# Alasguns Hopper Haven Rabbitry (Alaska)



## Alasgun (Jan 2, 2021)

Alaskans raising Rabbits and Bee’s, if they’re considered “herd animals”? We’ve been up here 28 years now yet it doesn’t seem like that long, must be an ole guy thing.
We’re organic everything and run a garden, greenhouse and rabbitry based on good soil food web practices. Everything supports something else, nothing grown on the place leaves unless it’s excess and gifted to others.

The rabbitry is new this year, not our first go with rabbits, just new at this location. With our very long day, intense growing season plants excell beyond your wildest dreams however due to a cooler shorter overall season Composting is slower. I‘ve generated my own lacto bacillus serum and fermented plant extract to speed up the process and they help but we still needed a real, reliable manure source to really kick it off. That’s where the rabbits came in and we’re optimistic to think we can complete a batch and apply it the same year now.

we’ve lived some good stories and certainly have some serious Alaska pictures to share, in time. As we go along i’ll try to keep you entertained and be quick to answer where we have anything valuable to share. We’re not experts at anything but, you dont make it to 70 without something to offer.

i retired as a Machinist after spending over 4 1/2 decades in the oil fields of Texas, North Dakota and Alaska so we might find ourselves wandering on some rabbit trail from time to time chasing something just because it needed chased! And since it’s New Years i’ll start this off with a bang.
P.s, i built this little golf ball shooter after retiring exactly 2 years ago today.
thanks, Alasgun Mike


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## Mini Horses (Jan 3, 2021)

As I'm sure you know, rabbit manure can be used without composting.   So there's that as a plus.   Same with goats...which I do raise for meat and dairy.   Now, Alaska is beautiful but, I'm not a snow or cold fan.  VA suites me for weather.  

Welcome to the forum.  No doubt you have a few stories we'll love to hear.


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## Alasgun (Jan 3, 2021)

Morning Mini, yea i hear you with the “snow & Cold” part; it’s minus 10 here this morning! And we’re not snow fans either. 
Initially, in our younger years it was a combination of both the Hunting and the work that drew us but as time passed the place kinda grew on us. In the summer there’s no place like it and then in the winter, we’ll there’s still no place like it; if that makes sense?
The days are getting longer at this point and by this time next month it will be enough to notice then by this time in March it wont be a cold for as long then by this time in April the snow will be starting to melt then by this time in May fasten your seatbelt because we’ll be running all the time getting er all done before the first frost of September or October!

So far i’ve not bragged about the sanity of retiring in Alaska.


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## Mini Horses (Jan 3, 2021)

Four months is a short grow season.  You know TX was almost year round and here, most years I get about 8 months - depending on crop.   You mention greenhouse, which I assume you really need for each end of season.   Many others here are northerners with short season.  Variety of plants makes a big difference.


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## Alasgun (Jan 4, 2021)

Evening Mini, yes the Greenhouse gives us another month on each end. In it we grow tomatoes, cukes, bush and pole beans parsley and celery. Out in the beds we do a credible job with potatoes, onions, beets, cabbage, parsnips, chard, kale, squash/pumpkins, carrots, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.


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## Mini Horses (Jan 4, 2021)

Nice crops.  Are those dark potatoes the purple inside variety?   Have seen advertised, never tried them.


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## thistlebloom (Jan 4, 2021)

Alasgun said:


> P.s, i built this little golf ball shooter after retiring exactly 2 years ago today.
> thanks, Alasgun Mike



Now that's golfing!


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## Alasgun (Jan 4, 2021)

The purple ones are “Purple Molly’s, a strain originating from Palmer Alaska in the 50’s. They have a bit thicker skin which enhances the storability and numerous health benefits not found in all potatoes. Close your eye’s and you can’t tell the difference, unless there ones i grew which taste better than anyone elses.

Even in Alaska there are Golfers, must be fun for them? They won’t let me play, something about my only having “one driver” and the noises i make when im putting!


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## thistlebloom (Jan 4, 2021)

I've grow Purple Molly's. They're my absolute favorite. Beautiful when freshly dug, long storage and they retain their color when cooked. 
I haven't grown spuds for a few years because I have scab in my soil. A new garden location this year (more sun) and I'm ready to get back into them. I used to grow 300# annually, but we don't eat potatoes every day anymore.

I understand scab can be dealt with by growing cereal crops on the soil, I don't remember all the details. If you have any advice for that I'm all ears.


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## Alasgun (Jan 4, 2021)

We’ve had scab with Grey’s Pink but not so much with Moly’s or Red Norlands. I'm growing in raised beds (8ea) and each year everything moves over one, giving me a 7 year rotation cycle. i’ve read thru some of the technical stuff regarding scab but don’t have enough of it to devote much time to the cure, sorry.


