I bet you didn't know that chickens have eye lashes...OK maybe you did, but, I didn't until I owned a flock.

What else I didn't know about chickens before I added them to my life, the girls occasionally get a little broody, and when they do they are not very happy to have you stealing their eggs.

Of course, because we don't have a rooster our eggs our infertile, no matter how long Ms.Broody Britches sits on those eggs they are not going to hatch.

Meet little Carrot Top, one of our rabbit babies born Easter weekend.  I have been wanting to keep a little ginger bunny and since this one has been handled lots we have named it Carrot Top and will add to our breeding stock....just need to figure out if it's a he, or, a she.

Easter arrivals

Rabbits Fern & Bramble delivered their litters on Good Friday, Fern's litter consists of six bunnies, while Bramble delivered a small litter of three. Below are a couple of videos of the new rabbit kits at one day of age. Although many believe a rabbit will abandon it's litter if they are handled, this is not the case, not even with wild rabbits, if you come across a nest, leave it alone, it may seem abandoned, but mom will be hiding nearby. Unlike dogs, rabbits only visit their nest to nurse the young once or twice a day, causing concern among people that the mom isn't coming back.

Easter Eggs!

My ladies are laying more eggs then ever, no doubt we will be having eggs this Easter.

I also have our first two rabbit litters of 2013 due any day.  Rabbits can deliver as early as day 28 (which is today) to as late as days 30-32.  When I was out to feed and water this morning the two mommas-to-be were busy filling their nest boxes with hay and soft downy fur that they pull from their tummies.
A very festive Easter here.  
 

Boxing Day Critters

 Boxing Day Bunnies and Hens.  The rabbits prefer the colder weather, they don't do well in the heat.  The chickens, well they love a good warm patch of sunlight.  Sorry ladies, snow in the forecast tonight, I better plug in the water heater and throw a little more hay in the coop and extra rations in the feeder to help warm them up.

More rural mornings

My apologizes to everyone that comes to the blog for a Schnauzer photo fix, pics of the dogs have been a little thin lately.  That will all turn around next month when we have pups arriving, for now, you will have to indulge me, here are more photos taken this morning around our little farm.

I get such joy watching the chickens emerge, I can hear their gentle clucking within the coop as I unlatch and slide open the door.   First couple of chickens give a cursory look, the first birds step out cautiously, the rest, not wanting to be left behind charge out and race into their yard.

 The rabbits are enjoying the chickens too,  when I am out early to open the chicken coop I wander over to the rabbits and fill their feed bowls, usually I don't do this until after my coffee.  They all clamour to the feed dishes waiting for them to fill. The kits above are about 5 weeks old and are still with mom, this is her first litter, very beautiful kits.  Those below are a litter of almost 8 week old hooligan bunnies, a pushy bunch, I think their mom was thrilled when I moved them out of her cage.

After all the rains my veg garden is lush with growth, we have been enjoying lots of salad this week.
Carrots below are coming along, I was a bit late in getting them in the ground this year.

Climbing roses are into their second year, they are blooming like mad...but what's that?  A lady bug, yikes that can only mean we have aphids, darn!

 When I returned to the house this little chickadee was on the door mat that I hung over the rail to dry.  Looks like he is gathering nesting material.  He was off as soon as he heard my camera.

Bunny Hop

Six week old rabbits enjoying a lovely Spring day....and of course, one annoying Standard Schnauzer barking in the background at the golfers across the road, sigh I need a real country home.

Easter Baskets

Easter week

 What better photos to post the week leading up to Easter then our two week old Spring bunnies

Bunny Blogging

Fern, one of our original Does

Penny such a cute doe

 Last year this time I was making plans for the arrival of rabbits.  These were not being purchased as pets, or, to show, but for meat production.  My goal was to supplement the dogs diet with healthy raised meats, however, I certainly wasn't opposed to adding a rabbit dinner to our menu occasionally.  I am extremely pleased with my results to date.  I started with four does and two bucks, by early summer the oldest two were bred and by the first week in December we had raised a total of forty-three rabbits, wow!  Of those, 41 were processed for the freezer and two does I kept to add to my breeding stock, they are pictured here, the lovely Daphne below and her half sister Penelope above. 

Daphne tucks into some greens

 Rabbits are overlooked in North America as a protein source, which is a shame as there are so many pluses to them.  They are quiet, clean, mine have been very healthy not a sniffle amongst them.  Inexpensive to feed, I supplement their diet with an alfalfa pellet along with plenty of grass hay to munch and greens from the kitchen & garden along with oats and black oil sunflower seeds.  This morning they were excited to receive romaine lettuce, carrots and fennel trimmings from the salad we had for dinner yesterday, the fennel was relished, rabbits love the taste of anise.

Some facts about Rabbits

•  Cholesterol level in rabbit meat is much lower than chicken, turkey, beef, pork. (Alabama A & M University 1989)

•  Rabbit is lower in percentage of fat than chicken, turkey, beef, and pork. (U S D A circular # 549)

• Rabbit has 795 calories per pound. Chicken 810, Veal 840, Turkey 1190, Lamb 1420, Beef 1440, Pork 2050. ( U S D A circular # 549 )

• A doe rabbit that weighs 10 pounds can produce 320 pounds of meat in a year. This is more than a cow and it takes 2 acres of land to raise a cow.

• Rabbits will produce 6 pounds of meat on the same feed and water as a cow will produce 1 pound of meat on the same feed and water.

• Baby rabbits feed off mothers milk so rich that they can double their weight in 6 short days as compared to a pig at 14 days, calves 47 days, and humans 160 days.

• Rabbits lend themselves to both small and large scale production.

• Rabbit meat is all white meat.

 

Cross that off my to-do list

Twenty-six individual doggie 'bunny' dinners done!

If you check in on my blog occasionally you may have seen my postings about the addition of rabbits to help supplement the dogs diet.  Really pleased with the results, its wonderful to know that I am supplementing my dogs with well raised fresh meats. 

 The occasional rabbit has also made it to our dinner table, yes it's true, once you get over the whole fluffy bunny thing, healthy garden fresh rabbit makes an amazing dinner.

The Colours of Autumn

 Who would of thought rabbits wear shades of Autumn, some are down right Halloween in nature.  These kits are just over 2 weeks of age, just out of their nest box, some very shy, others more bold and inquisitive. 

 I find it fascinating to witness the growth of a puppy from birth to when they leave me for their new homes at 8 weeks old.  SUPER fast forward that further when talking about rabbits.  The rabbits below are only six weeks older, amazing!

Wordless Wednesday...

...or, no time to 'rabbit' on :-)

And finally

If you think puppies are the cutest thing in the world....OMG you haven't been around rabbit kits at 2.5 weeks of age!!!