Based on the mild winter, we have decided to start breeding the rabbits. We will be staggering some of the breedings so we don’t have quite so many litters at the same time. The initial breedings are 2 pure Rex does with a Rex buck and a Chinchilla cross doe with a Chinchilla buck. We will sell rabbits as pets or as fryers. Rough estimate of availability will be mid May. Email if you want to make reservations.
While we love to expand the farm, we try to do it on a budget. We have been focusing on recycling materials as much as possible. Why buy new, when you can find it used? Why buy used, if you can recycle something for free? Anna watches freecycle and I watch craigslist. Last weekend, I picked up 28 sheets of 1/2″ OSB for $100 from CL. I have found sources for 55 gal plastic barrels that just need to be washed out. There is a moving company that loves to give me a full truck load of pallets. Using pallets as the base for projects allows me to use the tractor with forks to move things around the farm. If you aren’t picky about paint colors, check the OOPS paint at Lowe’s or Home Depot for $5 gallons of exterior paint.
This 4×6 goat shelter cost me less than $10 which was the paint and 3 new 2x4s that I needed. Everything else was free (except the nails that I already had). This took about 8 hours to build. The entire series of pictures can be seen here:
http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16374
Here is the main shelter for our goats. It is a 10’x10′ Shelter Logic garage. I made a floor and walls out of recycled pallets.
http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=14856
Finally, goats have to eat hay. Here is a hay feeder that I built using left over pieces of fence panels and a free plastic barrel.
http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=14855&p=2
This past weekend marked the first hatch of 2012 chicks on the farm. We have over 20 chicks that survived the hatch. The number isn’t final because some may still hatch and some may not survive. We are continuing to learn about hatching chicks. Right now, we are hatching with the intent to sell the chicks.
We have decided that we need a web page for our farm. It will take a while to transfer all the vision in my head to a computer, but we will get started. I expect most of the blogging will be done by me (Rob) but Anna will probably sit next to me and tell me what to write. Our main intent is to capture life on a modern, family farm. Also, we want to share what we learn to encourage others who want to do the same thing.
Feel free to leave us comments and suggestions.