Dinner rabbits, Journal

[secuono]

You say "in the red".....but, are you giving any value to the meats used for self and dogs? That bag of dog food is big $$ now and you have at least two big dogs, right?

Just thinking. I know it helps me feel better when I buy goat feeds -- sell some milk, use it for cats, chickens, self (milk, cream, cheese, yogurt) and when I consider those expenses reduced, it makes me feel better.

I don't. Keeping it a strictly cash in, cash out comparison.
And one of the turds is on strike from eating raw this week. I had planned to cull an adult & 8-10 grow outs, but he's put a bit of a delay on that. Husband joked that he wants it grilled. Might try that... Sear it like fancy food, just skip the baking part.
I don't even spend 500 on dog food(fed nothing else) a year, while the rabbits have already used up more than 1k.
Looks like I'll have to redo the math with the newer price, used to be 45, now 55, though.

 

[secuono]

April 9th

The cups are refilling. Looks like I'm ordering tubing!

$531 in the red + 47 in supplies. $578 in the red.
Need water bins & two more packs of cups, but that'll wait until the other 5 are set up.

Two mutt growouts culled.



April 10

4 to watch, 2 bucks, 2 does. Of course all of the color ones are bucks. At least they're not at the bottom of the weight chart.





Wednesday

$578 in the red.
47 in supplies, still waiting on some parts.

$625 in the red.


I'll need 12 more cups to finish, at $60. But waiting to setup the 5 I currently have & then I'll order more.

Need to figure out water. Looks like I'll have to make a stand & use one of the 55gal barrels I have. 500 pounds of weight, idk if I can make a stand high enough & safe enough for that, lol.


Thursday

Made a hot mess of it when resoaking...
Got tanning liquid to finish it. Hope it works out.
Will paint this stuff onto the rabbit hides if this one turns out OK.


Blackie's 12 kits are still alive. Pic from yesterday, some were thin. Went to feed those today & they're fed!


Moved Grumpy's kits out to the grow out pen.

Got 3 to cull, then reweigh the broken kits & cull the smallest.

 

[secuono]

Friday

One Blackie kit lost out of nest.

Need a better sanding method to get the leftover bits of flesh off.
But what to make with it...




No time today, so cull date is Monday.


Was going to use the 55gal barrel, but realized that I'd have to cut off the top to secure the connector, and I dont want to "ruin" a good barrel. So, will go to the store and buy a big Brute trash can instead.

Used a bunch of stacked pallets to make the "stand". Much safer than me actually building a stand with open space under it.

 

[secuono]

Saturday

35gal can.
5 cups installed.
Will order more.




Sunday

Folded new cardboard to extend hoppers.

 

[secuono]

Choco had 4 kits and was acting like a nutcase, jumping in and stomping the kits, while I was out there feeding. Put up a divider to block her out of the nest completely. Will rebuild the nest and remove divider tonight & see how she does.


3 buns in the freezer & pelts in pickle.
No more grumpy trying to rip my hand to shreds!

 

[farmerjan]

Yesterday-

The two black does I held back. Kept their choc sister. Forgot which was heavier, will weigh tomorrow & move out the smaller one to sell/cull.
Better shaped-
View attachment 97908View attachment 97909

Most even silvering I've seen-
View attachment 97910View attachment 97911View attachment 97912View attachment 97913

Like your helpers....

 

[secuono]

Monday

Chocolate doe update

Removed divider earlier, then put it back, still acting up.

Then again an hour ago. She was weird, then started nosing a tunnel, backwards. Back feet over kits, but I had built up the nest that they weren't stomped!
She jumped out & started to gather bits of leftover hay. I gave her more, she gathered it all, pulled more fur. So I removed the 4 kits to safety as she added to her nest.
Then I gathered the 2 smallest Blackie kits & put them in waiting with the 4 Choco kits. Once she was done redoing her nest, I moved the 6 in.
Hoping she feeds them all & no more stomping! Left the divider off.

