***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[CLSranch]

dunnmom, from the people I know that keep rabbits. You can keep control if you don't mind AND then actually do some butchering. Unlike all my little extra roo's. I don't mind doing it. I'm just to lazy. 84hrs a wk and doing chores no problem laid off for a month and that little extra that would taste great naa. To lazy.

 

[dunnmom]

I'm just not too sure how or if I should even approach this. I know it's different than keeping chickens, and their needs are somewhat different. I just know I can't keep them in the house. They would be for meat for dogs and maybe us if I can get the kids to eat it, so butchering would most definitely have to be done. I'm a wuss when it comes to killing animals (I don't even kill spiders), but my husband's pretty macho. I wouldn't mind dressing them out once they met their maker, but that's different in my mind.

 

[CLSranch]

I just checked my email and GRIT magazine is having a special on Guide to Raising Backyard Rabbits.
If you haven't read that mag it has some neat rural info. A good, informative read.

 

[jennifer reich]

Been considering getting a mating pair, but I know that can get out of hand fast. Do you keep them indoors or outdoors? Do you breed them? I'd like to pick your brain a little if you don't mind

We keep them all out side. All in separate quarters until we pair them to mate . The we separate them again. If it cold we bring in the expectant mother about a week before she is due to deliver. We keep kits and mom indoors if it cold until they are 4 weeks old

 

[dunnmom]

Would you mind sharing a few pics of their outdoor shelter? I'm just trying to get a good idea of what has worked for you so far. The wind, thunderstorms, and ice storms we get are what concern me most about keeping them outside. Any suggestions you have would help me decide if we want to give it a go. We do a lot of building from reclaimed materials. I'm also trying to narrow down the best outdoor breeds for our climate.

 

[CLSranch]

I wanted to say hi and I fill for all of you with the last 2 months cold. Hi just because, and I fill ya because I've been working 650mls south of my house in San Antonio for 2 months. When I call the DW and mention the weather she says it's 20-30 degrees colder there in NE OK.
Before you say lucky you, I haven't seen my house or livestock in 2mths. But that's what it takes to pay for it if I ever want more than the 3 acres I got. So I hope everyone is well.
I know some of my favorites don't get on here as much (me included) since they changed things up. Oh were making it better.
Nana and too many to mention hope your doing well.
God bless and have a nice day.

 

[Mattok1]

It's been a looong time since I've posted on here... Years actually. Well, since I last posted I've gotten myself a little mixed flock of 3 hens (1 RIR, 1 Cinnamon Queen, 1 Leghorn) and a Leghorn rooster.

When I came home from work the other day my rooster looked like this and by the next day he was dead. Does this type of injury look familiar to anyone? The RIR is fairly new to the flock and I thought she might have got him but I don't think she'd be able to do this much damage without being hurt herself. Plus, I didn't see any blood on her. The next day there was a large gray cat in our yard... Could that be what this was? Hard to believe he'd still be alive if it was a coyote or hawk...

I know it's a long shot that anyone is going to know just based off of this picture but I figured if any group could it'd be the BYC.

Also, after he died I did not examine him closely. For some reason I can barely touch, let alone look closely at, dead birds so I got just enough of a hold on him to dispose of him but that's all.

Thank you all for your help. And if anyone has a roo they want to give to a good home (well, I THINK it's a good home... unless this keeps happening) and you're in NE OK, let me know! I may be going to BA after work to get one but I may not.

 

[Tony O.]

Sorry for your loss. That doesn't look like it would be enough to kill him. Was that the only wound, or were there more? Looks something like he may have got his wattles caught on something and tore them trying to get lose. Still doesn't look like he bled enough to kill him.

 

[Mattok1]

That's possible, however I think there was an actual open wound on his chest. Either way, he and the hens, in normal chicken fashion, pecked at it every once in a while as well so that could have kept a wound open to keep bleeding.
There is barbed wire on the back fence of my property and I just found out that a neighbor's cow had pushed it over while I was gone a few weeks back. I didn't find this out until last night and I haven't had a chance to go back and look at it to see if it was put back properly. He might have cut himself on that...

 

[Mattok1]

BTW the rooster in BA didn't work out so I'm still looking for one