not one of them what most would consider "well trained". We love them all the same, we know it our own fault for not working harder for them. We are blessed with space for them to run relatively free on their own. The yard this time of year is littered with deer legs and bones, the occasional head or spinal cord. It's a good life for these dogs. Trilli and Dakota ready to go Dakota eating the snow Bandit, the oldest pup, is still always ready for a walk, even if he doesn't make it all the way there the view this afternoon It's funny, even with all the freedom, they are always ready to go for a walk. Until next time, Angela Kelly

a new project

I stumbled upon a website last week about low impact woodland homes, essentially: hobbit houses. Dug into a hillside and covered with earth to create an efficient and beautiful house. They are made with roundwood framing, using oak trees left whole as the timbers. Straw bales are used for insulation in the walls and under the floor. They used a natural lime plaster on the walls, recycled materials for everything possible, thrifted doors and windows. All together this husband/father and his father in law built a house for under $4000 in about four months. I have been blown away by the ideas and resources available on the subject. We have spent hours already discussing the outbuildings we will need in the future, such as barns, root cellars, storage sheds, animal shelters, and well we could definitely use a few cabins around. If we can utilize the materials around us in this way, it's possible for us to create an incredible farm, beautiful, efficient, and sustainable....

luna acres

Search This Blog