Grass Tractor versus colony style management?

[Grizzlyhackle]

When I used chicken manure we had a lot bigger worms than what we get now with Bunny. There's a bunch but smaller. I had a good supply of horse biscuits and got tons of white beetle grubs hardly any earthworms or redwigglers. Are worms picky eaters?

 

[Rabbitsbysara]

Some worm farmers don't feed any manure, some only composted manure. In most worm farms they use composting worms not the native worms. If you have healthy compost and healthy soil, I feel there are plenty worms. I can barely shovel for all the worms. Chicken manure is supposed to be composted along time, I think it will make compost hot. If you want more worms add shredded cardboard or paper they love and leaves too. I just don't think you can leave your rabbit manure in a deep layer under the hutch without attracting flies. Fly strike on rabbits is real. And horrible. But I have never layered on the lime, I think it may help.

 

[Nao57]

I purposely went with raised hutches for lots of reasons.
A colony I figured they would dig out. Have we got kits, which hole are they in. If I walk in will a collapse a tunnel or nest? Do I want to bury wire and how deep do I have to go.
In a hutch I know who ate, how much, whose drinking, how much, I can see body condition. Look them each in the eyes. Easier to provide shade, weather and predator protection. You gonna put wire or netting over the colony. Red tail hawks, owls your out west Golden Eagles.
Tractors sound great. It's on the ground now you're bending. Hot and sunny day, is grass under a tree or out in the sun. Neighbors dog, cat, is at Tractor height. Scare them to death. Night time now there's opossums, raccoons,foxes, dogs, cats, rats.
How many tractors you going to build. How long is your good grass available. Are you home so you can watch for problems. Starts raining or snowing can you move them out of drifts or puddles.
Local man kept bobwhite quail in a flight pen. Figure a huge tent framed and covered in netting. Twice he had to release hawks caught in the net. Had to fix the net both times. Hawk shredded it getting tangled. Second time he went to the hospital cuz the hawk shredded him. Neighbor and I were standing at the mailbox talking. He had an ancient miniature poodle on a leash. From behind his house out of an oak tree a Cooper's hawk swooped down at his dog. Dog saw it and flinched, hawk turned off at the last second. Old guy only saw the dog move. Until I pointed at the hawk flying down the street. Never made a sound. So with people standing there he still tried. Envision your rabbits unattended in a colony.
Lots of bad can happen in hutches. I worry when hurricane's come. I'm not home all day nor would I likely hear an animal trying to get in. I do have a motion sensor light but after 10 pm I'm snoozing. My hutches are built heavy, not easy to move solo. Dog can't knock them over easy. Under a cloth carport blocks off hawks, owls. Wooden boxed end gives them some where to hide. Even added a board to sit on for added sense of security.
You ask about them trying to get out. I have never scene an animal, any animal that appreciates confinement. They might stay home but they want out. You can build the biggest pen in the world and one will still pace the edge wanting to get on the other side.

Thanks!

You made some very good points. Like your ideas!

 

[Grizzlyhackle]

If this link works you may want to watch. It's from people who call themselves the Rabbit Center. He's got some cool ideas on a nesting setup. I can't do it, takes more space than I have. Their videos are pretty cool.
I've spent alot of years just observing and reading. I've had 16 dogs, 1 cat, bunnies off and on wild and domestic. Kept quail at home for 5 or 6 years. Little bit of farm time, lot of time hunting. Still don't know much. Biggest thing I've learned, if it can go wrong it will and I just think from there.

 

[Nao57]

Thanks. I'll take a look.

But... yesterday and the day before my rabbits kept getting out.

So I've gotten tired of colony style system veryyyyyy quickly. (Although they do look happier with that kind of set up.)

 

[Grizzlyhackle]

Thanks. I'll take a look.

But... yesterday and the day before my rabbits kept getting out.

So I've gotten tired of colony style system veryyyyyy quickly. (Although they do look happier with that kind of set up.)

Happy is right, just as soon as you turned your back. Hope you were able to catch them all. And I'm not laughing at you. I searched my neighborhood with a fishing net and a bird dog looking for quail that got loose. Somebody who we won't name left the door unlatched.

Hey if you didn't try you would always wonder.

 

[Nao57]

Happy is right, just as soon as you turned your back. Hope you were able to catch them all. And I'm not laughing at you. I searched my neighborhood with a fishing net and a bird dog looking for quail that got loose. Somebody who we won't name left the door unlatched.

Hey if you didn't try you would always wonder.

Thanks for the reply.

I did get them back in. But I was lucky...

They were mostly very affectionate new zealanders. If that had been the other ones I'd never have caught them again. They are too fast. :S I don't know how people do it...

 

[secuono]

Raccoons can rip them apart if not in 1/2×1/2" wire, bottom, top & sides. Not a fun thing to wake up to...

I had open pens before the coons found them, none escaped back then. I used halved plastic dog crates as dens and such. Wood boards over two for alleys, tarps for deep shade.

What country? US Silver Fox are very mellow "teddybears".

 

[Nao57]

Raccoons can rip them apart if not in 1/2×1/2" wire, bottom, top & sides. Not a fun thing to wake up to...

I had open pens before the coons found them, none escaped back then. I used halved plastic dog crates as dens and such. Wood boards over two for alleys, tarps for deep shade.

What country? US Silver Fox are very mellow "teddybears".

US...

But its possible the people I got them from just didn't have human interaction.

I'm still learning about the human interaction factor now, and not sure how much you have to human interact with them to get them to be tame...

Do people that are doing colony style management only put the really tame, friendly ones in there? (This was a thought I had today as a possibility.) I don't want to chase them anymore, but its still interesting to figure out.

Raccoons sounds awful. :O

 

[Grizzlyhackle]

US...

But its possible the people I got them from just didn't have human interaction.

I'm still learning about the human interaction factor now, and not sure how much you have to human interact with them to get them to be tame...


Raccoons sounds awful. :O

If you want an animal to pay attention to you, you need to spend some time with it. Younger they are the better. Handfeed them treats, scratch their heads, pick them up frequently. They learn you, you learn them. That way it's not so tough when you have to. I know you want to eat them and that makes it tougher when the time comes. But it's easier on them if you can handle them gentle and quick.
Raccoons are nasty critters. They seem to like killing. They can figure out how to open turnbolts and latches. Friend had one in the house when we were kids. It could open pill bottles.