PASTURED CHICKENS: WEEK 3

It has been a hustlin' bustlin' last two weeks on the homestead! We checked a few things off the task list and are happy to say were making progress early this Spring! The most exciting of which was getting the rangers outside into their new pasture pen!

When we began this portion of our meat project it was our dream to pasture the broilers. In order to provide them with the most natural and peaceful habitat in their short lives this was non-negotiable. It is imperative that they are safe, well fed/watered, and provided enough space to grow, flourish, and play. The latter of which they wasted no time beginning, the second we released them into their new pen it was an immediate frenzy of pecking, flapping, and hopping about.

These littles will be roughly 4 weeks tomorrow! I admit in my excitement I forgot which day I actually purchased these kiddos, my pregnant brain just can't remember. So rough estimates it is!!! This month flew past me, especially these dudes first two weeks on the stead. Glad to say they have settled in well and now that they're past the funny fluffy phase and into the ugly feathering phase, we don't have to spend as much time caring for them. By now they're fine with their daily water/feedings, a heat lamp at night, and of course my mama bird checks every 5 minutes. Seriously, I check on them A LOT! Honestly sometimes in the morning I stand by the window, coffee in hand, just admiring them, one reason I demanded the pasture be visible from the house. Ok, I'm not obsessed and before you warn me not to get attached let me tell ya something.

Broilers are for meat, no one knows this better than me and the homestead fund. Case and point as to why I check on them so darn much! These birds are an investment, not some hobby backyard flock. My family is grateful for their presence and purpose on our farm. We show them thanks by caring and watching over them for about 11 weeks. They have roughly 8 weeks left. At that time, we will again give them thanks by showing them a peaceful and quick exit. Which reminds me! I need to get to work on making some home made kill cones for that day when it comes.

For now these feathered fellas are plumping up on natural organic diet provided from a local feed company, running around like crazy, and thank god I haven't seen a hawk in months! Luckily my fab farming friend Lexi put together an awesome roof to protect our little investments!

Shopping for a butcher kit!

Q

WHAT THE FODDER?

Recently, we've been encountering more and more people who want to know what the buzz with fodder is all about.

So what, you water it and just watch it grow? 

Well, in an essence yes.....

Fodder came into my life at the perfect time. I had seen these 'fodder systems' begin to stream across my Pinterest page more and more. I had to know what this was...

Basically, fodder is sprouted grains or legumes that can be fed to all kinds of livestock.

I could go on and on about the bonuses of maintaining a fodder system. Ok maybe I will just a little, here's as short a list as I could make:

1. Fodder can be grown in the dead of winter.

2. Fodder only takes 8-9 days to grow.

3. 50 pounds of seed can be turned into 300 pounds of fodder. 

4. Whoa! Should I just stop??? 

5. Fodder is very affordable (depending on location) From my supplier I get 50 lb. bags if barley for $10. That's cheaper than a bag of organic hog feed, and it gets multiplied by 6!

6. That's reason enough right?!?

7. Our fodder is GMO-free. 

8. And organic.

9. Horses and cows eat it, after acclimation. The hogs LOVE it. The birds (chickens, waterfowl) LOVE it. On day 7 the rabbits receive clippings from the top, and devour it! All of my livestock eat it. 

10. Need I say more???

There's nothing like it..... Other than a fully sprouted pasture, I don't know about y'all but I don't have one of those in December, do you?  Didn't think so....

The only draw back to fodder I can see feeding is that's it's another commitment. Adding another task to an already busy homestead can be risky, but this one is so worth it. To keep on schedule you need to start a batch a day, in order to harvest for feed everyday. That's only if you're trying to feed solely fodder. We have chose to supplement with fodder currently. Our system is small and the homestead fund weighs I favor of some heavier tasks at hand. 

