Homesteading
A Snapshot of Our Philosophy
We live in the city so our homesteading goals are much different than someone who is on a larger piece of land. One day, we would love to have more space and raise and grow more of our meat. For the time being, we are doing what we can, on what we have. My goal is to raise the eggs, meat, and organic vegetables that we have room to grow. This does not mean full self-sufficiency for our family. But it does mean we are doing part of it, and more importantly that our children and us are learning skills to care for ourselves and the world around us. Animal husbandry, gardening, composting, land management through regenerative practices, and similar skills are all learned on a smaller scale here in our yard. In addition, we are learning how to treat and care for our animals through a number of health issues, and how to identify parasites and other microscopic issues. We are taking things a little further by studying biology through our yard and the plants and animals in it.
Thriving Together: The Benefits of Rabbit Colonies
There are numerous advantages to colony raising, with companionship being one of the most significant benefits for the rabbits. They genuinely enjoy each other's company, engaging in activities such as mutual grooming, cuddling, and even providing comfort to sick kits. In my experience, rabbits kept in colonies tend to be happier and more content compared to those in cages. While socialization should begin at a young age, colony living generally proves to be highly successful, greatly enhancing the rabbits' well-being.
However, there are some drawbacks to colony raising, namely the presence of parasites and diseases that come with being on the ground. Initially, after encountering a bout of coccidia during the first year, I considered permanently relocating my colonies to elevated cages. Yet, instead, I chose to breed for resistance and developed effective strategies to combat these issues. I am grateful for acquiring the skills necessary to keep my rabbits healthy because I firmly believe that they are happier and healthier when living together on the ground. It took considerable time, effort, and learning to reach this point of success.
Our colonies are relatively small, occupying around 100 square feet, which accommodates one buck and 1-2 does in each colony, along with their kits. Due to the limited space, it works best for my colonies to have only one male. When the male growouts reach approximately 10-12 weeks, I actively seek separate housing for them since they start to pose a threat. Typically, we observe behavioral issues when the buck begins chasing them, and failure to relocate them promptly can result in injuries.
While our does usually get along well and can share a space, we ensure greater success by housing female siblings or cousins together. They have grown up together and are already familiar with each other, eliminating the need for introductions.
Overall, here are some benefits in raising rabbits together:
Socialization: Rabbits are social animals by nature and thrive in the company of their own kind. Living in a colony allows rabbits to interact, groom each other, and establish social hierarchies. Socialization can enhance their mental well-being and overall happiness.
Natural Behaviors: In a colony setting, rabbits have the opportunity to engage in natural behaviors such as running, hopping, digging, and exploring. They can exhibit their natural instincts more fully, leading to increased physical activity and mental stimulation.
Emotional Well-being: Being in a social environment with other rabbits can provide a sense of security and reduce stress levels. Rabbits in colonies can form bonds and companionships, which can help prevent loneliness and boredom.
Enrichment: Colony housing offers a more enriched environment compared to individual cages. Rabbits can have access to larger living spaces, hiding spots, tunnels, and platforms. These features provide mental stimulation and opportunities for exercise and play.
Natural Reproduction: If you are breeding rabbits, colony living allows for natural mating behaviors and interactions. It enables the rabbits to mate and raise their young in a more natural and less restrictive setting.
Observational Learning: Rabbits in colonies can learn from each other's behaviors. For example, younger rabbits can observe older ones engaging in appropriate feeding or grooming techniques. This observational learning can help with the development of vital skills and behaviors.
Reduced Aggression: When rabbits are properly introduced and given adequate space, colony living can reduce aggression. By establishing a hierarchy within the group, rabbits can settle into harmonious relationships, minimizing conflicts and promoting a peaceful coexistence.
It is important to note that colony raising requires careful management, monitoring, and providing adequate space for the rabbits to avoid overcrowding. Each rabbit's individual health, temperament, and compatibility should be considered when deciding if communal living is appropriate for them.