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## Mini Horses (Jan 4, 2021)

I would suspect colored golf balls?  😁


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## Alasgun (Jan 4, 2021)

On second thought i might have something to offer for the scab, if your of an experimenting mind?
Both tomatoes and potatoes are in the nightshade family, just hold that thought.
last year i read about using salycic acid (aspirin) to prevent disease in tomatoes. Being the geek i am, i went on line and found some usp grade, bazillion percent pure stuff to try. Apparently its used in the cosmetic industry and is a plant hormonal exudate that is capable of making beautiful women more beautiful and it even will burn off a wart!
ok, back on track here, the article stressed only using a small amount and only treating the planting hole and once during flowering.
i only applied the stuff at planting, skipped the during flowering part and my greenhouse tomatoes  went start to finish disease free this year, which was a first for me. Normally by the end of the season they’ve got little bits of this or that showing up, nothing that ever affected the production, they’d just look crappy.
well, we know scab is a bacterial problem, most of which are soil borne so why wouldnt it work for potatoes as well? It might be worth a try.

Remember the part about “plant hormonal exudate”? Plants make this stuff on they’re own once triggered to do so in defense against various pathogens. Problem is sometimes it’s a little late or for whatever reason the plant cant keep up or whatever, in our case the season’s not very long. From what i understand the Salycilic acid functions as an early warning to the plant which believes it’s under attack from some bad goobers and begins to emit the stuff in defense. By tricking the plant to produce this substance all the time the plant has more protection.
The technical papers i read cited studies on tomatoes, beans and cukes, all of which i grow in the greenhouse so i tried it on all three last year. I saw improvement on all three but the most on our Celebrity tomatoes, enough so to convince me to continue this experiment in coming years.

Remember the part about both being in the nightshade family? We’ll you get the idea.
please let me know if you try this and whether or not you see value.


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## thistlebloom (Jan 4, 2021)

Oh.... that is definitely worth some thought and research. Thank you for the fork in the road....

I have a smallish garden space and use more than half for tomatoes, peppers and (formerly) potatoes. Rotations to clean areas proves difficult since they are obviously all in the nightshade family. I sure would like to get a handle on this because I don't want to move my garden spot again.


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## Alasgun (Jan 4, 2021)

Sorry to blow by you Mini, i just buy the cheep/used stuff from Amazon as they’re traveling fast enough you dont see them and i dont care if they’re lost. Im mostly shooting them into Cook Inlet or a steep hill/bank somewhere!


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## Alasgun (Jan 4, 2021)

Getting back to the Rabbitry for a minute. Today was a milestone of sorts as i wade thru the new and un tried ideas (to me) i had when setting this thing up.
as mentioned earlier, once the foundation stock arrive i’ll have a nice little group of purebred Champagne d-Argents but not wanting to twiddle my thumbs till spring, i brought in some “test bunnies” last week to “prove up the systems”. The only two changes will be more ridgid door’s and frames, and a little bit of a backstop on my poop slide gutter. I’d have never imagined the velocity attainable for pellets rolling to the gutter, some of which must leap at that last second, clearing the gutter and landing on the floor. Very small corrections.

However my left brain man mind was struggling with the wiring of the percent cycle timer controlling the exhaust fan. Once it came to me it started and ran as intended, even going the right direction! This was a “thank you Lord” moment.

so all that’s left is to decide on flooring and base board trim. Yea i know, this is sounding like im setting up the nursery for my first child! Actually everything i do is geared toward lazy ness so any amount of work now that will allow the lazy to bloom later, im all for!

enjoy


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## Alasgun (Jan 6, 2021)

Why do we do all this? It’s a simple enough question that will have many good and acceptable answers.

Reflecting on my own situation i’ve come to “my right answer” and am a not surprised by it. I’ve already mentioned, we’re some of them Organic only weirdlings who youd expect to say, “it’s outa Love Man”. But digging deeper i become aware of just how much Love and it’s many levels!

In our world everything supports something else and each element has an important part to play. Micro biologist like to say, “microbes function as team mates with one unlocking the others potential”. Well, if the one cell’ed critters got this figured out there’s probably a lesson in there for us big boys (and girls).

We started with the garden and are slowly getting to where we want to be as “new team mates” join our little circus. Current team mates include the Bee’s, a handsome compost arrangement, a good working knowledge of compost tea, lacto serum, fermented plant extracts etc. with the recently added Rabbitry we will be pretty complete and self sustaining for the most part. Each of the “team mates” require some attention and take time but it’s enjoyable time spent in pursuit of perfection. Some might say we Love what we’re doing and that would be correct. Digging a little deeper though, reveals other levels of Love not noticed by the casual bystander.