These days breakfast for the farm hogs consists of the fodder with a scoop of organic local hog feed. Dinner of combined fodder/kitchen scrap mixture. The birds all get their scratch feed mixture thrown daily as they free range and if we have enough fodder for the day they'll get a big chunk to spend the day on. Our rabbits also have a supplemental pellet/fodder grass mixed diet. We also provide the bunnies with feeder or orchard hay at all times.  When feeding livestock on fodder its helpful to incorporate grains and legumes, evenly if possible, into their diets in order to balance vitamins and minerals. Adding rations of diatomaceous earth can also be very beneficial to their digestive systems.

Since I began my fodder adventure about 6 months ago I have learned a tremendous amount. I've been lucky enough to learn a great deal from our supplier. He loves just 2 miles away and is full of fodder knowledge, and is more than willing to give it. Lucky me! If I haven't said before, farm tasks are my favorite.... so naturally, learning more about them is even more my favorite! Being open to ongoing education is a key aspect of homesteading, but I'm sure ya'll know that. So, I am always looking for better more efficient ways to accomplish our bazillion homestead chores. Yada yada yada back on topic Q!

Here's me excited to feed our new bunnies fodder for the first time couple months ago! BTW they loved it, now they can't get enough!!!

Recently I visited a local dairy, while tasting their fabulous milk, the owner gave me a tour of their fodder system.

Take pictures, measurements, make yourself at home.

He then strolled off to assist his friend with an automobile mechanical repair. 

And, of course, I have read and read..... and read about fodder until my eyes hurt. But nothing compares to seeing it in real life, and having those face to face exchanges. Yeah yeah I might be talking sprouted grass but hey, this mama doesn't get off the farm often these days. I'll take fodder conversation where I can get it! Above all I'm grateful for his generosity with knowledge and transparency of start up cost and up-keep of his system. 

My most recent take away lesson in fodder is bleach. Nasty smelly wonderful bleach. I've tried direly to remove bleach from out household for some time but it keeps making it way round and always proves it's worth. It's so harsh that when someone told me to put a little in the fodder water I was flabbergasted. 

In the water that grows the food I feed to my animals?!?!?

Heck no I won't!!!  

But in all honesty I should have listened...

Why?

The mold came....

Yup, this wonderful fodder gets really moldy really quick. And boy howdy does it ever stank!!!

Okay, I give up! I'll put a splash of bleach in there! You got me. 

Fortunately the pigs and chickens don't mind the mold too much but horses and cows won't prefer it. I urge you to experiment and test your own theories before you decide to use bleach. Then give me some feed back, would ya??? I would love to find a non bleach remedy for the mold. 

Luckily it's a small amount. Here's how I incorporate the bleach into my fodder routine:

1. I weight out the desired seed into a large container, using an old stock pot currently

2. Fill with water, add 1 tbsp bleach, stir, soak 10-15 minutes

3. Rinse barley thoroughly, refill container with water, soak 12-18 hours

4. Strain off seeds, pouring out water and chaff

5. Pour seeds into trays, drawers, tubs, whatever growing container you chose, and spread out evenly. We are currently using some plastic storage drawers. I'm looking into changing this up a little possibly (further posts about upgrades to come)**you will have previously made drainage holes for water to flow through

6. Water twice daily, rinsing water over seeds

7. No light is necessary until day 5-6, natural window light counts. Fluorescent light also appropriate

8. Feed on day 8-9

As you can see this is a very simple system, but it works very well for the small scale farming we do. And there are many more styles and procedures out there, I am an amateur folks. I simply want to share the knowledge I have thus far with the hopes that my trial and error helps in anyway. If we incorporate more animals later we may upstage to some fancy fodder system with a water pump and everything! Girlfriend can dream can't she?!

Until then I will simply rinse my fodder daily making sure no standing water is left, and yes I'll use a little bleach here and there to kill mold.

Fodder is such an efficient, healthy, and cheaper way to feed livestock our livestock.  Plus, it gives us gardening guru's some therapeutic attention over the frigid gloominess of the winter months. I highly recommend doing some research on fodder costs in your area to assess its affordability and integrity in comparison to your farm or
homestead.

