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

[kwhites634]

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.
Don't know about underground, but there used to be a guy around here who showed rabbits; kept hundreds of them in a big steel building (enough for a horse show ring & then some) with exhaust fans for air exchange.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Plans - Stress free tractor plans. Here's the link:

https://farmmarketingsolutions.com/stress-free-chicken-tractor-plans/

If you decide to buy the plans (not that expensive, and he's supporting his young family in part from these), I can PM you details of my modifications - most importantly, I created an elevated platform in the back with roosts, which increases floor space, allows additional shade/protection, and since there's no ladder, they just jump/fly up, an added level of protection from flood or nighttime predators (found a family of raccoons in the GNH coop one night when the automatic door malfunctioned - got there early enough that the chickens were safe above, and the raccoons were in the food below). (Also, there's an error in the cut list, though I bought my version of the plans a while ago, so he might have fixed it.) I also attached the conduit higher up, which makes it easier to walk inside (done' like the plans, I have to duck and I'm 5'6"). The lap joints are a pain, but are really important - they allow the frame to flex over uneven ground and still stay in contact with the ground.





I have made another modification now, adding additional uprights to allow the tractor to be disassemble into panels (plus top) - not easily, but possible. I have 3 in use as permanent "coops", 2 with growouts in them, and 4 more in production now.

Kristin, I am sure you asked this before but what are the uprights? and did you bend them?

 

[daxigait]

@Auroradream26

 

[Sparkle110]

Hey, the one plus of snow is it covers the dog poop in the yard... Then again, snow might be worse.
Explain to me again how Fahrenheit is rational? Hmmm?

I don't know, but you are right abotu the snow coverage

I don't know about Fahrenheit, I can barly spell it much less know very much about it

 

[daxigait]

Kristin, I am sure you asked this before but what are the uprights?  and did you bend them?

I wonder if you could use PVC instead of conduit in the summer to avoid bending it and the tool?

 

[DwayneNLiz]

Yeah his teeth looked good when my husband checked them - but we can get them floated if he needs it. I'll probably have the vet out to check him over and give him a higher grade dewormer than the one from the feedstore, just to make sure. Other than that, he's really pretty.

prob a good idea

@BantyChooks

Rabbits are cheap to care for? My daughter never got that memo, she feeds a super expensive bunny feed to cuddlebuns, and she buys like 5-10 dollars in wooden chew toys every couple of weeks for him, plus alfplha pellets and bunny hay which isn't cheap at the feed store. Add in the fresh produce, and he's more expensive than my chickens per month. haha

(He's also got a litter box, and the bunny litter isn't cheap, either.)

use sand in the litter box, and cut out all the expensive stuff, its a rabbit

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Homegrown.

hmmmm I will skip saying SHOW OFF and head to..... Either that thing is small or your the jolly green giant!

Quote: ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!! who would pay that for rabbit!!!!!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote:

Mornin Chaos Im ok, glad its warmer again for sure, you?

 

[DwayneNLiz]

Good Morning Sunshine

 

[BantyChooks]

hmmmm I will skip saying SHOW OFF and head to..... Either that thing is small or your the jolly green giant!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!! who would pay that for rabbit!!!!!

That's the largest size of apple I ever get from my trees....

Certainly not me. If I wanted rabbit, I'd go out and choot em. Plenty to go around, and then some.