You see, my better half has some health issues, as many do and for many years we’ve worked on improving her quality of life using all the good resources we’re aware of. Diet is a huge factor and has gotten the most attention over the years. Take a look in my grocery cart and you’ll see what i mean when i tell you how serious we are about all this!

Our season is short but very capable of producing a lot of good produce, much of which is put up for winter use. Over the years i’ve noticed how giddy i can get when a new team mate comes on board and turns out to be a valuable player. Pondering all this i realize that giddyness is actually rooted in the Love i have for my Wife and the excitement i take from conquering some of the daily challenges we face. For us the “garden season” runs pretty well all year when you take in the edible House plants and the soon to start garden starts. All this keeps a retired guy very busy and thats a good thing too. Shortly the remainder of our “herd animals” will arrive and i cant wait to move into our next chapter which will now include an endless supply or Rabbit poop!

Not wanting to bore you with my incessant rambling, i’m going to bed now. Examine your own situation and ask yourself, “why do i do this”, the answer might put a smile on your face! If so, please share that with the rest of us, we still have time for a couple Rabbit trails before the spring season kicks off.

Good night.


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## Alasgun (Jan 8, 2021)

Cage building, 
Just getting started on the last one which will span the end of the building once completed. (12x3 ft) I bought my wire rolls from the outfit in Wisconsin and had them shipped up. For Alaskans that‘s a literal thing. After rolling out, cutting and straightening the pieces i clip it all together so it can be moved from the floor to the more user friendly saw horses. It’s nice to be up off the big white bench!
As i go along i’ll show you the progress, the tools and little things that make the job somewhat easier, for someone contemplating a similar project!


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## Alasgun (Jan 11, 2021)

Today i got the pen dividers in and the top on which is as far as i’ll go for now. I’m not overly happy with standard hutch door‘s, even the ones i built out of heavier ga. Wire. The plan is to weld up some aluminum angle door frames and use heavy wire shelving material for the actual door. With this arrangement i can use real hinges and latches as well. 
that will push this pen out a month or so, which is fine it’s not needed to April.

The tools used for a project like this include a standard ringer, used for joining dividers to the pen and for attaching tops and bottoms which are next to impossible to use clips on out in the middle.
j-clip pliers for joining the sides / top and bottom around the edges.
needle nose and side cutter just because. Wooden wedge used to pry/position wire for clips etc. 

when cutting wire from rolls, i use a jig saw, clean cuts - no raw edges - fast and much easier on my ole hands.


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## animalmom (Jan 12, 2021)

Do your blue side walls connect to the flooring in a substantial way to help support the weight of the rabbit in each section?  If so, good.  If not you may want to consider adding "Z" bracing to the flooring so it does not sag over time.   https://www.bassequipment.com/Shop/FLOOR-SPEADERS-1453

But then you probably have this all sorted out anyway.  Construction looking good.  Should have happy rabbits making happy babies for you when finished.


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## Alasgun (Jan 12, 2021)

Animalmom, thanks for the input! The pens are initially divided with the same 1x2 wire used on the sides and clipped in pretty well. Then the poly dividers are clipped in.
And yes, there are floor supports which will get installed, when i hang the cage to prevent damage, we still got a solid 3 months of winter and that cage is now residing behind the shop till then.

you may have also noticed i use 1/2 by 1 bottom wire for both the bottom and the top. It’s more solid and makes for a sturdier cage once you get thru all the clipping.


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## animalmom (Jan 13, 2021)

I figured you'd have it covered, but wanted to be sure.


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## Alasgun (Feb 2, 2021)

The “test bunnies” served a useful purpose and now im adjusting a few things to be ready for the Champagnes, when they arrive.
At the top of the list was one handed doors, and more ridged door frames. Starting with 1x1x1/8th Aluminum angle, i made some nice frames. These will have a 1x1/8th backer plate all around and thru bolted when completed.
then i rounded up some 304 stainless barbecue grills and modified them to fit my frames. Adding stainless hinges and latch’s completed the upgrade. Flag hinges allow me to lift the door off the mating hinge if i want to. With a 18 inch by 16inch opening, i can get most of my upper torso thru the door and easily reach to the back of a 36 by 36 pen!
once they’re all mounted in the cages, i’ll post more pictures but this one gives you the idea of where this is going.


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## thistlebloom (Feb 3, 2021)

Wow! That's a super deluxe door setup, real nice work .


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## Alasgun (Feb 3, 2021)

Thanks @thistlebloom, the first one is mounted in the cage and im really happy with the end product.
7 more to go and this part will be behind me.


