Christopher de Vidal

If you had to plan quantities of each plant for a new garden, about how many of each plant would you place for each rabbit? I’m trying to get a rough estimate of what all would be needed, can’t seem to find quantities on any resource anywhere. I don’t know if I need one or one dozen elm trees, one or one thousand square feet of hay, etc.

Faye Streiff wrote:I did a lot of research on forages for livestock and made up a chart I use in the classes I teach here at Heartsong Farm.  
Poplar leaves have 15 to 16 percent protein, sunchoke or sunflower leaves 14 to 28 percent, depending on whether young leaves or older leaves.  Dandelion is 12 to 20 percent, with loads of other nutrients, and high in calcium.  Lamb’s quarters are 24 to 28 percent, smartweed 22 to 26 percent.  Multiflora rose is 14.5 to 18 percent and has a 59 to 1 calcium to phosphorous ratio, making it ideal for nursing moms.  Brambles similar to rose.  Young pigweed (wild amaranth) is 21 to 26.  Young Ragweed comes in at 25 and the seeds are even higher.  Plantain is 11 to 18 and kills bacterial infections in the gut.  Black locust is 24.   Chicory is 18 to 22 and sweet potato leaves 17.  Elm leaves are 7 to 8 and honeysuckle 13 to 16,  Lespedeza sericea is is 12 to 16.  Birds foot trefoil is 15 to 28.  Kudzu is one of the best forages, but toxic if hit by frost.  It has 24.5 percent protein, and very high in minerals, especially calcium, good for growing, pregnant or lactating stock but might be too rich for adult males if they get a lot of it.  Compare these percentages to alfalfa which is generally 17 percent.  This is by no means a complete list and I hope this encourages you to research those plants which grow in your area.  Always feed a wide variety so they don’t get too much of any one thing.  

Approximately how many of these do you need to plant to have enough to feed one rabbit?

Looking for rough quantities: Approximately how many trees of various kinds, or square feet of hay, or artichoke plants, or pumpkins, or anything you're growing are needed per rabbit? Anyone got an approximate guideline? Exact numbers aren't required.

If one uses a broadfork, what action does it mimic in nature?

I figured it mimics pioneer species coming in, sending down tap roots, then quickly dying off. Probably also mimics ant mounds.

Did I get that right and is there more?

May be moving to the area, anyone still around?

Can't believe I'm the first to share this jaw-dropping video
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http://permaculturenews.org/2013/06/28/geoff-lawtons-zaytuna-farm-video-tour-part-ii/

Last year I took some time out to make a Zaytuna Farm Video Tour for you all. The positive comments, both on our site and on YouTube, along with additional questions (see comments below this post), encouraged us to make another!

This new video, above, shot 11-12 months after the original video, is twice as long and covers several aspects of the farm — some we hadn’t covered before, and some we had, but now with additional aspects and details. You’ll see Geoff talking about natural buildings, cattle laneways, and how to keep goats parasite free. Geoff will take you through the entire plant nursery process at Zaytuna Farm, from seeds and potting through to actually planting a tree. You’ll see food forests at various stages of development, a new purpose-built fish pond that will soon be in production, and much more.

Geoff Lawton's PRI says these are "must watch" YouTubes. Looks good:
http://www.permaculturenews.org/permaculture-tv.htm

jack spirko wrote:See here is the thing all you need to do is talk to the teacher, ask the questions I gave you and judge for yourself. I am not trying to be consumer reports of PDC here. I just want people to know what to ask.

True, but you've won my respect and I trust your opinion. But here I'm asking others. Grin