More Wild Bunnies

4 more baby bunnies growing in my garden!

I just had to post this picture. I found this nest of bunnies (a burrow?) when weeding a row in the garden between the potatoes and tomatoes. Oh my, we are going to be overrun with bunnies. But they are so cute!

Babies Everywhere!

I have been struck this spring with newness of life. It seems there are babies everywhere. Beginning with our domesticated ones -- the goat kids born in February/March and our new chicks in April/May -- there are also wild ones who have made their home here.

As I was watering some potted plants the other day, I heard distressed little baby animal noises. I lifted the huge leaf of the clary plant and discovered 3 baby bunnies nestled under some hare hair and baling twine. Its hard to see them in the pic -- I didn't want to disturb them too much -- but you can probably discern the little bunny ears between the black and the red pots. You see, they were getting an unwanted shower as I watered my plants.

Here is Mamma Bunny, keeping watch nearby. She picked a great place to raise her babies ... there is delicious food (my pea seedlings in the garden for starters!) and plenty of water available in addition to this cozy, sheltered nest.

Now, I take great care when watering, speaking softly as I approach and keeping the water inside the pots. And I decided to leave the tall grass that is growing next to the raised-bed timber so the Mamma Bunny can feel safe hiding from me and possible predators.

Shearing the Bunnies

If not for the heat, shearing the bunnies would seem like an indignity. But yesterday, as I snipped and snipped, Nut seemed to be sighing with relief to have his thick winter coat removed. He looks kinda funny, pictured left ... scissor shearing is choppier than electric clippers, but much less stressful, I think. I watched YouTube videos on how to do it. Those who used clippers tied up the bunnies and placed them on a contraption akin to a stretching rack. That just didn't seem like a good way to do it. So, choppy it is.

Honey was alot less appreciative of the undressing. She wiggled much more than her nose while I sheared, so I went more slowly, trying not to cut her. As a result, I didn't finish before she needed a break from the ordeal, and she looks even funnier than Nut. In her picture, you can also see the ingenious addition to their hutch that Scott built. There is a ramp that goes from their hutch into our bedroom window. Easy access to the house helps them feel more like inside than outside pets. Retrieving them for brushing is much easier; giving them treats is a cinch. However, as noctural animals, it has taken a little getting used to not to be alarmed when I hear noises just outside my bedroom window in the dead of night.

My goal was to cut the primary wool, the longest and best for spinning which comes from their backs. It is pictured here -- the sheared wool in the paper bag and the wool from brushing in the plastic bag. Secondary wool is inferior, shorter and is sheared from their legs and stomach. The shortest hair from their feet is usually not even used for spinning. Maybe I'll save that for pillow stuffing or animal bedding. I'll need some help cutting their tummies, legs and feet, so I'll finish up when Scott is available to help.

It's time to schedule my spinning class now that I have a good batch of wool.

Progress

Sometimes it's hard to see progress. My to-do list seems to grow in spite of being busy all day. So I want to take a minute to celebrate the progress I can see.
Things are growing here!

1. the bunnies! We discovered that Nut was Honey and Honey was Nut! So the one with the white spot on his nose is the buck. They are enjoying their new hutch outside during the day. We are still bringing them in each night as long as the tem is below freezing. The ziploc bag of their fur is growing as I groom them each day :)

2. the seedlings ... wow, look at what has happened in a week's time! I have planted more seeds, for staggered growth as well as more types of plants.

3. goat babies! Little One looks ready to go any day. Everything is ready ... I cleaned out the goat barn down to the dirt, limed and spread fresh hay bedding. I even scrubbed the milking stanchion and spools they climb on. My kidding supplies are gathered by the front door. The baby monitor crackles in my ear on my bedside table to alert me during the night if anything is happening out of the ordinary in the goat barn. Here's a picture of Mamma sunning herself this afternoon while I cleaned. Look at that belly!

Nut 'n Honey

Meet Nut and Honey, the latest additions to Uddermost Farm! These precious angora bunnies are 3.5 months old, a boy and girl. We got them yesterday afternoon in King, NC on our way back from a trip to Nashville, TN. They have been inside bunnies, so right now they are not living in the wonderful hutch Scott built for them. They are hopping around on the floor in the living room, nibbling on carrots, wiggling their noses. Duke came by, sniffed once, then went on his way ... unphased by these new housemates. I will try to acclimate them to the cold outdoors, taking them ffor some exercise outside later today. More pictures and antics to come ...

Angora Rabbits

I have been bitten by a bug ... again. The wanna bug. I wanna some angora rabbits. It all started when I made reservations for the get-away weekend my mom treats the female members of the family to each fall. The reservationist and I hit it off well and spent 30 minutes chatting on the phone after booking the accomodations. She is a Master Knitter. We talked yarn and when it came up that I have goats (somehow my goats come up in all my conversations ... imagine that!), she asked if I raised fiber goats. Since ordinances limit me to three head of domesticated livestock, I choose to have three dairy goats rather than fiber or meat goats. She indicated that angora is a highly desired fiber and quite profitable if you break into the right market. I didn't think much more about it until the Dec/Jan 2011 issue of MaryJanes Farm magazine arrived. In it was an article about angora rabbits and harvesting their coats. The article touted that rabbits are an alternative for homesteaders with limited space (such as apartment dwellers), that their silky fiber is seven times warmer than wool, that "bunny droppings are gardeners' gold", and that these pets are companionable and easy to care for. I enjoyed reading the article and learning more about an aspect of homesteading that I had not even considered.

When something comes in three's in less than a month's time, it's hard to ignore. So the bug bit a week later when I read the article about raising rabbits in the latest issue of Urban Farm magazine. This article labeled rabbits the "perfect urban livestock" because of their size, personalities, care needs and benefits -- meat, fiber and manure. The picture of the rabbit hutch perched above a vermicomposting bin sealed the deal as far as I was concerned. Listen to this: "Taking the garden gold a step further, use your rabbit manure to enhance your vermicomposting practice by placing a worm bin under your rabbit cage. ... you'll spend less time cleaning out rabbit cages, and the worms will eliminate manure piles, minimize odors and reduce the fly population." Jan/Feb 2011 Urban Farm magazine, p. 31.

I began an online search about angora rabbits and watched YouTube videos on harvesting and hand-spinning fiber. Way cool! I think I'd like to get the Giant Angora breed, but finding a reputable breeder may be the hardest part. That, and persuading my wonderful husband to allow yet another indulgence that means more work for him. I'll need a hutch and a monthly allowance to keep my bunnies well-fed and happy.


Photo credit to alpacafarmgirl.com