EDUCATIONAL INCUBATION & HATCHING CHAT THREAD, w/ Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
I did a HUGE amount of research on keeping them for a while. Even though I had a line on a well known heat-resistant strain of New Zealand Whites from Texas A&M, I came to the conclusion that it would be too much work to keep them comfortable in our heat. The one farm that used to raise them told me that they stopped because it was miserable and the rabbits didn't have comfortable lives because of the heat - they just didn't want to do it any more. I bet they do really well in your climate (pet or meat).

 

[Beer can]

... which came from contaminated water, which is why there are such strict regulations on handling mercury waste now, and why it's questionable to put it inside a fragile breakable unit. I don't think that just because people are more likely to die from one thing, statistically, means that we shouldn't still avoid other dangers. Just how I see it. 

Actually, mercury poisoning in our water comes, I hate to say this cause I'd like to see jobs jobs jobs....
Coal mining and iron mining, from the rain, and in all bodies of water (even farm ponds, not just rivers) cause of this.
Govt guidelines, pretty funny, men can eat four meals a month, women of child bearing age and children NONE!! ZERO ZIP! Where's the gender equality in that!? Guess they don't care about is guys getting poisoned

 

[BantyChooks]

Yeah, basically, a quick humane beheading. I will have a lot of culling to do this year. I have previously done it by bleeding them out, but am thinking I will try beheading if I get enough drainage of the blood (I'm sure it will be fine). 

I did a HUGE amount of research on keeping them for a while. Even though I had a line on a well known heat-resistant strain of New Zealand Whites from Texas A&M, I came to the conclusion that it would be too much work to keep them comfortable in our heat. The one farm that used to raise them told me that they stopped because it was miserable and the rabbits didn't have comfortable lives because of the heat - they just didn't want to do it any more. I bet they do really well in your climate (pet or meat). 

Yes, they are very cold resistant. I had a Netherland dwarf living under my coop until last year... He ate chook food and drank out of the chicken water. Semi-feral, but oh so cute.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote: Theres also anatomy to learn for cutting the neck for bleeding out - and it's miserable if you miss. I'm good at it now, but am thinking beheading might be better all the way around. More humane, easier, quicker, etc.

Quote:
Yep, I know - I think Benny was referring specifically to Minamura disease in Japan, which was associated with a specific unregulated pollution event leading to contaminated water and then shellfish/fish (not a bunch of people breaking thermometers...). Part of what terrifies me about fracking is that there are these "proprietary" cocktails of chemicals that they pump into the ground, and they won't disclose what it all is, and then people act surprised when the water gets messed up... There are areas in Montana which are essentially dead because of mining.

 

[Beer can]

They really are seriously not hard to raise, as I understand it (Dan can comment). You should get a basic set up and some New Zealand Whites or Californians or something. The Storey Guide on Raising Rabbits is pretty good. There's an online forum that's pretty good, RabbitTalk, similar to BYC (though not nearly as good), just stay on the meat parts of the forum and away from the pet areas. I like rabbit, can't ever find it for sale, one of these days I'm going to try raising them. Problem is that with all our heat, it would be a bit of a struggle - would be a lot easier for you in your climate, I'm thinking...

I eat a lot of rabbits, just don't raise them, cottontails. We've had rabbits when oldest DD was in 4H, made great fertilizer but no eating...
My parents growing up besides many chickens always had a 100 rabbits, was a staple and sold good at the auctions back then. Just haven't got into them myself. Have thought of getting some American Chinchilla rabbits for the kids and 4H, just not sure yet if I can get away with it...
If there's lot's of them, maybe they wouldn't notice some disappearing?

 

[Beer can]

Theres also anatomy to learn for cutting the neck for bleeding out - and it's miserable if you miss. I'm good at it now, but am thinking beheading might be better all the way around. More humane, easier, quicker, etc.



Yep, I know - I think Benny was referring specifically to Minamura disease in Japan, which was associated with a specific unregulated pollution event leading to contaminated water and then shellfish/fish (not a bunch of people breaking thermometers...). Part of what terrifies me about fracking is that there are these "proprietary" cocktails of chemicals that they pump into the ground, and they won't disclose what it all is, and then people act surprised when the water gets messed up... There are areas in Montana which are essentially dead because of mining. 

On the dispatching rabbits, there is this thing, like a big pen, push a button and it ...

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
And there will always be more!!!

 

[Phage]

 

They really are seriously not hard to raise, as I understand it (Dan can comment). You should get a basic set up and some New Zealand Whites or Californians or something. The Storey Guide on Raising Rabbits is pretty good. There's an online forum that's pretty good, RabbitTalk, similar to BYC (though not nearly as good), just stay on the meat parts of the forum and away from the pet areas. I like rabbit, can't ever find it for sale, one of these days I'm going to try raising them. Problem is that with all our heat, it would be a bit of a struggle - would be a lot easier for you in your climate, I'm thinking...

I've only had rabbits as pets, but yes, they are extremely easy to care for. Cheap to feed, too.

I did a HUGE amount of research on keeping them for a while. Even though I had a line on a well known heat-resistant strain of New Zealand Whites from Texas A&M, I came to the conclusion that it would be too much work to keep them comfortable in our heat. The one farm that used to raise them told me that they stopped because it was miserable and the rabbits didn't have comfortable lives because of the heat - they just didn't want to do it any more. I bet they do really well in your climate (pet or meat). 

Hypothetically could you keep them in underground -as in dig a hole like 12x12 and put the cages against the walls to keep cool. Sunlight would still get in just not too much.
I could see all sorts of nasty critters could also fall in though so that would need to be resolved/prevented.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
I did a HUGE amount of research on keeping them for a while. Even though I had a line on a well known heat-resistant strain of New Zealand Whites from Texas A&M, I came to the conclusion that it would be too much work to keep them comfortable in our heat. The one farm that used to raise them told me that they stopped because it was miserable and the rabbits didn't have comfortable lives because of the heat - they just didn't want to do it any more. I bet they do really well in your climate (pet or meat).

Hypothetically could you keep them in underground -as in dig a hole like 12x12 and put the cages against the walls to keep cool. Sunlight would still get in just not too much.
I could see all sorts of nasty critters could also fall in though so that would need to be resolved/prevented.

There are some really neat articles on raising rabbits in hot climates - like you say, you can create artificial underground dens for them. It would be possible if I really really wanted to, but in the end, I like raising chickens better anyhow.

 

[BullChick]

Wouldn't it take too long for the PVC cutters to actually behead them? As fast as I can cut a pipe, I think even that moment of pain is longer than slitting their throat. Isn't it?