Spring is full swing on the homestead...

Well, we all know about the Spring attitudes! But now it is my turn to get in the mood...not that mood! The cleaning mood!

So far this is what my weekend looks like:
Saturday:
9am: 10 bales of straw being delivered
all morning: cleaning rabbit cages and putting straw away
day time: making cheese and yogurt
evening: homework

Sunday:
9:30: meeting
1:30: home and soap making
late afternooon: seed planting
evening: sewing

Monday:
morning: kayaking?
late afternoon: pick up new bunnies
evening: finish homework and make meals for week (bfasts and lunches)

World Tree Rabbitry needs revamping and attention

Okay, I have decided enough is enough. I am getting a trio of different kind of meat rabbits. One of the does is proven and will come here bred! Once those babies are weaned, I will breed her to one of my other bucks and then the other...we will find out what the issue is here with no babies! I am spending a good portion of this weekend getting the rabbitry back in order and keeping the chickens where they belong (anywhere but on my porch and on top of my rabbits!)

These Harlequins are meat rabbits but are not as rare/critical as the Silver Fox or Am. Chins (the Am. Chin being the most critical with the Silver Fox as second) but I have actually never seen them around here...the breeder is trying to bring them to the Eastern Shore. They are an old breed from France. So, I am hoping to have some luck with them and then get back to raising the other two breeds once I have some meat in the freezer. I do like the look of their fur too...for crafts. Since my breeders become my pets, I like that they are really cute with their multi colored faces!

Here is the pic of the young buck I am getting named Tempo.

Here is the pic of the young doe I am getting named Enigma (Momo is her mom).

And this is Momo, (a Black Japanese Harlequin) who will come to me pregnant by:

Randy Blue - a Blue Japanese Harlequin (papa of Tempo)

Spring in flux

Well, the separation of the toms was a success. Mr. Buff and Big Tom are raggedy looking but not trying to kill eachother anymore. Mr. Royal is in with a lady friend with the ducks and geese...no one seems to mind the new arrangement....should work until I get the new pens built. Ms. Buff and one of the grey hens is still setting eggs...I am not thinking much is going to happen because I find they occasionally leave the nest to go socialize with the boys! *shakes head* young mothers! Spring has not started to set at all yet...so maybe she is waiting for warmer weather or seeing what the new girls come up with?

The geese are really laying now and the ducks...sorta. Hoping incubating the eggs will be successful!

Rabbits are an issue right now...I just got 2 new rabbits, a buck and doe Standard Chins...the buck never got into a good eating routine...when I brought them home, the girl was hesitant for a day or so and then was eating like everyone else, the buck not so much. He would never finish a bowl of food but he didn't seem to be losing weight. I didn't put them together though, thinking the buck needed more time to acclimate. Well, late last week (Thursday), he was fine in the morning, when I got home late in the evening he was tilting his head and walking in circles...Saturday he was worse and then slipped away. The poor little thing, I hadn't even named him yet. So now I have a doe that is too small to breed with anyone....think I will be selling her and going back to concentrating on the ones I have, particularly since it seems Rowan, my SF doe, has gotten a parasite. I dewormed her, separated her from everyone and she is eating like crazy...so hopefully it all works out and she starts to gain weight again. Everyone else is fine, thank goodness! Sometimes I hate spring...this is when I always seem to have issues.

So, crossing fingers for everyone to get or stay healthy! I have an0ther big work day this coming weekend!

Spring! eggs and such

Well, I can't seem to keep up with everything...especially here. School is just crazy, meaning I am crazy and stressed. Definitely a difficult semester. And, of course, now it is time to get moving on homesteading stuff. All the girls have started laying like crazy and I now have tons of eggs!

My turkey hens are setting on eggs (hopefully they are viable and they produce babies!). I have goose and duck eggs...hopefully viable (have seen the drakes doing their jobs but haven't seen anything going on with the Geese, so...we shall see). The duck and goose eggs are going in the incubator in the next couple days...just need to get some time to get it all set up!

I had to separate the toms because they are trying to kill eachother, so Mr. Royal is in with the ducks and geese with a hen to keep him company (the black hen from the slate/oregon mix). The two greys from that mix are still with Big Tom, Spring, and Mr. and Mrs. Buff. Mr. Black from the mix group is in a crate now...ready to go to freezer farm soon. All the hens have a reprieve for the moment...need bigger ratio of hens to toms and I am keeping all the toms except Mr. Black...though I need a Mrs. Royal since my first hen disappeared. :-(

Gardening is starting to happen and with that a new fencing that will keep chickens off porch and keep the two Cayuga drakes in the garden.

Hopefully I will be able to report more progress soon!