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## Alasgun (Feb 8, 2021)

With the door frame upgrade complete, the pen dividers in place and the floor supports installed, i drained the water system and shut off the heat!
hay and pellet feeders will go in when i pick up on this around the end of next month.
Now im focused on finishing the outside cage which is shop work.


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## thistlebloom (Feb 9, 2021)

Looks so nice! It will be sort of a shame to have rabbits pooing and peeing all over it. 😄


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## Alasgun (Feb 9, 2021)

thanks @thistlebloom, ill fix that by slaughtering and eating the offenders young! That’ll show um.🤔

Er, um - well maybe after they poop on stuff too. Cant loose sight of the reason they’re here.


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## Alasgun (Feb 10, 2021)

With new snow on the ground and more coming, i drug the last cage out of it and into the shop. Then installed the remaining 4 door frame upgrades and loaded it on a sled to drag it down to the rabbit barn. This is it’s final resting place however not in this orientation! That will get rectified once things warm up a bit. It will be fine under this eve unless some young bull moose decides to do battle with it. Not very likely but very possible.😳

once complete there will be wall penetrations connecting the inside and outside, giving each bunny a total of 16 sq ft per “hole”.

p.s, i ate one of the test bunnies the other day, pressure cooked with olive oil, butter, rosemary and some salt. I’m looking forward to repeating that little party!


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## Alasgun (Feb 16, 2021)

Moving on, let me introduce you to “The Double Lucky”. This is my version of a humane rabbit dispatch tool that i put together, working on the cervical dislocation principle, i see no reason to doubt it’s effectiveness!
Double lucky is just a play on words, a thought that come to me when i realized i had wishbones And horseshoes In one nifty tool!
it’ll be a bit before a trial run but it was just one more thing to cross off the list before “the season gets here”.


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## animalmom (Feb 17, 2021)

oooooh!  Please let us all know how well it works for you, she said eagerly.


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch (Feb 17, 2021)

Alasgun said:


> Moving on, let me introduce you to “The Double Lucky”. This is my version of a humane rabbit dispatch tool that i put together, working on the cervical dislocation principle, i see no reason to doubt it’s effectiveness!
> Double lucky is just a play on words, a thought that come to me when i realized i had wishbones And horseshoes In one nifty tool!
> it’ll be a bit before a trial run but it was just one more thing to cross off the list before “the season gets here”.


Have you tried it out yet? Hubby made something similar but I think the metal he used was too thick to easily get the neck in the right spot.


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## Alasgun (Feb 17, 2021)

It will be a couple months before it get’s put to the test but i see no reason why it shouldn't work. If there’s any problems, i’ll just modify it or make a different one. Starting out, i went online and looked at “the factory version” and emulated the principal. Both the “factory” models operate in a horizontal position and mine is vertical, not that i see a benefit to one over the other. 

taking advantage of a bit of warmer weather i got the hay and pellet feeders installed today.


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## thistlebloom (Feb 18, 2021)

Looks real good Alasgun! I admire your attention to detail and craftsmanship. Very attractive and efficient setup.


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## Alasgun (Mar 17, 2021)

After my Champagne dArgent deal coming out of Washington fell thru, i found a very nice group of Satins locally and moved in 4 does and two bucks this afternoon. And by morning i’ll have a poop flow going again in time for spring garden season.

pictures will be along directly, today im leaving them alone to get the feel of the place. Both bucks and two of the does are broken and the other doe is a blue color phase.

Not a very lofty goal on my end, some manure and some meat but after working on this project all thru the fall and a lot of the winter, im ready for some just mundane daily rabbit chores!

Im referring to them as “my Gentiles” as they weren’t my first choice but they’ll get grafted in and do, just fine!😊


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## Alasgun (Mar 18, 2021)

Today was a big day in the rabbitry. The vinyl flooring and trim boards are in, all the misc tools are put away, the nest boxes and other essentials are stored under the poop slide and ahhh, the poop slide! It‘s starting to flow again!

this is looking left and right inside the door. It’s nice to be getting on with this project!

next we have the residents. They’re all purebred Satins. First an otter blue doe, a broken blue buck, a broken black doe and a broken blue doe.

And “chip” a senior, broken blue buck. He was a “gimme” but i admire his charismatic attitude and will use him this year on the does.

once the top 2 tier cages are built and installed and the wall penetrations completed i can hang the outer pen and will be 100% done.


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## Alasgun (Mar 18, 2021)

And, dont want to forget the record board. With all “the possibilities” something like this will help keep me in line.


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## Baymule (Mar 18, 2021)

Satins were my first rabbits. I had Siamese, red, white, black, chinchilla. The only colors I didn't have were blue and chocolate. There were no brokens back then. I like the brokens!


