tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810033429461791744.post7159425834123820892..comments2024-03-16T12:45:12.251-04:00Comments on Raised By Wolves: Charter of FreewarrenHeather Houlahanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13891198124130533198noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810033429461791744.post-46088390719206661772010-11-23T20:57:04.448-05:002010-11-23T20:57:04.448-05:00Well after the fact, but I am interested to hear m...Well after the fact, but I am interested to hear more on how this goes. Raised rabbits for about 10 years, long ago when I was quite young. Was in the "large" wire-floored pen with various boards/nests to get them up off said wire camp. One rabbit/pen, but with all the does that were sociable housed in adjacent pens. Californians as well, actually.<br /><br />Hoping to get back into it in a year or two when I (hopefully) again have the space. Might try the open warren method, but need to learn more first.Michellenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810033429461791744.post-11177261285684230572010-10-11T15:57:28.044-04:002010-10-11T15:57:28.044-04:00I've seen rabbit tractors, too, that allow the...I've seen rabbit tractors, too, that allow them to munch the grass and hop around outside. They're triangular with a small strand of electric wire or electric poultry netting to keep them away from the edges so they don't just dig their way to freedom.Danahttp://roscommonacres@gmail.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810033429461791744.post-1837932313268963032010-10-11T03:47:14.510-04:002010-10-11T03:47:14.510-04:00Re: inbreeding
Yes, you replace the buck about tw...Re: inbreeding<br /><br />Yes, you replace the buck about twice a year. This is similar to the way that large producers manage rams and bulls, just on a shorter timeframe, because, you know, <i>rabbits</i>.<br /><br />I'll probably replace my buck in April or thereabouts. All male offspring will go into the freezer. I'll retain a few female offspring to join the current three does for breeding, then get a new buck when they come of age -- probably a New Zealand, for the hybrid vigor.<br /><br />I can sell or trade my current buck, as he is young.Heather Houlahanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13891198124130533198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810033429461791744.post-54237449612018978162010-10-10T10:34:05.280-04:002010-10-10T10:34:05.280-04:00I've been wanting to raise rabbits in a warre...I've been wanting to raise rabbits in a warren type system ever since Gene Logsdon mentioned it in _The Contrary Gardener(Farmer?)_, and this spring was going to be it.<br /><br />But unfortunately, I had lost my mind 5 months earlier and have 10 goat kids to put in the freezer. So until the goat glut is gone there's no rabbits. Sigh.<br /><br />And your set up has made me think more about the 'how'-even adjustiing for a totally different climate(Texas). Thanks for giving me more ideas!rheatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13106202307295596177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810033429461791744.post-63887398989068802252010-10-04T17:11:41.190-04:002010-10-04T17:11:41.190-04:00I was quite amused to read this- just this weekend...I was quite amused to read this- just this weekend while at a goat show I was talking with the spouse about raising meat rabbits next year instead of chickens since a)the milkers waste a good deal of premium alfalfa which rabbits could munch on and b)it sounds like they are much easier to process than chickens. Great minds and all that- except that I am simply talking about doing this, while you are actually doing it. I'll be quite interested to see how this project goes for you.Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05404312674626308999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810033429461791744.post-5063885030624268432010-10-02T22:49:47.173-04:002010-10-02T22:49:47.173-04:00I dunno. Might do to sleep with one eye open....
...I dunno. Might do to sleep with one eye open....<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xulXFB3-A3c&feature=relatedJill Morstadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810033429461791744.post-37155342676541726872010-10-01T00:12:48.621-04:002010-10-01T00:12:48.621-04:00Have you read "Possum Living"?
