# Gypsy's Rambles, Wanders, Wonders and Blunders



## GypsyG (Dec 14, 2018)

Hello!  To any of y'all who missed my introduction, my name is GypsyG...

  Where to begin?

After pondering this question for well over an hour, I decided that I am just not all that creative, so I'm just going to answer the questions that were suggested in the forum sticky post.


*1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?*
I live in Missouri, AKA Misery.  It is hot, humid and miserable in the summer, and cold, wet and miserable in the winter. I moved here from Northern CA a little over a year ago to be close to my family

*2. How many people are in your family? *
My family and extended family function like one big clan... Think "The Walton's", but spread between five houses and four generations.  I live with my grandma and help her out.
*Marital status?*
Separated.  No kids.

*3. How would you define your farm?*
It's my "meanwhile farm"!  I will someday have a large farm, but meanwhile I have a double lot yard in town where I raise a few chickens, rabbits, and gardens.

*4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed?*
I have all the resources I need... A library and a library card!

*5. Have you ever built a house, barn , or other types of building? Do you want to?*
I've built several sheds, shelters and greenhouses.  It is my dream to build a cordwood cabin!

*6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet?*
I wish!  When I was in school our ag advisor was a sexist jerk.  Girls didn't get to take welding, and I still haven't learned.

*7. Who or what inspired you to be a farmer/rancher, hobby farmer?*
I grew up on a farm... It's what my family has always done.

*8 Is it a hobby or an occupation?*
Right now it is somewhere in between.

*9. In what areas are you knowledgeable and in what areas would you like to learn more?*
I'm most knowledgeable about music horses, gardening, and cooking.
I'd like to learn a little about everything else, plus more about music, horses, gardening, and cooking!

*10. In what types of farming will you never choose to do?*
Alligator farming.  Aligators are scary.

*11. Are you interested in providing more of your own food supply?*
That's the idea!  I'd eventually like to provide at least 98% of it (I'd still have to buy some cream of mushroom soup to hold some of the rest of it together).

*12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world?*
My yoga mat, Spotify or a good book.

*13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi?*
Tractor? Yes.  Semi?  No.
*
14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?*
I enjoy sewing, basket weaving, macrame, beading, gourd crafts, hide tanning, and making musical instruments out of junk.  I'd like to learn felting, spining, and looming next.

*15. Can you legally have all forms of livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?*
I'm very limited in town.  I can have hens and rabbits.  Nothing is mentioned in the codes about ducks, quail or pigeons, so I plan to add them in the near future and try my luck! 

*16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood?*
The same sexist ag teacher taught woodshop.

*17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing?*
YES! Anything and everything.  I really miss growing medical marijuana though.

*18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives?*
I enjoy fly-fishing.

*19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City farm? Country?*
Just shy of two acres, in town.

*20. Are you a Novice, Technician, degreed?*
Jack of all trades, master of none

*21. What is your farm specialty? Or what one would you like to learn?*
I'm known at the farmers market for teas, tinctures, and salves... But I enjoy working with my rabbits and learning more about them.

*22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take?*
I'd major in Modern Hippie Culture
Classes would include-
•Ambling
•Hitchhiking
•Meditation
•Grateful Dead Lot Economics
•Music Festival Survival
•Psychedelic Travel
•Clothing Refashioning
•Recycling and Up-cycling
•Dumpster Diving
•Permaculture
•Composting
•Foraging
•Peaceful Protest
•Communal Living
•Stoner Philosophy
•Volkswagon Maintenance
•Bartering
•Herbology
•Astrology
•Rocks, Gems, and Crystals 101
•The Musical Poetry of Dylan

*23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet?*
Do making rabbit hutches and nest boxes count?

*24. Are you interested in herbal animal medicine?*
YES!  For animals and people.

*25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be?*
Estes Park or Lyons Colorado.

*26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking?*
Unfortunately no.  I miss having a wood stove.

*27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be?*
? I never was much into super hero comics... I do love the old Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers comics though.

*28. Are your family or friends also interested in animals?*
Yes, luckily!

*29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs?*
Yes, yes, yes, and yes!  GMO Free, non-factory farmed, locally produced

*30. What was your best animal experience? Worst?*
Best? I worked at an exotic animal ranch when I was in high school and got to experience all kinds of amazing interesting critters.
Worst? I was stalked by a mountain lion once.

*31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs? *
Yes! Berries, nuts, mushrooms, medicinal plants, venison, fish

*32. What skills do you have that help you be more a self sufficient farm?*
Great bartering skills, a good eye for unfilled nitches, and the ability to think outside of the box.

*33. Do you process your own meat? Can or preserve?*
Yes. Both.

*34. Do you use alternative energy sources on your farm? Would you like to?*
My chicken coop light is solar.  Id love to run the whole place on solar.
*
35 What is on your to do list?*
Build four new rabbit hutches, a quail hutch, and a duck house.

*36. Have you ever lived completely off what you produce? Would you like to?*
Yes I have, and I'd like too again.

*37. In what do you trust?*
Karma
My family
Medical marijuana
The Old Farmers Almanac

*38. Do you make and fix things yourself to save money?*
Yes, all the time.

*39. Has the experience with animals changed your attitude or habits?*
I grew up with animals and can't imagine not having animals.  I learn new things from my animals every day.


Well, there you go!  If y'all have any Questions, feel free to AMA!


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## Latestarter (Dec 14, 2018)

AMA? American Medical Association?  Ahhh ask me anything? Gotta be it. OK, so I'm not a bunny person but will sure follow along on your adventure


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## GypsyG (Dec 14, 2018)

I received an odd response to a Craigslist ad yesterday morning.  I had an ad to sell or trade some of my rabbits and a lady contacted me by email asking me if I wanted a rabbit!  She told me that her daughter had been given a baby rabbit about five months ago by one her friends who's in 4H, but he wasn't "cuddly enough" so her daughter had quit messing with him.  She just wanted to find a new home for this rabbit so she could plan a Chistmas vacation and not have to find a pet sitter.  She clearly knew nothing about rabbits and could only tell me that he was a buck and a "meat breed".  

I currently have more bucks than I need, but after talking to her, I felt kinda sorry for the overwhelmed mom and the rabbit.  I gave her the rundown of important questions - Any recent sniffles, sneezes or runny eyes?  Any recent diarrhea?  What have you been feeding him?  Does he appear underweight?  Has he been living indoors or does he come equipped with a warm winter coat? - It sounded like she had a healthy rabbit.  So, I agreed and went out and set up a quarantine cage.  She showed up about an hour later with a beautiful copper colored satin buck, and not only that, but she also gave me the pedigree and contact info for his breeder!  I wasn't expecting that at all!  So I just scored a beautiful pedigreed satin buck for free!








 His name is was/is Bugs.  He's much sweeter than she made him out to be, in fact, compared to several of my other rabbits I'd even consider him cuddly!  He's 6-1/2 months old.  The pictures don't do his coat justice, but it is beautiful... It looks luminescent when the sunlight hits it, itsilike he has a glowing halo.  

Also, I had forgot about speaking for a junior doe from a friend of mine, and she called yesterday telling me she was ready to come home.  I love getting rabbits from this woman!  They are always big, beautiful rabbits with the sweetest temperaments... she has five kids, so her buns get lots of love and attention, and it really shows.  Her rabbits are bold, fearless, and sweet as pie.

 

 

 Meet Mittens!  She is supposed to be be 3/4 NZ-1/4 Flemmish.  She is six weeks old and a total sweetheart!


Wendy's big litter had eyes this morning!  They are growing so fast!  I hope the black one is a doe.


 

 
All but three had their eyes open!


I traded three junior does for three extra large cages and nest boxes today!  Just in time too, I was needing them.  I'm going to go look at a nice four hole hutch in a couple of of hours.

I'm loving my black Australorp hens... It's the middle of December and I am still averaging six eggs a day from seven hens!  I don't think I will ever keep another breed of chicken again!  They are sweet tempered, laid-back, and very reliable.  I couldn't be more pleased with how they are taking winter in stride!

In other news completely unrelated to rabbits and chickens, I checked my Spotify today and found a Spotify made-for-me playlist of my most played songs of 2018...  I'm a little smug about how good it is!
https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/37i9dQZF1EjdvAAvOu63yi?si=fqT1zAIRRLmPa3bA0kQz5w

I've had a really nice couple of days despite the cold rainy weather and I hope ya'll are having a great day too!


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## Bruce (Dec 14, 2018)

My stepfather said Missouri was a good place to be from. He joined the 101st Airborne (underage I think) in WWII, moved to So. Cal when the war ended.

My grandfather said the same thing about Chicago. He moved to So. Cal around 1905. Wonder what he would think of it now!


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## Latestarter (Dec 14, 2018)

Nice score on the free buns. Grats on the kits and they are all very nice looking animals.


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## GypsyG (Dec 14, 2018)

Bruce said:


> My stepfather said Missouri was a good place to be from. He joined the 101st Airborne (underage I think) in WWII, moved to So. Cal when the war ended.
> 
> My grandfather said the same thing about Chicago. He moved to So. Cal around 1905. Wonder what he would think of it now!


I'm not a So. Cal fan... Too hot, dry and crowded.  I love Nor. Cal though and would probably still be there if it weren't for getting knocked to square one twice by wildfires.


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## GypsyG (Dec 14, 2018)

Latestarter said:


> Nice score on the free buns. Grats on the kits and they are all very nice looking animals.