^^There's me..... again^^

Way to excited about fodder.... again....

Happy sprouting folks!

Q

MY ROAD TO ESSENTIAL OILS.

I'll be honest, I used to snicker at those folks who would suggest oil use to me in the past. I was stuck in a mindset where using essential oils and eating organically was some yuppy hippy mumbo jumbo that I would just never understand.

Well friends, this is one ignorance I can say took me a few years to overcome. Becoming an adult and then a parent (soon to be twice over) opened my eyes in ways I never thought possible. I went through a denial phase for sure.....

Our diets aren't that bad... are they?

The food we're eating can't possibly be detrimental to our health....

Essential oils can't really help. pharmaceuticals have to be a better route....

I'm a medical professional, these granola hippies can't really know more than the medical industry...

If my food isn't safe and neither are our medications and supplements then why would my doctor recommend and advocate for it....?

So many questions raced through my mind about what these "essential oils" really were. Why are they so 'essential' and is this all just a sham? If they really are so amazing and life changing how come I'm just hearing of them and why don't doctors advocate for them?

Funny side note I actually used to get irritated when I would walk into a knitting or bohemian shop in the greater Portland area. Chances are if anything along the lines of artisan, organic, or hand-made graces the window of these shops you'll be bound to smell essential oils the instant of your entrance. Commonly the smell of patchouli is the one that smacks you right in the olfactory nerves. Granted, I love it now... but in those years as an ignorant and close minded youth, I just got head ache from what I had dubbed the 'hippie stink.' Alas those days are behind me and now I respect and appreciate every drop of essential oil on this planet. And I would never describe any oil with the word stink ever again!

Essential oils can now be observed all over my house and in almost every aspect of my life. The first oil I gave a chance was the ever wonderful, peppermint. Being pregnant at the time finding medications and supplements safe for consumption and application was proving difficult. I had a terrible head ache so my friend applied one drop to her pointer fingers, massaging it into my temples and base of my skull. Within minutes I experienced relief that had me flabbergasted. I was taken aback by the speed and effectiveness at which it worked its magic. You can consider that to be the moment that changed my mind forever. It left me pain free and feeling relatively energized, though it was late afternoon and the baby belly needed some couch time.

There you have it, that was 3 years ago, and I and my families lives are forever changed. It wasn't until this last fall that I decided we needed yet another change. Essential oils had slowly began taking over our medicine cabinet replacing Tylenol, Advil, NyQuil, and I could forever go on about what the oils have replaced in our house, and all the money we actually save because of this. The best part about them is as I just mentioned.... The oils take over, you begin to realize how many wonderful uses these natural entities actually have and how many ailments can be solved with their simple application.

- Grapefruit to help curb my appetite helped me with postpartum weight loss.

- Lemon and peppermint decreased my nausea or morning sickness.

- Lavender I put on the kiddo before bedtime, this is an essential to our relaxation bedtime routine.

- Eucalyptus is amazing as a fever reducer/pain releiver (peppermint and lavender aid the tea trees effect) and also helps to maintain healthy feet and avoid athlete's foot.

- Peppermint under my nose when dealing with hospital odors changed world!!! Seriously, what would rather smell... duty or amazing peppermint?

- The immunity blend on the bottoms of our feet at night before bed is a great immune booster if you feel something coming on, or just because it smells great and has amazing disinfecting properties.

- I diffuse the respiratory blend in Ireland's room nightly when she has a cough/cold to encourage deep and relaxed breathing while sleeping.

- Deep Blue, used for deep tissue and muscle pain, does wonders in promoting realization in an achy back. I use the lotion rub version on my burly farm mans aches and pains and he loves it, plus the aroma is wonderful as a night time relaxant.

- For a tasty addition to water I add a few drops of grapefruit or lemon, just for fun, and its tastes great!

You see the possibilities are endless and I only mentioned my favorites. Before you know it you'll be an oil fanatic like myself, urging family and friends to give them a chance, or by golly just convert to essential oilism!

