Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yes Bill, new stock is hard to find here but I have three new does now. It is just now getting cool enough to breed them. The young buck is starting to get the hang of it but has failed to throw a litter three times so far. One of the does is a belgiun the other two are new zealands. He is a california giant from the old stock. I have not been able to find a buck from a different line.
The blue gill are doing fine. They will be large enough to breed in the spring. The new humidity controlled incubator has given us a dozen laying chickens. 50% hatch. I am culling an extra rooster this morning. The broad brested bronze turkeys were a sucess but I find the breed to heavy to mate so we are eating our way thru those and will bring in eggs to hatch next spring of a smaller breed. The last tom was 38 pound dressed. We have a new weaner pig to raise. Kept one pot belly for company but the young one is already larger.

Wow, with a bird that big who needs a guard dog! I don't have a yard that I can raise them in. Acreage is nice!

I love that you tube vid, so quick and it would be easy to make your own jig. Less mess then the old bullbar method

I only have an acre of land. We raised four turkeys in a pen 16x16 feet. One was 28 lb dressed at four months The last was 37 lb. at six months. Only the hen is left but she is smaller. Getting as "day old chicks" made them friendly and mellow. In apit of common knowledge they are easy to raise. Artificial insemination is how this breed is preserved, not good for selfsustaining effort like ours. Our first attempt at turkeys were three month old "slate" breed. We got them to late and they were wild and mean. Next will try the heratige bronxe breed, from eggs.

That probably true with all animals, if you get them young and fool with them daily they are much friendlier and comfortable around people. My crazy hens will jump up on my arms when I'm holding the feed bowl and dig right in! Sometime they jump up just for curiosity sake and scare me!
I need to be on the lookout for some breeder rabbits that will be ready to breed in the spring. Prolly start out with some ole reliable New Zealands or Californians since they seem to be common around here.

Well I finished reconstruction of the rabbitry and I thought I'd post some pics. This is what I regulate low pressure for the licker water nipples.

These are some more of the cages

Some more pics

and some more pics

Next project: Bunny Berry Pasturizer,
All I need to add is Bunnies

BRB, we have issues with our bunnies not coping with temperatures in excess of 100 F.
We regularly get days above 86 F which is purported to be the maximum they can withstand without getting heatstroke.
Have you got any ideas on keeping them cool, that do not involve DW bringing them into the bathroom for the week as she is currently doing if temps even hint at being high?

Thats when you know your getting old. You can only breed once in a day.

If that was the metric for survival my neck would have been wrung long ago.

They can diffenitely handle higher temps. Proper shade, ventilation and fresh water and a mineral/salt lick. July and August often hits 105F here with high humidity. Best not to breed them under those conditions but locate cages under shade tree. I wouldn't get weak enough to bring them in, Try freezing 2 liter soda bottles full of water and use as water bottles and keep those swapped out daily until hot spell passes. I used old wire coat hangers to remake the loop from the original water bottle hanger fit the 2 liter bottle. The rabbits will drink the cold water as it melts.
Rabbits dissapate excess heat panting like dogs. They are uncomfortable but not dieing.

Just collect a few bottles and swap out in the freezer. I get attached to my breeders. The never make it to the pot. I let them live it out 5-7 years sometimes. I don't consider an unsuccessful doe a breeder. If she doesn't raise the 2nd litter oops. Like I said had to make loop bigger to fit around the larger bottle.

Daytime highs here get to 85F in May and don't drop below until October.
I found a website that says you should start to watch for problems @ 85F. Breeds with thicker fur are probably more suseptable. Here is an article where they recomend freezing 2 liter bottles and just laying them in the cage and the rabbit will lie next to them to cool off.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl ... troke.html