3 male rabbits

let these guys out to stretch their legs. Only problem was, it was not their legs they were stretching....

Auto Draft

Auto Draft

Auto Draft

Chicks 3 week update

Chicks 3 weeks and in the tractor

Tanning Hide, Part 2: Fleshing

Before and after fleshing rabbit hide

Soaked for 48 hours in mixture of:

• Water


• Salt (n0n iodized)


• Alum

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Now the hide must soak again in another mixture of the same solution for 7 days before breaking the fibers.

2nd chicken tractor

Another chicken tractor

Lettuce shade

Used weed mat to make a lettuce shade

1st rabbit processed

Processed 1st rabbit this evening. About 1 hour from bullet to bone. Including deboning entire rabbit and washing pellet to tan.

6 lb 11 oz before
3 lb 11 oz after

Hide is being saved also to tan

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Tanning Hide, Step 1

Process rabbit, wash and put in a bucket of solution:

2 gallons water
1 cup non iodized salt
1 cup alum

Dead Rabbit

found a dead rabbit in the last pen today (White with brown buck). Rabbit was slow moving yesterday and Eva commented how calm it was. Found it dead stiff and bloated this afternoon, so must have died during the night. The other rabbit that was caged with it seems active and fine. No sign of fighting?

Garden Update 3/14/11

Garden Update:

Rabbit Hutch Update (1st hanging cage, and rabbit weights)

Added 1st hanging cage to rabbit hutch.

Gus:
6lb 3oz
4.3 months

Thumper:
6lb 11oz
11 months

Chicks, 2 week update 3/13/11

2 week update on new chicks, bantam cochin and cornish rocks

New Californian Buck

Picked up Californian buck today. Guy said he was just under a year, so I'll say he's 11 months today



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Moving Chicks to larger brooder

Moved the chicks to a larger brooder located in the shed.

Garden Update 3/8/2011

Spring garden update:

Chicken Processing 3/5/11

Processed the 10 month old Orpington the the Orpington cross. They were  both about the same weight just at 4.5 lbs. After processing they were both 3 lbs.

The butcher board I made the night before worked great:

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Transplanted more Veggies 3/5/11 garden update

I transplanted more veggies during the week and need to start more seeds. I transplanted the following:

• Tomatoes, 2 types - plants all together


• egg plant


• cucumber


• Blue Bush Beans

Chick Update 1 week. Cornish Rock chicks added!

Added 6 Cornish X Rock chicks to the 8 we had hatched a week ago. The new chicks appear to be about the same age judging by their feather development, so they will be ready to put out at the same time as our bantam cochins. Got them from the local Tractor Supply store.

Hutch Update

Update on the rabbit hutches. Added sides and 3rd cage to act as a butcher pin for now.

Picked up 2 roosters during the week that I plan to butcher tomorrow and also added another barrel.

Plan on adding a second row of cages under the top row and have metal on top of them set at an angle so the droppings from the top cages roll down and fall into the barrels underneath.

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Paper pot roller

Paper pot roller, maker

Februray Harvest Totals

Total for February: 15.3 lbs