Rabbit Colonies - Our Setup
We get a lot of questions from people who want to know how our colonies are set up. This is a very brief introduction to the two colonies we have and how they are set up.
1. Main structure: The main structure is a dog kennel with chicken wire or hardware clcth wrapped around at least the bottom portion of each pen. One of the colonies is a 10'x10'x4' pen, the other is a 15'x5'x6' pen. They both have regular fencing wire on the ground that has over the years been covered by dirt. They will find the weak points and we often have to patch a section on the ground.
2. Covers for the pens: One colony is covered with wire, the other is not. For some reason, and it may be the trees and how animals can get in, but we have not needed to cover both with wire. However, the rectangular colony has had two attacks on kits when not covered. So we leave it covered. The square colony is not covered and we have had no issues for years. We have racoon and possums continually in our yard and have even had a fox running around our neighborhood some this year. These animals are way more interested in our chickens than in our rabbits.
3. Rainproof: The square colony is completely under a canopy while the rectangular colony is only halfway under this same canopy. I prefer the one completely covered. We have heavy thunderstorms most summer afternoons in Florida and I hate that half of this pen gets soaked. Not only that, but the drier pen stays cleaner.
4. Number of rabbits per pen: The colonies usually each house 2 does and 1 buck, and their kits. The narrower size of the rectangular colony seems to make it feel more crowded and cramped and I have decided I prefer 1 doe in here, but it can hold two.
5. Nesting bins: Both colonies have usually at least 2 bins in them at all times. The does prefer using the 30 gallon bins with the tubing for their nests. This design came from The Rabbitry Center and you can find the video online here. I had them buried outside the pens at first to give more square footage in the pen. The tubing came up from underground and the boxes were outside on the side of the pens. I LOVED this because I did not have to walk into the pen to check on the kits. However, we had some heavy summer rain and the bins flooded and wiped out two litters of kits born that day. Since then, they have just sat in the pen. The does prefer to have loose soil and dirt in the pen and will actualy fill the tunnel with dirt and "bury" the kits. If I have take the time to redo this I will probably just put the bins outside the cages again and not bury them as deeply. However, it did introduce more weak areas of the rabbits to tunnel out over time. My husband and I always agree that if we are going to have severe weather, we are probably also going to have a litter of kits born right before it happens that same day! The new babies always seem to come with the worst weather.
6. Other bins and hangouts: Usually does want a place for their older kits to hang out before they get ready to deliver again in the nesting bin. I have seen our does make spaces for their older kits about a week before they deliver. We have large mulberry logs in both colonies and this is a favorite hang out. My does will tunnel around these if the dirt is thick enough. Or they find a week spot and try to tunnel someplace else. Or you need another bin. The large grey bin in this photo serves as a hangout area for the bigger kits when needed. If their are babies in the nesting bin the mother usually has it blocked off with dirt.
7.Tunneling: They always seem to find a weak spot over time in the wire on the ground. Partially this was due to me cutting holes specifically for the tubing and bins, or it was places where the wire overlapped and it just was not secure. One of my colonies currently has a large underground hole where they nest instead of using the bin. It is working quite well becuase I am not having to worry about the hto summer temperatures outside and they have not tunneled out. However, sometimes they find places to tunnel out of the pen and I come outside to find 10 rabbits running around the yard. This always happens when we are on vacation. Always. And they usually stay in the yard and wait for us to get home with no problems. Don't fret and don't ask friends to catch them. It is easiest to catch rabbits when you have some experience with it!
8. Waterers: I have two different waterers in each colony. I prefer the cooler we made into a waterer because it helps regulate the temperature. We rarely have freezing temperatures but when we do, we do not have to worry about the cooler water freezing over which just means less work. And I feel better about my buns not having crazy hot water in the summer. I was not able to find the orginal video and link I used, but this system is very similar. The other colony just has a bucket with chicken nippes on the bottom hanging and it works fine.