Pics from Sunday.




Today


Teat pics on the inside.




All except three holes are on cups! The 2 moms & a Rex buck.
Did move Onyx & kits to Grumpy's old cage. Since it's set up with a cup & has slightly more space.

 

[secuono]

Wednesday

Forgot the pics. Grumpy kits are in here, too.
Got weights of all, but forgot to get pics of the notes to post.

Today.
$625 in the red.
Then 60 in cups.
$685 in the red.
Ugh


Lost one of the Choco kits, but both fosters are OK.



Speckle kits, 9wks
Broken tort buck, 3.94
Broken buck, 4.32
Broken doe, 4.63
Broken doe, 4.16
Broken buck, 3.79
Broken doe, 3.87


Blu kits, 6wks, all does
Lilac, 2.3.7
Broken blue, 2.3.1
Broken blue otter, heavy blanket, 2.3.5
Broken blue otter, shoulder spot, 2.3.9
Broken blue otter, 1.15.6


Grumpy kits, 7wk 4 days
Tort buck, 3.0
Choc buck, 2.67
Choc buck, 2.85
Black doe, 3.14
Black doe, 2.74
Black doe, 3.11
Black doe, 2.9.2



Onyx kits, 6wks. Bloated today.
Black buck, 1.11.3
Black buck, 2.1.4
Black buck, 1.10.5
Black buck, 1.14.7
Black buck, 1.10.6
Black buck, 1.13.6
Black doe, 1.12.6
Black doe, 1.10.9
Black doe, 1.15.2
Black doe, 2.0.2


RM14 kits, 5wk 2days
Black buck, 2.0.4
Black buck, 2.2.5
Black buck, 1.14.9
Black buck, 2.1.4
Black doe, 2.5.4
Black doe, 2.2.2
Black doe, 2.4.1


Amber kits, 5wks
Choc doe, 1.3.4
Choc otter doe, 0.13.5
Choc otter buck, 1.5.7
Blue doe, 1.9.4
Lynx doe, 1.2.5
Lynx doe, 1.5.6
Castor buck, 1.3.7
Castor buck, 1.5.2
Castor doe, 1.1.7



RM11 kit, 12wks
Broken doe, 5.21
RM11 kit, 10wks
Black buck, 6.53


Amber kit, 16wks
Choc mutt doe, 6.26
Castor buck, 5.90



Need to check info on these for parents & ages.
Broken castor buck, 4.55
Broken lynx doe, 5.92

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Hey @secuono could you share what you use for tanning your pelts? I'm trying the salt-alum method and I'm not sure I have the ratio right.

 

[secuono]

Hey @secuono could you share what you use for tanning your pelts? I'm trying the salt-alum method and I'm not sure I have the ratio right.

It's a pickle. But need to use a bottled solution to finish or "tan" it.
But to fully waterproof, like professional clothing, you need chrome chemical or to use tannins.

1 cup salt, 1 cup alum, 2-3gal water, up to about 10 rabbit hides. Mix a few times a day. Day 2, flesh, add another cup each of salt & alum. Leave for 5 days.


Then wash with a lot of water rinsing or use a tablespoon of baking soda to gallon of water to soak hides for 30min. This is to neutralize. I didn't do this to my past hides from years ago, it's still in great condition. Maybe because I rinsed it out enough. But the pros say it's needed or it'll cause eventual rot.


Dry mostly, but not fully. When nearly dry, start stretching it out until fully dry.

If finishing, follow directions on bottle of tanner. Nu-Tan, paint it on well when nearly dry. Then stretch until fully dry after letting it soak in.
For smoking, stretch to dry and then setup the smoker.
If using chrome, mix up liquid after the neutralizer dip, toss in mix. Not sure how long though.


Any strong chemical that lowers pH to 2 will work, like sodium bisulfate or citric acid. Haven't tried those, just the aluminum sulfate.


Using Nu-Tan this time. Will attempt to try chrome in the future, once I get good at it.