A new journey into homesteading "pic heavy"

[frustratedearthmother]

We spend a lot of our life "waiting"...

Amen, Sista!

 

[sumi]

Sorry to hear about your dad's passing.

 

[Chic Rustler]

well today sucked. This morning we found that our other doe had kindled. 8 kits. But she made her nest on the wire and not in the box. It was a complete loss.

Today I got my Christmas bonus! $$$$ yay. I text the wife and she said GO GET TIRES NOW! I was planning on spending it all on raised beds and trellised. Stupid responsibilities. They were wore completely out but I think I could have made it another month or so.


I did get a few things accomplished after work. I did some raking, cleaned out from under the rabbit butches and got my compost bins completely full. Hoping for a good load of finished compost this summer! Lord knows I can put it to good use.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Stupid responsibilities

Dontcha just hate being a grown-up sometimes?

 

[baymule]

 

[Chic Rustler]

So as I was cleaning out from under the rabbit hutches I found the soil is more dark and loamy than ever. It almost looks like potting soil.

It kinda bums me out that I'm looking so much nutrient rich stuff to the dirt. I mean, I can take out the manure but all the nitrogen rich urine is lost and keeping the manure wet speeds decomposition as well.


I'm wondering if a deep bedding system under the hutch would be efficient. I'm thinking of putting a heavy layer of wood chips under the hutch and retrieving it when it becomes compost. What do you guys think about that? Kinda like the deep bedding I keep in the chicken coop

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I think it's a great idea!

 

[baymule]

Sounds like a good idea to me too. We spread wood chips all over the barn yard area, mainly to keep the dust down for my old mare. She has breathing issues and it helped her. But at the same time, they have been pooping on it for a year, the rotten hay from multiple round bales....... we are going to scoop it up and dump it in the garden, then re-mulch the barn area.

Ya' gotta grab all those nutrients for your garden!

 

[sumi]

Sorry about the lost little of kits. Hopefully mom learned from her mistake and won't do that again next time.

The deep litter bed sounds like a great idea. Wood shavings is something I'd try to, if you can get some, to absorb the urine. I used it in my chick brooder and it soaks up moisture like a sponge, if a bit slower. That then broke down quickly in the garden.

 

[Chic Rustler]

Sorry about the lost little of kits. Hopefully mom learned from her mistake and won't do that again next time.

The deep litter bed sounds like a great idea. Wood shavings is something I'd try to, if you can get some, to absorb the urine. I used it in my chick brooder and it soaks up moisture like a sponge, if a bit slower. That then broke down quickly in the garden.

I'm gonna give her one more shot because she's very big and has 7-8 kits. If she fails next time we are eating a fat rabbit.

Yeah I use pine shavings in my brooder too. They work well. I usually put them in my compost pile after use. They will heat up a cold pile very quickly