Thank you!


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## Bruce (Dec 14, 2018)

GypsyG said:


> I'm not a So. Cal fan... Too hot, dry and crowded.


Why do you think I moved when I graduated college nearly 40 years ago?

Yeah those wild fires seem to get more frequent and worse every year. Scary stuff, especially when an entire town is wiped off the map in a matter of minutes.


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## Latestarter (Dec 14, 2018)

Look at it this way Gypsy... The world needs "good people" with common sense more than CA does, otherwise they wouldn't be in the "state" they are in...


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## B&B Happy goats (Dec 14, 2018)

Handsome rabbit, great score !


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## Baymule (Dec 14, 2018)

Modern Hippie Culture  Most of the "old" hippies grew up, got jobs and strongly resembled their parents with a few twists here and there. 

That's a great score on the Satin buck. On a copper color, does he have rings of color like a chinchilla?


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## GypsyG (Dec 14, 2018)

I could teach the class on modern hippie culture!  You are right about lots of the old hippys, but I know a few still carrying the torch.  I was told once that's why there are two ways to spell the word-
Hippy= hypocrite
Hippie= *h*ighly *i*ntelligent *p*erson *p*ursuing *i*nfinite *e*nlightenment

@Bunnylady explained to me that chestnut agouti is called copper in satins, so he is a chestnut agouti.  I believe that the chinchilla gene suppresses the yellow pigment... Someone out there please correct me if I am wrong about that.


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## Baymule (Dec 14, 2018)

@Bunnylady is our resident expert on all things rabbit.


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## GypsyG (Dec 15, 2018)

I ended up getting the four hole hutch that I went to look at yesterday evening.  It's really nice, but it needed a lot of clean-up.  I have spent the better part of my late morning and afternoon scrubbing and sanitizing.  I'm going to use it for weaning cages.  Posey and Munchkin's litters will be ready to wean next week, so now that I got this hutch I don't have to be in such a rush to finish building my new one.

Today is also breeding day!  I exposed three of my girls this morning and will expose them again after I get done with my lunch break.  I matched Coco with Rosco one last time.  I don't plan on reserving any kits from their litter, but together they produce big litters that grow out really fast with good meat to bone ratio and they have pretty pelts.  I matched Brownie with Lewis.  It was the first time for Lewis, but he caught on quick enough!  I just couldn't stand to wait, so I took a gamble and matched Roanie with the new Satin buck, Thumper, that I got on Thursday.  I did put Roanie in her own quarantine cage in a different corner of the property just to be safe, but he looks to be extremely healthy and I wasn't worried enough about it to not take the gamble.  I am working with two unproven bucks and one unproven doe this time, so cross your finger for me! 
The Helena×Peter, Zelda×Rosco, and Hosta×Barry litters will be due on Dec. 30th.

 Today is the day.  I bred Rosco one last time and I'm sending him out on a good note.  Hate to do it, but he had reoccurring bladder sludge and his eye injury just won't heal.  I'm sick and tired of getting sprayed too! 

Well, lots left to day today!  At least I have been given a respite from the icky weather, it's a beautiful day, so I'm not dreading getting back to work!

I hope y'all are having a wonderful and productive day too!


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## Baymule (Dec 15, 2018)

Bunnies!


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## GypsyG (Dec 16, 2018)

Well, I had totally forgotten that I'd made plans to go out with my sister and brother-in-law last night.  She called saying they were on their way to pick me up just as I'd got my butcher station set up and was putting on my butcher apron...  so Rosco did not get dispatched last night.  Grandma would have never forgiven me for butchering a critter on the Sabbath so he didn't get knocked off today either.  I agreed to go Christmas shopping with my sister-in-law tomorrow late morning, so It won't get done until tomorrow afternoon.  My new Hopper Popper and Hopper Popper are supposed to get here tomorrow anyway.  He sprayed me again this afternoon.  I'm not going to be all that sad to see him go.  l didn't get any work done on my new rabbit hutch today either... With the holidays coming up I'm getting backed up on chores.  I've got to catch up tomorrow afternoon before I get more backed up and start feeling overwhelmed.

The new junior doe I got the other day is just the sweetest thing I have ever seen.  My little niece is quite taken with her.  She stands up and begs for cuddles every time anyone passes her hutch, and the fearless little thing has already befriended the dog and the cats.  If my grandma and my niece had it their way I think they'd try to make a house rabbit out of her, and I think that would suit little Miss Mittens just fine... When I went out to feed and water today Mittens' cage door was open and she was not in there.  When I went in the house my niece was laying on her belly on the living room  floor and Mittens was stretched out in full bunny flop fast asleep across her back.  I think I may be fighting a loosing battle trying to not allow any of the rabbits to become pets.

The weather was unseasonably pretty again today.  Even though I didn't get everything I set out to do done, it was still a pretty good day.  I hope y'all have had a good day too!


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## GypsyG (Dec 21, 2018)

I hate to have a bah humbug attitude, but I am so ready for this holiday season to be over!  I'm tired of cooking, baking, holiday parties, fighting with rolls of wrapping paper, braving the crowds at the store... Bah humbug.

That said, happy solstice everyone!  I thought I'd share my solstice playlist with y'all before I get back to my cookies and wrapping paper.

https://open.spotify.com/user/radio...jma4RxyHlTRvDw602tf?si=o5aJTLECR0Cpb3h1pLFjvw


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## promiseacres (Dec 22, 2018)

You know most our bunnies are show, a few pets. .. but we are contemplating meat bunnies after the move... DH loves chicken but so hard to find good chicken anymore.... so maybe bunny will be a good alternative. In any case I think some pets, some show and some meat wouldn't be a bad thing. So sweet your niece loves the doe. I hope she keeps her good attitude for her.


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## B&B Happy goats (Dec 22, 2018)

GypsyG said:


> I hate to have a bah humbug attitude, but I am so ready for this holiday season to be over!  I'm tired of cooking, baking, holiday parties, fighting with rolls of wrapping paper, braving the crowds at the store... Bah humbug.
> 
> That said, happy solstice everyone!  I thought I'd share my solstice playlist with y'all before I get back to my cookies and wrapping paper.
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/user/radio...jma4RxyHlTRvDw602tf?si=o5aJTLECR0Cpb3h1pLFjvw



You could do what we have done for the last five years....nonthing, lol....we celebrate the reason ...not the season with a great meal....no shopping, parties, hours of baking, or croweded stores filled with germs and colds ....no stress here  happy holidays and merry christmas to you and yours


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## Rammy (Dec 22, 2018)

promiseacres said:


> You know most our bunnies are show, a few pets. .. but we are contemplating meat bunnies after the move... DH loves chicken but so hard to find good chicken anymore.... so maybe bunny will be a good alternative. In any case I think some pets, some show and some meat wouldn't be a bad thing. So sweet your niece loves the doe. I hope she keeps her good attitude for her.


Thought about raising your own meat chickens?


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## greybeard (Dec 22, 2018)

GypsyG said:


> I hate to have a bah humbug attitude, but I am so ready for this holiday season to be over!  I'm tired of cooking, baking, holiday parties, fighting with rolls of wrapping paper, braving the crowds at the store... Bah humbug.
> 
> That said, happy solstice everyone!  I thought I'd share my solstice playlist with y'all before I get back to my cookies and wrapping paper.
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/user/radio...jma4RxyHlTRvDw602tf?si=o5aJTLECR0Cpb3h1pLFjvw


approved & ready to roll........


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## Bruce (Dec 22, 2018)

Rammy said:


> Thought about raising your own meat chickens?


That is what I was wondering. The hatcheries have meat birds that are NOT the "grocery store massive breast" type Cornish Cross.


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## Rammy (Dec 22, 2018)

Or red rangers. They grow a little slower and are suppose to not have the leg issues the cornish do. If I ordered some, Id get the rangers.


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## promiseacres (Dec 22, 2018)

Rammy said:


> Thought about raising your own meat chickens?



Yes and we have raised a few....just easier to process rabbits....at least in my opinion. Will probably try meat chickens again too.


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## GypsyG (Dec 22, 2018)

promiseacres said:


> Yes and we have raised a few....just easier to process rabbits....at least in my opinion. Will probably try meat chickens again too.


I completely agree, I hate scalding and plucking!


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## B&B Happy goats (Dec 22, 2018)

Ok gypsy...i have three NZ meat ,  first time pregnant...everything i have read said to expect  to loose  first timers first and second litters...is this true or am i reading internet BS ?


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## GypsyG (Dec 22, 2018)

Where did you read that?  That's never been my experience.  I have had first time does have their babies on the wire before.  I've had first time does step on kits... But I only lost a whole first litter twice.  In one instance it was cold, she had her kits on the wire one night earlier than expected and I didn't find them in time.  The other, the doe only had two kits, and she crushed them.  Both of those does caught on fine though and didn't have any trouble with their second litter.


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## B&B Happy goats (Dec 22, 2018)

On the dang internet...i had rabbits in the 70s so when  i read that i m like WHAT ???  Anyhow they are about 1 and a half week into it and one is grabbing her feed hay and   dagging it to her inside box, ,lol....what is she doing ? They get new hay in box e / o day , hay to eat along with pelleted food and they are 4 feet off the gtound in 36 x 30 inch cages each with a hide out box inside ???