That brings me to this change I said we made last fall. After much consideration and fast deliberation we decided that becoming wholesale members of DoTerra would be the best option for us. With so many ways to utilize these treasures and the their adding up around the household, and some not so cheaply, it was just a no brainer. We made a leap of faith and are so happy we did! Seeing so many amazing changes with the help of oils, from behavioral improvements in our moody two year old to resolution of skin allergies in our dog, I can't think of a better way to keep my family safe and healthy.

NO MORE of those unpronounceable words you find on medications these days. How can a matriarch find piece of mind with all those chemicals??? The answer is you wont, with essential oils you'll never have those worries again.

So for all you oil skeptics out there, take a chance! Open your mind to the endless benefits and capabilities of oils, don't be like I was! Don't profile people who smell like patchouli they're probably happy oil users who know something you don't!

To find out more about the wonder of essential oils visit my business page here!

Dreaming of diffusing lavender when I get home!

Q

LIQUID GOLD. RAW JERSEY MILK, THAT IS.

---this post contains affiliate links---

Two days ago I did something I have been meaning to for 6 months. I visited a local dairy just a mile from my house, I know I'm super punctual with my personal priorities, all in due time I suppose...

Geez they're only a mile away! Score!

Hope Springs Dairy, located here in beautiful Tumalo, Oregon is a raw dairy providing herd shares for Jersey cow's milk and goat's milk. My main hesitation for not joining the herd share earlier stemmed from a fear that myself and my family wouldn't approve of the taste. My mind had made a judgement before I had even tried it. I have been meaning to change that and I finally did!!!

I thought it would be thick, and yellowish, or just a weird taste, would it be sour? My imagination ran wild.....

Let me tell you folks I don't think theres anything much better than a cold glass of raw cows milk. I was amazed, awe struck, speechless at the amazing taste and rich fullness the milk possesses. I wanted to immediately run outside to worship and thank the cows for their bountiful gift.

Once their last cow calves in a couple week we will be well on our way to a gallon fresh raw cows milk every week! I can't wait to try my hand at homemade butter!!! The benefits of raw milk are unending. Knowing exactly which cow our milk came from is an extreme increase in the security we feel about the safety and quality of our food. Buying locally, especially milk fulfills part of our wholesome homestead mission here in the High Desert. We look forward to all the possibilities this new change will bring our family. And all the creamy goodness in tow!

All this new wonderment I feel has just fueled my passion to own a dairy cow! I need a dairy cow! I will have a dairy cow one day. Morning and night milking, shiny to dirty milk pails, gallon jars filling the fridge, udder butter and all, I cannot wait until we have a chance at that goal. For now Ill be dreaming, praying, waiting, wishing on a star. A girl can still dream right???

Reading up on cheese making,

Q

A HOMESTEAD CHECK-IN. AND GMOs HOLY SH**!!!!!

---this post contains affiliate links---

It has been one crazy two weeks here on the homestead. We had house guests all last week, so sorry for the lack of posts folks! We saw a great concert, all in all a nice relaxing time. Any who, here's a run down of this week on the stead front:

- Set up a space in our laundry room with a light to start some seeds...

- Transplanted the beans and peas I started two weeks ago (moved them into 3-5 gallon pots with some recycled branches for support, currently moving them in and out of the house twice a day....Did I say we are having a freakishly early spring?!? I'm pretty sure the last few months could not possibly count as winter, so we have been able to make huge steps these last weeks outdoors... I digress...ahem...)

- My awesome friends who are staying with us this spring helped me rake/ clean-up the back yard and flower beds (all complete with garden netting to keep my pesky and wonderful hens from eating all my volunteer wildflowers!)

