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2014 Rabbit Workshop

2/17/2014

Many of you have been asking, so the anticipation must be intense by now... Well, the wait is over!

The first 2014 date for our Meat Rabbit Workshop has finally been determined. The workshop will take place on Saturday, March 29th from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon.

Visit our Rabbit Workshop page for more information, a flier that you are welcome to print and share (post it on your local feed store bulletin boards and pass it around to your homesteading friends!), and the required registration forms. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need assistance in completing a form.

Currently, this is the only date that has been set, but if there is enough demand for another class later in the year, then one will be planned. If you are unable to attend the March 29th class but would like to be notified of future workshop dates, please use the subscribe form on the right-hand side of this page and join our email list.

Disclaimer:
None of the information contained on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, or otherwise substitute for the care and advice from a qualified human or animal medical professional. Please consult the trusted medical professional of your choice before using any of the information contained on this site.

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Feeding sprouts

2/6/2014

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Have you ever tried growing sprouts, either for human consumption or for animal feed?

Most any whole seed can be sprouted. This includes grains, beans, legumes, and other seeds (such as sunflowers). There are several benefits to sprouting grains. By sprouting the seeds, they become more nutritiously available - this means that when consumed, the body is able to absorb and use more of the nutrition from the same amount of seeds, than if those same seeds were consumed in their unsprouted form. Sprouting seeds also increases the content of some nutrients - the specific nutrients and level of increase will depend on the specific seeds being used. Additionally, feeding sprouts to livestock, such as chickens, increases the diversity of their feed. The chickens are able to consume both the seed/grain and the green sprouts they produce.

Sprouted fodder can be fed to most types of livestock. If you would normally feed the grain to a particular animal, then you can feed the same grain as sprouts to that same animal. As an example, whole oats can be fed to chickens, goats, and rabbits. Sprouted oats can also be fed to chickens, goats, and rabbits. The ability to feed the same feed to multiple species can be very convenient, and can also save on feed costs!

Growing sprouts can be as simple or as sophisticated as you want to make it. There are sprouting kits of all sizes available from many different resources. You can also make your own "kit" with basic items such as a canning jar for the initial grain soaking, and a shallow plastic tray or bowl for growing the sprouts.

I intend to experiment with feeding sprouted grains and seeds this year. Since this is not something I have tried yet, I will leave the more specific "how to" information for a later post that I will share with you once I have actually done it a time or two. It will be a learning experience, but hopefully a good one! If any of you have experience in feeding this way, I would love to hear from you!

Here are some great websites with more information on the benefits of sprouting seeds/grain, both for human and animal consumption.
Animal Fodder:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/sprouted-fodder.aspx
http://www.peakprosperity.com/blog/growing-sprouted-fodder/72618
A video from Joel Salatin on sprouting grains for chickens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xhzph-4tyUI

Human Consumption:
http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/01/why-sprout.html
http://nourishedkitchen.com/sprouted-grain/
http://sproutpeople.org/sprouts/nutrition/science/

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Are you frozen?

2/3/2014

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I don't know about ya'll, but I am tired of winter! I have never liked cold, snowy weather, so this winter has not been high on my list of favorites. It seems like everything has been frozen forever! There are visions of palm trees dancing in my head, and I can faintly smell the salty air - but I digress...

Have you done anything special to keep your livestock warm this year? I always take extra precautions, especially when the highs are not expected to get above freezing, and the lows are in the single digits (or sub-zero a few nights!). I re-purposed some empty feed bags (never just toss those babies..they have too many good uses!) to wrap my hen house and keep the wind out. I also hung some Christmas lights inside, both for supplemental light, and to add a degree or two of warmth while the girls are on the roost.

The ladies must appreciate the changes because they seem happy, and they even laid an egg for me (of course that could have been because they overheard me making plans to "thin the flock").

I showed you a while back how I prepare the rabbits for cold weather, and how I make sure they have water, even in sub-freezing temps. They sure enjoy burrowing in the hay, and I collected quite a few ice blocks out of their water bowls, since it was too cold for them to melt. A couple of mornings when the actual temps dropped below zero, some of the longer haired rabbits had frost on their facial fur (where their breath froze). Even those girls didn't seem to mind the weather - but they did enjoy a nice drink of hot water!

Clearly everybody and everything is cold around here. Fortunately however, the critters seem to be tolerating it much better than I am. Do you think if I were to throw a temper tantrum, I could have spring NOW?

Yeah - somehow I knew you were going to say that.

Apparently Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow yesterday, but Beauregard Lee did not. Nothing against you Pennsylvania farmers out there, but I like the Georgia groundhog better.

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Hi, my name is Nicole and my friends think I'm crazy. I love farming, and my methods can be non-traditional at times, but I love simple living, I love playing in the dirt, and I love life.

2014 Rabbit Workshop

Feeding sprouts

Are you frozen?

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