Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[SheaLoner]

Mostly, they've been escaping. No litters yet.

I normally wont expect litters till the does are 5-6 months old. And mine dont like to breed in the summer heat. Wether that is on the doe not taking or the bucks having heat sterility or that its just too dang hot when wearing a fur coat!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I would have to check calendar, see when we got them.

Snu Snu was Mar 23, and he was 2 months of age at the time. So he's just hitting the six month mark. The other two were end of April, the first was almost two months old at the time (Peanut Bunny) so five months now, the second (Blackberry Jam) was only five weeks at the time, making her four months old.

 

[troyer]

Back when I raised rabbits I ended up raising them from October to March, the last litters being born in March. ( think hot/humid Pennsylvania summers ) I had them for personal use only. I raised them for about 8 years. I tried outside pens on the ground without wire, pens on the ground with wire and wire pens suspended or on a stand. The easiest was the wire pens on a stand and pulling grass as needed. They were largely grass fed with supplemental feeding of alfalfa pellets. Winter feeding of pellets, with grasses, branches, thorny bushes, wild blackberry, wild raspberry etc. We were renting a small house on a large farm and I was allowed to pretty much do as I pleased with some permissions needed. My best experience was with mixed breeds. I had a doe that was a dutch cross, she was as big as the California does that I had and was easily the best mother I ever had. I selected for a solid meaty carcass. She was substantially heavier than she looked. I was able to consistently get 2.5 lb dressed carcasses at four months of age. They were never pushed/fed to grow fast but rather to grow well. I also separated males and females into grow out pens. My best male was a harliquin colored mish mash of breeds. I tried several purebreeds and they just didn't give me the satisfaction that I wanted in the quality of the meat. ( Not trying to derail the thread )

 

[U_Stormcrow]

TThat's encouraging. As you have probably guessed from the 120 pages above and my signature below, I'm very fond of mutts.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Took the oldest intact male goat today, took about 5 hours, only the second one I've butchered. I need more practice. 105# live weight. Sig updated. Was ghoing to take some poultry as well (another Roo, a couple ducks, maybe some young birds for tender table) - but other time commitments. Possibly this weekend as I continue to cull down for winter and remove older birds.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Took the oldest intact male goat today, took about 5 hours, only the second one I've butchered. I need more practice. 105# live weight. Sig updated. Was ghoing to take some poultry as well (another Roo, a couple ducks, maybe some young birds for tender table) - but other time commitments. Possibly this weekend as I continue to cull down for winter and remove older birds.

Was this one of the ones born this year?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Was this one of the ones born this year?

No - this was Thyme (age unknown), whom we bought with Parsley and Sage (both older). Sage went to freezer camp first (March 2022), after siring a pair of boys (Black, Tan - both wethered born mid November 2021). Thyme likely sired the next, a single birth (again male) Peppercorn (May? I'd have to check the calendar, but at least late April). Leaving him intact. /edit MAY. Checked Facebook.

Parsley, we think, is bred. If so, Thyme is definitely the sire. If not, she could use a break.
Breed is also "unknown", but this area favors milk goats, and all these seem to be mutt mixes of relatively small breeds. Which is just fine, its my wife and I, we don't need hundreds of pounds of goat meat a year.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

No - this was Thyme (age unknown), whom we bought with Parsley and Sage (both older). Sage went to freezer camp first (March 2022), after siring a pair of boys (Black, Tan - both wethered born mid November 2021). Thyme likely sired the next, a single birth (again male) Peppercorn (May? I'd have to check the calendar, but at least late April). Leaving him intact. /edit MAY. Checked Facebook.

Parsley, we think, is bred. If so, Thyme is definitely the sire. If not, she could use a break.
Breed is also "unknown", but this area favors milk goats, and all these seem to be mutt mixes of relatively small breeds. Which is just fine, its my wife and I, we don't need hundreds of pounds of goat meat a year.

Oh, okay. I thought you only had a pair

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Oh, okay. I thought you only had a pair

I figure I'll take Black and Tan in late Dec/early January, at which point we will be back to a pair, plus whatever Parsley drops (if she successfully drops). Curious as to how wethered goat compares to intact males, taste wise.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I figure I'll take Black and Tan in late Dec/early January, at which point we will be back to a pair, plus whatever Parsley drops (if she successfully drops). Curious as to how wethered goat compares to intact males, taste wise.

It probably will taste less strong. Like if untethered tastes like goat, weathered will probably be a more mild taste