http://w...Have you read "Possum Living"?<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvn79E40VScAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810033429461791744.post-35222825051191374302010-09-29T22:41:11.161-04:002010-09-29T22:41:11.161-04:00We did something like that when I was in college. ...We did something like that when I was in college. Six of us lived on an old place with forty acres. My housemate had read about communal rabbit raising from The Countryside & Small Stock Journal, and we decided to convert an ancient 12'x20' chain link dog run to the rabbits. We put half inch aviary wire around the bottom of the sides, and more lying flat on the perimeter, to keep out rodents.<br /><br />In our mild northern California climate tarps over the top provided enough protection from rain in the winter and sun in the summer.<br /><br />We started with one good doe and one good buck, a dozen bales of hay, half oat and half alfalfa, water, and a salt block.<br /><br />We added a few cups of mixed grain every morning, whole oats, whole barley, and cracked corn as I remember. They also got thinnings and trimmings from the garden.<br /><br />The only problem we could never solve was inbreeding, and we finally rounded up all the males and put them in the freezer, and bought another good unrelated buck.Meadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18301580269691766251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810033429461791744.post-52615747797307502692010-09-29T18:27:42.559-04:002010-09-29T18:27:42.559-04:00In 1944 I sent for and received the U.S. Departmen...In 1944 I sent for and received the U.S. Department of Agriculture pamphlet on the raising of rabbits for meat. One of the so called facts I remember was that 1 buck and 6 does will, within something more than a year, produce 1800 offspring. I grew to hate one particular buck who racked my arm every time I put him in with selected does. Still love to eat rabbit though. They were contained in wooden boxes with heavy guage wire fronts. Cleaned the boxes often. Fed them pellets and greens. Lots of water.<br /><br />DadAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810033429461791744.post-61616009858309381142010-09-29T10:17:07.999-04:002010-09-29T10:17:07.999-04:00Seeing the picture of your rabbits in their "...Seeing the picture of your rabbits in their "leporaria", reminded me of a favorite movie of mine, "Jean de Florette" (France, 1986.) In the movie, the title character creates something similar for his rabbits, which are the biggest rabbits I have ever seen. Just thought I would pass the movie tip along if anyone is interested in a fine French film. If you do look it up, try to find the sequel, "Manon of the Spring."someday_suehttp://www.trswmorgans.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810033429461791744.post-35289826439322958912010-09-29T09:53:20.553-04:002010-09-29T09:53:20.553-04:00Wow, I am utterly fascinated by how this goes.
...Wow, I am utterly fascinated by how this goes. <br /><br />The question I have, is that you currently have a little harem of females with their king, all unrelated - until, that is, they breed like rabbits... and a few months after that where they do it again.<br /><br />How do you even hope to control the inbreeding? Aside from replacing the male entirely every few months... <br /><br />Regardless, I think these are without question the happiest meat rabbits on the planet.<br /><br />As for the eat 'em or pet 'em discussion, I each chickens, turkeys, duck and quail... but I keep and rescue parrots, and wouldn't hesitate to have ducks for pets.<br /><br />There's an interesting book about this issue, "The Dog By The Cradle, The Serpent Beneath". She's not a very good writer in my opinion, but she poses some interesting questions and at some point I will probably read it again.<br /><br />Keep us posted on this new addition to the growing farm!The Dog Househttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11287112678836853233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810033429461791744.post-88299651704303651192010-09-28T17:31:37.264-04:002010-09-28T17:31:37.264-04:00If any of your plants need a nitrogen boost, you c...If any of your plants need a nitrogen boost, you can probably dump the rabbit scoopings around them -- supposedly, rabbit droppings don't have to be composted further to use on plants. It's a little late for squash, but brassicas and onion family plants always appreciate extra N.<br /><br />DoreneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810033429461791744.post-82821445295224103742010-09-28T14:19:10.737-04:002010-09-28T14:19:10.737-04:00Thank you Sarah, I'll fix that now.
Cottontai...Thank you Sarah, I'll fix that now.<br /><br />Cottontails are certainly different critters from Iberian rabbits. They may be, per Jared Diamond, undomesticable.<br /><br />Dorene -- all of the above.<br /><br />The pellets and urine are concentrated in a couple areas, which I've now scooped out once.<br /><br />The rest should compost in place much like chicken litter, hopefully aided by bunny tunneling.<br /><br />I threw the scoopings into the chicken pens for phase II recycling.Heather Houlahanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13891198124130533198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810033429461791744.post-1838870660740856492010-09-28T14:12:22.967-04:002010-09-28T14:12:22.967-04:00Looks like a nice habitat -- however, how do you d...Looks like a nice habitat -- however, how do you deal with the poop? Do they dump it all in one place to be scooped out or do you have to muck the entire place out after x number of days or does the deep litter composting system work for rabbits as it does for chickens?<br /><br />Definately something to consider for meat for the future. . .<br /><br />DoreneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810033429461791744.post-22557665928050205752010-09-28T09:56:00.742-04:002010-09-28T09:56:00.742-04:00Latin teacher here! It's leporaria.
[ Courtes...Latin teacher here! It's leporaria.<br /><br />[ Courtesy of the following online student dictionary: http://www.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/wordes.exe ]<br /><br />I've always wondered what the differences would be if new world rabbits, the kind that don't live in warrens, were domesticated.Sarahnoreply@blogger.com