Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Triple Willow]

That's what I was worried about too but it never seemed to happen..guess chickens are quick.   

I was thinking of a lightweight tractor built of 2x2s with a wire floor, divided into compartments that could be accessed individually from the top, with the total build being 4x8. I'd like two does and one buck with a grow out pen for youngsters.  I was thinking three sections in an "L" shape of 2x3(doe), 2x3(buck) and 2x4(doe) with the remaining 2x6 section being a grow out pen.  I'd like to design some partitions to halve the grow out pen at times and open up the two doe pens into the two halves so the does can have more room when the kits are still small enough to be with mama but too small to move to the grow out. 

Sounds like a good design. Be sure to show pics of the build when you do it! We had so many wild rabbits in and around the yard this summer that you could just see their droppings everywhere on the ground! It was nothing to see 4-5 out and sometimes up to 6-7. I don't know what happened because for YEARS we didn't see a rabbit anywhere around. Squirrels are back too. I need to get out and catch some of both!

 

[bruceh]

very resourceful bee. free rabbits

 

[Angelicisi]

No time to die today sorry! Maybe next Friday...

Okay, trying to kill me is one thing but my chickens?!?!?! LOL I started to eat one but I didn't have time to keel over today. LOL

 

[Triple Willow]

No time to die today sorry! Maybe next Friday...

Me too, exactly. lol I still haven't figured out what that bush is. I want to know if I can make a pie out of those berries! lol

 

[Regin]

That's what I was worried about too but it never seemed to happen..guess chickens are quick.

I was thinking of a lightweight tractor built of 2x2s with a wire floor, divided into compartments that could be accessed individually from the top, with the total build being 4x8. I'd like two does and one buck with a grow out pen for youngsters. I was thinking three sections in an "L" shape of 2x3(doe), 2x3(buck) and 2x4(doe) with the remaining 2x6 section being a grow out pen. I'd like to design some partitions to halve the grow out pen at times and open up the two doe pens into the two halves so the does can have more room when the kits are still small enough to be with mama but too small to move to the grow out.

I've not tried this yet. But, I've read some on this and there are a couple of issues that concern me. Domestic Rabbits generally do not thrive on green grass and fresh produce because they have been fed for generations and selected by those that thrive on the pelleted feed. I read where people have developed rabbits for pasture but had high mortality rates during the process of developing them. You could get stock from them if you didn't want to develop them from scratch. Also rabbits nibble the grass blade from the tip down and need grass that's not flattened. Slat bottomed pens are what I've been seeing.
In addition the breeders are generally removed from pasture before birthing. And kits returned to grow out pens on pasture at 5-7 weeks. In your neck of the woods it would be hard to keep them out in the winter as well.

 

[Angelicisi]

We moved the rabbits out of the coop for room. Thought it'd be great all in one place but we needed the extra room in the coop later. I still think hanging them in a large coop is an awesome idea. We moved them to an indoor area in the workshop and made all our cages except the pet grey lop and bought trays we aligned under their cages. (cement mixing trays that were on sale for $2 made of uber thick washable plastic) the trays lips overlap each other so waste fall in from anywhere keeping it in the bins. I pull out a tray and dump it right into the garden and rinsed or sifted of hay & into a composted pile of rabbit poo people pay me to scoop up lol.
The grey lop has a store bought cage with guards and a tray that cost $14.99- pee effin everywhere. I swear he flings poo too.

I've kept rabbits over chickens and it works out great.  I suspended my cages from the ceiling so there would be no wood structures under them to block the floor or to gather pee residue.  That's the one thing about rabbits that makes the most mess..they squirt pee and it's pretty strong.  Deep litter will help with that some but it's rather more ammonia than one encounters in simple chicken poop.  Some folks arrange plastic sheeting or trash bags that funnels the pee into buckets under the cages instead of letting it all just go into the bedding willy nilly. 

If I'm still here in the spring I'm thinking about building a rabbit tractor/hutch combo that would put all that poop and pee where it would do the most good while also giving the rabbits access to fresh graze and soils a couple three times a day.  Folks get bunnies for Easter and soon tire of them and give them away, cages and all...thinking I might capitalize on that and pick up some cheap meats in that way, as well as cages to incorporate into my tractor. 

 

[Angelicisi]

How do I do this without the doe's destroying me?

That's funny!! I always bred my does by hand.  I have a little 'stanchion'  where I put their heads and wrapped a large rubber band around her tail and the other end over the front of the device...this keeps her tail out of the way.  This is on the same table used to kill them, by the way...

Anyhow, I then bring the buck to the doe, hold the does with one hand while the bucks mount.  Almost every time, the bucks would grab the skin of my hand with their teeth, hold tight enough to leave pretty good marks and then do their thing, squeal and fall over on their sides. Really funny to watch the crazy things.

Everyone has different husbandry techniques.  I learned how to deal with rabbits when I worked my way through college...sort of.  My tuition was paid but if I wanted extra cash I had to work and I did...For Johns Hopkins Hospital research dept.  I cared for the rabbit colony, over-saw the breeding and, unfortunately had to deal with some aspects that I didn't like and won't discuss here but suffice to say...I know rabbits...

Can rabbit feed be fermented like the chicken feed?
I do see a few potential issues with it, just curious.

 

[hellbender]

How do I do this without the doe's destroying me?
Can rabbit feed be fermented like the chicken feed?
I do see a few potential issues with it, just curious.

I don't know but I seriously doubt it. Chickens are omnivores whereas rabbits are strictly herbivores. IMHO, best to feed them high quality commercially bought feed designed for rabbits. I would NEVER even feed extra greens or carrots etc. to any rabbit that was under 9 months old because they can get unbalanced very quickly and die in just a couple of hours.

Also...your garage needs to NOT be heated and must have good ventilation...

 

[fosterson]

Me too, exactly. lol I still haven't figured out what that bush is. I want to know if I can make a pie out of those berries! lol

Aw, c'mon guys! Where's your sense of adventure? ANYTHING is edible ONCE!

 

[hellbender]

I keep saying I'm going to get some rabbits. I plan on it anyhow. I've had pet rabbits but none for meat. Do you think there would be any problem sitting their coop/cage in the chicken run? An Amish neighbor told me that they eat more rabbit than they do chicken. I don't know what kind of rabbits they have. I'll have to check on that. I agree with Bee, killing them wouldn't be easy. I would probably shoot them in the head.

Shooting them would work but if I were going to dispatch a rabbit that way, a .22 short might even be over-kill. A high quality air pistol would do the job if one must resort to gun violence..

LOLOLOLOL