We processed one of our culls (after a pretty long hiatus) and here are some of the things we discovered:
1. I need a better setup if we are going to be raising more food for the home and hearth. I'd love a stainless steel area dedicated to processing because it was challenging working around everything else we already had going on in the kitchen. Maybe at our next property? At this rate, we are going to need a LOT of spare money, too- lol.
2. I need to withhold food a bit before processing. I always offer something tasty at the time of the deed, but full stomach is only making the job afterward harder. It is also altering the live weight because all that offal/food is heavy.
3. Harlequins are holding their own so far against more common commercial breeds. They are a smaller than New Zealands, of course, but I didn't see any heavy bone or wimpy muscling. I am sure we can improve with selective breeding. Here are the numbers:
Live weight with a full guts* was 4lbs 10.7oz on one of the smaller fryers.
Dressed out weight was 2lbs 7.1oz. This is the dressed carcass (no head, no pelt) with liver, heart, and kidneys.
That makes the dressing percentage 52.34%, though I think it would have been closer to 55% if done correctly. Not a bad start!
Now we have a delicious homegrown dinner and our dogs are happy, too. While it will never be easy for me to dispatch any animal because I truly love them, I think we can offer a much better quality of life here than any commercial operation. People are always shocked and appalled when they find out a farmer raised an animal for meat, but will buy it at the grocery store in a clean white package without a second thought. There are many documentaries on it, but we now know that industrialized farming practices keep animals in deplorable conditions for the sake of profit. We want to be self-sufficient for a number of reasons, but this is one of the many.
*(Sorry, but it's true).
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Daylight Saving Time
Well, it's that time again where we all change our clocks to make it seem like the sunshine arrives later in the morning and lasts longer in the evening. Here is the schedule for this year:
Daylight Saving Time (United States) 2015 begins at 2:00 AM on
Sunday, March 8
and ends at 2:00 AM on
Sunday, November 1
Just a reminder in case anyone needs to change their clocks.
Hope you are having a nice weekend!
Friday, March 6, 2015
Rabbit Recipe
We've been busy trying to get the rabbit manure and compost into the garden beds to ready the soil for the coming Spring, despite the rain and cold that keep appearing. To give an example about how bipolar Georgia is right now, it was almost 70 degrees when I got up yesterday morning and it was below freezing overnight.
In the meantime, I was selecting some rabbit recipes to try and I was asked, "How do you know whether a rabbit is a fryer or roaster when it calls for one or the other in the ingredient list?" I thought I'd answer that here in case it is helpful for anyone else.
A fryer is a young rabbit, usually at 10 weeks or less and weighing around 3.5-5lbs (live weight, of course). This category is finer in grain/texture and is the most tender for cooking. Roasters are usually around 10 weeks to 6 months old with weights ranging from 5.5-8lbs or so. They are a little more coarse in grain and firm. Stewers are basically adult rabbits, those that would be considered seniors on the show table. They are older than 6 months and are usually greater than 8lbs. The name of the age group is kind of an indicator as to how best to cook them. Stewers can be more tough, although these rabbits may be best for fur quality if they are processed in their prime coat.
And here is a good starter recipe for someone wanting to try rabbit for the first time. It is the simplified version from Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits by Bob Bennett. He said it won prizes and children love it, too:
Alice Bennett's Crispy Oven-Fried Rabbit
1 fryer rabbit (2- 2/12 lbs dressed and cut into pieces)
1 egg, well-beaten
2 cups of potato chips, finely crushed
1/4 cup of butter
1. Dip rabbit in beaten egg and then coat with potato chips
2. Melt butter on a shallow baking pan
3. Put rabbit in pan and bake at 375 for 30 min
4. Flip pieces and bake for another 30 min or until meat is tender and juicy
So glad it's Friday! Hope everyone is having a great week!
In the meantime, I was selecting some rabbit recipes to try and I was asked, "How do you know whether a rabbit is a fryer or roaster when it calls for one or the other in the ingredient list?" I thought I'd answer that here in case it is helpful for anyone else.
