Larsen Poultry Ranch - homesteading journey

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Sorry about the losses. They look fairly developed from what I could see in the pics, but obviously something went wrong along the way Personally, I’d rebreed at this point. If Coffee had pulled fur, the kits were definitely stillborn, and Vanilla had hers shortly after with too many for her to easily care for, I’d consider fostering, but not under the circumstances you’ve described.

Hopefully Coffee does better next time

Yeah, I'm not sure what went wrong. I'm worried that it's because of the dogs, they keep getting into the rabbit area and eating the poop or whatever they can get their paws on. I'm trying to keep them out but hubby hasn't been helpful in completing the rest of the fence. The way the gates were added left a gap too.

Coffee's first litter was great, she had 7 I think and only lost 1. I bred her with my second group of does and she didn't kindle so rebred her with group 4.

Vanilla still hasn't had her babies yet, at least as of this morning.

 

[Bruce]

Losing all those bunny babies is hard

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Losing all those bunny babies is hard

Yeah, especially since she did great her first litter. And that would have been the second litter of 10, same buck different does.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Vanilla still has nothing. Very frustrating.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

We had a butcher party this morning, and butchered all my non-keeper quail plus two bunnies. The other bunnies weren't big enough yet, the pure Rex seem to grow slower than the mixed breeds. We will weigh them next weekend and see if they are big enough then.

Bunny 1: live 6.32 lbs, butchered 3.29 lbs

Bunny 2: live 6.75 lbs, butchered 3.43 lbs

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

 

[Baymule]

Sorry about the lost litter. Sometimes things just happen no matter how hard you try.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Cloudy all day today, with the threat of rain. My parents came over to visit and help with yardwork. We all pitched in and got the random junk pile moved from the front of the yard/driveway zone to the side hidden by the storage container and sorted somewhat. It's mostly garden stuff and poultry stuff.

Hubby was really happy as he has been complaining of the eyesore for a while. Then he chopped down the pine tree there and started playing on the tractor taking out a bunch of the dirt. His plan is to widen out the graveled driveway there to make a nice turnaround zone or extra parking. He is going to dig out the dirt for several inches and then put down road base and then gravel. He still needs to get the stump out.

Next mom and I worked on assembling the garden shed. I think it would have gone much faster if it had been made of wood. It started out square at the floor pieces... Hubby had to come help us when we finally made it to the roof step, as it was no longer square and the holes didn't line up. He pushed it back and forth, wiggled it around, and finally got it to line up enough so I could set the screws. We didn't get it completed before it started raining, but we got really close. I'm hoping we can finish it tomorrow after work provided the storm is done by then.

Parents went back home and now hubby is grilling us some steak for dinner. Dogs were banished outside in their kennel all day because they went potty in the house again this morning. I think we might leave them in the kennel tomorrow while we are at work. They got let in and first thing they do is start wrestling. Guess they still have too much energy.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Anyone have a suggestion for what to plant along the fence between our gravel driveway and the fence with the neighbor? Right now it's maybe 4-5' wide strip of grass. It is part of an easement so I have to be ok with potentially losing or having to move whatever we put there if the water company decides to run water to the neighbors.

I have some canna bulbs that I think will get tall, but I'm trying to figure out an evergreen that will get at least head height to block the view. The cannas will die back in the winter.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

Anyone have a suggestion for what to plant along the fence between our gravel driveway and the fence with the neighbor? Right now it's maybe 4-5' wide strip of grass. It is part of an easement so I have to be ok with potentially losing or having to move whatever we put there if the water company decides to run water to the neighbors.

I have some canna bulbs that I think will get tall, but I'm trying to figure out an evergreen that will get at least head height to block the view. The cannas will die back in the winter.

Can you grow clump bamboo in that area ?...