With todays rising feed costs,and people wanting to save more money,if you have the land space available,the skys the limit. Our laying chickens are getting rather old and not too productive anymore.They should all be going to freezer camp but at some of their ages I doubt a pressure cooker would make them palatable.So,this winter I have been researching meat rabbits. Mainly American and Silver Fox breeds.
I see many advantages to rabbits,1) No hard feather plucking 2) Meat is higher in protein,and less fat.3) Instead of waiting 6mos to get eggs,rabbits are 3/4 grown by this time.
I'm sure many can give opposite views pro and con to each,,sure I like eggs but for a family of just 3,buying a dozen that lasts for a week is cheaper and less risk than raising or buying,then maintaining-feeding chickens.We have over 100 peacocks now,(I know,their a cash cow too) but the rewards of breeding them if only for 3-4 months a year far exceeds what little it takes to put a smile on my face.
As with everything,feed is the main imput. Granted Peacocks don't eat as much as chickens do but they are very finicky eaters,often leaving the most needed ingredients of the feed at the bottom of the feed bowls,mainly the soybean meal and alfalfa meal.
I've done a lot of reading up of raising your own fodder,and rabbits are especially fond of this feed. But once again,each day you feed this,in order to have the feed available 7 days from today, you must soak and start fodder. I do not have the time daily to soak seeds,and spread seeds in trays for germination and growing but what to me makes more sense is to spend one night a week,or a half day on weekends to start enough fodder to last an entire week.
I'm going back and forth here somewhat,but for my peacocks to get 100% of the nutrition I put into the feed,it all needs to be pressed onto feed pellets. Fodder I believe,if taken out of the trays at 6-7 days when it's at it's peak in protein levels,put in a cool,dark room with a dehumidifier in it,could be dried down to a level low enough to make pellets out of.
I'm trying to justify making myself my own pellet mill,to make peafowl feed and want opinions on drying,then pelletizing fodder for rabbits too.. It would much the same as cutting hay,it is cut,left to dry,possibly turned once and when it's dried down enough,it is then baled.
If anyone that has a slight amount of mechanical-shop-welding abilities,you can make yourself a pellitizer for maybe a few hundred bucks,as I'm hoping to start building by months end.I cannot see paying $2000 for something that is so simple in design,and initial cost. So my questions are,anyone here have their own pellet maker? Anyone ever thought of drying fodder and growing enough at one time to last more than 1 days worth of feed? And if any mechanical gurus out here wants to exchange ideas on making your own pellet mill,please pm me,,,thanks
I see many advantages to rabbits,1) No hard feather plucking 2) Meat is higher in protein,and less fat.3) Instead of waiting 6mos to get eggs,rabbits are 3/4 grown by this time.
I'm sure many can give opposite views pro and con to each,,sure I like eggs but for a family of just 3,buying a dozen that lasts for a week is cheaper and less risk than raising or buying,then maintaining-feeding chickens.We have over 100 peacocks now,(I know,their a cash cow too) but the rewards of breeding them if only for 3-4 months a year far exceeds what little it takes to put a smile on my face.
As with everything,feed is the main imput. Granted Peacocks don't eat as much as chickens do but they are very finicky eaters,often leaving the most needed ingredients of the feed at the bottom of the feed bowls,mainly the soybean meal and alfalfa meal.
I've done a lot of reading up of raising your own fodder,and rabbits are especially fond of this feed. But once again,each day you feed this,in order to have the feed available 7 days from today, you must soak and start fodder. I do not have the time daily to soak seeds,and spread seeds in trays for germination and growing but what to me makes more sense is to spend one night a week,or a half day on weekends to start enough fodder to last an entire week.
I'm going back and forth here somewhat,but for my peacocks to get 100% of the nutrition I put into the feed,it all needs to be pressed onto feed pellets. Fodder I believe,if taken out of the trays at 6-7 days when it's at it's peak in protein levels,put in a cool,dark room with a dehumidifier in it,could be dried down to a level low enough to make pellets out of.
I'm trying to justify making myself my own pellet mill,to make peafowl feed and want opinions on drying,then pelletizing fodder for rabbits too.. It would much the same as cutting hay,it is cut,left to dry,possibly turned once and when it's dried down enough,it is then baled.
If anyone that has a slight amount of mechanical-shop-welding abilities,you can make yourself a pellitizer for maybe a few hundred bucks,as I'm hoping to start building by months end.I cannot see paying $2000 for something that is so simple in design,and initial cost. So my questions are,anyone here have their own pellet maker? Anyone ever thought of drying fodder and growing enough at one time to last more than 1 days worth of feed? And if any mechanical gurus out here wants to exchange ideas on making your own pellet mill,please pm me,,,thanks
