AmberLops Rabbitry Journal

AmberLops

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Hey everyone!
I decided to start a journal since i have a lot going on in my rabbitry right now!
Gotta go do some chores but i'll finish these questions later! :)

1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?
I moved to Middle Tennessee (from Hawaii) in February. Spring was nice, and Summer is hot and humid as heck!

2. How many people are in your family? Marital status?
Two people in my family...and no man in my future!

3. How would you define your farm?
Peaceful most of the time, and a never-ending list of chores!

4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any?
I would get back into riding horses and showjumping again.

5. Have you ever built a house, barn , or other types of building? Do you want to?
I've built outbuildings for my sheep (when I had them) and I built the greenhouse I have now.
I plan on building a chicken coop and a few outbuildings on the property.

6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet?
No

7. Who or what inspired you to be a farmer/rancher, hobby farmer?
I would have to say that animals inspired me!

8 Is it a hobby or an occupation?
Both! I work as a vet tech part-time but my rabbits take up much more of my time.

9. In what areas are you knowledgeable and in what areas would you like to learn more?
Animal care, husbandry and health. I have some knowledge in gardening but I would like to learn more.

10. In what types of farming will you never choose to do?
Monocrops, conventional farming. I grow all of my veggies organically and for good reasons!

11. Are you interested in providing more of your own food supply?
To be honest...I don't really like to eat what I grow. It kind of freaks me out to see what's around them and what bugs have crawled on them...

12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world?
My rabbitry...I like to sit in there with them. It's very peaceful!

13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi?
I never have, but I want to!

14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?
I crochet and needlefelt, I also make quite a few other items and I would love to teach others!

15. Can you legally have all forms of livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?
Yes my county has no restrictions on livestock.
Right now, rabbits are my only livestock. I have over 50 rabbits and I raise Holland Lops, Lionheads, English and French Angoras and Netherland Dwarf rabbits.

16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood?
No

17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing?
Yes! I like gardening and my favorite things to grow would have to be cucumbers...but I don't eat cucumbers (only pickles) so I give them away or sell them at markets!

18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives?
Yes, old-fashioned worm-on-a-hook fishing!

19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City farm? Country?
Right now i'm renting...I have 1 1/2 acres cleared and 50 acres of woods.

20. Are you a Novice, Technician, degreed?

21. What is your farm specialty? Or what one would you like to learn?

22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take?

23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet?
Does making nesting boxes count?!

24. Are you interested in herbal animal medicine?
Very! I use natural methods for all my animals.

25. If you could live in any place you chose, where would it be?
A big house far, far away from neighbors, the road, and the world around it...

26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking?
No, I have in the past and I did not like it one bit!

27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be?
Something or someone that will take all the bad people out of this world and save the people who need help.

28. Are your family or friends also interested in animals?
Yes.

29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs?
I don't like to cook...it stresses me out but I eat only natural/organic foods and I try to get raw milk whenever I can find it.

30. What was your best animal experience? Worst?
Best: I would have to say just having my rabbits has been a great experience!
Worst: When I lost my best friend to a dog attack a few years ago.

31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs?
No. I'm not a big meat-eater.

32. What skills do you have that help you be more a self sufficient farm?
Building things that I need around the property and gardening are all I can think of right now!

33. Do you process your own meat? Can or preserve?
I used to make a lot of canned goods and I do plan on starting that up again soon!

34. Do you use alternative energy sources on your farm? Would you like to?
No I don't and i'm not too interested in it....I like my electricity!

35 What is on your to do list?
Feeding rabbits, cleaning the rabbitry, building nesting boxes, building a fence for my dogs, building a chicken coop, buying/raising meat rabbits, building a pen outside for them...too many to list...a never-ending list of chores!

36. Have you ever lived completely off what you produce? Would you like to?
Yes! When I was growing up all we had was what we grew/raised/butchered.
I would like to...but there are things I just can't live without!

37. In what do you trust?

38. Do you make and fix things yourself to save money?
Yes! Everything... unless it involves plumbing, wiring or roofing.

39. Has the experience with animals changed your attitude or habits?
It has taught me to be patient, and to just live day by day and not worry too much about the future.
 
