Great TED talk about gardening!

About our Rabbits

       The Rabbits we breed are Himalayan mini-rex. Mostly they are raised for pets, shows and for kids to keep in 4H. We chose this breed because frankly, it was what we were able to find close by. It might seem like a strange choice for a meat rabbit, but we see quite a few positives to this arrangement.

     For one thing, we want to make sure that the animals we raise are as happy and healthy as they can be while they are living. It's easy enough to make sure they eat right, and that we get them an occasional fresh snack (fresh grass and burr clover seems to be their favorites), but giving them a little extra space than usual was important to me as well. We had already purchased the largest cages we could afford, but going with a smaller breed meant they would have even more space to move around in. Smaller rabbits make for a smaller carcass, but on the other hand, they eat less too- so that's about even. From further reading I discovered that they actually dress out with a really good meat to bone ratio as well, since meat rabbits were used to develop the breed.

      The downside however, was that they are "mini"'s because they carry a dominant lethal "mini" gene. Here's how it works. If a rabbit is heterozygous for mini (meaning they have been given a "normal sized" gene from one parent and a "mini gene" from the other) they will be a mini-sized rabbit. However if they are homozygous for "mini" (they got a mini gene from both parents- no normal sized gene present) they will be tiny and stillborn. These unfortunate rabbits are referred to as "peanuts". So what good is this mini gene? For my purposes, no good. Smaller litters of smaller rabbits is not a good thing for what I'm after. Mini-Rex fanciers keep the gene around, because they like these smaller rabbits, but there is a side product which is produced and that is the BUB or BUD ("big ugly buck" and "big ugly doe"). BUBs and BUDs can't be shown, but they will always be produced by mini-rex rabbits, because occasionally a baby will be homozygous for "normal-sized" gene. These are still small rabbits for meat however, so the benefits still apply to some extant.

       So essentially, we are breeding FOR these rabbits. This makes our offspring (should we become 100% successful at erasing the mini gene from our lines) ineligible for show, but I'm OK with that. I don't sell them for any purpose at all, so they are just what we need!

Just went out to feed them and caught some new baby pictures. I'm really watching that one with the really dark nose- I think that's a keeper for sure.

Dark nose here on the left side

 And here's the mama..

Cool Video

Found this just now on Youtube. A great example of how these runner ducks can be herded. Enjoy!

DUCKS!- and other news

Saw some ducks pop up on Craigslist for free, so I decided to snatch a few up. They are Runner Ducks, so they stand up really straight and tall and march along together (turning in unison) like little soldiers. They were bred in India as a herding breed of duck, and I can concur they are pretty easy to herd wherever you need them to go. Unfortunately they seem to have wobbly legs, which I've read has something to do with a niacin deficit. Most feeds don't seem to be properly formulated for waterfowl. We'll be feeding flockraiser (or gamebird?) feed dusted with brewers' yeast, and hopefully that will get them in shape. I was planning on keeping them for eggs and meat (meat from those that we hatch) but I don't really have any desire to breed these if we can't get their legs strong. Maybe with proper nutrition and some daily 'herding' to get them exercise, they will recover. Pictured here is the 'duck house' we put together for them, they already go right into it at night, so it looks like a success. I have them ranging in the garden since we had nothing much grow for winter but the weeds. In their condition, the chickens really don't let them get any food, so we have decided to separate them in this way.

Also, we just got a new egg today. The first black/copper marans hen has FINALLY started laying. These are the two girls that caused us to stew up our old rooster Tango (if you recall he was beating them up pretty badly when I tried to integrate them into the flock). They were six weeks old when our little rumpless pullets (and "Django son of Tango") hatched. And yet our little ones have been laying now for several months! So yeah, these dark marans eggs have been a long time coming for sure. But check out this picture! Definitely worth the wait. Also pictured is the Black/Copper hen who layed it- She's up front there, with the feathered feet. Also check out our young rooster replacement! Isn't he just like his father? Just a bit more yellow feathering on him, but otherwise the spitting image.