A fryer is a young rabbit, usually at 10 weeks or less and weighing around 3.5-5lbs (live weight, of course). This category is finer in grain/texture and is the most tender for cooking. Roasters are usually around 10 weeks to 6 months old with weights ranging from 5.5-8lbs or so. They are a little more coarse in grain and firm. Stewers are basically adult rabbits, those that would be considered seniors on the show table. They are older than 6 months and are usually greater than 8lbs. The name of the age group is kind of an indicator as to how best to cook them. Stewers can be more tough, although these rabbits may be best for fur quality if they are processed in their prime coat.
And here is a good starter recipe for someone wanting to try rabbit for the first time. It is the simplified version from Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits by Bob Bennett. He said it won prizes and children love it, too:
Alice Bennett's Crispy Oven-Fried Rabbit
1 fryer rabbit (2- 2/12 lbs dressed and cut into pieces)
1 egg, well-beaten
2 cups of potato chips, finely crushed
1/4 cup of butter
1. Dip rabbit in beaten egg and then coat with potato chips
2. Melt butter on a shallow baking pan
3. Put rabbit in pan and bake at 375 for 30 min
4. Flip pieces and bake for another 30 min or until meat is tender and juicy
So glad it's Friday! Hope everyone is having a great week!
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Welcoming Keepers
I can't believe our litters from the end of 2014 are already 10 weeks old. Time flies when you are having fun!
Here are their updated weights:
Sunshine's Litter-
1. 4lb 0.6oz (black runty doe)
2. 4lb 14.6oz (black eye patch doe)
3. 4lb 0.0oz (blue shoulder buck)
4. 4lb 2.4oz (lilac banded doe)
5. 4lb 7.1oz (black banded doe)
Tacoma's Litter-
1. 4lb 14.6oz (Pancake)
2. 4lb 14.3oz (Flapjack)
It has been a welcome surprise to see several of them nearing 5lbs at 10 weeks, though there are some significant size differences between individuals and some are barely making 4lbs. Either way I am happy with the results considering I was expecting to have to wait more than 12 weeks for even one to reach this size. I was planning to keep going with weights until then, but now I don't really see the point.
We had already decided to keep Jack, but we have also decided that Pancake will be staying, too. The black eye patch doe and the black banded doe from Sunshine's litter with also be keepers, for a total of 4 juniors to hopefully move forward with the next generation. I'm not at all worried about colors/markings right now, just traits that will build a stronger foundation like type and growth. All of them have nice personalities, good teeth, no visible defects, and are outwardly healthy. I am smitten with the rufus on Tacoma's litter:
I want to do pirate-related names with the two sisters from the first litter, but has been surprisingly hard to think of doe names with this theme. A few we were tossing around:
Calypso
Black Pearl
Chantey
..?
Welcoming any ideas. If they were bucks, I'd have at least a dozen names picked out already, lol.
Here are their updated weights:
Sunshine's Litter-
1. 4lb 0.6oz (black runty doe)
2. 4lb 14.6oz (black eye patch doe)
3. 4lb 0.0oz (blue shoulder buck)
4. 4lb 2.4oz (lilac banded doe)
5. 4lb 7.1oz (black banded doe)
Tacoma's Litter-
1. 4lb 14.6oz (Pancake)
2. 4lb 14.3oz (Flapjack)
It has been a welcome surprise to see several of them nearing 5lbs at 10 weeks, though there are some significant size differences between individuals and some are barely making 4lbs. Either way I am happy with the results considering I was expecting to have to wait more than 12 weeks for even one to reach this size. I was planning to keep going with weights until then, but now I don't really see the point.