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AmberLops

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Looking forward to your answers for the last half of the questions. You are a busy lady!
I'm almost prepared to answer them ha ha! Had lots going on today...some unexpected but i'll write about that later tonight...gotta go do my nighttime rabbit chores ;)
 

AmberLops

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Alright! I finally finished all of my answers and now I can start journaling!
I'll start by introducing myself...My name is Amber and I've been raising Holland Lops for around 6 years and I recently moved to TN....now I also raise Lionheads, English Angoras, French Angoras and Netherland Dwarfs.
My rabbitry is expanding! I currently have over 50 rabbits, plus lots of babies!
3 of my English Angora does kindled last night and I woke up to 23 newborn kits altogether :celebrate:ep
Was not expecting that! Exciting but also nerve wracking knowing i'll have to brush all of those rabbits!
I think i'll sell some of the kits at the farmers market. Fiber seems to be big around here so I think people will be happy to see them for sale...I hope!
One of my Netherland Dwarf doe's kindled last night also, 5 healthy happy babies!
She was bred to my blue-eyed Vienna Marked Black Otter buck...it's his first breeding so I can't wait to see how they turn out. It looks like most of the kits are chocolates and lilacs...we'll find out in a couple of days when they have more fur :yesss:

I have 3 Holland Lop does kindling this month on the 19th, 21st and 24th.
And my 2 Lionhead does are due on the 16th and 24th.

My Squirrel Holland Lop doe had a litter on the 18th of last month and she has some gorgeous colored kits...
a Smoke Pearl Point, Siamese Sable, Opal, a Black and a Pointed something...I haven't figured that out just yet ha ha
She had a Smoke Pearl but it died today...I was in the rabbitry, palpating the mama and the little kit went to the bowl to drink some water and it somehow got it's arms stuck on the rim of the bowl...it freaked out and dunked its face in the bowl, I reached in and grabbed it but it died a few seconds later...i'm guessing from a heart attack ?
Such a bummer because her last Smoke Pearl baby died from a respiratory infection when it was around the same age as this one...Maybe 3rd time's the charm and the next one will be perfect. I'd love to keep a smoke pearl!

Will post more tomorrow...right now it's pouring down raining with tons of thunder and lightning :hide

Hope everyone has a great night! :hugs
 

AmberLops

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Oh! I haven't been writing on it because I thought no one was reading it :lol::lol:
Where to start?......
The past 2 weeks have been really hard for my rabbits...I lost 14 babies (3 different litters) and 2 adults to Coccidiosis.
Right now i'm building up the nerve to put another out of misery...he's a 1 year old English Angora (named Molokai) and for the past couple days he's been acting a little 'off' but today he has bad diarrhea and he just looks terrible.
I've been treating with Corid and it's been a lifesaver! I'm not exactly sure how long they can safely be on it but i'm keeping them on it for at least a while longer. I think they need it!

I have 2 does due to kindle today...looks like they'll both be late. One is a first-time mom. She's a 6 month old Netherland Dwarf named Lima (leema) and the other is my Holland Lop, Jessie! She's a great mom but her last litter didn't go so well. She had 2 kits, a healthy one and a fetal giant. I had to foster her kit to another doe but it ended up being crushed by the foster mom (I saw it happen, it was a total accident!)...so this time i'm hoping for a normal litter. I palpated her and i feel 3 in her this time so fingers crossed :fl
I will write more later tonight...gotta go collect the thawed-out frozen bottles from my rabbits and get them back in the freezer before it's too late ;)
 

AmberLops

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So, what part of Hawaii were ya located?.....we lived on Oahu in the 60s.....Pearl City, and Wahiawa....:)
I lived on Kauai in Wailua...up where they filmed Jurassic Park :)
I went to Honolulu once and stayed there for a few months...it was beautiful but the city was a bit too much for me!
 

AmberLops

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Woke up this morning and it's freezing outside! 61 degrees, compared to yesterday's 91 is a huge difference!
It's nice weather but not for babies born on the wire...
My Holland Lop doe Skyler who was due to kindle yesterday had 2 kits (only 1 will make it) born on the wire last night. I found them this morning, no nest made, no fur pulled...she's never done such a bad job and I don't know what went wrong :idunno
The chilled kits are warming up in the dryer, nice and toasty. I just added the 2 Netherland Dwarf kits that were born yesterday to the dryer-club since they were chilled too.
I've decided to put them all back in the nestbox with Skyler. Because she's more experienced and I think she'll take care of all of them...I hope :fl
 

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