Friday Wabbits

9:57 PM, Friday, 29 January 2010
Temperature: 44 F
Raining lightly



Current livestock:
6 Soay ewes (pregnant), 3 Soay rams
8 Toulouse geese
22 Muscovy ducks
5 barn cats, 3 house cats
1 giant Angora rabbit doe, 3 beveren cross (1 beveren lilac, 2 beveren agouti) does
1 beveren cross (beveren with English spot ancestry) buck



Anticipated livestock:
29 Soay ewes (not pregnant)
2 livestock guardian dogs (Akbash/Great Pyrenees cross)
- to arrive Sunday



Today's farmwork:
Rose at 8:30 and fed the poultry two moderate scoops of Layena pellets. Washed out & refilled their primary water container, having topped off the secondary one. Checked on the sheep, having moved their pasture north up the slope, and brought them a sheaf of orchard grass hay. Found their trough was dry after the move; remedied this with the hose.

Made arrangements to obtain rabbits. Several fence posts were in an unstable position; stabilized these and checked on the barn cats after loading carriers into the car. Despite rain and traffic difficulties, managed to meet with the rabbit breeder S and obtained Minnow (german angora cross), 3 other females and 1 breeding stud. Minnow may be pregnant; S had tried breeding her to an English but suspects the English to be sterile. We've been told to do what we like with any babies if she should prove pregnant.

Tomorrow: farm store run for trough, dog food, dog bowls, rabbit water bottles, timothy grass and orchard hay, grazing ark materials, and possibly pallets and plastic sheeting.

Minnow was overheated due to indoor temperatures; we moved her into the garage for now. The larger cages now have cardboard boxes for gnawing and for hiding in for the rabbits, and we've used sheets to cover part of the two large cages to help them feel defended.