Garden Affairs

It's one of those rare days when rain went missing in the month of August, the sun shining so bright, the sky so clear and the weather is warm.

 

Lucky day for the rabbits!

 

I am taking them out into the garden for some refreshing air, fresh grass and herbs. But that's not the only reason I am bringing them out... they will also mate, am 100% sure of that, especially when the garden is a neutral ground.

 

A neutral ground is where neither the male or the female has a marked territory. It is not always necessary to have them in a neutral ground for mating to take place. Except in rare cases where the doe (female) is aggressive even when she is placed in the bucks' (male) territory. Another suitable option would be artificial insemination.

 

On this particular day, the doe had all of the buck... + had a really good time in the garden.

 

If both does were not pregnant, I could still use the garden method to have them both conceive. Another way is to take the does separately to the buck on scheduled dates.

 

Artificial insemination would have been more precise but much more expensive and harder. Besides, the rabbits will want it natural I am sure. 

 

By 9:56am I placed both rabbits in the garden. A rabbit tractor was on stand by incase they were destructive.

By 10:06am the buck had done it twice and was still attempting to mount the doe the third time. Now that's precisely what I wanted. That buck rocks!

 

The second doe should have been in the garden too if the palpation on her was negative.

Meat on the table

In todays short post I will highlight what three rabbits are capable of putting on the table.

Their basic needs are:

- Pellets 50kg [annual consumption] at N8000
- Hay grass 70kg [annual consumption] at N6000
- Feed supplements [annual] at N2000
- Misc. [annual] at N3000

Their reproductive circle is as follows:
A male and two females, with gestation period of 30 days and a litter size of 5-10 kits per birth.



From birth to wean age is 4 months.
Dressed weight of each weaned is approximately 1kg
Total dressed meat per year = 150kg

Meat prices:

Chicken 1kg = N1,250.00                                                       
Beef 1kg = N1,820.00                                                       
Turkey 1kg = N 1,600.00                                                                                                          
Goat per kg = N2,300.00                                                       
Veal 1kg = N1,400.00
Sources: easy shop easy cook, Numbeo, Jumia


Unlike myself, I don't know the quantity and quality of meat you consume annually. If you consume above 100kg, here is a possible estimate of your annual expenditure
Chicken 100kg x N1,250.00 = N125000.00
Beef 100kg x N1,820.00 = N182000.00
Turkey 100kg x N 1,600.00  = N160000.00
Goat 100kg x N2,300.00 = N230000.00
Veal 100kg x N1,400.00 = N140000.00

What the rabbits are offering:

Approximately 150kg dressed white meat devoid of cholesterol and rich in easily digestible protein annually

At what cost?

N19000 annually

Time consumed: 30hrs monthly

Almost too many analysis already. However, these are my targets:

• Cut down cholesterol and fat levels
• Cut down feeding cost
• Cut down belly fat
• Live a happier and healthy life
• Get more meat protein by eating more and more meat

What more?

You can easily increase the number of breeding females and multiply the meat yield since they reproduce fast and mature early.

Always remember that there are consequences to the artificial introduction of any chemical into processed foods that nature has not designed.

Don't miss the next episode...


 

Is the rabbit pregnant?

During my routine cleaning/sanitation on Saturday I saw my rabbit lying lazily on the floor... I then made a comment on how fat and sluggish she had become. I assume something is wrong with her...

 

"What is it?" "You eat and sleep a lot"

"But am pregnant, can't you see?" the rabbit fired back... I took a very long look again observing her stomach more closely. The last word that tried coming out of my mouth is 'yippee!'before my left hand crashed into  one of the bed post. I woke up and sat on the bed reflecting for a couple of seconds before reaching for my diary. I flipped a few pages, 04/08/17 it was, the day the rabbits next door mated.

 

It's been 2 weeks already and the right time to palpate the rabbits. Certainly not today though, I have got a lot of clients to attend to today. Palpation will have to be tomorrow.

 

Palpation is the process of feeling the rabbits abdomen to check for sure if she is pregnant. There are plenty other ways of knowing if a female rabbit is pregnant. However, palpation remains the surest way to know... 

The Rabbits Next Door Episode III

How fetish it might sound I don't know. One thing I believe is that you are like the kind of animal you like or keep.
Once, I had this turkey in the backyard. The turkey made me believe that turkey is the dumbest animal on earth.

Animal myths

I believe goat and sheep are stubborn noisy and persistent animals. snail is soft and slow, cattle is large and patient, snake is thin and poisonous, dog is lovely and intelligent, pig is dirty and fatty, duck is noisy and intelligent, chicken is cute, weak and noisy.

Did I just reveal something that could be true or are these just myths

However, this particular turkey was so dumb a turkey. Made too much noise, poo-pooed with very wicked smell and was just too skittish.

One morning I had had it all, that was all I could take. I know the turkey is just an animal with its own special attributes, but... Trust me, I used it to prepare a pot of stew and had a treat later in the evening.

After that evening I began to worry if the meat can make me dumb and skittish... "No! The meat is already down, along with it a glass of good wine and it felt so good." However, that was the last time I stayed close to a turkey.

And now, three rabbits are staying next door...

Everything these rabbits do - in future episodes. Don't miss!

The rabbits next door I

13/07/2017 5:00pm. Three rabbits moved in. Mr. Raj, the 'boss' I call him, gifted them to me.

They had no names so I just call them the rabbits next door, a male and two females.

 

The rabbits wore an all white shade and had pink/ruby coloured eyes. These rabbits were really big, joke aside. Their muscular thighs, broad heads, long ears and clean white fur made them adorable like the white boss from whom I received them. Except, they were not bossing anybody here.

 

The room has ample space, windows for ventilation, two light bulbs, a sink and water supply. I had also brought in three 40" x 40" wire hutches, feeding/drinking bowls, three collection trays, a stand for the cages and collection trays, hay and pellets few days before the rabbits arrived. The supplies cost me roughly N18000.

 

Before then, the room has been left unoccupied. I had the room thoroughly  cleaned and arranged the supplies the morning of the day I received the rabbits.

 

I also made sure no strong smelling chemical was used in the room. And the pellets and hay were packed and stored in a cupboard that stood on one corner of the room.

 

Shortly after dropping them, the rabbits became preoccupied with possessing and marking the entire room. The first female peed on the foot mat sitting in front of the door, while the second one got busy dropping on the concrete floor hard pellets from her backside. The male thumped from one corner of the room to another while nosing/chinning at any object on its way.

 

"Strange neighbors" I sighed, closed the door and went back to my room.