Texas

[Little Wing]

Oh, no. I've been had. My heart rate hit the ceiling. And now it's going back to normal. Thank you. Gonna go make my coffee and eggs.

Having chickens is only 1/2 of the fun. The other 1/2 is reading and talking about them..... and messing with your chicken friends.

 

[Cockle-Dood]

That growling usually means he's looking for a fight or someone to challenge him in my experience you need to be extremely careful around bulls when they are growling!! I've been put over a fence more than once by our bulls when you are working them and they start that!!!!!

yeah, i dont do much with the cattle, i get nervous around them. they belong to our uncle but like to graze around our side of the pasture. Just heard him yesterday and was watching and was more curious than anything...

 

[Little Wing]

UPS came this morning..





not I get to go wing band chicks...

I've thought about using those. Have you used them before? How young can they be put on?

 

[Kilsharion]

they just got out and died, or was there help? And i know exactly what a rabbit scream sounds like! The little wild bunnies we have around our place let them out from time to time, can only imagine the difference a flemish scream is like!

These were mini-rex's. Tiny fellas. That's part of why it took a moment for me to register exactly what I was hearing. They weren't intended for any real meat production. I got them on a lark for me and Mike with the idea that if the coop design worked out well for them, we'd do similar for actual meat rabbits. We're not going to toss the guy - to me, that's a waste that is just disrespectful. He was humanely terminated. He was too bruised and battered to survive. And, it was a dog that got him. Never broke the skin; but, the damage was extensive. The poor fella. Our dogs don't think twice about chickens...mostly cuz the chickens kick their behinds (yes, our chickens boss our dogs around). But, the poor buns had no defense. We are always sure to have the dogs restrained when we have the rabbits out; but, this was unexpected. Thankfully, only one dog was loose. Else, we'd probably have no rabbits surviving. There's just enough hide here that I can make a little medicine pouch and edge a rattle. So, I'll do a rabbit totem rattle with a matching rabbit medicine pouch.

I felt so bad for Mike. He was crying (shhhhhh, I'm not supposed to tell people he has a heart). He just felt so responsible because I've been asking and asking him to put wire on the bottom of the run and he's not done it. He felt like it was his fault the baby rabbit was dead. He's such a softy that he was sniffling. I do love that man.

Cantankerous old fart hides a heart of utter mush.

 

[Kilsharion]

Not a good way to continue your morning. Hope your day gets better!

Lisa

Thanks, hon. Much appreciated

 

[Kilsharion]

I've thought about using those. Have you used them before? How young can they be put on?

I put them on while they're in the brooder. Some, I hear, put them on at day one. It is just a brief pinch and then that's it. I haven't been able to bring myself to do it at day one. Matter of fact, I have to spend some time chasing birds and finishing up banding the ones we just put in the outside coop. I was lazy about it this time around

UPS came this morning..





not I get to go wing band chicks...

Awesome!! And, even better - mine are dark green, so not mistaking them At least, this year anyway. Next year, you may need to start reading the engraving when we do swaps LOL

That is too funny.

Just watching them run around, spread their wings and then poke their heads up at the window/door to see what was going on outside.

It is cute. The Guineas especially keep an eye out. They are always looking out over the window sills to see who/what is out there. We were worried that the cheeping all night long might draw predators....never even considered the rabbits being the ones we'd be worried about this morning.

either throw him right into a slow cooker and let him simmer all day or let him rest in the fridge overnight.. should be tender and make a nice base for a simple stew at least


I cant stand rabbit screams.. and I think they know that.. it's pretty blood-curdling

Mike tossed it in iced salt water. It's how his mother has done it for years and how he's done it in the past. Apparently, that's how she handled processing a ton of meat at once, back in the day.

Told him to pull it out in a bit and put it in the fridge for the rest of the day (I need to call and be sure he remembered to pull it out of the water).

Ah. Did they dig out? My husband and I are talking about safe ways to move our rabbits outside. How do you handle the heat with the rabbits?

And so sorry for your loss.

Yeah - they dug out. Tiny hole, too. **shakes head** Teaches you to never put off something you realize needs doing. And, mini swamp coolers. Want me to write up how to make one? Not too difficult. Solar powered.

 

[KnobbyOaks]

These were mini-rex's. Tiny fellas. That's part of why it took a moment for me to register exactly what I was hearing. They weren't intended for any real meat production. I got them on a lark for me and Mike with the idea that if the coop design worked out well for them, we'd do similar for actual meat rabbits. We're not going to toss the guy - to me, that's a waste that is just disrespectful. He was humanely terminated. He was too bruised and battered to survive. And, it was a dog that got him. Never broke the skin; but, the damage was extensive. The poor fella. Our dogs don't think twice about chickens...mostly cuz the chickens kick their behinds (yes, our chickens boss our dogs around). But, the poor buns had no defense. We are always sure to have the dogs restrained when we have the rabbits out; but, this was unexpected. Thankfully, only one dog was loose. Else, we'd probably have no rabbits surviving. There's just enough hide here that I can make a little medicine pouch and edge a rattle. So, I'll do a rabbit totem rattle with a matching rabbit medicine pouch.

I felt so bad for Mike. He was crying (shhhhhh, I'm not supposed to tell people he has a heart). He just felt so responsible because I've been asking and asking him to put wire on the bottom of the run and he's not done it. He felt like it was his fault the baby rabbit was dead. He's such a softy that he was sniffling. I do love that man.

Cantankerous old fart hides a heart of utter mush.

Sorry about the little bunny but his memory will live on.

I know about cantankerous old farts, my dad was one. He was mush on the inside, crying at funerals, etc. But he was hard as nails on the outside and I was scared to death of him until I got on my own. He once decided he wanted to raise meat rabbits and we did. Cutest little bunnies and we loved them dearly. When they got to be juveniles, into another big cage they'd go to fatten up. My uncle came to show him how to process them and we ate rabbit for a while. So time came for my dad to process his first rabbit. He took a hammer (who knows how hard that was for him) and struck at its head, didn't hit it in the right place or not hard enough, who knows (I couldn't watch). Well, that rabbit squealed so loudly the neighbors came running. He did finish the poor thing off but it was his first and last attempt to do so. In 3 days all the rabbits had been given away. Even in his older days, he still remembered that squeal and how he felt.

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
they can be put on straight from the hatcher

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
gotta have the info on the swamp coolers (like you needed to ask)!

I only use the salt water if they need to bleed out more.. it will "plump up the flesh" a bit too (commercial poultry processors use a salt water chiller soak for the birds to add weight) plus the salt helps slow down the growth of bacteria

for a little guy like that I don't bother .. heck.. it's been close to a year since I brined any meat.. poultry or rabbit.. so 99% of the time I don't bother to brine anything anymore



oh.. and for the wing bands.. the blue are this year's .. yellow for next year

 

[Kilsharion]

gotta have the info on the swamp coolers (like you needed to ask)!

I only use the salt water if they need to bleed out more.. it will "plump up the flesh" a bit too (commercial poultry processors use a salt water chiller soak for the birds to add weight) plus the salt helps slow down the growth of bacteria

for a little guy like that I don't bother .. heck.. it's been close to a year since I brined any meat.. poultry or rabbit.. so 99% of the time I don't bother to brine anything anymore



oh.. and for the wing bands.. the blue are this year's .. yellow for next year

Awww - and blue + yellow = green. See....we do think alike.

Ok, I'll write up a little how to on the swamp cooler. Give me a couple of days and then nag me cuz I'll probably forget.