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## GypsyG (Dec 22, 2018)

B&B Happy goats said:


> On the dang internet...i had rabbits in the 70s so when  i read that i m like WHAT ???  Anyhow they are about 1 and a half week into it and one is grabbing her feed hay and   dagging it to her inside box, ,lol....what is she doing ? They get new hay in box e / o day , hay to eat along with pelleted food and they are 4 feet off the gtound in 36 x 30 inch cages each with a hide out box inside ???


Why does she have a nest box already if she's only a week along?  I usually don't throw one in until about 22 days.  There is a chance she is a confused first time mom just jumping the gun, but also a chance she has a false pregnancy.  You should be able to to feel babies at 14 days when you palpate.  Time will tell.  Putting the nest in that early I'd keep an eye out to make sure she doesn't soil it up before she has her litter.


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## B&B Happy goats (Dec 23, 2018)

They are box's that each one has to get out of weather, sometimes the rain will blow hard enough that it can get inslde their hutchs...and they like to sit on the top of them also. The corner opening  of the box has a two inch lip...this one isn't a meat rabbit...more like a pet


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## B&B Happy goats (Dec 23, 2018)

Aso, the hay inside gets changed if they soil it and there is a piece of tile that it partly sit on, in the summer it is a cooling tile,  and pulled out....this time of year i use it for under side draft....


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## GypsyG (Dec 23, 2018)

I went riding yesterday and I have come to the conclusion that I need to buy a new saddle.  I hate the saddles I have been using.  I have no idea what kind I should be looking for to match my criteria for proper stirrup placement, so I started a new thread.  https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/i-need-saddle-help.38865/ I
hope maybe some of y'all around here will be able to help me out.  Please summon your horsey friends to put in their two cents worth!

The saddle I'm using is hard on my knees.  Also, the little mare I was riding yesterday decided to go saddle bronc on me when she got spooked by an old beer can that was laying in the grass.  When she did that, the saddle fender pinched my thigh and left a big bruise.  I hate that dang saddle!!

The baby bunnies are growing like crazy.  I sold both of Munchkin's fuzzlepuff bunnies today.  I decided I'm going to keep the red buck out of Posey's litter.  I'm going to call him Opie.  I worked some on my new hutch I'm building today.  All I have left to finish is the nest boxes, doors, and roof.  This is the first hutch I have made with a built in nesting area.

I'm beat.  Goodnight y'all!  Sweet dreams.


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## GypsyG (Dec 25, 2018)

Merry Christmas y'all!  

My family is so big it is usually impossible to get everyone off work and together on one day, so we rarely have our big family Christmas dinner on Christmas.... So our family Christmas dinner isn't happening until Saturday.  My parents and grandma still wanted to do something special for Christmas day, so I somehow got elected to to make my famous lasagna.  I was up until 2am prepping everything so I can just toss it in the oven this afternoon.  I hate all of the prep involved, but I can't wait to eat it!

My grandma got me a VITAMIX BLENDER!!!!   I'm so excited!!! I've always wanted one!  I'm sitting here enjoying a frozen banana blueberry smoothy for lunch as I type.

One of Wendy's litter still has a runny nose.  The others still seem fine.  I moved the hutch away from the others when I discovered the problem yesterday.  I am praying that it is just a bedding allergy because the hay I bought was a bit dusty.  


I hope y'all are having a wonderful holiday filled with good food and close friends and family... and maybe some cool surprises under the tree too!


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## Bruce (Dec 26, 2018)

I like lasagna as well and yeah, the prep time is an issue. Especially since I have to make 2. DD1 is gluten as well as nightshade intolerant and a vegetarian so she can't eat a regular one. And DD1 won't eat the veggie one. If I didn't prefer a traditional tomato sauce and meat lasagna, I'd tell DD2 "tough noogies, make yourself something"


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## GypsyG (Dec 26, 2018)

Bruce said:


> I like lasagna as well and yeah, the prep time is an issue. Especially since I have to make 2. DD1 is gluten as well as nightshade intolerant and a vegetarian so she can't eat a regular one. And DD1 won't eat the veggie one. If I didn't prefer a traditional tomato sauce and meat lasagna, I'd tell DD2 "tough noogies, make yourself something"


Oven ready lasagna pasta is one of the greatest inventions ever... At least I can't get distracted while cooking the rest of the stuff and overboil the pasta.


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## Baymule (Dec 26, 2018)

Hope you have a huge family gathering Saturday and celebrate a wonderful Christmas.


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## GypsyG (Dec 26, 2018)

Baymule said:


> Hope you have a huge family gathering Saturday and celebrate a wonderful Christmas.


Thank you!  Did you have a Christmas miracle and get over that crud you and your DH have been fighting?


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## Baymule (Dec 26, 2018)

I consider myself to be well, DH still has lingering effects, but is much, much better!


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## GypsyG (Dec 26, 2018)

Baymule said:


> I consider myself to be well, DH still has lingering effects, but is much, much better!


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## Bruce (Dec 28, 2018)

GypsyG said:


> Oven ready lasagna pasta is one of the greatest inventions ever... At least I can't get distracted while cooking the rest of the stuff and overboil the pasta.


Yes and no 
Yes for regular tomato sauce type lasagna. Not so good for vegetarian without the tomato sauce (DD1 is intolerant to gluten AND nightshades). The noodles didn't cook because they weren't covered in "liquid" (I guess). Crunchy noodles in your lasagna is a no go.


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## Baymule (Dec 28, 2018)

Bruce said:


> Yes and no
> Yes for regular tomato sauce type lasagna. Not so good for vegetarian without the tomato sauce (DD1 is intolerant to gluten AND nightshades). The noodles didn't cook because they weren't covered in "liquid" (I guess). Crunchy noodles in your lasagna is a no go.


Is lasagna alfredo an option? Vegetarian lasagna....what do you put between the noodles? Tofu?


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## Bruce (Dec 28, 2018)

DD would love the Alfredo option but DW doesn't like Alfredo 

One of the veg lasagna recipes used cottage cheese (why NOT Ricotta?? No idea), mozzarella and spinach. No "meat substitutes".


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## GypsyG (Dec 29, 2018)

Bruce said:


> DD would love the Alfredo option but DW doesn't like Alfredo
> 
> One of the veg lasagna recipes used cottage cheese (why NOT Ricotta?? No idea), mozzarella and spinach. No "meat substitutes".



Rich, meaty mushrooms are all the "meat substitute" needed in a veggie lasagna!


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## GypsyG (Dec 29, 2018)

My family's late Christmas dinner was today.  It went well!  The food was great, everyone got along, the kids were fairly well behaved and dinner was on the table no more than twenty minutes late.   After squeezing in one last slice of apple pie, I unbutton the top button on my 501s, sighed, and thought to myself how glad I was that all of the holiday season hullabaloo was finally coming to an end... Then my brother pulled up a chair accross from me and said "Hey Sis, can you come tomorrow and help me decorate my house and get the fireworks ready for the New Year's Party?  By the way, what food are you bringing?"  I'd forget all about the danged New Year's party.   Not only that, but I have three litters due on the 31st, two are maiden does! 

I agreed to help set up fireworks and bring the ham and blackeyed peas, but I don't think I'll stay at the party for it's duration.  I will come home early and sit with my does and go back a half hour before midnight for the fireworks... That way I can also offer any inebriated party goers heading the same direction as me a safe ride home.  My final task before I can be completely finished with the holidays.  I am so wore out from all the holiday hubub that I could sleep for a week straight!  

On a more cheerful note, look how fast Wendy's little fuzz hoppers are growing!



 

 

I hope the rest of y'all's weekend is wonderful, warm, and cozy!


----------



## Baymule (Dec 30, 2018)

Hopefully your does will wait until after the party to kindle. Have fun, enjoy the family and friends, that is the stuff that life is made of.


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## Bruce (Dec 30, 2018)

GypsyG said:


> Rich, meaty mushrooms are all the "meat substitute" needed in a veggie lasagna!


Neither DD nor DW will eat mushrooms



GypsyG said:


> On a more cheerful note, look how fast Wendy's little fuzz hoppers are growing!


That is a lot of little hoppers!


----------



## greybeard (Dec 30, 2018)

I'm really not much on intentionally eating fungus, molds or spores either.


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## GypsyG (Dec 30, 2018)

Helena had her litter a day early!  Ten babies, and she might not be done yet!  When I checked this morning she still hadn't pulled fur, but when I went out ten minutes ago she'd pulled tons of fur and had ten kits!  She has gone phyco in the last three days though.  For the last three days she's been super agressive and she's normally pretty sweet.  I was kinda worried I might pull back a bloody stump when I reached in to count and look for DOAs.  I hope that just means she's going to be a good mom.  I hope she mellows back out.

Still waiting on Zelda and Hosta.  Oh, the suspense!   They both look so fat and miserable... They are either going to have lots of kits or really huge kits.   I'm not that great at palpating.  I can palpate good enough to establish pregnancy but not well enough to guess at litter size, so it is always a surprise!


----------



## B&B Happy goats (Dec 30, 2018)

My three are due the 11 th of Jan., they were all breed on same day...one had a bunch of fur pulled out this morning on the wire and not in with hay.... they are all first timers. Any clue why she would do this ??


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## GypsyG (Dec 30, 2018)

B&B Happy goats said:


> My three are due the 11 th of Jan., they were all breed on same day...one had a bunch of fur pulled out this morning on the wire and not in with hay.... they are all first timers. Any clue why she would do this ??


