Chickens and Rabbits https://bthepaganporch.runboard.com/t11227 Runboard| Chickens and Rabbits en-us Fri, 29 Mar 2024 00:34:56 +0000 Fri, 29 Mar 2024 00:34:56 +0000 https://www.runboard.com/ rssfeeds_managingeditor@runboard.com (Runboard.com RSS feeds managing editor) rssfeeds_webmaster@runboard.com (Runboard.com RSS feeds webmaster) akBBS 60 Re: Chickens and Rabbitshttps://bthepaganporch.runboard.com/p221663,from=rss#post221663https://bthepaganporch.runboard.com/p221663,from=rss#post221663My wife used to raise rabbits for food when she was a kid. I know some people advocate a pen that allows the feces to fall through for easy cleaning, but that can result in some vitamin deficincies. Rabbits have 2 kinds of pellets and one the re-eat to reclaim some lost nutrients. We have free range chickens and if the guard dogs can surround their roosting site they are ok, but the chickens that refuse to stay near the pasture get taken by bobcats, coyotes, hawks etc. We have Great Pyranese as guards for the potbellied pigs, Soay sheep and chickensnondisclosed_email@example.com (RantingHobbit)Thu, 12 Apr 2007 12:52:04 +0000 Re: Chickens and Rabbitshttps://bthepaganporch.runboard.com/p221632,from=rss#post221632https://bthepaganporch.runboard.com/p221632,from=rss#post221632 Well seems you got some purty good advice already.  Poultry connection is a great place to learn stuff.  Fair warning about free ranging chickens are kinda rough on plants they will dig in your flower beds and take dirt baths,and poop everywhere!!!  But, I figure I get free fertilizer and we have no slugs, bugs, ants even mosquitoes seem to be much less.nondisclosed_email@example.com (lavender wings)Sat, 07 Apr 2007 14:24:03 +0000 Re: Chickens and Rabbitshttps://bthepaganporch.runboard.com/p221604,from=rss#post221604https://bthepaganporch.runboard.com/p221604,from=rss#post221604http://www.poultryconnection.com/ This is a great site for information on chickens. I think they have a few blue prints for chicken tractors. We free range most of our poultry. I try to steal any ducklings and gosling's which I place in a large brooder until they have feathered out as they tend to disappear rather quickly. We have a high number of snapping turtles in our area. Ducks and geese we trained to go into a barn before sunset and released after it got light in the morning which kept our loses of them to only one or two a year. Stray dogs more then anything. A little bit of game-bird feed to coach them at first. Our chickens like to roost in a chestnut tree which keeps them safe from most hungry mouths. I also have 2 rather large dogs that do a good job of discouraging predators. Our rabbits are feed a mix of grass and feed. I make sure to give the Doe a good protein rich feed when she is pregnant or nursing. Our fryers and bucks pretty much only eat grass, and garden scrapes. Just remember no Cabbage or any veggie in the Cabbage family, rabbits can not pass gas and will bloat on them. The hutches cost us very little we made our from wood with wire floor and door. Mostly unwanted lumber. We had a bunny play pen but it was more trouble than it was worth. It was all wire and could be moved around but it seemed to draw predators. nondisclosed_email@example.com (playfultree)Wed, 04 Apr 2007 20:12:50 +0000 Re: Chickens and Rabbitshttps://bthepaganporch.runboard.com/p221594,from=rss#post221594https://bthepaganporch.runboard.com/p221594,from=rss#post221594Hi Brother Fish, Chickens - I have chickens, ducks and geese. At our old place, we lost five ducklings to a mink, the first day we let them outside. We moved here a year ago. We lost two drakes early on to unknown predators - they were pretty well shredded all over the back pasture. In December we had a fox take a duck in broad daylight after severely injuring another - and one chicken disappeared for a week, but she came back. So, yeah, predators can be a problem. Right now, I let the geese free-range in the day, and I let the others out in the mid- to late-afternoon - mostly because I want them to lay their eggs inside where I can find them! I'm planning on getting rabbits soon, just bought cages today. I don't plan on "colonizing" them, I think that's just asking for predation and disease, so they will stay in cages. I plan on supplementing their feed with good alfalfa hay, and clean weeds, and probably stuff out of the garden. You do have to be careful about greens, as it can upset their systems and give them diarrhea if they get too much at once. Cabbage is a no-no! Too gassy. The Storey Guides are not too bad for information - although they tend a bit too much to the pharmaceuticals for my taste! especially the Rabbit Guide. If you put "chicken tractor" into a search engine, you should find some good info.nondisclosed_email@example.com (pookshollow)Tue, 03 Apr 2007 20:35:52 +0000 Re: Chickens and Rabbitshttps://bthepaganporch.runboard.com/p221589,from=rss#post221589https://bthepaganporch.runboard.com/p221589,from=rss#post221589I know nothing about rabbits; I seem to remember RantingHobbit (??) possibly having rabbits? CHickens - Lavender probably knows a lot about these. We have five chickens at the moment. We do some freeranging, but only when one of us is here, and/or the garden is not in yet (because we don't fence the garden). We've never lost a chicken yet, but we've never had that many, they don't go far, and we have two dogs in back that make noise. We did lose a female rouen duck to a predator once (I think it was a feral cat hanging around that got the duck). You might do a search online for chicken tractors. It's a moving thing/structure that your chickens can be out in during the day, protected but able to dig and peck outside as they wish. We're talking about making one. You can move it around, etc. Catnondisclosed_email@example.com (MagiCat)Tue, 03 Apr 2007 18:31:15 +0000 Re: Chickens and Rabbitshttps://bthepaganporch.runboard.com/p221576,from=rss#post221576https://bthepaganporch.runboard.com/p221576,from=rss#post221576When you see lavender wings on line, ask her, or post to her, send a pm - she's chicken/fowl crazy! Lots of information from her. Fenyxnondisclosed_email@example.com (Fenyx)Mon, 02 Apr 2007 23:28:39 +0000 Chickens and Rabbitshttps://bthepaganporch.runboard.com/p221548,from=rss#post221548https://bthepaganporch.runboard.com/p221548,from=rss#post221548Hi I am curious about going from just flora into some fauna. Iw was curious about working with chickens and rabits. Does anyone know any sites that would help with building pens and offering a more holistic approach to the animals. Does anybody do free ranging for chickens, did you have any problems with predators. With Rabits did you supplement any of the greens with stuff grown in the Garden? ON average how much did you spend on rabbit hutches? Just curious on the land?nondisclosed_email@example.com (Brother Fish)Mon, 02 Apr 2007 02:25:38 +0000