I live, write, and garden in the PNW with my husband of 27 years, disabled daughter, college-aged son, and my 84-year-old mother. We have paid off $250,000.00 worth of debt (if you include the interest) in the last fifteen years and as of 6/12/2020 are 100% DEBT FREE!!!!I might actually be getting rabbits in the next two weeks. First, I thought I was a year out from this, then I thought a couple of months, but the perfect opportunity has arisen and if all goes well, I could be the proud new owner of 14 rabbits. It's $175 for the lot, 2 does, 1 buck, and 11 5 to 7 week olds. That works out to $12.50 per rabbit. I think if we get them we will save the best looking young doe of the babies for breeding and the other youngsters will end up going to freezer camp after they've grown enough.
I can really see this cutting down our food budget in the future. Obviously this lot will be the most expensive, but after we breed the rabbits again, it will just be the cost of feed to get them to size. A few years ago, I never thought I'd be raising livestock, but now I'm turning into a mini-farmer.
The kids are already trying to name the buck Stormaggeden the Destroyer. I'm like, no, I was thinking Leo, Piper, Phoebe and Prue for the breeders. If we get them.
Rabbits
March 3rd, 2013 at 09:23 am
March 3rd, 2013 at 02:35 pm 1362321337
This, along with the chicks, has been really interesting to follow. Good luck!
March 3rd, 2013 at 03:14 pm 1362323662
March 3rd, 2013 at 07:50 pm 1362340239
Fortunately we can feed the cooked organs to the chickens which will cut down a little on the chicken feed and we can compost the guts if we bury them in the center of the compost pile to keep away pests. My daughter wants to try tanning the fur. And the wildlife raptor rehabilitiation center will take all the heads we want to donate, as the beaks of eagles, hawks, and owls grow continously and getting into a skull helps to wear them down.
March 3rd, 2013 at 07:58 pm 1362340680
I think it is better if it is not something that becomes super easy for me. I think I should feel a bit of sadness doing it each time. I think we've all gotten so far away from the connection to our food, forgetting that meat actually does originally come from an animal and not a sterile meat tray wrapped in plastic. It is easy to forget in this day and age.
March 3rd, 2013 at 09:11 pm 1362345064