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My Rabbit Journey~New Pics pg 17 - Page 13

post #121 of 230
7/11/11 at 7:22am

I just wanted to mention a couple discoveries I've made for feeding my dogs home-raised chicken. I have two toy dogs, a chihuahua and a papillon, who don't really like chicken from the store at all. I have to heat up the outside to even make it palatable. It's their least favorite meal. We've been raising some jumbo crosses and so far I've butchered two, one at four weeks, one at six weeks, both due to bad legs. My little dogs gobble these up like candy! I don't have to mess with pre-heating and they don't sit around hoping I'll give them something better. Also, the four week old one had such soft bones that it was really easy for them to crunch down on. I would recommend that size for tiny dogs or dogs with teeth problems.
Anyway, just wanted to say that my dogs can really tell the difference between store bought and home raised chicken. They say home raised is much yummier!

OEGBs, Three Egyptian Fayoumis, Two Silver Leghorns, 2 Sicilian Buttercups, 2 Golden Penciled Hamburgs, EEs,production reds, Cornish Xs and red broilers,a Doberman, a teenaged chihuahua and a papillon, one TB gelding (rescue), and my matriarch Paint mare with her daughter and son (gelding), plus one wonderful husband who puts up with me
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OEGBs, Three Egyptian Fayoumis, Two Silver Leghorns, 2 Sicilian Buttercups, 2 Golden Penciled Hamburgs, EEs,production reds, Cornish Xs and red broilers,a Doberman, a teenaged chihuahua and a papillon, one TB gelding (rescue), and my matriarch Paint mare with her daughter and son (gelding), plus one wonderful husband who puts up with me
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post #122 of 230
7/11/11 at 12:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by itsy 

Hey LuLu!  Welcome to BYC.  Do you have photos of your setup?  I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I'm curious to see your rubbermaid waste method.  smile


Thanks, Itsy, I don't have pictures but will try to get some. It was a nice cheap option. I went to walmart and got two rubbermaid 18 Qt dishpans. I drilled a bunch of holes in the top one (just small enough that their poop doesn't fit through). Then I put an inch or so of pine pellets (like are used in horse stalls) in the solid bottomed one and stacked the one with holes on top.  When I started I put a handful of hay in there to get them started. Every day I dump the poop and once a week I change the pine pellets.
They love to push them around the cages and hide behind them.

It only took a few days before there was no more pee outside the boxes, but I still find stray poops in the girls' cages. the smell is SO much better!

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post #123 of 230
7/22/11 at 4:47pm
Thread Starter 

My first litter of Champagne D'argent kits are 8 weeks old now, and that doe is due again today.  She's confirmed pregnant with my broken-red New Zealand buck.  I also purchased a pedigreed Californian doe but after two breedings and no kits I am probably going to have her for dinner next week.

Right now my litter of six is staying in a grow out pen and are getting huge, they are really heavy for their size but I don't have a scale for them so I really can't say how heavy they are.  I have had some big issues with the HOA and neighbors so a friend of mine is willing to take the rabbits to her house and feed/water them daily in exchange for a % of the meat produced.  So I can have my cake and eat it too. smile

Some pics:

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e49/EduCanine/Rabbits/DSCN1660.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e49/EduCanine/Rabbits/DSCN1657.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e49/EduCanine/Rabbits/DSCN1655.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e49/EduCanine/Rabbits/DSCN1654.jpg

Training your dog will make you a better person.  Wife, Mother, Dog trainer.

The most important decision you make every day is what you choose to put in your mind ~ Chip Ingram
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Training your dog will make you a better person.  Wife, Mother, Dog trainer.

The most important decision you make every day is what you choose to put in your mind ~ Chip Ingram
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post #124 of 230
7/24/11 at 6:57am

They are beautiful.

It's going to be hard for us to process ours. sad


It's too hot here now to breed, so we'll have to wait a couple of more months.
Thanks for sharing your journey.

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post #125 of 230
7/24/11 at 10:31am
Thread Starter 

Sorry about being too hot, that does make a set back for your meat production.  I also feel it will be hard to process this litter, they are very friendly and have been a lot of fun.  I am keeping back one female for my breeding program, I have to evaluate both females because I want the one best suited for heavy muscle and balanced conformation.  I will post pics of the two females and get some opinions here and on a rabbit board that I am on.

This morning I went to check my Champagne doe and she has had a few of her new litter, I didn't do a lot of checking but felt like she had four or five to start with, she looked to still be in labor to me.  On a very exciting note my broken-red NZ buck's genetics have shown in this litter and I saw two speckled pinkies in the nest box-- one has markings on the face like a panda. celebrate  I will give her the afternoon to finish labor and get some pics this evening. wee

Training your dog will make you a better person.  Wife, Mother, Dog trainer.

The most important decision you make every day is what you choose to put in your mind ~ Chip Ingram
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Training your dog will make you a better person.  Wife, Mother, Dog trainer.

The most important decision you make every day is what you choose to put in your mind ~ Chip Ingram
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post #126 of 230
7/24/11 at 1:08pm

bun  wee  bun  wee   bun

Can't wait to see the pics!!

Congratulations.......again!!!!!! You'll have 2 more litters before we even have 1 at this rate!

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post #127 of 230
7/25/11 at 1:47pm
Thread Starter 

Here is my newest litter.

Champagne doe X NZ Buck (broken red color)

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e49/EduCanine/Rabbits/100_1073.jpg

Training your dog will make you a better person.  Wife, Mother, Dog trainer.

The most important decision you make every day is what you choose to put in your mind ~ Chip Ingram
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Training your dog will make you a better person.  Wife, Mother, Dog trainer.

The most important decision you make every day is what you choose to put in your mind ~ Chip Ingram
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post #128 of 230
7/25/11 at 7:59pm

Awww.......love

I've never heard of a broken red NZ. I'm going to have to look it up. That's a pretty color.
The panda one is too adorable.

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post #129 of 230
7/28/11 at 11:43am
Thread Starter 

My new litter at five days old.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e49/EduCanine/Rabbits/100_1076.jpg

Training your dog will make you a better person.  Wife, Mother, Dog trainer.

The most important decision you make every day is what you choose to put in your mind ~ Chip Ingram
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Training your dog will make you a better person.  Wife, Mother, Dog trainer.

The most important decision you make every day is what you choose to put in your mind ~ Chip Ingram
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post #130 of 230
7/29/11 at 5:48am

th

They are so beautiful! I'm in trouble. How can you not love on these? I love the red colored ones.  bun

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BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Raising BackYard Chickens › Meat Birds ETC › My Rabbit Journey~New Pics pg 17