Arizona Chickens

[redrocketrooster]

I let the "female" bunny that I picked up off Craig's List out to free-range with the chickens, turkeys and other female rabbit. Within a matter of minutes, they began doing the mating dance and had four or five sessions in about four or five minutes! Needless to say, the phrase "Screwing like rabbits" is absolutely true! I may have rabbit kits for butchering or for sale significantly sooner than I planned... Oops!

Nice! Breed back tomorrow in the early morning or night. Buck fertility drops to 50% or less in the summer heat. You have a three day window where the doe will keep producing eggs and the bucks sperm count raises. After day three her vent will close. Then you know he got her! Forgot to say, wake the doe up with a snack and wait till after she urinates before breeding. If you ever have a hard time getting the rabbits to get in the mood add 2 tablespoons of pure apple cider vinegar to their water daily for a week. Generally works magic. Same with rolled oats and germ wheat.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

I have never had good rabbit.

I had a frozen rabbit, and it was so tuff, I gave it to an English Bull Dog, had to pay for a broken jaw, an dentures. The pure thing almost died

I hope to have fresh rabbit someday, for the true first time by some one that knows how to cook. My friend stewed it, it was 33% rabbit , 33% garlic, 16.5% carrots, $ 16.5% potato. I should have known, that it wasn't fixed right when I walked in to the kitchen and the rabbit was trying to escape the pot. :/

 

[flower]

Oh Bonnie, I can't stop laughing !

 

[Demosthine]

Wow, Demos, you have chicken eating turkeys and horny bunnies. I might have to make the processing party just to see your craziness!

Regardless of weather or not you make it to the processing party, you're more than welcome to stop by sometime. Just message me and let me know what works.

Nice! Breed back tomorrow in the early morning or night. Buck fertility drops to 50% or less in the summer heat. You have a three day window where the doe will keep producing eggs and the bucks sperm count raises. After day three her vent will close. Then you know he got her!

Forgot to say, wake the doe up with a snack and wait till after she urinates before breeding. If you ever have a hard time getting the rabbits to get in the mood add 2 tablespoons of pure apple cider vinegar to their water daily for a week. Generally works magic. Same with rolled oats and germ wheat.

Thanks for the information. Since we have been keeping the buck inside, fertility should not be a problem due to the summer heat. He's been kept in a comfortable 78*-80*F house and sine my wife wants him as a house pet anyway, I think that works out quite well for keeping them separated, but being able to breed any time of the year. He was only outside for two or three hours during the cool of the late evening and then was brought back inside for the night. I never have time for those type of activities before work, though, so I'll have to let him out to breed again the next two evenings. I moved the dog kennel turned rabbit hutch from the main section of the yard to the fenced fireplace area to allow easier pellet feeding and peace away from the greedy poultry. It'll help protect the kits from them, also. She has no problem getting through the small gaps in the rod iron fencing surrounding the pool, so I'm good with that.

Anyway, I started a Google Doc with the tips and tricks I pick up along the way. The author/owner of The Urban Rabbit Project chimed in to give me some gestation advice last night on the FaceBook page. I love having such great resources available. Now, to be ready to process them in twelve to fourteen weeks...

 

[redrocketrooster]

Awesomeness! My best wishes towards your new breeding pair. At least 7 for this kindle! And we get pictures right? oh! Have you learned to palpitate? I love ruining suprises and counting marbles.

 

[simplyscrambled]

Hi everyone,

I plan to retire in and around Tucson, AZ. And one thing we have to be able to have is our chickens! I have zoning info for Tucson, but can't seem to be able to find the regulations for having chickens in residential areas of Oro Valley. (R136) I thought I'd ask here. Thanks in advance~

 

[pipemum]

Hi everyone,

I plan to retire in and around Tucson, AZ. And one thing we have to be able to have is our chickens! I have zoning info for Tucson, but can't seem to be able to find the regulations for having chickens in residential areas of Oro Valley. (R136) I thought I'd ask here. Thanks in advance~

Here's the link to the Oro Valley code: http://www.codepublishing.com/az/orovalley/ I think your best bet is to call a planner in the zoning department and ask them about backyard chickens. Oro Valley is also chock full of HOAs with very, very restrictive rules, and very "observant" neighbors, so when you're choosing a place to live, make sure the HOA won't be an issue.

Tucson peeps--do the feed stores around here ever stock Cornish X chicks? Or is that something I'm going to have to have hatchery ordered? If, and that's a big if, the killing portion of the processing of my RIR roo isn't as traumatic as my first one, I'm thinking about building a small pen for 6 CX in a month or so.

 

[Fuzzybird]

Quote: City Farm, I think mix chickens are the best kind!
Demosthine, That will be great. Lets see what works out. Thanks.

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

Quote: Very tactfully said.

 

[desertmarcy]

Here's the link to the Oro Valley code: http://www.codepublishing.com/az/orovalley/ I think your best bet is to call a planner in the zoning department and ask them about backyard chickens. Oro Valley is also chock full of HOAs with very, very restrictive rules, and very "observant" neighbors, so when you're choosing a place to live, make sure the HOA won't be an issue.

Tucson peeps--do the feed stores around here ever stock Cornish X chicks? Or is that something I'm going to have to have hatchery ordered? If, and that's a big if, the killing portion of the processing of my RIR roo isn't as traumatic as my first one, I'm thinking about building a small pen for 6 CX in a month or so.

I don't know what the feed stores stock since I don't buy from them, but are you sure you want to raise Cornish X? I raised them once and said never again. They are quite disgusting chickens, IMHO, all they do is sit, eat, drink and poop. They grow like crazy and can have leg problems such that they can't walk. They also do not take the heat well at all, so if you are insistent on raising them for meat, do it in the winter or late fall. I got my chicks end of Feb. and by the beginning of May, they were all butchered. The heritage meat birds (not hatchery, they are not big enough) take longer to grow out to butcher size but they taste infinitely better. By buying Cornish cross, you are perpetuating the industry of "frankenbirds". Just my opinion!!