mygoldendoe - deer, rabbits, &more(?)

[mygoldendoe]

I figured starting a journal would be kinda cool. But who knows, it may end up like my r.l. journals and just be three pages of rambling over the way a chair made me feel.. all well, let's get on with the introduction:
I'm 29. From Jackson co Alabama. Me and my husband (G) have two little boys (J & N). My husband and I normally hunt deer and wild hog on 2 seperate familys private property but with his work and the odd weather lately it's been slim sightings and even so they had spots (we don't shoot when they still have spots so we don't hurt population) so we decided to supplement our meat stores with rabbit. My dad had an empty hutch we could use & we bought 4 (1male 3female) meat rabbits in the livestock section of our local gathering place for buy/sell/trading. We figured his hutch would hold us the week until we finished building our set up. Its got them on the same platform but seperated..
I'm the main care taker of these rabbits. Me, the girl who fully admits shes terrified of them. (I was bit as a child) I think the fact that the temporary hutch is way too tall for me exacerbates this feeling. But iv been trying to over come it by trying to pet them, and bringing them some leafy grasses and weeds as treats. But their coming toward me sniffing and trying to stand on my arm and poking out the door of hutch freaks me out. i'm hoping to learn more about their body language and techniques for dealing with different situations with them so I can make us each feel secure with each other. I still want to give them fun life since they will give us their meat and fur later.
I'm wondering if learning to tan rabbit fur is anything like deer? since I do alot of art and things (draw paint watercolorpencil sculpt sew spinyarn crochet and knit bookmaking) I kinda hope to store up pelts to make a few things with them to sell at local buy/sell/trade stalls with my other things...
Anywho I gonna go call the town hall to see if my area can have pinned ducks bc this summer we may end up turning our old unused walk-in doghouse into a Muscovy duck house..

 

[promiseacres]

Hi! Welcome from Indiana

 

[Hens and Roos]

Welcome

 

[Bruce]

@mygoldendoe

You might not want to get too friendly with your future dinner. Kinda makes it hard to send them to freezer camp. Of course it is also best to not be afraid of your future dinner

 

[Latestarter]

Great start to your journal! Hope you get a shot at an adult deer or two. Goes a long way to help fill the freezer. mighty tasty too

 

[Kaye]

I figured starting a journal would be kinda cool. But who knows, it may end up like my r.l. journals and just be three pages of rambling over the way a chair made me feel.. all well, let's get on with the introduction:
I'm 29. From Jackson co Alabama. Me and my husband (G) have two little boys (J & N). My husband and I normally hunt deer and wild hog on 2 seperate familys private property but with his work and the odd weather lately it's been slim sightings and even so they had spots (we don't shoot when they still have spots so we don't hurt population) so we decided to supplement our meat stores with rabbit. My dad had an empty hutch we could use & we bought 4 (1male 3female) meat rabbits in the livestock section of our local gathering place for buy/sell/trading. We figured his hutch would hold us the week until we finished building our set up. Its got them on the same platform but seperated..
I'm the main care taker of these rabbits. Me, the girl who fully admits shes terrified of them. (I was bit as a child) I think the fact that the temporary hutch is way too tall for me exacerbates this feeling. But iv been trying to over come it by trying to pet them, and bringing them some leafy grasses and weeds as treats. But their coming toward me sniffing and trying to stand on my arm and poking out the door of hutch freaks me out. i'm hoping to learn more about their body language and techniques for dealing with different situations with them so I can make us each feel secure with each other. I still want to give them fun life since they will give us their meat and fur later.
I'm wondering if learning to tan rabbit fur is anything like deer? since I do alot of art and things (draw paint watercolorpencil sculpt sew spinyarn crochet and knit bookmaking) I kinda hope to store up pelts to make a few things with them to sell at local buy/sell/trade stalls with my other things...
Anywho I gonna go call the town hall to see if my area can have pinned ducks bc this summer we may end up turning our old unused walk-in doghouse into a Muscovy duck house..

Welcome and good luck!! I can actually see your point of being afraid of them. I can't handle a hampster bc every time I have ever touched one it bit me. I actually threw my brother's hampster and he died the next day.
I tend to ramble myself sometimes....
Anyway, back to rabbits. How old are your buns?? They were together when you bought them?? It usually takes around 30 days gestation before they give birth (kindle), so if they're old enough you may have babies (kits) in about a month.
As far as your hutch, you want to be able to reach the back of the cage. So I'd shorten it. I'm 5'2 and I'm fairly certain I couldn't reach the door of your hutch. Lol
Just remember that you are wayyyy bigger than they are. They react out of fear, not meanness. They usually scratch and growl before they even think of biting, so remember that. Reach past the scratch and growl and hold her down between her ears, not to much pressure, but enough that she can't get away. This is how they establish dominance, by mounting each other and making the point by not letting the other up. After she (or he) calms down, you are Alfa.

 

[Kaye]

And as far as deer in the freezer: good luck. The past two days and we have two down. 10 pt and a HUGE doe. They're just starting to move here in Jefferson county. So I feel like your husband has plenty of time left for taking a big one to freezer camp!!

 

[lcertuche]

Hi from Arkansas. Rabbits usually don't bite as has been mentioned. Animals, wasp, bees, etc. seem to react to fear. I know it's hard to fight the fear but begin by offering treats and petting. One cage is wayyyy under sized for that many bunnies but you know that. I too am looking to raise some meat rabbits. I'm hoping to find someone who wants to just get out from under them and give me their cages, equipment, rabbits, etc. or at least a good price on all. Rabbits are easy to butcher and the furs can be used to make stuff but I think you need to tan them different then a tougher hide would. I'm sure you can find something on the internet about it though. I've often thought a rabbit fur throw would be lovely but then I probably would hate the hair on the furniture, lol. Uses for rabbit fur could be searched on the net as well.

 

[mygoldendoe]

And as far as deer in the freezer: good luck. The past two days and we have two down. 10 pt and a HUGE doe. They're just starting to move here in Jefferson county. So I feel like your husband has plenty of time left for taking a big one to freezer camp!!

Aw those sound awesome @Kaye. We usually get at least 4 adults each year but last year we got 2 and a huge hog. But like last year, there's alot of over hunting (and probably illegal) on the property next to the private one we shoot at so it's hendering the herd on ours.
But I'm not sure how old they are. The person I bought them from had them all in the cramped travel cage and said he received them as a trade so was eager to sell..I was happy to have my dads hutch for temporary holding bc I assumed they would be pregnant that way. We're almost done with their permanent holding, the rain kinda stalled us a bit.

 

[mygoldendoe]

Hi from Arkansas. Rabbits usually don't bite as has been mentioned. Animals, wasp, bees, etc. seem to react to fear. I know it's hard to fight the fear but begin by offering treats and petting. One cage is wayyyy under sized for that many bunnies but you know that. I too am looking to raise some meat rabbits. I'm hoping to find someone who wants to just get out from under them and give me their cages, equipment, rabbits, etc. or at least a good price on all. Rabbits are easy to butcher and the furs can be used to make stuff but I think you need to tan them different then a tougher hide would. I'm sure you can find something on the internet about it though. I've often thought a rabbit fur throw would be lovely but then I probably would hate the hair on the furniture, lol. Uses for rabbit fur could be searched on the net as well.

Well this bunny growls and lunges at me and has bit and scratches my husband when he went to restock water and food tonight. I think if they keep behavior up and are pregnant then I'll probably cull parents and just start over with the babies so that I have rabbits that are used to handling...I can't wait to get them in their permanent housing. I think they'll be happier that way too. So hopefully their behavior will get better