We had already decided to keep Jack, but we have also decided that Pancake will be staying, too. The black eye patch doe and the black banded doe from Sunshine's litter with also be keepers, for a total of 4 juniors to hopefully move forward with the next generation. I'm not at all worried about colors/markings right now, just traits that will build a stronger foundation like type and growth. All of them have nice personalities, good teeth, no visible defects, and are outwardly healthy. I am smitten with the rufus on Tacoma's litter:
I want to do pirate-related names with the two sisters from the first litter, but has been surprisingly hard to think of doe names with this theme. A few we were tossing around:
Calypso
Black Pearl
Chantey
..?
Welcoming any ideas. If they were bucks, I'd have at least a dozen names picked out already, lol.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Home and Hearth
I've been reading my new books every chance I get in between everything else going on with the winter storms, work, getting ready for Spring gardening, etc. and one thing that sticks out to me is how I am not even close to where I want to be in terms of being self-sufficient. Some things we have been looking into for our next property:
1. Solar panels, wind, and other ways to generate power at home that are green and feasible.
2. Building more. My husband has taken an interest in woodworking and refurbishing old time furniture. I'd like some outdoor hutches, which have been put on the backburner for now until we know where we will be so there is less to try to move. Depending on the property though, we may end up converting a barn for our needs. I may just want grazing pens at that point for fresh food, sunshine, and exercise.
3. Growing more food. We are limited by the space on our current property and our inability to protect and preserve it from people and wildlife, but we are hoping to expand our next garden, have an orchard, build a root cellar, set-up a shelving unit for all of our preserved goods, etc.
4. Animals. One of our goals on our next property is to get our land and critters to where everything works in harmony as much as possible. We want a few chickens for sure, but not just for eggs. We also want them to eat bugs that may otherwise cause problems for the garden and orchard. Their waste will also help fertilize and their meat will feed something at some point. ALL of the books we read recommends pigs for their rooting the ground, eating the extras, and manure. I've always planned to have a dairy cow and she can provide more than just milk, cheese, etc.. her manure is gold for the soil, too. We are considering goats, but are on the fence if we will do straight dairy goats or fiber goats or whatever. Same with sheep. We want to start with adding one species and ensure we are doing right by them and then go slowly.. no zoo here!
5. Warm clothing, furs, etc. While my husband is interested in building and woodworking, I am interested in tanning, making things out of hides/furs, carding/spinning, sewing, and of course knitting/crochet. My grandmother taught me how to knit when I was a little girl and I keep dabbling in it year after year. One of the things I want to work on is homemade wool socks. I used to raise English Angoras and find myself disappointed every time I have to buy yarn at the store though. We might need to remedy that at some point.
6. Homebrewing. I'm particularly interested in trying to make some of the old time fruit wines that my great grandparents made after they immigrated from Germany. I also enjoy craft beer and it would be really neat to be able to use home grown grains, hops, etc. to make something like a stout to enjoy on the weekend.
We already can make our own bath and body supplies including cold-process soap. I love cooking and do it frequently. We have been de-cluttering our home and trying to simplify for a while now. We have also completed some house projects that we feel good about and are ready to move on to bigger and better things.
In other news- today and over the weekend, we will be weighing and selecting our youngsters from the first litters as they will be 10 weeks old. Keepers will get their BunnyVac booster and hopefully I'll be able to get some new pics if the weather cooperates. Right now it is still below freezing and overcast. Brrr!
1. Solar panels, wind, and other ways to generate power at home that are green and feasible.
2. Building more. My husband has taken an interest in woodworking and refurbishing old time furniture. I'd like some outdoor hutches, which have been put on the backburner for now until we know where we will be so there is less to try to move. Depending on the property though, we may end up converting a barn for our needs. I may just want grazing pens at that point for fresh food, sunshine, and exercise.
3. Growing more food. We are limited by the space on our current property and our inability to protect and preserve it from people and wildlife, but we are hoping to expand our next garden, have an orchard, build a root cellar, set-up a shelving unit for all of our preserved goods, etc.