Also we have new baby rabbits here as well. Seven this time, from the same doe as before. I don't like to disturb them too much when they are this little, so this is the only picture for now. 

See you next time!

Late post snake (beware)

Been awhile but we have quite a bit to post. I'll try and put up a bunch today, maybe some more in the coming week. We have lots of pictures of stuff we've grown and made and found in the yard.

Firstly a young red racer aka coach whip (Coluber flagellum piceus) that was out in the driveway eating a lizard. It must have been pretty hungry, because no matter how close I got to it to snap pictures, it was NOT going to let go of this lizard and crawl away. I wound up literally about 5 inches from his head and got to take some macro shots. He's quite a bit smaller than other coachwhips I've seen so this may have been his first year.

State of the Garden Address- Summer 2011

         I'm sitting outside this Sunday, drinking sangria with Jen, and looking out on the garden in summer. I have decided to kill two birds with one stone, and write both my final speech for class, AND a long overdue blog post (if you can't hear my voice, then you're reading this there). Nothing like getting homework done while I document what worked well and what didn't, in the backyard farm for this year. 

        To talk about the garden in the middle of summer, is like talking about tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, melons, and squash. The good and the bad, that's about it. I think I'll start with tomatoes. Our tomatoes this year were kind of a sad thing. We have gotten quite a few (mostly "black prince" and "garden peach"), but really not enough for all that we planted. The saddest failure was our "Cherokee purple" which is currently one single though very large tomato at the center of the plant, while every week a new bunch of little yellow flowers dry up and fall off. Leaves are turning brown and wilting inward, but not for a lack of water for sure. I think I'm either overwatering, or the half barrel it's planted in is not draining well, or the soil is infected from last years tomato planting with some tomato specific disease. I've looked up "blossom fall" online and causes run the whole gamut. Too much water, too little water, disease, too much nitrogen, too little nitrogen. They could have just said, "If it's not one thing, it's another" and left it at that. I'll probably just not plant tomatoes in this spot next year, and see if that helps.

        Anyway, we are not lacking in tomatoes, by any means, but after planting 10 plants, I thought for sure we'd be in canning madness right now, but there is only enough to eat fresh. We are getting lots of fresh salsa and pasta primavera however, so that's nothing to complain about. 

        Cucumbers are keeping us busy on the other hand. We planted Mexican sour gherkins- (I'm told they look like little watermelons, but I'll have to take people's word for that- none came up) and Armenian cucumbers which are always very prolific for us. Last night, I stayed up late canning about 10 jars of our cucumber ketchup, and Jen has already put up about 15 quarts of pickles (two different kinds). Even with all that, we still have lots left over to eat or can. It's so overwhelming, I actually decided to pull the plants yesterday to make room for the strawberries that were not doing to well in their little pots. Those Mara des Bois strawberries are one thing I really wouldn't mind having too many of. 

        The little 'Sugar' pumpkins are doing very well under the dappled shade of the sunflowers. Looks like about 12 pumpkins there in various stages, so we should have plenty for pies this Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Butternut squash looks even better under the shade of the corn we planted. We'll have lots to cut up and freeze, but the corn is so full of worms it's really only good for chicken treats (they prefer corn WITH worms after all). They will also get the sunflowers when the heads are ready, so they should be eating really well soon! Anyway, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. I'd rather have squash than corn any day. 

        Our little yellow crook-necked summer squash was a pretty nice change this year. Not overly abundant, but after the zuchinnis from last year they were just right. I think even the chickens were tired of zuchinni even before summer started. They really are a psychotic producer. I don't think I'll ever grow them again, unless we start baking with it, I'm not crazy about it otherwise. Anyway, the yellow squash was just right, and perfectly sized for adding to another recipe without changing it too much. 

