Monday, April 27, 2015

The ladies!


Thursday, April 23, 2015

Tools in butchering a rabbit




Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Rabbits Update

Raising meat rabbits is enjoyable, and I'm glad I took the plunge last year! So far our rabbitry us producing meat for us to eat, breeding stock to sell and loads of manure for our veggie garden.




Wednesday, January 21, 2015

New House, New Urban Farm

My new 102 year old house, working on the urban farm. Rabbitry, Aviary and gardens are all up and running aftrer the move and happily producing

Monday, September 1, 2014

Juniper Berry Essential Oil-Doterra Product of the Month

Juniper Berry Doterra Essential Oil is the September 2014 Product of the Month.

To purchase, click here

Primary Benefits of Juniper Berry Essential oil are:


  • Supports healthy kidney and urinary function
  • May benefit problematic skin areas
  • Acts as a natural cleansing and detoxifying agent
  • Helps relieve tension and stress 




Juniper Berry 


The woody, spicy, yet fresh aroma of Juniper Berry reveals its rich history of traditional use and therapeutic benefits.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Derived from the coniferous tree, Juniper Berry
essential oil has a rich history of traditional uses
and therapeutic benefits. Juniper Berry acts as a
natural cleansing agent, both internally and externally.
Juniper Berry supports healthy kidney and urinary
function and is very beneficial to the skin. Its
woody, spicy, yet fresh aroma has a calming effect
that helps relieve tension and stress. When diffused,
Juniper Berry helps to cleanse and purify the air.

DIRECTIONS FOR USE
Diffusion: Use three to four drops in the diffuser of
your choice.
Internal use: Dilute one drop in 4 fl. oz. of liquid.
Topical use: Apply one to two drops to desired
area. Dilute with dōTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil
to minimize any skin sensitivity. See additional
precautions below.

CAUTIONS
Possible skin sensitivity. Keep out of reach of children.
If you are pregnant, nursing, or under a doctor’s
care, consult your physician. Avoid contact with
eyes, inner ears and sensitive areas.

Meat Rabbits Adventure

I'm one month into a new adventure in raising my own meat source. I chose rabbits since they are quiet, easy to butcher, legal to own in my area, multiply like rabbits and their manure is extraordinarily useful in my poor soil.

I am raising New Zealand Giant White Rabbits.  Their offspring should be butcher weight at about 10-12 weeks of age.  My goal is to produce 200 pounds of meat per year with my buck and two doe's.  Ideally, next year it will be closer to 400 if I purchase or barter for additional cages. From what I understand that is a very realistic goal if each doe has 4 -5 litters per year which is considered a non-intense breeding schedule.

As always this blog is a record and online diary, so here's a rundown of the costs:

Rabbits
3 Does and 1 Buck: $80  (1 Doe Traded for $20 in colloidal silver so I have 2 does and 1 buck)
4 Cages with feeders and water bottles: $220

Feed: $12 per 50 pound bag, lasts about 1 month
Alfalfa: $12 per bale, lasts around 6 months.
The rabbits will also eat household scraps, and herbs / plants already raised on-site.

My guess is that it will cost approximately $250 per year to raise 200 pounds of meat, giving me a price of $1.50 per pound.

I also estimate it will take me 150-250 hours per year to properly care for the rabbits, including butchering, cleaning, etc.