Just a Quick Update!

I just HAD to tell you all that I checked on the baby bunnies today and their eyes are open! They are SO CUTE! I'll take pictures when they are 2 weeks old... I can't BELIEVE how fast they're growing! We are planning on getting a Californian buck soon.. we're going to name him "The Big Kahuna"

Oh, and our little Clara has laid a tiny egg for us every day since we brought her home. She goes in the little love shack and cackles up a storm. She's so PROUD of herself! Too cute!

Anyway... I'll post pictures on Friday of the bunnies.

The Bunnies are One Week Old Today!

The bunnies are getting HUGE! I had a little scare yesterday... I noticed that the mother rabbit was sitting up on the open partition door and using it as a toilet (YUCK!) so I decided to close it and shut her into the side where her babies are. Well, she was NOT happy! While I was elsewhere, she dug and dug at the bottom of the door and was able to rip the bottom mesh away from the wood. When I came back to check on her she was hopping around the yard! I caught her and closed her into the secure section of the cage until I fixed the bottom. I got my hammer and fence staples and started fixing it (by climbing under the hutch). While I was under there I saw one of the babies lying in the grass! He was still alive (but very cold and a little blue!). I stuck him right back in the nest box - he's still in there and is doing fine! I think he latched on to her while he was nursing and was dragged out of the nest-box - then he fell out of the hole she had ripped in the floor. *SIGH!* Needless to say I've reinforced the floor and have decided to let her have her elevated bathroom - for now. Once the babies are gone she's in for a shock though!! If all goes well with this litter I think we'll be getting another female, so I'll have to close that door. I'll need the space!

Anyway! They are just a week old today and have doubled in size! It's amazing! They are SO wiggly now I had a really hard time getting a picture!

In other news, I've let the bachelors out to roam the yard. They are having a BLAST destroying our gardens and eating the grass. They are sticking around and seem to be REALLY enjoying themselves!!

This was a nicely mulched flower bed...

We got a new hen today!

Yesterday my MIL and I stopped at a house in town that had a "Fresh Eggs" sign in their yard. When we pulled in we saw a big flock of Rhode Island Reds and in the back there was another flock of silkies with about 10 babies! We got to talking to the woman and she said that they had bought 3 silkies from a local Amish woman and they had bred like CRAZY. She asked if we wanted one for FREE and OF COURSE we said yes! So, this morning I came home with Clara, one of the original Amish hens who is named after the Amish woman who used to own her. She is also the mom of all of the chicks... so she'll be very useful next year if we want to hatch any of our own eggs. Right now Clara is living with Pani, Fluffernutter (who might also be a girl) and Capone, the little black bantam cochin roo. Oh, we also bought a dozen eggs from the woman (who was really nice)... for $1.50!!! Here are some pics!

Clara

Fluffernutter and Clara

A really cute pic of SplashEver see a green chicken??

More Bunny Pics (and Video!)

This morning I decided to take some "real" pictures of the new babies. Since I didn't want to leave my scent on them I used a clean pair of cloth gloves that I had rubbed in the mother rabbits fur to handle them. While I had the gloves on I tried to count them - but it's not easy! I think there are 8 or 9 in there. In a week or so it'll be easier because they'll be a LOT more active! They are only a day old but are already starting to get white peach fuzz all over their bodies. Surprisingly, they also make a LOT of noise! If you turn up your volume when you watch the video you should be able to hear them :)

We have BUNNIES!

Well, she's done it! This morning I was in the yard doing my morning rounds and I glanced at the rabbit hutch and saw PILES of white hair everywhere. I peeked into the nest box and saw them! I have no idea how many there are (there are at least 8 in there... maybe even 10) . I know the picture isn't that good but I didn't want to disturb them too much. Hooray!!

Egg Freshness

How do we know if an egg is fresh?

As an egg ages the air cell at the top (the fat end) of the egg enlarges - so an easy way to test the freshness of an egg is is to float it! The maximum suggested storage time for whole eggs in a carton is 5 weeks. You can store hard boiled eggs for 2 weeks.

This is also interesting:

Caloric Content of Eggs

• PeeWee: 47 calories
• Small: 56 calories
• Medium: 66 calories
• Large: 75 calories
• Extra Large: 84 calories
• Jumbo: 94 calories

How To Peel A Hardboiled Egg - The EASY way!

Instructions:

1. Cover the eggs with water and boil on low for about 12 minutes
2. Cool the eggs by placing them in cold water with 1 teaspoon of baking soda and ice. The baking soda raises the pH level and reduces adherence. If you choose not to use baking soda, be sure to move the eggs into cold water with plenty of ice immediately after boiling
3. Crack the top of the egg and remove a small piece
4. Crack the bottom (wide end) of the egg and remove a small piece
5. Hold the egg in your hand and blow vigorously into the narrow end of the egg, which will expel it out the wide end

Doesn’t get much easier than that! Just be ready to catch it when it comes out…

Here is a video to show you how... It's really amazing!