Either just a first timer jumping the gun or a false pregnancy.  I'd go ahead a give her a nest box with bedding if she does not already have one and put the fur in at the back just so she gets the idea.  Zelda always pulls her fur a week early.  Some does will do that


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## B&B Happy goats (Dec 30, 2018)

Thank you, thats what i did this morning. It's  been many years since  i had rabbits and I forgot what the heck was going on. (Must be the nightmares got me distracted) ...thanks again


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## GypsyG (Dec 30, 2018)

I forgot to post Helena's litter pics!


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## B&B Happy goats (Dec 30, 2018)

SWEET


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## B&B Happy goats (Dec 30, 2018)

What is the largest size hide you have tanned...i am thinking about when i have to do a wether, tanning the hide and will have to lear how to do it. Probably not going to do the rabbits. ..all white ....


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## Baymule (Dec 30, 2018)

Baby bunnies are so cute.


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## GypsyG (Dec 30, 2018)

B&B Happy goats said:


> What is the largest size hide you have tanned...i am thinking about when i have to do a wether, tanning the hide and will have to lear how to do it. Probably not going to do the rabbits. ..all white ....


I have done well over a hundred rabbit hides.  The largest hide I have ever tanned was an deer though.


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## B&B Happy goats (Dec 30, 2018)

GypsyG said:


> I have done well over a hundred rabbit hides.  The largest hide I have ever tanned was an deer though.


Is it difficult  to do ?


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## GypsyG (Dec 30, 2018)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Is it difficult  to do ?


Messy and time consuming but not terribly hard.  I use eggs to tan my rabbit skins, but I brain tanned the deer.  I followed the instructions I found on YouTube for the deer.


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## Baymule (Dec 31, 2018)

GypsyG said:


> Messy and time consuming but not terribly hard.  I use eggs to tan my rabbit skins, but I brain tanned the deer.  I followed the instructions I found on YouTube for the deer.


 A step by step with pictures pictorial would be a really great post.....jus' sayin'..….


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## GypsyG (Dec 31, 2018)

Baymule said:


> A step by step with pictures pictorial would be a really great post.....jus' sayin'..….


I don't have the step by step on the deer, but I'll post one the next time I do a mess of rabbits!


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## Baymule (Dec 31, 2018)

Make it a new post. People doing a search won't find it in your journal. Title it tanning a hide or something like that. That's how we get new members! @Senile_Texas_Aggie joined because he found my post I HATE GREENBRIARS. That is one of the reasons I am so scattered about on the sites. I make specific posts about specific things. If you want to know about pigs, you look in the pig forum, not sifting through 3,000 pages of a journal. OK, off my soapbox.


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## GypsyG (Dec 31, 2018)

I woke up this morning to more babies!!!

Hosta, my big sweetheart rabbit, had 11 beautiful blue and broken blue kits with no DOAs!!! When she finally decided to pull fur, she pulled LOTS of fur!  Two of her kits are the biggest newborn kits I have ever seen and one of them is the tiniest runt I've ever seen, the rest are uniformly in the middle.  I'm a little concerned about Hosta.  She got SUPER BIG while she was pregnant, but went off her feed and would only nibble on a little hay and fresh grass the last four or five days of her pregnancy.  Now that she has had her kits she looks pretty skinny and I can see and feel her backbone a little.  It does look like she has been munching on her food this morning.  Wendy looked real skinny after she birthed her litter of 13, but she started eating like a hog about 24 hours later and picked it right back up... I hope Hosta does the same thing.  She's my baby, and I don't think I have ever nervously anticipated a litter as much as this one!  I'm still going to be all nerves until I see her put some weight back on.


Zelda, my old pro, gave me 10 beautiful kits!  It looks like her litter is going to be just as colorful as her!  Right now it looks like they will ALL be torts, harlequins, and tri-colors... plus dilute on a couple of them!  I have never seen a more uniformly sized litter.  I can not pick one at either end of the kit size spectrum, it's like she cut them out with a cute baby bunny cookie cutter.  Zelda is such a wonderful mama.  She requies a nest box about halfway through her pregnancy or she gets very anxious, and as soon as you give it to her she starts slowly building her nest.  She pulls tons of hair about a week early and then patiently and calmly waits.  If she goes to long without being bred she gets visably depressed.  She loves being a mamma.  She is such a wonderful doe!

So, with Helena's litter yesterday, and the two this morning, that's 31 kits, no DOAs!!!  That's pretty darned impressive for two maiden does and a 4-1/2 year old senior doe!!

I breed three does at a time so I can shuffle around and foster as needed.  That didn't work out this time because they ALL have more kits than teats!

They all have had their litters, so I can relax and enjoy the New Year's party tonight!   Yay!!!


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## GypsyG (Dec 31, 2018)

Hosta






 

Zelda


 


 

Helena


 


 

Happy New Year everyone!


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## frustratedearthmother (Dec 31, 2018)

It's a bunny bonanza!!


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## GypsyG (Dec 31, 2018)

I was so excited about babies that I forgot to mention that I sold Thumper yesterday evening.  He is going to live the spoiled life of a pet rabbit.


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## Baymule (Dec 31, 2018)

Congrats on the cuties! Zelda is beautiful!


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## GypsyG (Dec 31, 2018)

Baymule said:


> Congrats on the cuties! Zelda is beautiful!


She's twice as sweet as she is beautiful too!  She is a wonderful doe.


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## GypsyG (Jan 4, 2019)

Hosta lost the runt from her litter this morning, which brings her litter down to ten... even with Zelda and Helena. Hosta started eating like a pig again several hours after birthing her kits. Zelda has one that is becoming a little runty, but I held her and made sure it got some extra titty time this afternoon and I'll do it again tomorrow.  Helena's kits are the fattest four day old kits I have ever seen! 

Posey has ear mites.  She has a litter that won't be ready to wean for another week, and she was rebred three days ago.  I did not notice them on breeding day.  Her kits don't appear to have them and neither do the rest of the herd, but they are all getting mineral oil tomorrow to make sure.  I thought ear mites were normally a summer problem? 

Ok... Back to pleasant news.  I named the two does I'm reserving from Wendy's litter!  The blue one is Bluebell, and the black one is Sweet Pea.  Sweet Pea likes to give bunny kisses!


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## greybeard (Jan 4, 2019)

Off topic GypsyG but Ray Sawyer died a couple days ago. 
I'm going to go look for a pay phone......


----------



## GypsyG (Jan 4, 2019)

greybeard said:


> Off topic GypsyG but Ray Sawyer died a couple days ago.
> I'm going to go look for a pay phone......


Dang it!  Did he ever get his picture on the cover of the Rolling Stone?


----------



## B&B Happy goats (Jan 4, 2019)

@GypsyG. ...i don't  believe  he got his face on the cover of Rollin Stone......, but him and "Sylvia s Mother" were rockin it for awhile...


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## GypsyG (Jan 4, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> @GypsyG. ...i don't  believe  he got his face on the cover of Rollin Stone......, but him and "Sylvia s Mother" were rockin it for awhile...


Did Sylvia's mother know about that freaky ol' lady named cocaine Katie?


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## GypsyG (Jan 4, 2019)

greybeard said:


> Off topic GypsyG but Ray Sawyer died a couple days ago.
> I'm going to go look for a pay phone......


Thanks for letting me know, @greybeard , I got stoned and missed it!


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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 4, 2019)

GypsyG said:


> Did Sylvia's mother know about that freaky ol' lady named cocaine Katie?



Lol, i think they were chillin it together......ahhhh, memories of the good old days, good friends and music


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## Latestarter (Jan 4, 2019)

GypsyG said:


> Dang it!  Did he ever get his picture on the cover of the Rolling Stone?


"The Cover of Rolling Stone led to the group – or at least an artist’s illustration of them – appearing on that magazine’s cover, rubber-stamping it as a nugget of pop history. “From unknown bar band to the cover of Rolling Stone,” as the article styled them."  https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jan/02/ray-sawyer-obituary


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## greybeard (Jan 4, 2019)

carry me..


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## GypsyG (Jan 4, 2019)

greybeard said:


> carry me..


Carrie


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## GypsyG (Jan 4, 2019)

Look what you've gone and done, @greybeard ... You inspired me to create a Dr. Hook and Friends playlist.  Dr Hook, Dr Hook covers, and songs Dr. Hook Covered!

https://open.spotify.com/user/radio...MHVRFJi7QA79sBD8L3W?si=hIP1ulUTSTyaHcvDMcFMkQ


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## GypsyG (Jan 7, 2019)

Look at the masterpiece me and my sister made today!  It is a Russian honey cake!


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## Latestarter (Jan 8, 2019)

My 2nd wife was from Russia... she would have loved that. Nicely done!


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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 8, 2019)

There goes my diet....urggggg I want sugar....honey....nuts. ......sure is pretty Gypsy


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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 8, 2019)

Thanks for the mention of the hopper popper, i looked at it online and watched  the vidio...will be buying  one for sure......naturally  the processing of any animal here or at my neighbors is my job, lol...both my husband and neighbor are too gentle hearted, neighbor is funny she is country all the way and 76...once i do the kill she takes it from there on hers, but she hides in her house till the deed is done. ...husband, no blood, no guts no nonthing cracks me up.


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## GypsyG (Jan 8, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> There goes my diet....urggggg I want sugar....honey....nuts. ......sure is pretty Gypsy


Thank you!


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## GypsyG (Jan 8, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Thanks for the mention of the hopper popper, i looked at it online and watched  the vidio...will be buying  one for sure......naturally  the processing of any animal here or at my neighbors is my job, lol...both my husband and neighbor are too gentle hearted, neighbor is funny she is country all the way and 76...once i do the kill she takes it from there on hers, but she hides in her house till the deed is done. ...husband, no blood, no guts no nonthing cracks me up.


