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Mine are all weathers, so with that in mind; they will have a hierarchy. Some will tolerate others eating with them, others won't. When the one is full, it'll probably want to rest. The other can eat then. A larger or separate feeder may help too, but sometimes the dominant goat will chase...

You don't have problems with them chewing on the pressure treated timbers? It would be toxic. I would think the screens might help keep the hooves worn down as well and would be tempted to make a steep ramp of one for the back (don't want to get rid of the lounging stairs!).

The act was passed in 2015, allowing for direct sales of some products, like raw milk, directly from producer to consumer. It was amended this year to include rabbits and a limited amount of poultry. Nice to see some support for local growers and those who wish to eat locally produced foods...

Many hunt with them, I didn't this time, but got them after the deer was down. They were hesitant about the deer when we first walked up to it, because they aren't familiar with them. After that, they were fine. I put the loaded panniers on them and they didn't blink and eye. The blood and...

I haven't shot around them, but they are terrified of fireworks. I think shooting around them with the .22 for a bit and then maybe the .410. and up to a louder gun...

I took them up after the hunt. I plan on having them with me on the hunt, but the saddles and panniers are very noisy in the brush and timber. I figure on making some light weight wool or fleece mantis to cover them and then the beasties will go with me. Other animals tend to be curious about...

Try now.

My back and feet won't put up with packing like I used to. As soon as I make some wool mantis for the panniers (the panniers are too noisy as they are), I'll start hunting with them as well.

The buck. Hercules Bob Earning their keep. My load. Hood ornament...?

I'm on board with the self filling. We don't live at the ends of the earth, but you can see it from here. I.e., hour hardware store lacks the necessary hardware to adapt from the garden hose to the fill valve and float.

I think a self filling system will be down the road. Just kind of easing in: making sure I'm going to be in this for awhile. I tap the valves daily, when feeding, to make sure we have flow.

Finally got the watering system up this week. 1. 5 gal bucket up high for a good gravity feed. I fed a short hose through the top (which just sits loosely on the top to keep stuff out of the water). 2. A 'T' to seperate the flow to the two banks of cages. 3. More 'T's to send the juice...

Butchered my first batch of the season. New Zealand doe/Rex buck crosses. Average finished carcass weight for the group was 2.69 lbs at 10 weeks. I am pleased with how meaty the carcasses are. Plenty of fat as well. These were cage raised.

Tractors have some advantages. I wouldn't have any less than 10 weeks old or so on free range. Domestics are a long ways from wild rabbits and there is a high risk of diarrhea in the young with too many fresh/green foods. Generally deadly. I'd also consider worming the them...

What is your criteria? Size of litter, size of kits? Do you look to keep 6, 8, 10; or is it more based on individual kits?

My NZ doe kindled 13 kits, 12 days ago. 11 live and are all fat and sassy, but there is a huge discrepancy in size within the litter. Her other litters all were reasonably similar in size. The pic below shows some size difference between a larger one and a smaller one. Three of them are...

When cutting lengths of wire, a metal blade in a circular saw works wonders. When I build, I won't make the cages more than 24" deep. Makes it easier to reach to the back to get the rabbit, clean, etc. If they are long, put extra doors in on one side for access. I put the feeders, water, and...

A swipe of a nail file can be sufficient. If they are eating pellets and drinking water, you can separate them at four weeks, though most of wait to 8 wks or so. As soon as they can get out of the nest box, have food and water available to them. They will still nurse, but also eat pellets.

An update: The NZ litter at 56 days The Rex litter at 56 days When I last weighed them at 44 days, the NZ litter average weight was 140% larger than the Rex litter average weight. The NZ kindled a new litter today. 13 this morning. All alive tonight. The Rex kindled one on the wire this...

Most of us are looking for the best feed to weight ratio, as well as getting kits to butcher age quickly. Sometimes though, people are also balancing with efforts to self sufficiency. Can we raise meat without commercial feed? What if commercial feed becomes cost prohibitive due to weather...