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## Alasgun (Mar 21, 2021)

At this time, my otter blue doe has been bred and i’ll try to get at least one of the others bred in the next couple days. I want to utilize a laid back breeding schedule for the betterment of the does that will give me 3.25 litters per year, 14 weeks between breeding dates.

Going forward, there’s no shortage of things to do around here now. And while most are zealous about “the first day of spring”, we’ve been waking up to between zero and minus 5 for the last two weeks😔 It is warming to 20/30 during the day, some days.


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## Mini Horses (Mar 21, 2021)

Those are lovely buns, from my point of view!   They have certainly moved to a castle among rabbit homes.....with exclusive artwork, to boot!!!    what a deal.


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## Alasgun (Mar 25, 2021)

Thank you @Mini Horses, it’s a lot of fun for a retired guy to make it nice for them! Retiring after 4 1/2 decades as a Machinist has left a smallish void in my otherwise fertile imagination, so this keeps the creative juices flowing.

My second doe is bred now, and the third is a little smallish to breed at the moment. I’m gonna hold off and give her another 4 to 6 weeks.

Today i got 2 of the 5 lounging shelves installed And the rabbits like them real well. They are the same height as the top of the nest boxes, which will give everyone some welcome room once kindling commences!

UPDATED: All the shelves are done and first of the week i’ll take after the upper tier where (punk resides). My junior Buck.

Sweet Pea and Miriam seem to approve!😘


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## Alasgun (Mar 29, 2021)

Continuing the upgrades:
In the upper tier, i needed a way to deal with the poop without having too much elevation on the pen. This top layer is intended to be for “the inevitable overages” that occur so it didn’t need an elaborate  affair.

i found and bought a couple proper sized Duratray’s and fitted an ABS shower drain in a front corner of one. Then raised the other end to promote drainage and made the penetration‘s in the floor and ceiling of the lower cage. The tray was then fastened it to the wall And the joint caulked.

next i’ll mount the cage to the wall, high enough above the tray to allow my squeegee to fit and plumb in a water font.

”Punk” seems to approve so far!


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## Alasgun (Mar 31, 2021)

It was a good day today! Punk’s cage is mounted to the wall now and he’s got piped in water. Ultimately this hole will see use as a grow out pen so it got a full width shelf as there will never be a nest box up here.
when time allows i’ll crimp up the cage for the #5 hole and be completely done inside.😊
I also formalized the back stop on the poop slide. Previously it was taller, making cleaning under the cages a hassle and i had wires holding it in place. Now it’s 3 inches shorter and has dedicated brackets holding the frp in place and after cleaning up today i have a big smile as it’s more user friendly now.


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## animalmom (Apr 1, 2021)

Wow!  Just plain Wow!!!


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## Alasgun (Apr 6, 2021)

Today i finished the last indoor cage and once i outfit the poop tray everything will be ready to hang. 
while working out there i give the bunnies a little Pandora radio which they love. Here’s Miriam and Sweet Pea relaxing with Allison Kraus.
in this posture, they’re plumpness is begining to show.😊

i’m also noticing an uptick in they’re general appearance which is a good thing.


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## Alasgun (Apr 6, 2021)

I’m reading about S. African farmers using rabbit urine fermented with molasses as a complete fertilizer.
Now that i have an endless supply, i’ve been using some along with my watering once a week. I’ve known about and use molasses with my watering anyway so adding the rabbit urine is not much of a stretch.
the starts show a pronounced difference this year in vitality which im attributing to the urine.

Research is showing tremendous potential as an insect repellant as well And these folks are saying it kill’s or repels aphids, mites, the mildews etc!

Time will tell. Along the way i‘ll be improving the ambiance in the neighborhood with my oderferous concoction. 🥺


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## Alasgun (Apr 6, 2021)

Nen there’s this!!! Now, i know im as weird as anyone you know, however i’ll not be giving this a go anytime soon!

'While today we flush or urine away without giving it a second thought, in ancient times it was considered a valuable commodity. Urine contains a wide array of important minerals and chemicals such as phosphorus and potassium. The Romans believed that urine would make their teeth whiter and keep them from decaying so they used it as a mouthwash and mixed it with pummis to make toothpaste. In fact, urine was so effective that it was used in toothpastes and mouthwashes up until the 1700s. 

