Until I Catch Up...

Here are some pictures of what is going on at our little farmhouse:

Strawberry Jam

Ingredients: 

5 cups prepared fruit (buy about 2 qt. fully ripe strawberries)
1 box SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin
1/2 tsp. butter or margarine
7 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash and sanitize jars and lids.

Stem and crush strawberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. Measure exactly 5 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot.

Stir pectin into fruit in saucepot. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. 

Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon. 

Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if needed.) 

Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.) 

My Least Favorite Chore

Without a doubt, my least favorite thing to do is to harvest my grow outs (rabbits).  The act of dispatching them bothers me, and if it isn't done immediately and humanely, I am sickened and hurt for them.  However, the reality is, we raise them for meat.  Because we choose to do so, I honestly believe that it is my responsibility to give them a great life and make the process as gentle, quick and stress free as possible.

On Sunday, my husband and I harvested seven 14 week old American Chinchillas. Our local scavengers were given the innards and bones, I dehydrated ears and belly skin as safe, organic

alternatives to store bought pig ears for my dogs, froze the hides for later use in blankets or clothing and froze the rest (15 pounds) for our consumption.

A few years back I chose to purchase a Rabbit Wringer, but have not used it.  I did not have faith that I could use one properly and was not willing to test it out without a back up plan.  On Sunday, my husband mounted the Wringer and Butcher Station and we put it to work.  There are a few variations on this product and I will not reccomend the Rabbit Wringer based on the horrible business practices of its creator, you are up to your own devices on this one.  HOWEVER, it worked wonderfully!  I dispatched all 7 myself with no violence, no stressed rabbits and immediate results.  I could not be happier with the results.

This weekend we will be making both deer and rabbit sausage.  I will post our recipes, our results and pictures.  Once again, thank you for reading.

Humanity Matters

The past few days I have been very preoccupied in taking care of a $5.00 chicken.  I have spent a lot more than $5.00 on probiotics, Duramycin, pepto, apple cider vinegar and organic honey.  

It's pretty obvious that I am all about organic foods, but with treating an animal with antibiotics, it is no longer organic.  I could have let her naturally die, could have culled her the moment I found her quietly laying wth her eyes unable to open, her breathing heavily labored.  Many would have said it was the right thing to do.  It wasn't the thing for me to do.

I am not against antibiotics, just the overuse of them.  I don't treat my rabbits (or now my chicks) as a preemptive strike.  I will give them probiotics, zealously clean a habitat and give them a lot if vitamin C in the firm of fresh veggies and fruit.  However, once the diarreah begins, out comes a round of Duramycin, restricted diets and apple cider vinegar, teaspoons of apple sauce and also 1 ml of pepto every 4-6 hours.  Coccidiosis and diarreah (in general) is incredibly dangerous and often fatal for animals.  I can't stand to see them in pain, so I treat them, because everyone needs and deserves a second chance.

Why is it okay to treat our pets, but not our livestock?  Why is it not okay to worry about a rabbit, a chick, a kid or a piglet?  Why is it not okay to cuddle a baby or give treats to breeding stock?  What, exactly, makes it wrong to treat our food with respect and love?

Rabbits Breed Like Rabbits...Don't They?

So Spring is finally showing signs of approaching, and with mid-March on the horizon, that means (for me) that it is time to start breeding rabbits for our fair. Should be a simple affair, right? After all rabbits ovulate "on-demand" and, well, they're rabbits.


Breeding rabbits is not rocket science. Check the doe's vent and if it is purplish in hue, place her in the buck's cage, (don't blink!) and in less than a minute, the deed should be done. You can choose to leave them together for a few minutes - or a few more fall offs - or bring the doe back to her cage and re-breed again in 8 hours. I always breed twice because the doe may urinate, rendering the breeding ineffective. Also, if your back does not fall off after breeding - you cannot accept it as successful.


Here is a quick video of a breeding with a successful fall off:











I've rarely had issues with breeding. When I have, it is usually because it is a first time buck, or because they are too hot, or haven't had enough daylight. My issues have never been long lasting. However, that being said, after joining up with some Facebook meat rabbit groups, I have seen dozens of people complaining that their rabbits won't breed. Following is my advice in overcoming some of these issues.


Some virgin doe’s take to being bred the first time like pros. But, normally, virgin does are much more difficult to breed. If your virgin doe reacts in fear or with difficulty when she is introduced to the buck, attempt a switch of cages. Switch the buck and doe for 24 hours. After a day of being surrounded by all that testosterone, she is bound to be a bit more receptive. Another option is to put the two rabbits together in a play yard for a few minutes at a time, until she becomes comfortable with him. Restraining the doe and allowing the buck to breed her can sometimes result in kits, but the stressful breeding often doesn't take.
Sometimes it is the buck who is shy. Contrary to popular belief, not all bucks are ruthless breeders. If the doe is calm, leave them together and leave their direct line of vision - but stay close enough to intervene if things turn ugly. Allow him to be affectionate with her. If you have an experienced doe, use her first. Chances are, she will take matters into her own hands and teach him the ropes.


Once he's had a time or two with a doe like this, he is likely to be more aggressive next time.
If your rabbits simply will not breed, you need to step back and look at the situation. Are your rabbits fat? Overweight rabbits often cannot/will not breed. Check their feet; are there sore hocks? Sore hocks make it incredibly painful to put weight on their hind feet and breed.


You should be supplementing your rabbit's pellets with oats and black oil sunflower seeds - about a tablespoon of each. These will get your rabbits in excellent condition, both body and fur. These two supplements tend to make rabbits more ready to breed.
While I have never tried this myself - some people swear that if they take their doe on a brief car ride, she is more receptive when she gets home. Maybe this is her version of a date?


As with everything on the homestead; if at first you don't succeed, try it again!

Spring Mud Puddle, or What's Happening in my Yard Today.

Two whole days without snow, temperatures above 45 degrees and my yard has turned into one big mud puddle.  However there are signs of Spring everywhere!  For instance, the garlic I planted last year has popped up.  Don't judge my raised beds, as I said, they were covered in snow until yesterday and the earth is still frozen.

After this picture, I gathered some "used"straw from under the rabbit pens and bedded down the garlic.  Here's hoping for a bumper crop!

The chicks have a new audience and she's VERY interested in them.

The chicks seem to be settling in really well.  They enjoyed some strawberries and sunflower seeds today while I mixed the rabbit's breakfast today.

Here's some more pictures of our beautiful day.

New Beginnings!

Wow, so it's been a long time since I posted on this thing.  So much has changed and we've been super busy with real life.

We've started gardening with B's Aunt and Uncle on a much bigger scale, become involved in our local farm market, and I started my own business where I make all natural pet foods and treats called Blue Moon Barkery.  

Last night we planted almost 500 seeds to start for our family garden, in addition to the 72 cabbage and broccoli sprouts currently in residence on my kitchen table!

Today we started an endeavor that is completely, 100% new to me - chickens!  We purchased 6 Isa Brown pullets that are approximately 6 weeks old.  They are supposed to be great "first time" chickens, that lay up to 300 eggs per year and begin laying at 16 weeks.  While we are waiting for our coop to arrive, they have taken up residence in Bella Dog's old crate in our shed.  I've wanted a few hens for a long time, and B must have gotten tired of my needling, because he finally said yes!

Despite the current muddy and wet conditions, I couldn't be happier that Spring has finally decided to arrive.  We will be harvesting some American Chinchilla kits soon, so look for pictures and our sausage recipe.

Have a wonderful day, and go plant something!