Rabbits: Good protein In a Limited Space Notes

Reader's Digest - Back To Basics - How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills

The Readers Digest Association, Inc.

Pleasantville, New York / Montreal

 

I decided I wanted to learn more about my rabbits but wanted to see what this book said.  My Grandpa gave the book to me.  It has some pretty good info in it…I like the hutch that they illustrate…I think I will try to build one…It looks like it would be much easier than what we are currently using.

 

Rabbits: Good Protein In a Limited Space

Excellent to raise for meat

• Delicious
• Prolific
• Hardy
• Inexpensive to feed
• Yield more high-protein meat per dollar of feed than any other animal

 

Food

• Specially prepared pellets provide the best diet.
• Supplement with:
• Tender hay
• Fresh grass clippings
• Vegetable tops
• Greens should be fed sparingly to rabbits less than 6mo old
• Root vegetables
• Apples
• Pears
• Fruit tree leaves
• Water
• Change at least once/day
• Salt lick (optional)

 

Shelter:

• A Basic Wire-Mesh Hutch
• Cold is no real problem for rabbits.
• Hutches should provide protection from:
• Drafts
• Rain
• Intense heat
• Each rabbit should have their own cage
• Individual cages can be hung in a garage or shed (empty)
• Or you can build an outdoor hutch of lumber and 1" wire mesh or hardware cloth. Plus 1/2" mesh for the floor.
• Each rabbit should have a 3ft wide x 3ft deep x 2ft high space.
• The sides and floor should be wire mesh.
• The cages should be at a convenient eight for you to feed and clean them.
• Give it a double roof if not placing it in the shade.
• Trays beneath make cleaning easier
• Clean trays regularly
• Scrub and disinfect the cages between litters.

 

Mating:

• Medium breeds (New Zealand) can breed at 6mo old.
• The females will be:
• Restless
• Attempt to join other rabbits
• Rub it's head against the cage.
• Once she is fertile she only experiences a couple of days here and there of infertility.
• Place her in the male's cage.
• If you try to take him to her she may attack him thinking he is an intruder.

• How to tell if she is pregnant:
• Wait 10 days after breeding.
• Feel just above the pelvis
• Embryos should feel like small marbles.
• If nothing check again 1 wk. later.
• Rebreed if necessary.

• Birth:
• 31 days after conception
• I mark this on my phone's calendar with a reminder so I don't forget the due date.
• The nesting box should be placed 5 days prior to due date.
• Make sure there is plenty of straw in the bottom of it.

• After Birth Care
• Wait about 2 days before attempting to check the status of the new babies.
• It is recommended that you distract the mama with some food while attempting this.
• Make sure there are no dead or deformed babies that need removed.
• Immediately start Mamma on a high protein nursing diet.
• Make sure the family is not disturbed.
• Babies will suckle for about 8 weeks.

 

• Butcher Weight for a fryer is about 4 live lbs. (will end up being about 2) and they usually reach this by 8-12 wks..

 

• This book also has butchering instructions but I will not go into them yet…not ready for that yet!

 

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Biscuits

Yummy…I made biscuits and gravy this morning.  I thought I would share my biscuit recipe with you.  This is mine and my family’s favorite big biscuit recipe so far.  The original (which I modified somewhat) is at http://allrecipes.com/recipe/jps-big-daddy-biscuits
Makes 6 grand sized biscuits.
Ingredients:

• 2 cups of flour (I use the Prairie Farm Gold flour I mentioned in a previous post).
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon white sugar
• 1/3 cup of butter
• 1 cup of Milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. I combine all of my dry ingredients into a food processor and pulse a few times to mix thoroughly.  I then cut my butter into a few slices (usually by the Tablespoon) add a few pulse just a second to move them and continue to do this until all the butter is in.  I then pulse the food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Place in a bowl and gradually stir in the milk until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.
3. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead 15-20 times.  Pat or roll dough out to 1” thick.  Cut biscuits with a large cutter or glass dipped in flour. Repeat till all dough is used.  Brush off extra flour and place the biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake for 13-15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges begin to brown.

Extra info:
If you don’t have a food processor you can manually cut in the butter or take a frozen stick of butter and grate it like cheese into the mix remembering to stir every once in a while so the butter stays separated.
The original author states that the dough can be prepared up to a day in advance…to do this you need to turn the dough onto aluminum foil that has been floured, buttered, or oiled.  Roll up the foil until it is sealed, and refrigerate.  He states that this may result in the biscuits rising even higher because the baking powder has more time to act in the dough.
I don’t like a bunch of things in my refrigerator though.  I tend to make things ahead of time with good intentions and forget the next day.  So instead of making the dough ahead of time.  I am thinking I am going to put the dry ingredients in mason jars.  Vacuum seal the lid and put the directions on an whole punched index card and tie it on with a ribbon.  Store it in the cabinet. This way the only thing I would have to do in the morning is dump it in the food processor add butter dump in bowl add milk, roll, cut, and bake.  It is all about preference though.  I just know that premade dough in the fridge usually gets flattened by something someone sits on top of it.  LOL.  Thanks for reading, please comment and share.

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