        We planted Crenshaw melons this year, and they are really a great melon. The flesh is somewhat like a cantaloupe, but softer and juicier than I'm used to them from the store. Even near the rind they have an interesting flavor- sort of tangy and salty as they turn green, which is like a nice flavor to counter the sweetness in the softer flesh. My new favorite melon! The plants still have about 12 more coming, and we've only had three so far. Chickens get the guts and seeds from them, and they get to pick at the rinds. I don't think they like anything more, except maybe cucumbers (which are a melon themselves) and of course their black soldier fly larvae.

        Our favorite new plantings this year were the artichokes and the olallieberries. The artichokes were not so good in the 'leaves' like the store bought globes are, but they had the most amazing hearts and they produce about as much as anyone can eat. I just chopped it down two weeks ago (from a 7 foot plant that was covered in aphids) because I thought it was about done for the season- but it has since come back. It's only about two and half feet tall, but already has about 23 little artichokes on it again. I have to say, for all that it's done for us we haven't done anything but neglect the poor thing. It may be- in my opinion- the singly most adapted plant to our weather and soil than anything else we have here. 

        As for the olallieberries, they are my new favorite berry for sure. More productive this year than our raspberries but all at once, whereas the raspberries seemed to come little by little from about the middle of spring till even now. The olallieberries were huge and tart- probably really good as a jam or pie, but we ate them fresh in big bowls topped with a little sugar, and unsweetened whipped cream. I think we ate pretty much the whole batch at one sitting! They have a very complex flavor, but the tartness does call for a little sugar. The plant is sending out runners now that the fruit is gone, and it seems to want to take over the whole garden. I like these so much that aside from guiding the canes where I want them, I think I will just let them go. I will need to find whether there is any benefit in trimming them (production wise). But it's already at least 5 times bigger than it was when it fruited, so next spring should be really good for berries. 

        Santa Fe and Jalepeno peppers are doing well, but the peppers are mostly still growing. We planted two 'late' rows of bell pepper which might make it to fruit by the time fall comes around, or might not. I think they will be fine depending on how cool our fall is. 

        Every pea and bean plant we started did miserably. The best were the favas- but the pintos, cranberry beans, and sweet peas I think gave me less actual beans/ peas than I even put in the dirt. I don't know if our soil is not right, or if they just want more water than I gave them, or maybe deeper roots than most of out pots allow (they are about 27 gallons though). Anyway, they are cheap at the store, so I'm not too worried about that. 

        The strawberries have done well, though I cut off most flowers before they fruited. I'm interested in seeing them spread out with more runners rather than produce a lot of fruit. Next spring should be great for them, we actually got a few and they were delicious! Commercial berries don't even come close to these! Smaller and less watery- really rich in scent and way more sweet. People say that commercial berries are bred to be pretty, but they aren't even as good looking as these little berries. They finish so red that they are almost purple. The main difference I can see is that commercial berries are just big. They are definitely justifying my initial purchase of 50 bare root plants. 

        Tomatillos were really weak for us. We had tiny cherry sized fruit, but lots of it. They tasted great, and we made some good salsa from them, but not even quite one single jar. Meanwhile on the neighbors side of the ditch, three giant tomatillo plants have sprung up out of nowhere. I think an overripe fruit probably got smashed or thrown there in an earlier year, because they have some very neat rows planted but these plants are just growing in the ditch. I admit it's taken every ounce of my strength not to go pick them some night, in fact the only thing that's stopped me is that clearly someone has been watering them, in which case they are more than just a fortunate weed. 

        The trees are doing very well, but no thanks to us. I think our rain has been the best thing for them as we had lots this year. We ignored them completely, other than fertilizing one time, and always dumping the lawn clippings around the trunks to keep back weeds. Our Haas avocados were plentiful, if a little bit small, but the bacons were huge as always. The tree is so big that we can't pick them however, so we just wait for the wind or a bird to knock them down. They soften up much faster when they've fallen too (it seems) so we really get them the best they can be in this way. 

        Our oranges were pretty seriously raided by the rats, but those we did get were the highest quality I've ever eaten. Just really sweet and juicy- they cannot be peeled without losing juice all over the place. So sweet that you almost can't taste any acid. I think I've been trained in the past by grocery store oranges, so we've always picked them too early. This year I didn't even think about them till the rats ate up a bunch. I think in future years, I'll just wait for the rats to tell me when they are ready. 

