Category: Rabbits - Wildflower Valley Farm

YouTube Channel Updates

5/31/2018

Have you checked out our YouTube Channel yet? I try to post videos at least twice each week, and more often as time allows. Recently, I have produced videos about things like:

How to plant tomatoes - https://youtu.be/z8Mf9FiIUHY

Keeping city chickens - https://youtu.be/-RjQoyszEdY

Gardening Updates - https://youtu.be/iXiRlGSApEM

Rabbit Care (a multi-part series):
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPVM29FizjvPFwH3B9yuEF_6A6MCpU3Vw

And more!

If you enjoy these videos and want to see more like them, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel. After you have subscribed, if you click the bell icon that is beside the subscribe button, you can receive a notification directly from YouTube right away, each time I upload something new.

So head on over and check out what you've missed!

Fodder

12/30/2014

Almost a year ago, I wrote about wanting to experiment with fodder for feeding our rabbits and chickens. I really didn't think it would take me this long to write a follow up to that post!

I have learned a lot in the last several months. I have learned that finding a local source for sprouting seeds in bulk is much more difficult than I expected. There are a number of sources available online, but I was not happy with any of the prices and by the time shipping charges are added, the price is even worse! Every feed store around me has whole oats, so that one was easy to find. Finding whole wheat or barley however was next to impossible. I frequently forget that Ramsey's Farm Market is even in Morristown, because they are not on any of the usual routes I take to anywhere else that I go - but when I remembered to check with them, I found that they carry soft red wheat and the price is actually reasonable. Every supplier I contacted told me they did not carry whole barley, so I gave up on that until recently. One of the local TN Farmer's Co-op stores who told me in late spring that they did not carry it, has now started to do so - which means that I will be purchasing my first bag of barley very soon.

Soaking the seeds prior to sprouting has a learning curve. Soaking is necessary to initiate the sprouting process, but some seeds like to be soaked longer than others, and the ambient temperature of the room in which they are soaking will affect the length of time that those seeds like to soak. Warmer temperatures will require a shorter soaking time for most seeds, but soaking them too long in those same warm temperatures will cause the seeds to begin to ferment (which means they will not sprout at all!).

Moisture is necessary for successful fodder growth, but stagnant moisture is bad. Seeds that are too warm, and/or do not drain well in the grow tray, will begin to ferment and/or grow mold. If the temperature is too warm, the seeds will sprout but the growth rate will be slow and sometimes they will just shrivel and die. The same is true if the moisture level is too low.

By no means is growing fodder as hard as I am making it sound however. My experimentation was not utter failure - I just had to learn to tweak my methods a bit. I still haven't quite perfected my growing system, but it is functional. My rabbits and chickens love the fodder (the chickens like fermented feed as well, but that is a different post for a different day)! So far I have grown oats, wheat, wild bird seed (a mixture of primarily red and white millet, barley, and BOSS), and I plan to try barley very soon. I have some ideas for making my set up more successful and once I have had time to actually put those ideas into practice and test them, I will share them with you as well.

If you grow fodder, I would love to see your set up. Have you learned any special tricks for success?

Anderson County Emergency Preparedness Fair

4/24/2014

On Saturday, May 10th, I will be at the Anderson County Emergency Preparedness Fair in Clinton, TN. This is the 3rd year this event has taken place, however it is the first year that I have participated. I must confess that I was not aware of this fair before this year, but it sounds quite interesting, and very much like an event everyone will enjoy! This is a free event, open to the public, and all of the classes offered that day are free as well. There will be classes such as food preservation and canning, bread baking, and CPR certification.

I will be offering the following mini-classes as well. These are short sessions and will not cover the in-depth information that is covered in my full classes, but will provide you with useful information on the specific topic covered, and will hopefully whet your appetite for considering participation in one of my full-length workshops.

9:15am Laundry Soap (how to make it and use it) - A limited number of free samples will be available.
10:30am Meat Rabbits (why you should consider raising meat rabbits, and different housing methods used)
11:45am Goat Care (preventative care, with a focus on deworming practices used here on our farm)
1:00pm Backyard Flock (why you should consider keeping chickens, and various feeding methods)

Start times on the above classes are approximate, so consider arriving a few minutes early. Each class will last approximately 15-30 minutes each.