9. Feeders: You need at least two bowls for feed with that many rabbits in each colony, and make sure they are out of the rain.
10. Litter Boxes: If we have just a couple rabbits in the pen, maybe just the 2 does and 1 buck and there are no kits, we can keep up with litter boxes. We simply put a small shallow bin in the cage with woodchips and they will get in that bin to use the bathroom. I only find this possiible to keep up with if there are just a few rabbits in the colony.
11. Wood chips: I routinely add a layer of woodchips if I think we need a cleaner layer on top of the ground. This may mean I throw a bucket of woodchips in daily for a week or two until its covered completely, or faster if needed. We live in the city and our city will deliver wood chips for free - I have an endless supply.
12. Cleaning out the pen: I have learned that cleaning out the pen can cause health issues so I try not to do it if we have kits under 16 weeks in the pen. This is because when you have rabbits on the ground you have to deal more with bacteria and parasites. So while I have young kits on the ground I just try to layer with wood chips, but cleaning out the pen has its benefits. First of all the doors can get hard to close with the layers of dirt and poop that keep building up and secondly tunnelling starts to happen a lot more. In addition, I love to have the dirt to fill my garden beds.
Three Ways to Tackle Squash Borers
The Cucurbitaceae family includes some of the most popular garden crops in the world: cucumber, melon, and squash and we have not been able to grow them for years due to the incessant onslaught of the squash borer. The squash borer, also known as the squash vine borer (Melittia cucurbitae), is a common pest that affects various types of squash plants, including pumpkins, zucchinis, and other members of the Cucurbitaceae family. The adult squash borer is a moth that lays its eggs near the base of the squash plant. The larvae, which are the destructive stage of the insect, burrow into the stem and feed on the inner tissues, eating its way up through the inside of the plant, leading to wilting, plant collapse, and death of the plant. I have not planted anything in this family for years due to our issues with squash borers and I miss them! After researching ways to help elimated this issue; I am trying out the three main ways this year to handle the issue with my black beauty zuchinni plants. These are the best options I've found so far without using a row cover.
1) Use a Decoy Plant - One of the best ways to protect my zuchinni plants this year was to plant a decoy plant. In this case, the Blue Hubbard Squash. This winter squash is loved by the squash borer and they tend to leave your other plants alone and attack this one. This worked very well. I planted several Blue Hubbard Squash plants near the end of each small row of zuchinni and they took the attack of the insect. All the zuchinni plants were left alone. This option took no time and was easy peasy. I just threw a couple seeds in the ground and it did its job. It was amazing. However, I was a little sad when my beautiful Blue Hubbard Squash was attacked by the borer and died. And it didn't make it long.
2) Wrapping the stems with a elastic tape - I wrapped the bottom of the stems at the base of the plant with self-adhesive, stretchy bandage wrap. This initially did a great job keeping the borers away for a while. Ideally, I needed to go outside and clip the stems and leaves under the flowers and continue wrapping the plant as it grew. This was more time consuming than I liked and I did not have the time to sit and wrap all my plants. Overall, I think it is helpful, but not as quick and easy as the first option above. It did work. It just took 30 minutes of my time on a regular basis to go clip and wrap.
3) Injecting the stem with BT - This last step is a great way to kill off a borer that is in the plant and to prevent borer destruction. It takes more time than #1 above, but not as much as #2. After having my blue hubbard squash plants attacked by the boreres this is my current method of trying to keep those plants alive and well enough to continue to serve as a decoy. Once a week, or as I notice a specific attack, I inject diluted organic BT into the stem of the plant with a syringe. I've learned that the plant wall sometimes plug the syringe so I first use another need to puncture the hole.
Eventually, all the Blue Hubbard Squash died due to the squash borer and I was left trying to keep the zuchinni alive and producing with weekly injections of BT. After an onslaught of borers, they all came back enough to start producing but we are heading into hot summer days and the borers are a constant threat. I'm not sure how much longer they will make it at this point. Row covers may be the way I go next time!
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