4. Animals. One of our goals on our next property is to get our land and critters to where everything works in harmony as much as possible. We want a few chickens for sure, but not just for eggs. We also want them to eat bugs that may otherwise cause problems for the garden and orchard. Their waste will also help fertilize and their meat will feed something at some point. ALL of the books we read recommends pigs for their rooting the ground, eating the extras, and manure. I've always planned to have a dairy cow and she can provide more than just milk, cheese, etc.. her manure is gold for the soil, too. We are considering goats, but are on the fence if we will do straight dairy goats or fiber goats or whatever. Same with sheep. We want to start with adding one species and ensure we are doing right by them and then go slowly.. no zoo here!
5. Warm clothing, furs, etc. While my husband is interested in building and woodworking, I am interested in tanning, making things out of hides/furs, carding/spinning, sewing, and of course knitting/crochet. My grandmother taught me how to knit when I was a little girl and I keep dabbling in it year after year. One of the things I want to work on is homemade wool socks. I used to raise English Angoras and find myself disappointed every time I have to buy yarn at the store though. We might need to remedy that at some point.
6. Homebrewing. I'm particularly interested in trying to make some of the old time fruit wines that my great grandparents made after they immigrated from Germany. I also enjoy craft beer and it would be really neat to be able to use home grown grains, hops, etc. to make something like a stout to enjoy on the weekend.
We already can make our own bath and body supplies including cold-process soap. I love cooking and do it frequently. We have been de-cluttering our home and trying to simplify for a while now. We have also completed some house projects that we feel good about and are ready to move on to bigger and better things.
In other news- today and over the weekend, we will be weighing and selecting our youngsters from the first litters as they will be 10 weeks old. Keepers will get their BunnyVac booster and hopefully I'll be able to get some new pics if the weather cooperates. Right now it is still below freezing and overcast. Brrr!
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Harlequin Happenings
I was very pleasantly surprised when I recelived the January/February 2015 American Harlequin Rabbit Club newsletter, called Harlequin Happenings. On the very first page there was an article about culling by Barb Adams. I thought it was very well written and addressed a super important topic in my breed, but really in all breeds- which is being responsible by ensuring we aren't using inferior breeding stock or contributing to unwanted populations. A few lines that stood out to me were, "The Harlequin is not getting any favour by having every kit raised, then sold off to pet homes. As responsible breeders, we should find some way to cull or don't breed." She goes on to describe how pet owners frequently lose interest or "release" their unwanted rabbit, a reality that I have found to be very true, despite thorough screening and care taken in placement when I used to offer pets years ago.
After a brief discussion of culling outlets, the author goes on to talk about the traits she looks for in her keepers. I was surprised and impressed to see that she was also looking for good type primarily, which is commercial as per the breed standard. Type is barely worth any points on the show table, which is why I believe so many breeders select their keepers from the nestbox and everything beyond markings/color gets thrown out the window.
"Build your house FIRST... then you paint it!"
Now I will admit that it is very challenging to ignore great markings or a color I want to keep around, but ultimately it is the best decision for the future of the herd. Not to mention, breeding for type first makes it possible to justify having a marked breed for homesteading goals. :)
After a brief discussion of culling outlets, the author goes on to talk about the traits she looks for in her keepers. I was surprised and impressed to see that she was also looking for good type primarily, which is commercial as per the breed standard. Type is barely worth any points on the show table, which is why I believe so many breeders select their keepers from the nestbox and everything beyond markings/color gets thrown out the window.
"Build your house FIRST... then you paint it!"
Now I will admit that it is very challenging to ignore great markings or a color I want to keep around, but ultimately it is the best decision for the future of the herd. Not to mention, breeding for type first makes it possible to justify having a marked breed for homesteading goals. :)
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
I'm still here!
Just been busy at work and dealing with the repeated winter weather warnings. I have my bags packed again for yet another round today. Particularly irritated as I was supposed to be off tomorrow. Really, really hoping I am because I could sure use some bunny therapy right about now. Hope everyone else is having a good week and staying dry/warm!
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