I will be sharing a table with Damnearafarm and our table will be inside, so we will be there rain or shine. I will also have goat milk soap and some other handmade items available for sale that day, along with more information about the full-length workshops I offer. Even if you don't have time for one of the mini-classes that day, please stop by and introduce yourself. I would love to meet you!

Click here to download a printable flyer with more information about the event.
Please feel free to ask if you have any questions about the specific classes we will be presenting that day. For general questions about the event itself, you will need to contact the fair organizers - contact information is provided on their website.

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.

Feeding sprouts

2/6/2014

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/

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.

Are you frozen?

2/3/2014

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.

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.

Winter care for rabbits - part 2: How to keep rabbits warm in extreme cold

11/12/2013

I’m sorry for the delay in continuing my animal care tips. Last week was super busy, but hopefully things will begin to settle down around here as winter sets in.

Speaking of winter - I think it is arriving today. We started the day out with a high in the mid 40’s and the temperature has been dropping fast all day. The forecast is for us to end up in the low-mid 20’s tonight. Brrrrr!!! So in preparation for this, I bunked the rabbits down this morning.

Q: How do you keep your rabbits warm in cold weather?

A: Rabbits are surprisingly well adapted to cold weather. In fact, they tolerate cold temperatures much better than hot temperatures. Even with their thick fur coats however, domestic rabbits need assistance when the weather turns bitter.

The primary step is to ensure that the rabbits are protected from drafts. If they are inside a building, close off doors and windows, leaving just enough air flow (maybe a cracked window, or a vent fan) for ventilation. If they are not enclosed by a building, be sure the cages are protected. You can do this by installing some type of barrier, such as wooden boards or metal sheeting, around the outside of the cages to shield them. Depending on your set up, you may need to enclose each set of cages or, if it is possible, you can simply enclose the general area where your cages are. If they are under a shed for instance, you can tack plywood to each side. If you can be positive that the rabbits cannot reach to chew on it, you can wrap a shed in plastic sheeting or tarps. Whatever your method, the idea is to prevent cold air from blowing on the cages and chilling the rabbits. Still air feels warmer than moving air, and is easier for a rabbit to tolerate.

Depending on the weather conditions, blocking air flow may be all that is necessary. In my case, it is not possible to completely block air flow from the entire area where my cages are. I block what I can and then, as an added measure on exceptionally cold or windy days, I provide each rabbit with extra protection. Nursing does already have a nest box, and this provides added shelter to the doe. Generally, the kits in the next box have enough protection from their nest (hopefully well lined with mom’s fur) to protect them. If the doe burrows in the box to keep herself warm, this just provides added protection to her kits as well. Sometimes I will also provide dry does and/or bucks with a nest box stuffed with hay, simply for the added protection that it provides if the rabbit chooses to burrow in the box. The next thing I do is stuff each cage with plenty - and I do mean plenty - of hay, to help block air flow and to provide “fuel.” The rabbits will eat the hay (which means it must be replenished daily) and they will burrow in it as well. As they eat, the workings of their digestive system will generate heat, helping the rabbit to keep warm. Burrowing helps to block drafts, and provides insulation to help the rabbit retain the body heat that is generated as they eat. This, in combination with the hot water that I provide a minimum of twice daily, helps each rabbit to thrive even with temperature extremes.

On a day like today, the rabbits seem to know that the weather is going to turn nasty. They bounced with excitement as I stuffed their cages this morning and, by the time I get home to check on them tonight, they will be content with full bellies and snugly burrowed in their hay bunkers.

How do you you keep your rabbits warm in freezing weather?

This post is part of a Q & A series on livestock care tips. Click here for more posts in this series.

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.

Winter care for rabbits - part 1: How to provide fresh water in freezing weather

10/30/2013

Today’s post is the first in my series on livestock care tips. Check out my previous post here, for more details on the series itself.

Q. How do you keep the water from freezing in cold weather?

A. The short answer is, you don’t. To my knowledge, there is no safe way to prevent either a bottle or a crock of water from freezing, short of keeping your rabbits in a heated building. In most climates of the United States however, heating the rabbitry is unnecessary. You certainly want to protect your rabbits from extreme elements and from drafts, but with a few provisions, healthy rabbits are able to tolerate winter weather quite well. This does not, however, mean that you don’t have to provide your rabbits with fresh water. They still require access to drinkable water, at all times. So the real question is, how can you do that in sub-freezing weather?