As far as the Romans were concerned, the best and therefore the most expensive urine on the market came from the country of Portugal.  It was supposedly the strongest urine in the world and thus, the choice for whitening teeth. Though most people today would decline the option of a urine-based toothpaste, it actually worked! This is because urine contains ammonia which is used in many household cleaners today. If you leave urine out in an open vat it turns stale and produces ammonia through interaction with the air. In Roman times, this was then used for laundry. Due to the ammonia content, urine was also important for the textiles industry, which was a booming trade during the Roman Empire. Often urine was used to bleach wool or linen and tan leather.''


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## animalmom (Apr 7, 2021)

OK you have me intrigued... I know from experience that rabbit urine can kill plants, if used straight (unfortunate accident).  What is your ratio for dilution?  Odor is no problem as my closest neighbor is 5 miles away, and it a dairy... so they have no reason to complain.   He is a nice neighbor.


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## Alasgun (Apr 12, 2021)

@animalmom , i’m keeping it in a dish soap container which works well and keeps it off of me. In a 1 1/2 gallon watering can i’m giving it a shot about like i’d use to do the dishes. Probably a Tablespoon at the most.
i’ve been reading about fermenting it with molasses and have a batch going right now. It’s been setting for almost a week and the raw ammonia smell is turning into more of a sweet alcohol smell.

the articles talk about using it as a plant nutrient AND an insecticide?
i have no bugs yet to try it on but the garden starts are the best they’ve ever been! I’m only watering with it once or twice a week, the rest of the time it’s just plain water.

i’ve got a half dozen 5 gallon buckets of barn run manure, hay, urine mix that i’ll pour the piss off of and get a larger batch of the ferment going this week. I’ll post how this shakes out. They say to let it set for 3-4 weeks.

i’m fine with it just the way it comes from the bunny but i’m all ears when you can improve something.


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## Alasgun (Apr 15, 2021)

Two of the doe’s got a nest box yesterday and went right to work, “remodeling them”. The third gets hers in a couple more days.

i’m looking forward to having this first cycle under my belt with these as the entire “herd” is new to me. Real soon i should find out what my possibilities will be.


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## Alasgun (Apr 23, 2021)

we’re done with the hair pulling for now, the mommas and mine!
Three liters later we went from 5 to 25 bunnies in the course of a week!
All went well and everyone survived!


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## animalmom (Apr 24, 2021)

A BIG congrats on your population explosion!  Give those does a piece of apple for a job well done!


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## Alasgun (Apr 28, 2021)

A more “official count“ revealed this trio of does kindled 22 kits. Here’s Belle’s group of 6 at 1 week. She was a first timer this go round.

p.s, the poop slide is getting a workout these days too!
​


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## Alasgun (May 5, 2021)

And here’s Miriams “pile” of 7 At 2 weeks.
i haven't felt good about digging into Junes nest yet but they should be opening up and mobile in another couple days.

in the next week, i’ll get the outside cage and accessories mounted; at that point i’m done with all the intended “construction projects”.


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## Mini Horses (May 5, 2021)

They are sooooo adorable!

Just catching up on your posts.   The urine deal intrigues me .... Mouthwash?  Really?

BUT I can say that areas in my pastures where animals have watered for me do show a difference in grass growth.   That part isn't surprising, the bug control is.   I can see how with the ammonia.  Plus various strength from different animals.   I love learning to use what we have on hand!!!     Your have a collection system in place.   I have goats and horses.  😁  Not as easy.    But there was an entire industry of horse urine collections for hormones during pregnancy....long story, not acceptable for animals and offspring, overall.

Love those little bunnies.


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## Alasgun (May 6, 2021)

Pandemonium reigned today when the box came out!


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## Alasgun (May 8, 2021)

I finished the foundation for the outdoor poop slide today. Got a couple coats of log oil on and it can set till Monday when i’ll put the remaining FRP panels in place and glass the seams.
I hope to have the cage hung and the wall penetrations open for business right after that!


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## Alasgun (May 11, 2021)

Got a bit further along with the poop slide today, the overlay was epoxied to the ply- underlayment and the edging is done. made a nice gutter drain and got it cut in as well.
Had to build a hootch over the thing to keep everything above 60. Tomorrow i’ll do some final trim work and paint the joint seams. Cage hanging will be Thursday now.

Bunnies are excited to get outside and it will be nice to close out this project. I had no idea i’d spend this much time on it!

King of the hill, i guess?


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch (May 12, 2021)

Bunnies don't seem to have a concept of personal space. Bunny piles are quite common and sometimes hilarious as you try to figure out how on earth they are comfortable with the contortions they sometimes pile up in.


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## Mini Horses (May 12, 2021)

All I can say is the rest of the bunny people better not show you super set up to their buns!   Otherwise, a mass exodus or going on strike for improvements at home.     👍

Are you OCD?  Or just retired with time to overfill?   😁   Truly, that's a delight to see and watch as it develops.  You've set the bar pretty high.