- They also totally rocked helping me clean my disaster of a garage (which has sadly turned into a storage unit for a family member, hopefully soon we can move that stuff out so I can move my rabbit cages into the garage and make a permanent tack area for all my equine tack and things... If you know anything about rabbits you'll well know they do great in subzero temps but terrible in scorching ones, so I would like to provide them some better shade and our garage stays cool as ever through the summer months)

- Brought home 6 count em' 6 new ducks!!! A mated pair of Cayugas, a mated pair of Mallards, and two additional Mallard drakes who will be making their way to the freezer very very soon. These girls began laying the very next day! I acquired them from a fellow bird lover whose ducks were being over run by drakes, so naturally she needed to cut out some testosterone to save the appearance and nerves of her poor hens a full post on my love for ducks to come!

- Six new laying chicks came home February 28th! A few Barred Rock, a Deleware, an Ancona, an Americana, and a Welsummer (at least that's my guess on that last one, she/he came from a fellow steader on CL, so we shall see) will make their home with us and be laying by this fall! -----affiliate link

- We finally welcomed our first batch of meat chicks to the farm only a couple days after the laying babies! 20 red ranger broilers to be packed in the freezer in about 12 weeks! I cannot contain my excitement at this!!! (more on the babies later)
**The babies are currently housed in an ole stock tank fashioned into a nifty brooder.

This week has also been quite insane, but much closer to home. Hours and hours of yard work and seed planting has been the focus and we've tackled quite a bit so far! We finally were able to pull our pond liner and replace it as to raise it higher so rain run off doesn't make it all yucky again. The ducks are quite happy to have a clean, yet small, pond to bathe in.

Ok, Quincy we read your barnyard banter, now what the heck is up with these GMOs you speak of?!?

GMOs are a cornerstone to our want, no, need to change the lifestyle and eating habits of our family. GMOs are part of the reason why we do what we do. Aside from wanting to get back to basics and teach our children of a more natural way of life, I want my children and my bearded baby daddy to be healthy through this adventure.

For me this all started with the last state elections. We had a bill on the ballot in Oregon for GMO labeling.... and honestly I'm kicking myself in the pants everyday for seeing that ballot and never taking the 5 minutes to sit down and vote.

Hi, my name is Quincy and sometimes I forgot to vote.... Ok, so I may not be politically active or even care for politics much at all, so much about money and power, so not what this farm Mama wastes her time with....

Not that politics are a waste of time..... Am I just digging a deeper hole? Moving on, ahem..

But seriously with new horses, preparing for the pigs, checking the coop a billion times a day for any signs of an egg, and surviving the woes of morning sickness this past fall I was not in any way worried about when to submit the ballot or what was even on it. I had heard in passing about the recreational marijuana bill and the GMO bill but didn't really ever get around to doing my research on either one very thoroughly.

The reading material on this topic goes on and on. It is not of my intent to rant on and on and throw statistics at you. I'll give ya a little of my side of things without totally overwhelming you, I hope...
I only ask that you take the time to do the research yourself and make your own choice, I beg you keep the health of your family in the front of your mind...

Ok ok...

My interpretation of GMOs is that they are genetically modified organisms....

So... They are fake?

In a sense yes.... and no...

Scientists have genetically altered the DNA in our food sources to make them something that they are not, for one reason, or another. I've even heard some weird stories about genetic testing that go so far as to say that there are even goats who have been genetically altered to lactate spider silk...

WTF?

Excuse my French but that was the initial thought bubble floating over my head when I heard that on a documentary called 'GMO OMG.' Which ALL of you should watch, in this day and age almost everyone has a Netflix membership, it is on there, don't make excuses! Ya ya that's a lot to take in all at once. Point is there's obviously some bored scientists out there pushing the borders and limitations of nature.

Thankfully the GMOs that reside in our food aren't so intense. It's simply a case of big corporations cutting logistical corners as they always have and will continue to do. In order to increase profits, seed companies have modified the seeds to be more durable and resistant...

Resistant to Round Up so farmers can douse their fields with weed killer and not lose a single corn or soy plant (the two main GMO food sources). Corn plants that have been modified in order to release their own pesticide..... Literally, the plant is a pesticide..... Research this folks! In seed form much of the corn we Americans eat is registered through the FDA as first and foremost a pesticide and secondly as a food product. Something like 95% of the American food supply contains GMOs, and roughly 30 something % (I know so technical) of Americans are aware of GMOs. Rant done!