I love my hopper popper!  It works for ducks too.


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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 8, 2019)

GypsyG said:


> I love my hopper popper!  It works for ducks too.



I will be using  it on rabbits  and they said you can do chickens also, am getting my delivery of NJ giants in May so it will be awhile but at least it has several uses. 
Not sure if the rabbits are prego or not...their due friday.....one pulled fur like i told you early, so its a wait n see time....


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## GypsyG (Jan 8, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> I will be using  it on rabbits  and they said you can do chickens also, am getting my delivery of NJ giants in May so it will be awhile but at least it has several uses.
> Not sure if the rabbits are prego or not...their due friday.....one pulled fur like i told you early, so its a wait n see time....


I'm excited to hear the outcome, please keep me posted!


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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 8, 2019)

GypsyG said:


> I'm excited to hear the outcome, please keep me posted!


I will keep you updated on the " are they ...are they not saga"... perhaps bunny math isn't  as easy as it used to be lol...


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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 12, 2019)

Day 31....no kits


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## GypsyG (Jan 14, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Day 31....no kits


Hmm.  Are you going to cull or try again?


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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 14, 2019)

GypsyG said:


> Hmm.  Are you going to cull or try again?



Going to give him another shot at it, just can't  figure out why they didn't get pregnant,  when we watched them get the deed done. Unless he is shooting blanks ?


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## GypsyG (Jan 14, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Going to give him another shot at it, just can't  figure out why they didn't get pregnant,  when we watched them get the deed done. Unless he is shooting blanks ?


Possible.  I've had does that just wouldn't take, but two of them makes the buck suspect.


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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 14, 2019)

GypsyG said:


> Possible.  I've had does that just wouldn't take, but two of them makes the buck suspect.



Its  three does...unrelated....


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## GypsyG (Jan 14, 2019)

How old is your buck?


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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 14, 2019)

About eight to ten months old....he has done the deed, and i did check the doe's. ..he had hit his target


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## GypsyG (Jan 15, 2019)

Wow.  It's been a while since I did a proper journal post.  I've been busy.  A lot has happened, most in the last three days.

Two days ago I went to meet a guy at the halfway point to pick up a trio of American blues... But when I got there, one of the rabbits had white snot and another had a crusty eye. I felt bad that the guy had driven that far, but I had to refuse to take them because I don't need to bring that into my rabbitry.  The guy wouldn't refund my $60 deposit, but I'd rather be out $60 than bring something catching into my rabbitry that would cost me more money and potentially heartache.


That evening when I got home, one of my rabbit friends called and told me that she is cutting her herd way back, and wanted to know if I wanted first shot at any of her rabbits...  So I have a big black French lop doe bred to her broken steel buck, and a harliquin rex doe bred to her rex buck coming home with me at the end of the month!


Yesterday morning my pregnant doe Coco seemed fine and normal when I did morning chores, as did my other two pregnant does.  After I got done with the chores I went to Springfield to meet another lady that I'd reserved a rabbit from.  I normally just breed meat rabbits, but my niece has wanted a cuddly pet rabbit for a while now.  I finally caved in.  Meet Fizzgig, the Jersey Woolie.




I went ahead and reserved a pair of French Angoras from her too when I picked him up, and I have a Jersey doe reserved from a local 4Her that I'm picking up next week.

After I brought Fizzgig home and got him settled into his quarantine hutch, I made another round to go check everyone's water.  When I got to Coco's hutch I found her in her nest box with her head drooped over the edge with her eyes glazed over and labored breathing.  She had given birth to 9 malformed still born kits, and her uterus was partially prolapsed and she had lost a LOT of blood.  She was clearly dying, so I did the humane thing and ended her suffering.   I did an atopsy and found a tumor on her uterus that looked like it had ruptured during her contractions.  I also found that she had excessive fat on her liver, kidneys, and heart... Which I found odd since she has never appear to be overweight and was not a food hog.

I also sold two of the Posy/Peter does yesterday.  It was a long day.  I gained a new rabbit, lost a doe and her litter and sold two does.

Today when I made my second rounds for the rabbits I found Brownie in labor a day early.  Thankfully her outcome was better than Coco's... 7 healthy kits!  I'm thankful that I caught it when I did...  She is a first time mom and had had the first one on the wire.  As soon as I put the kit in the box she hopped in and finished cleaning it up and she had the rest in the nest with no problem.  I'm expecting that Brownie's sister Roanie will have her kits late tonight or in the morning. I hope everything goes well with hers too.


----------



## Baymule (Jan 16, 2019)

I'm really sorry about Coco and her litter. Sometimes these things blindside you and you can't even prepare for it. It sucks. 

I'm glad that Brownie had a healthy litter for you. It sure helps on the heartache of loss to have new life, and the cycle of life continues.


----------



## Bruce (Jan 16, 2019)

about Coco and the litter as well, of course you had no way of knowing.

I bet the guy didn't advertise sick rabbits for sale. He should have called you and postponed until they got well or refunded your money if they couldn't do so.


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## GypsyG (Jan 16, 2019)

Bruce said:


> about Coco and the litter as well, of course you had no way of knowing.
> 
> I bet the guy didn't advertise sick rabbits for sale. He should have called you and postponed until they got well or refunded your money if they couldn't do so.


I'm pretty bummed about it.  I was excited to be adding pedigreed rabbits to my herd and was looking forward to learning how to show rabbits.  I found the guy in the breed clubs breeder listings... I wonder if I should report him to the breed club for bad business practices and trying to sell sick rabbits?


----------



## GypsyG (Jan 16, 2019)

It's just a bad week for rabbits.  Roanie, as I suspected, had her litter probably right after sleep over took me.  She had them on the wire.  I spent my morning trying to no avail to warm up and revive her litter of four.


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## Bruce (Jan 16, 2019)

GypsyG said:


> I wonder if I should report him to the breed club for bad business practices and trying to sell sick rabbits?


I would. After all one EXPECTS the listed breeders in a club to be selling healthy quality animals.



GypsyG said:


> It's just a bad week for rabbits.  Roanie, as I suspected, had her litter probably right after sleep over took me.  She had them on the wire.  I spent my morning trying to no avail to warm up and revive her litter of four.


Oh no, I didn't realize that rabbits were so difficult with regard to breeding/kindling. Though back when my Dad and Step-mother were raising meat rabbits, they found out that rabbits don't "breed like rabbits".


----------



## Latestarter (Jan 16, 2019)

So sorry you lost the litter... another one... back to back even. Dang that's some bad luck there.


----------



## GypsyG (Jan 16, 2019)

Latestarter said:


> So sorry you lost the litter... another one... back to back even. Dang that's some bad luck there.


I don't usually have many problems besides the usual loosing a runt here and there... But on the occasions things go wrong multiple things seem to go wrong at once.  When it rains it pours.  It is usually a reminder that I really should pay more attention to my almanacs.


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## Baymule (Jan 17, 2019)

I used to breed 10-15 does at a time. Then I would be out in the rabbitry every 2 hours all night. I would tuck a single cold kit I found out on the wire into my bra to warm up. Several times I scooped up a whole litter, took them in the house and put the little ice cubes on my belly to warm up, and went back to sleep. 

It sucks to lose so many. It sucks to do all you can do, and they still die. I am sorry for the hard time you are having with your rabbits right now. Hang in there, just as sure as it all goes wrong, the next go-round, it will all go right.


----------



## B&B Happy goats (Jan 17, 2019)

Another rabbit question ...no kits from any of the three that were bred, yesterday morning I put one in with the male for a hour....this morning she pulled a bunch of fur out and made a nest...they are nine months old NZ meat rabbits.....???any clue


----------



## GypsyG (Jan 17, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Another rabbit question ...no kits from any of the three that were bred, yesterday morning I put one in with the male for a hour....this morning she pulled a bunch of fur out and made a nest...they are nine months old NZ meat rabbits.....???any clue


When was she due last breeding?  Did she ever look pregnant?


----------



## B&B Happy goats (Jan 17, 2019)

GypsyG said:


> When was she due last breeding?  Did she ever look pregnant?


They were due between the 9th and 11th of this month...looked like they had put some weight on, but not a bunch. Don't  understand putting one in to breed yesterday and her pulling so much fur ?


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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 17, 2019)

Went out to double check the fur situation. ..found seven kits  our stud is NOT a dud


----------



## GypsyG (Jan 17, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Went out to double check the fur situation. ..found seven kits  our stud is NOT a dud



That is odd... Are they really big?  

What about the other two?


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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 17, 2019)

No they are the size of a mouse, checked my calender...day 35....made sure the other two boxs were all set for them... ??? I put a glove on to count the seven and all were warm and happy, no idea what to expect next, lol


----------



## GypsyG (Jan 17, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> No they are the size of a mouse, checked my calender...day 35....made sure the other two boxs were all set for them... ??? I put a glove on to count the seven and all were warm and happy, no idea what to expect next, lol


Odd.  Any thoughts about this @Bunnylady , @Baymule , @Tale of Tails Rabbitry ?  I'm curious to know what's going on with @B&B Happy goats 's does!


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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 17, 2019)

Sure has been alot of rabbit mystery  going on here, lol


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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 17, 2019)

Found on another NZ rabbit site that early is 29 days, usually 32 to 35 days for gestation....