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## Alasgun (May 12, 2021)

@Mini Horses 😊, surely some OCD or something similar that came from working as a Machinist all those years. Cant leave well enough alone!

Retired too but always telling myself “ as you age, the projects need to get smaller”; which aint working out too well for me yet. I’ll get it figured out though.

Thanks for the kind words, it’s been a fun project BUT i am ready to be done with it. The garden / greenhouse need / take a lot of time also at this time of year and by evening im pretty well spent.

All the interior niceties were the result of nothing else going on at that time of year, anything to do with manure handling came about by looking at some of the more elaborate commercial setups and wanting to be as clean AND lazy as possible at some point. I’ll use every-bit of the waste and inside it only takes 20 min to do a good clean job, outside probably less because i’ll be able to use a hose out here.


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## Alasgun (May 12, 2021)

Today was huge and the Bunnies now have almost 16 Sq. Ft per pen.

I have some portable chain link panels to wrap around these outside pens giving me a 12 by 12 dog or cat free enclosure and then i’ll be as comfortable As the Bunnies.

Wish i would have drempt up this integral gutter drain before doing the one inside, i like it way better.


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## Mini Horses (May 13, 2021)

Hmmmm....do I sense a new renovation?         Save it!  The greenhouse is calling.


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## animalmom (May 13, 2021)

So are you accepting reservations for your new Bed and Breakfast?  Just kidding, love your setup.  For sure not showing it to my bunnies.  They would pack their bags and be on their way before I could stutter some inane response.

Great work!


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## Alasgun (May 13, 2021)

Today the chain link enclosure came together; and except for the gate, HOPPER HAVEN IS FINISHED!
the gate will go in sometime before fall, right now i slide the right panel open a bit if i need in.

Back to Gardening.


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## Alasgun (May 15, 2021)

Everyone got a spring treat today and are shown here “branching out”!😊


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## animalmom (May 16, 2021)

So, my rabbits were asking if your resort was year around or was it just a summer resort.  Also what recreational activities would be provided, as in do they need to bring their own skis in the winter should they choose to vacay then, or do you you supply that... and the girls want to know if there is a pool, and if so can you send pictures of the cabana boys.  Please and thanks.

Yes, I have removed the internet from the bunny barn.


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## Alasgun (May 16, 2021)

@animalmom 😘, Yes we’re an all season resort and sport amenities like flowing water thru all the cages year round, climate controlled barn interior set right around 55 for the comfort of our patrons. Our cuisine
includes Organic Modesto Milling pellets (imported from California!), un-sprayed locally grown Timothy hay and in season they are allowed they’re choice of Comfrey, 3 kinds of clover, green grass, Dandelion and Plantain on a daily basis; cut fresh by the on site caretaker (me).

we we’re thinking of offering winter time dog sled rides but soon realized how dizzy it would make the bunnies as the dogs would perpetually run in a circle trying to catch them. Then we thought about offering summer 4-wheeler tours but soon realized how many things want to eat your rabbit the closer you get to the north pole! So we settled on just a sedentary lifestyle with lots of human interaction. We do pipe in Pandora radio for them which they enjoy imensly.

My only requirement from them is that they poop a lot! Unfortunately this is a pretty exclusive club and you might say “ they have to be born into it”; all members do have a lifetime membership that is only terminated at their passing. Now of course that could be caused by something as simple as “I aint had me no Rosemary Rabbit for a bit”.

Thanks for the continued interest.😊


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## animalmom (May 17, 2021)

Bravo!  Well done!


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## Alasgun (Jun 10, 2021)

I want to be gone a few days this summer and needed a way to automate the rabbit waterer’s. This _*was *_the most labor intensive part of the chores. When i set this up it was winter and my system proved it self during that time.
Nothing’s freezing now so a full circulating system is not needed so i bought a good pressure regulator and re-plumbed the entire water system, upgrading some other things as i went.
1. Built a copper manifold and made a wall penetration.
2. Finished the copper work inside and hooked up the regulator.
3. Re-plumbed the line to include the upper tier this time and made a PVC manifold that will tie both the summer and the winter system to the line. The lower line with the plug is where the pump line will tie in later.

After a little messing around, i got the pressure where the bunnies like it and at this point *i’m done watering the rabbits till it starts freezing in late October!*


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch (Jun 11, 2021)

Please do still check on them daily, as if there's an issue with the water system they won't drink. If they can't drink they won't eat and they can go downhill fast from there.


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## Alasgun (Jun 19, 2021)

Sibling rivalry!


