Rabbits

Ms. Fluffy Bunny is the oldest of the females.

Recently we bought four black Mini Rex rabbits to show in the upcoming HCLS show. We paid more for these rabbits because they came from a well known breeder. The rabbits we got are two males and two females. The male rabbit's pictures should soon be on my little brother's blog here.

My youngest bunny eating feed.

If your wanting raise to rabbits you will need a good cage to keep them in, food, water, feeder, waterer, a platform for them to get off the metal cage, and gloves to handle the rabbits with. If you get black rabbits, you will want to keep them away from the sun. If not, their fur won't stay dark black. Unlike the stereotype, lettuce and large amounts of carrots are not good for rabbits.

Rabbits top front teeth should be hanging over the bottom two teeth. Rabbits teeth are constantly growing so it's good to put a block of untreated wood or a pine cone in their pen for them to chew. Another important thing is to put a small piece of untreated wood or drywall in the rabbit pen so that the rabbits don't have sore feet.

If you have any questions about raising rabbits, please leave a comment on this post and I will try my best to answer it.
  

Rabbit scratches from not wearing gloves.

Christmas

                                          Merry Christmas

To celebrate this Christmas season we decorated our house for Christmas. Some of my favorite decorations are our ceramic Christmas villages, stockings, and nativity scene. I also really like our Christmas ornaments. This year for the first time we bought a fake Christmas tree from Hobby Lobby.The tree is a nine foot Montana Pine.
On Christmas Eve we open the presents that we got from each other. I got a coupon book for game time, books, and a dice game called Farkle from my little brother. My sister gave me Temple Run the board game ,and candy. From my parents I got the Lego camper, Lego minifigures, Bobwhite quail, books, and an awesome pair of cowboy boots. My favorite thing(s) from my parents would be the Bobwhite quail. I really like the quail because: I can take them to the local livestock show, hatch their eggs in my incubator, and release some of them in the wild. I will keep you updated with the raising of my quail.

Bobwhite quail

The next day we got to see what Santa had brought us. I received more Lego products, a replica of the wild west playset, clothes,candy, and a bunch of other really neat items.

What did you get for Christmas ? Please comment and let me know.

Rabbits and Ducks

The ducklings are hiding between the duck and the wood pile.

  Baby bunnies and ducks at last! Our mother bunny had third litter and her first living litter of surviving babies. The mother rabbit is named Sherry after my Mom. We got Sherry the rabbit at the Livestock show last year she was somebody's show rabbit that didn't make the sale. The father rabbit named Buck after one of our best friends was given to us at the Livestock Show last year also. Sherry had five kits which are baby rabbits. Two of the kits passed away but three of them lived which is our record. We used pillow batting for the nesting box and some got wrapped around one of the babies’ foot and it cut the circulation off so it lost the use of its paw. It is very healthy and not in any pain but we are still going to take it to the vet so it won't get infected. The baby bunnies’ favorite food is greens from our garden.

 We have not been as blessed with the ducks as the rabbits. Two of our ducks had laid twenty eggs in a nest and were trying to hatch them but a snake got a few and some were rotten so only five eggs hatched. Three of the ducklings disappeared and we don't know what happened. The next night we put the two ducklings in the building. They survived a couple of days and learned how to swim but then 

they went missing. I think a turtle might have ate them but I'm not sure.

 

Pictures above are taken by Laura Ashley ,my sister; Pictures below are taken by Dad. 

 

Baby ducks are wet when they hatch.

Henderson County Livestock Show

    April ninth to the fourteenth has been the Henderson County Livestock show. Here at the Livestock show I showed several of my animals and projects which I've been working most of the year on. April tenth we brought all of the animals we were showing (we didn't bring the broilers as they came another day). After we got all of the animals in their pens with food, water, and bedding we went to look at the other chickens, goats, and lambs. 

The next day when we were done with taking care of the animals my sister and I along with our friends showed goats. I got DEAD last with Houdini (because he didn't weigh enough). But I got fourth place in my class with Rusty. My sister did pretty good with her goat Hearts also. Then we went to look at the rabbits we ended up taking two of the Grand champion wining rabbit’s babies’ home. That night we got to see the results of how our projects did. I got two red ribbons, nine blue ribbons, four best of selection ribbons, and two best of show ribbons.

The next day after taking care of our animals, we showed our broilers. I made the second cut but then I lost. There were tons of broilers this year. Soon as the broilers judging was over, the poultry judge started his judging. Then, we looked at the rabbits again and bought two more rabbits. After that we ran and brought all of the projects home that we weren't selling. Next, we went back and saw how I did with my chickens. I got Reserve Grand Champion for my breeding poultry, Reserve Grand Champion for my quail, first place with my bantam rooster, and third & fifth with my bantam hens. Lastly, I got second place with my large hen. 

Then, after everything we went to help get the projects that people were selling ready for the auction. After hours of waiting, (we were on one of the last pages) my sister and I auctioned of our items. I ended up selling my cactus planter to a man who owns one of the feed stores that we use for three hundred and  seventy-five dollars. I sold my cross mosaic picture for thirty-five dollars. Then after feeding the animals we went home.

The following day, after feeding the animals their breakfast we had to sadly take Houdini and Hearts to the floor which means I had to sell him to a meat processor it was extremely sad. Then I sold my quail to a man who said he was going to release them. After that, we met some of Andrews’s friends that we haven't seen in a long time. Next, we showed them around and when the tour was over we ate lunch. To end the day I sold my goat rusty for six hundred dollars plus add-ons. Lastly, we took our animals that we have left home.