What have I been feeding my child...? 

What have I been feeding myself, or this growing baby inside me?! 

I had no idea.

I was as clueless as countless other Americas still are.

No better word describes the state I'm in... Or have been in for months now... than complete and utter shock. How can our government regulate and approve something that has been labeled, voted out, or even banned in 16 plus countries on the planet. Why you ask?

There hasn't been enough research to prove they are safe for human consumption. What we do know is it allows countless farmers to cut corners and increase productivity. We also know that since the time that GMOs were introduced in the states, our country has become one of the top ranking counties in relation to highest rate of illness worldwide. We're one of the sickest countries on the planet, and I don't mean sick as in the stupid slang form of cool, I mean we have the highest obesity and cancer rates out of developed countries.

Here's a fun fact to bring you out of those doldrums, the same or higher yields have been proven possible on organic non GMO farms all over the country.

Since the first month we found out this scary and shocking truth we have been on a mission to rid our household of GMOs in every way possible. And, it has proven to be much easier than I ever thought it could be. 

Were making more of our own products from within the home, and finding better ingredients even if they cost just a little bit more. A few dollars here and there are worth my families health in my opinion by a long shot. We have also received a catalogue from Azure Standard to begin ordering GMO-free organic grains in order to put our new grain mill to use, THANKS MOM and DAD!!! There are also so many other products which we purchase regularly that can be found within the AS inventory. I mean look at that catalogue! Woo its definitely something to snugg


le up on your couch with and spend some good quality highlighter time. SO SO SO many organic and GMO free options are available in this amazing catalogue, and better yet, Azure Standard is located in Dufur, Ore, only about 150 miles from where I sit right now ranting about its magnificence......

What can I say, girlfriend loves to shop in bulk. Even better, there are 4 drop sites within 5 miles of my house. Cutting out stressful and inconsistent grocery store trips is my end all be all. I hate grocery shopping..... I don't mind running in for a thing or two but usually always leave with 5-10 items I had no intention of purchasing. Buying in bulk helps us to save money and prevent any spontaneous purchasing on my end. And the reliability of non GMO food supply made it a decision that much easier to make. Hopefully soon we will be receiving monthly or quarterly deliveries of wholesome foods once the budget begins to realign after some serious vehicle issues.

Well there you go I'll get outta your hair for a bit.

Anxiously waiting for seeds to sprout,

Q

COMPANION PLANTING AND MY THREE SISTERS GARDEN.

Companion planting folks. That's what I care about this week. When the thought crosses my mind I see images of Native Americans planting crops to accompany and help one another to ensure a bountiful harvest. You'll understand then why I chose to plant a Three Sisters Garden this year. It combines companion planting with mulching, two of my favorite things... It helps to cut down on weeding or fertilizing with our already busy busy busy farm and parenting life...

I mean yeesh we're only butchering every meat animal on the homestead this month, working out the kinks in our recently set up irrigation system, and dont even get me started on the weeding that continues to go unfinished in the garden. Let me just air my dirty laundry for a minute...

See the devastation in these before shots... All weeds.. we aren't perfect.. Homesteads take work and sometimes we get behind in weeding the garden. Such is farm life.. Hence new obsession with mulching.. Mulch it all!

Mulched!

I've been continually mulching my butt off trying to weed and cover every inch of soil in the garden. To my surprise things are going very well and my crops have begun to grow like crazy! In an effort to find what works best I've been researching companion planting.... Basically so I can plant one bed full before I move on to weed, clean, and plant the next.... A little haphazard I know... But companion planting makes everyone happy, especially the plants :)

Mulched!

The Three Sisters Garden consists of corn, beans, and squash. First planted is the corn, in the sunniest warmest spot (plant in several short rows or circles for pollination purposes). Wait until the shoots are about 5 inches tall then plant 1-2 beans at the base of each stalk. 

