Rehabbed Rabbit Hutch

My neighbors next door neighbors (who are very nice people!) just lost their last rabbit. He was very old and had to be put down. He lived in a HUGE rabbit hutch that used to have 3 rabbits in it - but they too were very old and passed away. They decided that they didn't want to have rabbits again and offered me the hutch! I said YES! (of course!)

When I brought it home it was SERIOUSLY unimpressive and my MIL wanted to burn it. I don't blame her - it was a mess...




But I was inspired and KNEW I could make something really nice out of it! So I got to work. I SCRUBBED IT OUT, removed the rotten wood and the too-small gauge mesh on the front and the rotten mesh on the floor...


Once it was all clean and dry I started with my "master plan". This is going to be used to raise meat rabbits. One boy, one girl and a section to raise the babies to the right size.

The door in the back was used only as an access panel and was left closed all the time. I decided that I would use it as cross ventilation so I put a hinge in the LARGE door so it could fold up against the back of the hutch in the summer and be closed in the winter.


Here it is! All done! Looks pretty nice I think... nothing like the shack it was when it got here! It makes Chubs hutch look TINY! This new one is REALLY big. I actually sat in it to put up the inside walls...
I decided to put this door between the moms section and the center section. While she's pregnant and is nursing I can leave the door open to give her more room - once the babies are weaned I can shut the door and they can grow up in the familiar center section.

So anyway! That's my latest project... Now I just have to find my new bunnies! We're going to a local fair this week, so I might find them there.

Who knows what I'll be building next - the neighbors (same ones!) just did some construction on their house and gave me a big pile of leftover lumber... MUAHAHA!!!

Oh Pani... So Much Trouble!

Here is the video I promised of the invader in Pani's coop! The little bugger is still stealing food!

In other news I think Pani is eating her own eggs! I've rigged up a slanted floor that will roll the egg underneath a mesh floor where she can't reach it. We'll see if this works! I really don't want to get rid of her... It looks like she may be living the single life for quite a while. I don't want her teaching the other chickens how delicious eggs are!!! Maybe someday we'll get a male Sultan and breed her. We'll just have to have the incubating Silkies in another "sub-run". Oh well! All this means is that I get to build some more! YAY!

The Chicken Song

Sorry... haha!

Marilyn Monroe has a Boo-Boo!

Well, I've named the 2 Turken chicks we picked up at the chicken sale. The blond one is Marilyn Monroe and the brunette is Audrey Hepburn.

Marilyn developed a bump on her neck and I thought "Oh great, naked AND warty!" but it turns out it might be an ingrown feather. I was watching them the other day and noticed that she had scratched the lump and it was open! The other chicks were grabbing the wound and twisting it . OUCH!! So I have her in isolation and have medicated the wound. From what I hear it should take about a week to heal up.

In other (happier) news, the male leghorns are REALLY noticeable!! Their combs are getting HUGE! The hatchery said they sent 2 males, but it looks like they sent 3. *sigh*

They are even doing little rooster face-offs where they just STARE at each other... They think they're so tough... They're only 4 weeks old!! Ahh!!

For comparison, this is what the girl leghorns look like right now... Just a TINY little comb...

Pani has had a visitor in her new home... A wild bird has figured out where her food dish is and has been pilfering her pellets!!! BAD BIRD!! Pani doesn't seem to really care.. and actually just looks confused by the whole thing. I have some video of the theft... I'll add it later on (when the internet is better behaved!!)

That's all for now! I'm sure I'll post again soon! :)

We went to a "Chicken Yard Sale"

I forgot to post about this! My MIL and I went to a chicken yard sale about a week ago and saw a lot of neat things! They had peacocks for sale, EMU EGGS, mini-donkeys with carts, geese, pheasant, quail, bunnies, goats... It was really fun! Unfortunately I was so excited to look at everything I forgot to take my camera out of my bag! DUH!!

Ok, I admit it... there were chicks there... very cute chicks... and... well... I came home with 4 more chickens!! AHHH!!! We have 51 CHICKENS NOW!! AHHHH!!!! But they were so CUTE! We got 2 more silkies (these are show quality - REALLY NICE!) and 2 turkens... better known as Naked Necks... God they are homely... I had to get them... They are so UGLY!! Hahaa!!

Here are some pics... ENJOY!

Splash and Choo-Choo

That night Splash & Choo-Choo climbed in with the babies and snuggled them... Good moms in the making!!!

These babies will need scarves!

Come on... How could I resist this ugliness??? They are so gross they're cute...

Oh, and look how big the others are now!!!

Look Who Else Has Chickens!! (Martha!!)

She has almost 200!!!! She even has a few white Polish Sultans like Pani!