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## Alasgun (Jun 24, 2021)

Anybody remember these dinosaurs? After buying this thing years ago, it never was “used to it full potential” and has been residing under the house for over 20 years.
Now i finally have a use for it. Wednesdays are cleaning day in the Rabbitry and between the 4 different fans, they capture quite a bit of dander. A plain ole shop vac is pretty loud and the hose too short to reach it all.
Now i can do a better job without annoying the bunnies too much😳 and reach all the top’s and sides of the cages as well!
Vivi la bunny Wabit!


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## Alasgun (Jun 24, 2021)

Quite a while back i built a cerebral dislocation tool to dispatch bunnies. Nothing too revolutionary, i simply adopted the current technology and added my own twist to it. At the time folks asked how it worked and i had no answer for them as no bunnies had met they’re maker via, “the double lucky”.
That changed today during the culling of a year old buck. Nice enough rabbit, just got too many.😳

i discovered placing him in there facing me is the best way to go and im very confident this will work for the juniors when i start processing them in a couple weeks.

With just one rabbit to report on, i realize it may be way different next time but i believe this will be my go to in the future. No thrashing what so ever and very user friendly!


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## Alasgun (Jun 30, 2021)

Couple big things happening in the rabbitry over the last few days.
The outer pen area is complete now. French drain for roof run off and seeded to mini clover in the small “yard”. i keep a variety of clover seed on the place for various reasons but have never grown the mini stuff. A no mow clover will keep both me and the bunnies peacable🤓

Ever since my feed supplier had a “bobble” i’ve been working a more reliable source. i’m pretty firm on the Organic thing and just grin and bear the price, so i was quite pleased to have a local vendor start carrying this line AND save me $15.00 PER BAG along the way.
I’ll pick up my first order of 15 bags tomorrow or friday!

I like it when things come together nicely!


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## farmerjan (Jun 30, 2021)

WOW, $15 a bag is quite a savings.  I am assuming 50 lbs?  Or maybe they are 40 lbs now.  That is a huge savings no matter.... Looks real nice in the picture.....


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## Alasgun (Jun 30, 2021)

@farmerjan , yes they're 50’s. Im feeding the Modesto Milling pellets and down in America a bag is $30 something. By the time you bring it to Alaska it’s $64.10 a bag.

I‘m plum tickled with a $15. Savings!

Thanks for the kind words on the rabbitry. I’m gonna have to quit upgrading things down there or i may be living down there!😊


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## Alasgun (Jul 4, 2021)

Being pretty new in the Rabbit game, im now at a point where i want to “re-structure the herd” for my long term goal. My senior buck will time out yet this year and im saving a very nice one from Miriams liter to replace him. Miriams Mercury should be service age by Christmas in time for the next breeding.
Both of the current doe’s were successfully bred this week so it will all begin again next month😊
In the next couple weeks, i’ll cull one doe; leaving me 2 young, proven bunnies to carry on.
After 6 months or so “in the business” i can see poop and rabbit meat will abound with 2 doe’s and a buck. No need to add extra expense or chore time to the project.
The rabbitry is configured to allow several additions so that i can save replacement‘s going forward without any hardship’s due to cage space!


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## Alasgun (Aug 4, 2021)

Belle gave us 8 or so new kits last night; everyone’s alive so i’ll not get too intrusive for a bit.


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## Alasgun (Aug 17, 2021)

A little over a week later; I took a better look and discovered Miriam with 13 kits and Belle with 12!! I culled them both to 9 each.

the original poop slide inside worked pretty well but after seeing how much better i liked the outside slide; i decided to upgrade. This one will work better, is easier to clean and with all that white looking up; lightens the room a bit.


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## animalmom (Aug 18, 2021)

You've got some overachievers there!  Congrats!  All your work is paying off with dividends.  Happy bunnies make happy babies.


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## Alasgun (Aug 25, 2021)

First family outing, and they’re world just got twice as big when i opened them up to the outside today. 
cuteness abounds. The all black one is still inside. Belle always has 1 all black, a couple near Charlies and the remainder a mix of either black or blue broken pattern.


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## farmerjan (Aug 25, 2021)

Pretty nice looking litters....


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## Alasgun (Nov 12, 2021)

Well; we been here before😳, and a couple days ago had a “measurable snow fall”.
takes about 2 hours when i plow mine and 1 neighbor. This year i’ve added a blower to the stable and can see a lot of potential. However it’s not a direct replacement for the wheeler/plow!
now i can come and go to the rabbit barn in my flip flops again!​


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## animalmom (Nov 13, 2021)

Better man than I, Gunga Din!


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## Mini Horses (Nov 13, 2021)

Are you kidding???  Flip flops in that?  I'm shivering just thinking about it.   The bunnies are lovely.  😁


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