Some larger scale rabbitries have an auto-watering system such as this one which, with a little creativity, could be fitted with a water heater to help ensure the system does not freeze in the winter. If you have a smaller operation however, or are like me and continuously trying to keep cost as low as possible, you may need a different solution.

So here at Wildflower Valley Farm, we go low-tech and use ceramic crocks (why I don’t use bottles is another post for another day), similar in size and shape to this one. I sometimes pick them up at thrift stores and yard sales, but fortunately my local Dollar Tree has them in stock relatively frequently. When I see them, I buy two or three just to keep a few spares. In the winter, I like to have two crocks for each rabbit (more for does with kits). Each morning and evening, I provide each rabbit with a fresh crock of water. When the temperatures drop near or below freezing, I fill them with hot tap water. Believe it or not, my rabbits enjoy the hot water much like you or I might enjoy a cup of hot tea or coffee. This encourages them to drink, even in cold weather, and helps prevent dehydration.

My reason for keeping at least two crocks per rabbit, is in case the water freezes solid in them overnight (it rarely stays cold enough here during the day for them to freeze solid before evening). Should that happen, I have a spare for each rabbit so that I can give each one a fresh crock of warm water, and the frozen crocks can be taken inside to thaw. Another alternative to carrying them inside, is that I can place the frozen crock in a bucket of warm water (don’t use hot water or the crock will break due to the sudden temperature change). After only a minute or two, the chunk of ice will float to the top of the bucket, and the crock will be ice free and ready for use again.

So there you have it - my solution for ensuring my rabbits always have access to drinkable water, even in sub-freezing temperatures. It has worked beautifully for me for several years, but I am always open to new ideas, so if you have a different method I would love to hear from you!

This post is part of a Q & A series on livestock care tips. Click here for more posts in this series.

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.

New residents at the farm

9/17/2013

Wildflower Valley Farm welcomed some new residents recently.

Fiona and Darcy are the founding matriarchs for my future satin herd.
Fiona is the charlie doe on the left, and Darcy is the broken doe on the right. They are still a little too young to breed, so there won't be any baby pictures any time soon, but I have high hopes for these fine gals.

Our newest caprine resident is the awesome girl you see here. We're still tossing name ideas around but we do have a few ideas. She is a nubian - lamancha cross, from good milking bloodlines and show quality parentage. She is still a little standoffish, as she learns about her new surroundings and finds her place in the herd, but she is friendly and curious, which I see as good signs that she will come around soon.

When a mother freaks out

5/6/2013

I had to intervene with a new litter of rabbits yesterday. The doe is a first time mom and had no idea what to do. It's really not all that uncommon in rabbits (and some other animals as well), for a first time mother to panic. When the weather is warm and pleasant, usually the doe can just be left alone and she will figure things out on her own. Sometimes, however, one has to intervene.
This doe built a lovely nest of hay on Saturday, in preparation for her litter. We were not sure that she was even pregnant however, so when she ate her nest of hay Saturday evening, we just assumed it was a false pregnancy (again, not all that rare). All was well Sunday morning, but sometime during the day she went into labor. She had a nest box, which was empty since she ate the hay, and she did have her babies inside the box, rather than on the wire outside which is so common with first-timers who have no prepared nest. But the poor girl had no idea what to do with the fur she pulled and, rather than line the nest box with it, she scattered it. So, it looked like an explosion of rabbit fur all over her cage. And to top it off, it was damp and cool all day, so with no hay and no fur to keep them warm, the poor kits barely stood a chance. And, as is also common when a new mother freaks out, she didn't know what else to do with them so she began to cannibalize them.
Keep in mind, this all happened in a short amount of time, when no one was around to notice the chaos. Thankfully however, before she could do much more damage, my mom (who owns her) arrived to check on her. One kit had already died from being too cold, but the others were still alive at that point. Two more died soon after, also from getting too cold. I warmed the rest of them up with a heating pad and, as I was checking them over, discovered the bite marks the doe had inflicted. At that point, knowing that this inexperienced doe was too panicked to properly care for them, I called a friend who also keeps rabbits. She had a doe with a 1-day old litter who I was hoping we could convince to foster the survivors.
The good news is, now one day later, the five kits we gave to the foster-mom are doing well so far. The fostering doe is feeding them and her own kits, and she is an experienced doe so she knows how to care for them. We will still have to watch for a few more days before we know if all five of them are likely to survive, but everything looks good so far.

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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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.

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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