Mulched!

Wait about 2-3 weeks, until beans are established and beginning to climb. Plant your squash at the center point of your circles or in from of your rows. Heres the just of it... the corn grows as the foundation, the beans then climb the corn giving itore stability, and these together provide protection and shade for the squash to grow and flourish. The corn sucks out nitrogen which the beans replace and the squash provides a form of mulch to cover and protect the soil.  

These companions keep each other warm and water can flow with ease to all the different varieties. Here's an affiliate link that shows numerous planting patterns and designs. 

See those beans!!! They're making their emergence. 

And here! See those squash in the background! Oh yeah baby, I see veggies in my future. 

In the high desert where we live companion planting is fantastic! Vital nutrients can be supplied by one plant and absorbed by another. It also works great for container or urban gardening where there's not much space. 

 

Here they are... This was July 5th and over hip high corn!!! Safe to safe we will have a fruitful three sisters harvest. 

Follow this link to find more interesting TSG patterns!

http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/3sisters.html----- affiliate link

What are you favorite companion planting techniques? Comments welcome below

Cheers folks!

YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY.

If you share in any aspect the same lifestyle as we do, then you're constantly learning. At least I hope you are....

Homesteading is....

Hard work, determination, perseverance, humility, and open-mindedness....

And soooo many more things I am sure I'll figure out.... Did I say pain in the you know what?

Yes at times it can be, but the benefits make up for the cost ten fold!

Any opportunity to learn a new skill or refine an old one should be taken at the first chance.

My current learning curve involves our meat rabbit project. Like I've said before and will say again, I am a total amateur when it comes to these furry creatures. Most of what I do know I have learned from reading endless amounts of literature, and wingin' it, that is a technical term in the homestead world....in case your didn't know! Ha... oh so true it is.

Well today when I arrived at work I learned one more thing about rabbits I did not know.... An experienced rabbit breeding coworker of mine, Megan, lent me her time, first asking me how I know for sure my does are in heat.... Wait... What???

Rabbits have a noticeable heat cycle........????

Wow duh Quincy, you really are a newb!!! ---- My inner dialogue talking smack....

Do your research Q, yeesh! Really though, I have done so much research and read for so many hours my eyes hurt, how could I have missed this?! Everything I have read says they don't necessarily go into heat, as ovulation does not occur until after the buck has stimulated the male. Does can however, reject a male for many reasons, they go into "heat" once everything 30 days but usually will only accept a buck 12-15 of those days.

Seriously, I had no idea. I was struck initially with surprise and as I began the natural response of embarrassment I realized, HEY! You don't need to know everything right away! You will learn, and this embarrassment to, will pass.

Alright then so how in the, where did I, when should they, blah blah blah. The questions are never ending now!

So here's a quote I found from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations that summed it up for me:

"The female rabbit, however, does not have an oestrus cycle with regular periods of heat during which ovulation will occur spontaneously. Does are considered to be in oestrus more or less permanently. Ovulation occurs only after mating. A female rabbit is therefore considered to be in heat when she accepts service and in dioestrus when she refuses. 

There are many observations which denote the alternating periods of oestrus during which the doe accepts mating and dioestrus in which she refuses (Figure 9). But the present state of knowledge does not make it possible to predict either the respective lengths of oestrus and dioestrus or the environmental or hormonal factors determining them.

It has been noted, however, that 90 percent of the time when a doe has a red vulva she will accept mating and ovulate, whereas when the vulva is not red the doe will accept service and become fertilized only 10 percent of the time. A red vulva is therefore a strong indication, though not a proof, of oestrus. A doe in heat assumes a characteristic pose, called lordosis, with the back arched downwards and hindquarters raised. A doe in dioestrus tends to crouch in a corner of the cage or exhibit aggression towards the buck."

(http://www.fao.org/docrep/t1690e/t1690e05.htm----affiliate link)

So there ya go! 


You learn something new everyday!

Reading, reading, reading about breeding, and more reading....

Q