I was thinking about getting chickens. A friend suggested rabbits as they would be easier to protect from the mink, and would be easier to care for. Please, kick this idea around.
Grow pumpkin, moose love pumpkin. That's my plan for when I get home.After chasing off a delicious looking black bear this morning, I’m reminded why I have been reluctant to do rabbits or chickens. Third time this year that I’ve had to chase a bear away.
The original homesteader had some sort of area where they had chickens or rabbits. Its all overgrown with willows and alders now. The only other neighbor recalls the original homesteader struggled with bears getting into whatever he was raising.
Maybe raising something would be useful for putting small game on the table and bringing in the more tasty and sizable black bears for easy pickins! Brown bears need not apply,
What do you mean?Those are two really weird stories, Spike.
I'm roaming from personal knowledge to the likes of what I've watched on YouTube, but I've seen a couple of people in AK who have had good luck keeping the bears out of their chickens with solar electric fencing... YMMV, though.After chasing off a delicious looking black bear this morning, I’m reminded why I have been reluctant to do rabbits or chickens. Third time this year that I’ve had to chase a bear away.
The original homesteader had some sort of area where they had chickens or rabbits. Its all overgrown with willows and alders now. The only other neighbor recalls the original homesteader struggled with bears getting into whatever he was raising.
Maybe raising something would be useful for putting small game on the table and bringing in the more tasty and sizable black bears for easy pickins! Brown bears need not apply,
I'm roaming from personal knowledge to the likes of what I've watched on YouTube, but I've seen a couple of people in AK who have had good luck keeping the bears out of their chickens with solar electric fencing... YMMV, though.
Bears shouldn't be a big problem in the darkest part of winter.Solar would be a bit hard when I get no sunlight during part of my winter. But yes, electric fences do work. Not a bad idea but I would hard wire it. Add this to my long list of never ending projects on a limited budget! I’ve been thinking about this.
Feed for rabbits is available via any roadside weed patch. Chickens require more to feed. The other side of the coin is chickens give both eggs, meat and feathers. Rabbits give meat and pelts. Depends upon your priorities.I was thinking about getting chickens. A friend suggested rabbits as they would be easier to protect from the mink, and would be easier to care for. Please, kick this idea around.
I would say yes on the hay.We don't have a feed store. I need to buy a years worth in Seattle and barge it up. Do I need a ton? More? Less? Should I pick up a couple bales of alfalfa?
I am in South Carolina, so I was way off by half, thanks, Aklogcabiin.I'd say get the best rabbits you can when starting. We bought purebred 3 New Zealand does and Californian buck. And had to raise them through the winter to get to breeding age. 6 months. And now 3 years later we can start our own breeding program.
Feed, get as much as you can. Kits eat a lot. We feed 1 cup day pellets. Gets cold in ak so we also add a pinch of sunflower seeds for more fats.
There are folks who say don't feed alfalfa. Use timothy. We use timothy. And alfalfa costs 75 bucks a bale. Good ol ak grown timothy 13 bucks. We store our pellets in a 300 gallon plastic stock tank. Plywood lid. Might fit on a pallet and you would have it.
For what it's worth, we produced 130 kits and processed over 300 pounds of meat at near 3 bucks pound. Cheap meat in ak.
Hey good luck n have fun, it will be getting busier but worth it to us
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