----------



## GypsyG (Jan 17, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Found on another NZ rabbit site that early is 29 days, usually 32 to 35 days for gestation....


Mine do 30-31 days like clock work.  If I don't get babies by day 32 I rebreed.


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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 17, 2019)

Understand, sure confused me till I read that ! It must be the breed NZ that do that...will have to check other two in the morning. Thank you GypsyG,  have a great night.


----------



## GypsyG (Jan 17, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Understand, sure confused me till I read that ! It must be the breed NZ that do that...will have to check other two in the morning. Thank you GypsyG,  have a great night.


You too!


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## Baymule (Jan 17, 2019)

And the rabbit mystery deepens......from dud to stud......from maiden to momma.....and baby mice???


----------



## B&B Happy goats (Jan 18, 2019)

Gettinga flemish  giant tommrow, 2 months old...trying the pors and cons doe or buck ?


----------



## GypsyG (Jan 18, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Gettinga flemish  giant tommrow, 2 months old...trying the pors and cons doe or buck ?


Hmm.  You have three NZ does and a NZ buck?


----------



## B&B Happy goats (Jan 18, 2019)

GypsyG said:


> Hmm.  You have three NZ does and a NZ buck?


Yupper i do...and i have read success stories breeding a flemish  buck to a Nz doe....  aside fro a pet , i know i will breed it
I think my question would be which combo would produce the largest  adult rabbits  when kits are grown ?
I need to be there by 11: tommrow


----------



## GypsyG (Jan 18, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Yupper i do...and i have read success stories breeding a flemish  buck to a Nz doe....  aside fro a pet , i know i will breed it
> I think my question would be which combo would produce the largest  adult rabbits  when kits are grown ?
> I need to be there by 11: tommrow


My goal is a large rabbit with a good meat to bone ratio.  I like Flemish because they are hardy and do well on fodder and forrage where the NZ have been bred for years to gain weight fast on commercial feed.  I don't mind if my rabbits are a little slower growing as long as I can get them to butcher weight on cost effective food sources.  I find that they even taste better when they have some variety to their diet.

One of my favorite crosses is 75% NZ / 25% Flemish.  I'd get a Flemish buck and breed him to your does, then breed their daughters to your NZ buck.


----------



## B&B Happy goats (Jan 18, 2019)

Man i love it when i get a agreeable answer..thanks so much !!! Peace out and chill, thanks


----------



## GypsyG (Jan 18, 2019)

I have found that my Flemish and Flemish crosses have sweeter personalities and are more laid back than NZs too.

I also like French lops for hardy feed efficient meat mut cross.  They cross well with my NZs and Flemish crosses.  My favorite buck is my 50/50 French/NZ.  I recently bred him to my purebred Flemish doe and so far I'm thrilled with the results.


----------



## B&B Happy goats (Jan 19, 2019)

They are adorable, how much will they weigh at full growth ?


----------



## GypsyG (Jan 19, 2019)

I don't know.  Mom is 15+ and dad is 12.  We will see.  I'm keeping two does.


----------



## B&B Happy goats (Jan 19, 2019)

Got the buck, will posr pictures on my journal later...he has a W on his forhead, named him WILSON


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## Latestarter (Jan 19, 2019)

Gosh B&B... you felt you had to get near naked for the pic?    Is that your bib overalls up there on the kitchen counter for color contrast? 

ETA: B&B removed her pic post from here and moved it over to her journal. For those with inquiring minds, she was NOT in the pic herself... just her (new) buns, and those pantalones


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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 19, 2019)

Latestarter said:


> Gosh B&B... you felt you had to get near naked for the pic?    Is that your bib overalls up there on the kitchen counter for color contrast? [/QUOT
> Omg....posted on GypsyG  instead of mine , moved to my journal...and I plead the 5th on your question.....although it was a very warm day


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## Bruce (Jan 19, 2019)

Latestarter said:


> Gosh B&B... you felt you had to get near naked for the pic?    Is that your bib overalls up there on the kitchen counter for color contrast?
> 
> ETA: B&B removed her pic post from here and moved it over to her journal. For those with inquiring minds, she was NOT in the pic herself... just her (new) buns, and those pantalones


I did find that post to you in her journal about the shirt just a WEE BIT confusing!!! Now I understand.


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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 19, 2019)




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## B&B Happy goats (Jan 29, 2019)

Greetings stranger, wanted to see what you are up too. My kits are doing fine got a twoish week old kit brought to me today, got it sommsh  smelling like the other seven kits in the pile. See if everyone has become accepting the morning.  Hope the two other does's are pregnant this time......or third try and if no success,.... diner and a movie for us....on them
Hope you are doing well,


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## GypsyG (Feb 26, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Greetings stranger, wanted to see what you are up too. My kits are doing fine got a twoish week old kit brought to me today, got it sommsh  smelling like the other seven kits in the pile. See if everyone has become accepting the morning.  Hope the two other does's are pregnant this time......or third try and if no success,.... diner and a movie for us....on them
> Hope you are doing well,


I am doing well.  I had got angry with my service provider over price hikes, but I'm back online!  How are your bunny adventures going?  How is Wilson?


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## Baymule (Feb 26, 2019)

GypsyG said:


> I am doing well.  I had got angry with my service provider over price hikes, but I'm back online!  How are your bunny adventures going?  How is Wilson?


Haha, I sat out here for 9 months on my cell phone. Finally got Hughes Net satellite internet. It sorta sucks, but is the best thing going here. I totally get what you are saying.


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## B&B Happy goats (Feb 26, 2019)

The bunny adventures...lmao....have had two litters, another on the way.....Wilson and Mrs Wilson are both Flemish giants from diffrent parts of the state and are living in there McMansion very contently.
My garden bath tub has 15 chicks in it right now (as i managed to cook five with too much heat lamp )
9 of my goats are prego and i am getting six more (nubians) some may be prego, some will come with new kid.....total zoo and loving it.
Don't  disappear  again, lol...you have been missed


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## GypsyG (Feb 26, 2019)

I've missed you too!

It sounds like you have been really busy!  

I've added some new members to my herd too!





Ella - Pedigreed standard chinchilla Sr. Doe with one leg earned in shows? I don't understand the show rabbit jargon yet.  I have a junior doe and a buck coming in March.  



 
Loretta - mismarked Harliquin from pedigreed parents.  I have a trio of unrelated pedigreed harlies reserved.



 
Francis - A super-steele French lop from pedigreed stock with an ear that misbehaves.  I'm actively looking for a  show quality pair.



 
Scarface - a junior TAMUK NZ that I traded for.



 
Alice - Jr. TAMUK NZ doe I traded for.


I also ended up keeping 3 of Wendy "The Wonder Doe" girls from her litter of 13.  (Wendy's most recent litter was 15, and all does are already reserved!)

Sweetpea




Bluebell


 

Daisy - terrible pic, every time I come close she assumes her "scratch my back and between my ears" pose.


 

I also kept a buck from Hosta's first litter.

Cordon Bleu -




I have not been able to keep up with demand... I have a waiting list for does and I have several regular customers who pick up lots of fryer bucks... My freezer is even getting low!  I had to add a few more does!

I'm trying to bring in more pedigreed stock to keep up with 4H and FFA demand.  FFA can use meat mutts for their SAE projects, but neither group can use them for showing.  Rabbits are great for the town kids who want to participate in FFA and 4H, so I'm working on trying to get them some good show stock locally at reasonable prices.  

I have four of my specialty meat mutt litters in the nest boxes right now, three more due on the 2nd.  I found out that both my black rex and my big blue Flemish/satin/rex buck were hiding a chocolate gene!  Hellena had a litter of 14 black, blue, lilac, and CHOCOLATE!!! 


I'm picking up a dozen "all-female" black Australorp chicks on Friday, and I've been trying to negotiate a trade for some quail all morning...


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## B&B Happy goats (Feb 26, 2019)

Thats  awesome you have a good market for the rabbits...way to go girl. We have a waiting list on this two kindlings and on our kids also.... 
Enjoy your chickies, lol...little poopin machines,


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## GypsyG (Feb 26, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Thats  awesome you have a good market for the rabbits...way to go girl. We have a waiting list on this two kindlings and on our kids also....
> Enjoy your chickies, lol...little poopin machines,


My layers are starting to molt... They are still laying for now, but I'm probably going to end up with a gap of no eggs... They laid all winter with no supplement light though, so I can't complain too much!


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## Baymule (Feb 26, 2019)

@GypsyG you have some beautiful rabbits. I love the Chinchilla doe. A leg is a first place, 3 legs and you can obtain a champion certificate. What are your other breeds?


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## GypsyG (Feb 26, 2019)

Baymule said:


> @GypsyG you have some beautiful rabbits. I love the Chinchilla doe. A leg is a first place, 3 legs and you can obtain a champion certificate. What are your other breeds?


Most of my rabbits are mixed breeds, I started with the goal of just building the most hardy robust herd I could, and I didnt care if they took longer than comercial production breeds to feed out as long as I could get them there cheaper on weeds, garden scraps, and fodder.  My meat mutts started exceeding my expectations by getting to butcher weight nearly as fast as NZs and take a lot less pelleted feed.  I'll always keep a herd of meat mutts.  I have a few purebred rabbits in my meatmutt herd that didn't conform to breed standards... A Flemish doe the breeder thought was too small (15.3 lb), a French lop with a funky ear, a halequin with a run-on band, an oversized standard rex doe, and two TAMUK NZs.

