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Arielle Goron

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since Mar 27, 2024
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Recent posts by Arielle Goron

What great news! It’s going to be such a joy watching them grow. Do you have more does expecting? Are you breeding for meat,show or pets?
I’m excited to see the photos, spring is here!
9 months ago

Aaron Yarbrough wrote:
For the underground space I think a section of septic leaching chamber would work well. I would mound the earth up over the leaching chamber so you have a good foot of soil over top. From my anecdotal experience that should keep the space 10-15 degrees cooler than the ambient air temperature.



Thank you for your advice Aaron, I also used to keep quail, albeit with less experience and more casualties... They are such fun little birds!

Ive found septic tubing and chamber pieces at my local farm supply store so I ought to head over there and see what they have. Gravel would also be a good idea since they wont really be grazing on pasture grass. Just some clarification with the concrete blocks, would they be buried, or stacked like a retaining wall? I will do more research on what non-dig methods people offer, although some say that they won't dig if they are happy.
10 months ago

Anne Miller wrote:do you mind if I ask what CSRA stands for?


Hi Anne, thank you for asking. It stands for Central Savannah River Area, it is a location in the Southeastern US that has somewhat of a unique climate. It is very beautiful if you ever get the chance to visit!
10 months ago

Carmen Cullen wrote:

How many rabbits per enclosure are you planning on?



Thank you for your info Carmen,
I plan to start with a single buck and two does. I've heard some say 1:2 is a fine ratio, others 1:3 or even 1:4. Do you have any recommendations?
10 months ago
Hey y'all,

I am starting an adventure into raising meat rabbits in the Southeastern USA. I have some supplies and will be building my hutch come this May. The area I live in gets very warm days, but does get some relief in the night time, so from my research on rabbit environs I can make this happen with underground access and cooling areas. My hutch will be entirely on the ground, as I had some rabbits injure themselves gravely growing up from falling off a platform in a 'rabbit-safe' commercial hutch. It will be in a cross shape, with nesting boxes/covered area at the peak, food/water area in the right arm, a cooling area with slate and marble flat stones in the left arm, and the main grazing run as the lower portion. Alternate/summer nesting options include two underground spaces, lined completely with stone pavers I have left over to prevent them from digging out, with a wooden roof and soil topping that with a PVC pipe (5-6" diameter) entering the spaces for easy rabbit access.( I will also most likely line this with faux turf or rubber to help the kits enter/exit) The mesh of the entire hutch will also extend into the ground about 1', mainly to keep coyotes out but also keep bunnies in. I may need to consider a secondary wire encasement, or electric fence in the future.

I do not like the idea of wire/mesh hutches, so that's a no go. I will also be feeding them a diet of 10/10/80 concentrate (cost wise this will be Manna Pro Select as it has the best nutritional spread and a good amount of fiber), forage which will consist of harvested weeds, tree limbs and other greens growing on the property, and the rest hay. I will start them on timothy or whatever the breeder last had them on, and try to convert them to local coastal grass, which we feed the horses and I can get in round bales. I would love to transfer them to all forage and self-made hay in the future, but I'm aware that their diets changing suddenly can be very bad for their health, so I will try this in time. They will also have access to mineral salt licks, and their lives will be supplemented with engaging wooden toys and scraps from my fooling around in the shop. I think its needless to say I am excited to get these little buggers!

Both the cooling and feeding area will have access to drip water bottles, and I have the capabilities to run electric out there for a fan or two. The whole design will be placed under the shade of cedar trees, and will still get good airflow. Still deciding the dimensions of the entire hutch, but I should be able to post a photo of the plan in the future. If anyone with experience would be willing to share some insight, tips/tricks on keeping rabbits in the heat, what breeds to start out with, any kind of knowledge that would classify as word of mouth or learned on job would be very appreciated. I'm no stranger to farming and the realities of keeping animals, but I am trying to do my best the first time around.

Thank you all for all you do, I am very grateful for any advice given.
10 months ago
Horses aren't necessarily allergic to the flies, as they are the fly saliva. It irritates their sensitive skin, and flies bite on and lay eggs under the raised skin. Consumed DE has no effect on their skin, dusting him with it would do good prevention. (DE would be beneficial in treating stomach ulcers if that was the case) If you make your own rose/lavender/lemongrass/cilantro tincture, stabilized with vinegar, and add two tablespoons of baby oil when diluting that into a water solution, this should be a very effective organic alternative. If he is allergic to the saliva, any amount of preventative will not work. An immune booster supplement would be a good feed additive, we use OTC antihistamines for one of our horses, as he is allergic to organic methods unfortunately.

With the face, never spray a horse's face, they are as averse to it as we are. Spray on a rag and wipe his face, stand at his shoulder, put your hand under and around and hold it lightly on his nose/cheek, start by just bringing the rag close, and when he relaxes take it away, do not let him move his head away, but also don't hold his head very firmly, this will only make it worse. Continue progressively bringing the rag closer until you can lay it on his cheek (no fly spray) and take it away. This little cat & mouse game allows you to get closer and gives him time to understand you're not trying to whack him or do something bad. Horses having their eyes covered is a very vulnerable motion, so do so with utmost care, he wants to trust you.

Fly masks are a great option, especially if you have a horse that has excess eye gunk production or is getting pink/infected eyes in the summer. There are many options with ear covers, without, and lined with fleece. My personal favorite are Cashels, they are comfortable and non-irritating. We tighten them until we can comfortably place two fingers between the mask at the jaw and the jaw itself.

Thank you for reading my ramblings, best of luck.
Horses do best on second to third go on pasture. Chickens/ducks go after them to spread manure. Horses that are easy keepers do very well on hay supplement like teff/coastal that is very low calorie but a continuous feed. Unfortunately, there is no way to full out stop a horse from eating the good stuff.
Grazing muzzles in my experience are only effective if your grass gets long enough to pass through the guard. Horses require something on their tummies at all times, like others have posted. What we do is exclude our horses from rotational grazing altogether, and have a constant supply of hay in the winter, and full pasture access in the summer. Their grain is mostly flax, sunflower seeds, beet pulp(lowest sugar content we could find) and teff pellets for bulk. Oats, sweet feed, alfalfa pellets, and other concentrates are only necessary for heavily worked horses (5+ days a week working multiple hours a day)

Best of luck and I hope you find an easy keeper. Horses are not easy, but very rewarding.