The rabbitry is doing well. The month old kits are getting bigger. It looks like their dam weaned them off already. Found them drinking water from the waterer and eating the alfalfa pellets. The other does are doing well. All nicely muscled and ready for breeding. The buck is nice and lean. He'll be busy soon when I start putting the does in with him. My plan is to do it a week apart with the 3 senior does Starting on Sunday. The two junior white does are not yet ready for breeding. I'm looking for a white buck to breed them with. I'll have to make a flea market run one of these weekends to the guy who sells rabbits there.
The goat herd is now down to one goat, a polled buck. He's a Spanish Kiko with some Alpine/Nubian percentage thrown in. I sold the rest of the goats for a variety of reasons. I knew I wouldn't have time for them, once I started back going to school next year. Also, they didn't make my breeding standard, that I've adopted from attending the Livestock and Grazing Academy at the University.
- One buck has one testicle. Even though he successfully bred one of the does. I didn't want that genetic in the future herd. I need a fully intact buck for a herd sire.
- One doe took 4 years to get pregnant. That's to long for the meat herd that I want to establish. Another trait, I did not want.
- Another doe was to thin and had her horn tips pointing in. Both not a good sign. I want well muscled goats and horn tips pointing in meant that any goat my get caught in her horns and break a leg. I prefer wide based horns that open out.
- Another doe was to skittish. She would run from the slightest noise and/or movement. She always kept her distance from me and was hard to catch when she needed to get treated. Another trait that I can do without.
So I was going to sell the last buck. But reconsidered after I redid his body condition score. He actually outgrew the older buckling and he's only 8 months old. I'll keep him around awhile longer and use him to maintain the paddocks to keep the grass low. I'm looking into investing in registered Boer and Kiko Meat Goats next year. After, I am settled in with my classes.
The Guinea Flock took a hard hit last month. 9 of the older keets died from the Brown Tree Snake. I put them out in the outside ground brooder to early at the ranch. That was my fault, bad judgement. I should have waited. Now, I have 3 keets left. I'm leaving them in the brooder until they gain their pearl feathers. The first group of keets are now mature with nice pearl feathers with helmets and watles to match. The two older guineas are roosters in the circular pen. The female that was in with them died, reasons unknown. I was able to catch my alpha breeders, a rooster and hen. I know I have a hen in with the young keets. I'll have to wait until she's older to actually tell her apart. So the flock is currently at 7 birds. I may have to order keets from Metzer Hatchery next year to upgrade my flock's bloodline.
I bought some seeds for my garden. I'll be planting beans, melons, sunflower, lettuce, pechay (bok choy), onions, and marigold. I'm going to put my organic training to the test now. I did grow organic cherry tomatoes last year, and currently still growing organic bananas. Now, I'll have to keep actual records for my organic production. The marigold above is not for eating. It's for insect control. Plus, I like the colors. I was looking for eggplant and winged beans, didn't find any. I'll start working on the garden beds next week during the mornings. Since, I have class in the afternoons, until Wednesday.
Still haven't received word if I passed the Organic Inspector Basic Course with IOIA. Patiently waiting on that. I'll be working on the new ranch goals for next year before the year's end.
ESTA.