The chinchilla doe and a little chinchilla Jersey Woolie buck I picked up for my niece are my only show quality pedigreed rabbits so far.  

I have some more chinchillas and some harliquins reserved and I'm actively searching for a pair or trio of French Lops.  I would love to find a trio of black Flemish, but would settle for Light Gray's and/or whites.

My niece also talked me into speaking for a trio of Polish for her that we are picking up on Friday, and we are looking for her a couple of Jersey Woolie does.  She started getting really interested in getting involved when I let her have the profits from her favorite doe because she helps me give all the baby's enough attention to assure they are friendly and outgoing... Now she's getting interested in 4H and showing.  

Those guys at BYC think chicken math is crazy?!   

When I get a bigger place I want some beverens, d'argents, Americans, and French angoras too.  My niece says she wants some Florida Whites and Dutch...


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## Baymule (Feb 26, 2019)

I raised Satins many years ago, my favorite was Siamese Satins, colored like a Siamese cat. I had red, white, black, and chinchilla Satins.


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## GypsyG (Feb 26, 2019)

Baymule said:


> I raised Satins many years ago, my favorite was Siamese Satins, colored like a Siamese cat. I had red, white, black, and chinchilla Satins.


Satins are soooo pretty.  I have a couple of satin mixes.  My neice also has a satin buck pet that I can't talk her into letting me send to freezer camp... He was a impulse rescue who ended up having a split penis so he can't be bred... It's a shame, because he has the prettiest brightest chestnut coat I have ever seen.


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## GypsyG (Feb 26, 2019)

My dad sent me some pictures he took of me playing with the critters the other day...


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## Baymule (Feb 27, 2019)

Love it!


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## Bruce (Feb 27, 2019)

GypsyG said:


> My layers are starting to molt... They are still laying for now, but I'm probably going to end up with a gap of no eggs... They laid all winter with no supplement light though, so I can't complain too much!


Odd time of year to moult! Maybe it is different in various parts of the country/world? Mine moult starting late summer and in the fall.


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## GypsyG (Feb 27, 2019)

Bruce said:


> Odd time of year to moult! Maybe it is different in various parts of the country/world? Mine moult starting late summer and in the fall.


It is an odd time of year... But my girls are just really odd girls.


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## GypsyG (Feb 27, 2019)

I hate February... It throws my whole system off.  I breed on the 15th and the 30th just to make everything easy to keep track of... But nooo, February just has to be different.

I guess I should switch to the 1st and 15th.  Every month has a 1st.


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## GypsyG (Feb 28, 2019)

Nooooooooooooooooooo!  A d@*** racoon!!!!!!!!!!!!   I HATE raccoons!!!!!!!!! My FAVORITE Hen?!?!?  Why HER?  Why ANY?!?  This is TOWN, are there not enough trashcans and petfood bowls to raid?!? 

RIP Cashew and Crispy.  You were good hens.


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## Baymule (Feb 28, 2019)

We lived in town at our old house, just a few blocks from downtown, City Hall, the Courthouse, Police station.....and we had raccoons, possums, hawks..... I laid wire on the ground all around the coop and run, attached it to the coop/run and that kept them from digging in. How did the raccoon break in? Sorry about they hens.


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## GypsyG (Feb 28, 2019)

Baymule said:


> We lived in town at our old house, just a few blocks from downtown, City Hall, the Courthouse, Police station.....and we had raccoons, possums, hawks..... I laid wire on the ground all around the coop and run, attached it to the coop/run and that kept them from digging in. How did the raccoon break in? Sorry about they hens.


It's my fault.  My "coop" is a repurposed dog kennel that has a tin roof and I wrap it in tarps in the winter.

It looks like he weasled in behind the tarp at the roost end and reached in and grabbed a hen, she struggled and got away, everyone got scared and left the roost and huddled in the front corner of the coop where the raccoon snatched one and pulled it partially through the fence and ate about a third of it.


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## Bruce (Feb 28, 2019)

Damned coons.


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## GypsyG (Mar 1, 2019)

I heard a noise and went out to check... The bastard managed to steal the piece of chicken carcass I used in the trap.   I reset it with some tuna... But my luck he's going to be full and not come back for the tuna and I'll have to stay up all night tomorrow night too.


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## GypsyG (Mar 1, 2019)

Insanely tired.  I just checked again.  No luck catching the little bastard yet.  I checked the rabbits wile I was out too and it was a good thing that I did... One of Loretta's babies had crawled out of the nest.  Something else to be paranoid about.  It is way too cold for that crap.


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## GypsyG (Mar 1, 2019)

I'm sitting in the waiting room at Firestone waiting on tires.  I hate sitting around waiting on things.  All the magazines here suck, not a single Western Horseman or Backwoodsman... Good thing I have BYH!  After I get done here I'm heading over to one of my Rabbit breeder friends to take Francis for a date with her big pedigreed Frenchie buck.  She was supposed to be bred when I got her but it didn't take, we are going to try again.

I am so exhausted and it will be another sleepless night because I didn't catch the darned coon yet...  Cashew and Crispy will be avenged!


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## Bruce (Mar 1, 2019)

Probably have plenty of old Road and Track and Autoweek at the tire dealer.

Sorry you haven't gotten that coon yet. What sort of trap are you using?


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## GypsyG (Mar 1, 2019)

Bruce said:


> Probably have plenty of old Road and Track and Autoweek at the tire dealer.
> 
> Sorry you haven't gotten that coon yet. What sort of trap are you using?


It's a welded cage style live trap that a local trapper builds and sells.  I've only used it for feral cats before, but it was designed for raccoons.


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## GypsyG (Mar 2, 2019)

Still have not caught the raccoon.  I am using tuna for bait now.

I'm soooo tired.  I keep nodding off at my post in the chair by the back window. I have my alarm set to ring every 20 minutes to make sure I don't fall asleep hard.  I hope I catch him soon because I don't know how much more of this I can take... 

Cashew and Crispy must be avenged!  This is war.


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## Baymule (Mar 2, 2019)

You would do better to strengthen up the coop, then you could sleep knowing that your chickens are safe. Let the trap do it's work. You can't keep this up, where there is one coon, there are others. 

Post pics of your coop and we can help with ideas on how to make it more coon proof.


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## GypsyG (Mar 2, 2019)

Baymule said:


> You would do better to strengthen up the coop, then you could sleep knowing that your chickens are safe. Let the trap do it's work. You can't keep this up, where there is one coon, there are others.
> 
> Post pics of your coop and we can help with ideas on how to make it more coon proof.



I am going to go buy some tin today and hang it around the roost end of the coop and then use some chicken wire and 2×4s to make divider wall inside the coop so I can secure them into the roost area at night.

I have had my hens for over a year and this is the first problem I have had. I had been lucky so far. I live in a nice neighborhood where everyone but me keeps impeccably manicured lawns and tidy cookie cutter houses... When raccoons or opossums or skunks are spotted by any of the residents they usually have them removed by a pest control service.  All my money goes to the feed store, the garden nursery and Lowe's for hutch building supplies so I can't afford to call a pest control service.


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## GypsyG (Mar 2, 2019)

Another late night tonight.  I replaced the tuna in the live trap with mackerel, hopefully it will yield results.

Posey is pulling hair like crazy and a winter storm is supposed to hit around midnight, lots of snow and Sub-Zero wind-chills... I have multiple reasons to stay up tonight.  Good thing I squeezed in a siesta this afternoon.   Posey is usually a great mom, but her last litter she had on the wire a almost two days early.  She's not due until tomorrow, but doe code says she will have them tonight in the storm.  Brownie and Zelda are also due, but neither have pulled fur yet.

Hosta and Munchkin are both due on the 15th.  Hosta's whole litter is already spoken for.

I bred Ella to Scarface and took Francis back to her breeder's to breed her to a pretty big broken chinchilla Frenchie buck yesterday...  Hopefully all these litters will be big, healthy and doe heavy so that I can get caught up filling orders for my doe waiting list.


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## GypsyG (Mar 2, 2019)

I went out to make rounds.  No raccoon, but 10 healthy kits with fat bellies!


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## GypsyG (Mar 3, 2019)

Still no raccoon, but now Brownie is pulling tons of fur!


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## GypsyG (Mar 3, 2019)

Still no raccoon... But there are eight more healthy babbies!  She had nine but one was DOA.


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## GypsyG (Mar 3, 2019)

The babies are fat and squirmy.  Both mom's pulled tons of fur.  Zelda still has not pulled any fur and does not appear to be in any hurry to do so.

The raccoon didn't go in the trap, but he did come back and raided my garbage can on the other side of the house.


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## Bruce (Mar 3, 2019)

Sorry the coon part isn't going so well but the rabbits are doing well!

I've trapped a coon once, with layer feed. Thing is, I was "hunting" woodchucks. I was really surprised to see the coon in the trap in the morning. Didn't have much luck with the groundhogs on layer feed last year (prior years they would scarf all the feed in the birds' stall coop in the barn) or other "guaranteed" trap foods. Did well with all stock sweet feed though. 

Good luck.


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## greybeard (Mar 3, 2019)

Bruce said:


> Did well with all stock sweet feed though.


I guess all stock feed really does mean ALL stock, including coons...

I know for a fact that they like corn.


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## GypsyG (Mar 4, 2019)

greybeard said:


> I guess all stock feed really does mean ALL stock, including coons...
> 
> I know for a fact that they like corn.
> View attachment 58926
> View attachment 58927


But do they like it better than fresh chicken?


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## GypsyG (Mar 4, 2019)

Still no raccoon and still no Zelda babies.

I set the trap with some stinky canned ham that had probably been on the back of the bottom shelf of the pantry for 20 years.  No luck.

I never was good at palpation, Zelda looks pregnant... As of today she is officially late and hasn't even pulled a bit of fur... She usually pulls fur for her nests extremely early.  I hope we have some of her signatue beautiful kits by the end of the day.  I'll give her until Wednesday and if still none by then she's going on a diet and we will try again.


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## Senile_Texas_Aggie (Mar 4, 2019)

Miss @GypsyG,

Just caught up on your journal.  I hope you can catch the coon.

Senile Texas Aggie


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## GypsyG (Mar 4, 2019)

Senile_Texas_Aggie said:


> Miss @GypsyG,
> 
> Just caught up on your journal.  I hope you can catch the coon.
> 
> Senile Texas Aggie



Ahhh, that's what all those alerts were!


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## Mike CHS (Mar 4, 2019)

@GypsyG - I have had pretty good luck using sardines or even canned tuna to bait traps for racoons.  The only downside is it also draws skunks.


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## GypsyG (Mar 4, 2019)

Mike CHS said:


> @GypsyG - I have had pretty good luck using sardines or even canned tuna to bait traps for racoons.  The only downside is it also draws skunks.


I tried tuna, he avoided the trap and got in my dumpster instead.  I'm thinking he may be trap savvy.


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## GypsyG (Mar 4, 2019)

Alright ladies, I made an excellent discovery today.  A pair of hot hands hand warmers in your bra makes winter chores a lot more bearable!

Still no Zelda babies.


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## frustratedearthmother (Mar 4, 2019)

GypsyG said:


> Alright ladies, I made an excellent discovery today. A pair of hot hands hand warmers in your bra makes winter chores a lot more bearable!


Love it!  Gotta make the girls a priority!


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## Bruce (Mar 5, 2019)

GypsyG said:


> I tried tuna, he avoided the trap and got in my dumpster instead.  I'm thinking he may be trap savvy.


Might have to make an effort to camo the trap in branches and such. Sounds like this one is going to be a PITA for some time but you'll get it.


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## B&B Happy goats (Mar 5, 2019)

Go get youself a already cooked rotisserie  chicken and eat it for dinner, strip most  of the meat off it, then take the entire carcass  and zip tie it inside the trap...you will have a coon in the morning...it has never failed me yet. Also makes for a easy dinner with leftovers. ..and a racoon for the next nights dinner


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## GypsyG (Mar 6, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Go get youself a already cooked rotisserie  chicken and eat it for dinner, strip most  of the meat off it, then take the entire carcass  and zip tie it inside the trap...you will have a coon in the morning...it has never failed me yet. Also makes for a easy dinner with leftovers. ..and a racoon for the next nights dinner


If the peanut butter and marshmallows I baited it with tonight don't work I'll give that a try... I repositioned the trap, covered it with limbs and leaves, and made two walls out of brush funneling into the trap.

I feel more at ease since reinforcing the coop, and I had planned on getting to bed at a reasonable hour tonight, but that was just not to be... So much for plans.  A house the next street over caught on fire and their car exploded in the garage, so sirens and red and blues.  I counted eight fire trucks out there and several cop suvs... I didn't see any ambulances, so that's a good sign.  I hope they were not home or they got out safely.

All of the kits in Brownie and Posey's litters are doing great.  I guess Zelda is just fat and needs to go on a diet.  I swear she can gain weight on air.  Brownie has a new addition to her litter.  One of my friends bred her white flemish doe to my big blue buck Barry.  She only had three kits, two died and the doe just wasn't acting right with the third, so now the kit is happily being fostered by Brownie and is warm and wiggly with a fat belly.


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## B&B Happy goats (Mar 6, 2019)

Must be busy rabbit time, lol i got a new delivery of nine yesterday, her first was seven...she is such a good mom and clean ....
Please try the chicken carcus...it works like a charm, and i had it next to my sliding glass door because they were so brazen they would come to the glass and torment the dogs inside the house.....when you get them , if your not going to kill them ....take them more than ten miles away because they travel a ten mile radius  to hunt and live....good luck woman


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## Bruce (Mar 6, 2019)

GypsyG said:


> A house the next street over caught on fire and their car exploded in the garage, so sirens and red and blues. I counted eight fire trucks out there and several cop suvs... I didn't see any ambulances, so that's a good sign. I hope they were not home or they got out safely.




I hope no one was hurt.


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## Baymule (Mar 6, 2019)

Nothing like a good foster momma to keep the babies fat and full. 

If you catch the coon, do not release it, it is unfair to the coon, unfair to the coons in the new territory and unfair to anyone who may live in that territory. I think you know what you have to do.


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## GypsyG (Mar 6, 2019)

Baymule said:


> Nothing like a good foster momma to keep the babies fat and full.
> 
> If you catch the coon, do not release it, it is unfair to the coon, unfair to the coons in the new territory and unfair to anyone who may live in that territory. I think you know what you have to do.



When I was a teenager I worked on a huge exotic animal ranch.  The ranch was located in a podunk town and the local teenagers had nothing to do out there besides get drunk and run their coon dogs.  

The raccoons quickly figured out that the ranch was a hunting free safe zone and we were quickly overrun.  They were so thick that we had started seeing them during the day!  They learned how to turn the grain auger on and we'd come in to tons of grain on the ground. They learned to open door knobs and handles... 

They learned that we stored bags of CalfManna in our lab room.  They got in one night and destroyed the lab; broke three microscopes and did all kinds of destruction.  My boss then put up a coon bounty for $10 each... And we could keep the skin!  I'd sit out in my lawn chair with a spotlight on a tripod pointed at the auger and a .22... Id flip on the light and pick them off like flys.  I earned over $200 in raccoon bounty money in just a few weeks!

Another guy who worked at the ranch was a true backwoods Ozark mountain hillbilly.  He taught me how to skin and dress them, he helped me tan a few hides, and he taught me several good ways to cook them.  My favorite way was to use a crock pot or pressure cooker and then shred them to make what Hillbilly called "hillbilly BBQ pork sandwiches".


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## B&B Happy goats (Mar 6, 2019)

Go git er done GypsyG , make yourself a coonskin hat, with the tail intact...like Daniel  Boon had , lol


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## B&B Happy goats (Mar 6, 2019)

Go git er done GypsyG , make yourself a coonskin hat, with the tail intact...like Daniel  Boon had , lol


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## GypsyG (Mar 6, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Go git er done GypsyG , make yourself a coonskin hat, with the tail intact...like Daniel  Boon had , lol


I already have one if those!  I'm going to use it to make a fancy shoulder bag with some elk leather I traded for a while back... I've been designing it in my head since the night the little bastard got Cashew and Crispy.


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## GypsyG (Mar 6, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Must be busy rabbit time, lol i got a new delivery of nine yesterday, her first was seven...she is such a good mom and clean ....
> Please try the chicken carcus...it works like a charm, and i had it next to my sliding glass door because they were so brazen they would come to the glass and torment the dogs inside the house.....when you get them , if your not going to kill them ....take them more than ten miles away because they travel a ten mile radius  to hunt and live....good luck woman


Congratulations on your new babies! I just think baby bunnies are the cutesest things until they reach the bunny-pig stage and start eating like hogs.


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## GypsyG (Mar 7, 2019)

Well, I just got back from dropping off the feral cat that I caught in my coon trap.  I took him to the vet that handles to local feral alter and release program.  I'll pick him up in the morning and bring him back and let him go.  Rotisserie chicken definitely works for cats!  The raccoon got in my garbage again sometime after 1:30am.  The reinforcements seem to have worked on the chicken coop (knock on wood).

Posey and Brownies babies are doing well and so is Brownies adoptee.  There are a couple of smaller ones in Posey's litter so I'm going to pull her four biggest milk hogs out of the nest this evening so the littles can get an extra full belly and catch up.

It looks like the rest of the day with be dedicated to building some new wire cages for some of the juniors that I have decided to keep over the last few months.  I hate cage building.


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## Bruce (Mar 7, 2019)

Maybe you need to bait the trap with garbage!


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## GypsyG (Mar 7, 2019)

Bruce said:


> Maybe you need to bait the trap with garbage!



I used bungee cords to secure the trashcan shut and put the trap next to the can with a whole rotisserie chicken in it this time (they were day-old on sale for $3)


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## Baymule (Mar 8, 2019)

Hope you catch him!


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## GypsyG (Mar 8, 2019)

Caught the little jerk!


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## frustratedearthmother (Mar 8, 2019)

Woo Hoo!!!


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## B&B Happy goats (Mar 8, 2019)

winner....love that chicken lickin bait


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## GypsyG (Mar 8, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> winner....love that chicken lickin bait


Thanks for the tip!


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## B&B Happy goats (Mar 8, 2019)

GypsyG said:


> Thanks for the tip!




Dinner and trap bait....it has always worked for me....congratulations  woman !


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## Bruce (Mar 8, 2019)




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## Baymule (Mar 8, 2019)

Now you can make a coon skin bag. If you are really adventurous, you could make an ivory toothpick!


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## Bruce (Mar 8, 2019)




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## GypsyG (Mar 8, 2019)

Baymule said:


> Now you can make a coon skin bag. If you are really adventurous, you could make an ivory toothpick!


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