        Our mulberry tree is still really young, no fruit yet- though it has been growing well. The Turkish brown fig is doing really well. Growing and producing about 15 a year- even while only about 3 feet high. They take a while to ripen, but they are well worth it.  Our Mexican lime looks pretty runty actually, I keep picking it's flowers as soon as they appear. I think this one will actually need some care from us- unlike all the others. 

        The peaches are just plain sick. Fungus every year now, even on the new one that we just planted. This is the only plant where I think we'll be breaking our quasi- organic principles and spraying with copper next spring as soon as we see buds appear. It may sound bad, but I think principles are worthless if you don't test them, and peaches anyway are freakin' good. So yeah, that's that. In the meantime, the chickens can appreciate the tiny mealy moldy peaches that fall off the branches, even if I cannot. 

        Chickens are doing well. We get enough eggs to eat and sell enough more to feed both the chickens and the rabbits for free. Our second generation of birds are bigger (in numbers) than the first, so it should be even better when they start laying. I probably have twice as many birds now as the carrying capacity of the yard can handle, but I want to see who are the good layers before I sell or slaughter any. 

        The rabbits have given us one litter of 6 kits, with a second on the way. We started out with mini rex rabbits, but we are breeding out the "mini" gene over time, since we are after large litters of meaty rabbits. Unfortunately standard rex aren't as easy to find around here. I'm thinking we'll end up with a medium sized rabbit, and in fact we're seeing some progress on that already. 

      

        All in all, I'm happy to report the state of the garden is good, and we look forward now to fall: collard greens, cabbages and broccoli. Hopefully we'll have lots of homemade kimchi by Christmas time. 

That is all. 

        

Eeek, a skunk!

A few days ago, I looked outside to investigate what the dogs were barking at. I thought it was going to be a cat, but I quickly recognized the tell-tale black and white markings of a skunk on the other side of the ditch, trying to find the best way to cross over onto our side. I ran back into the house to grab the camera and tell Tom about my new find. He opted to stay inside (which is probably the sane thing to do.) Anyway, I was too excited to worry about getting sprayed because we had been discussing with some friends just the night before, about how no one ever sees live skunks. They only seem to show up as road kill. And statistically, skunks are probably the most often hit thing on the road. We figured that this might be due to the fact that skunks aren't really scared of humans like mountain lions might be. Of course, mountain lions have fangs and claws, but skunks have stink, and the confidence to know they can use it against almost anything. (Except, they haven't figured out that the threat of stinking doesn't scare those rapidly approaching metal things on wheels hurtling toward them.)

Well, I grabbed my camera and began taking pictures. They were a bit too far away to get any great shots. The flash going off a bunch of times is probably what scared them off (yup, there were two) running away with their tails pointing straight up in the air. I thought the tails pointing upward was just how they ran when they wanted to be cute, but Tom told me they were in spray mode and that my flash probably ticked them off! I guess I was lucky they didn't decide to let one go as a warning shot!

Here are some pics. It was pretty dark, so the quality isn't so hot.

Garden Progression

Artichokes doing very well! Couldn't ever tire of these.

Last of the beets..

Just two chard left

Collards just starting out

Corn squash and beans

Crenshaw melon

Crenshaw melon patch (with some strawberries)

Crook neck squash

Armenian cucumbers

Epazote just about going to seed. Got lots dried in the pantry.

Turkish brown fig

Grapes (cabernet)

Herbs- French thyme, cinnamon basil, pineapple sage, lemon verbena, italian basil

Olallieberries almost done for the year I think. 

Onions and leeks

Raspberries

Santa Fe and Jalepeno peppers

Mara de bois strawberries, thyme on top.

Sugar pumpkins and sunflower

Tomatillos

And now all the tomatoes

1. Black from Tula

2. Black Prince

This great green mass is 

3. Garden Peach

4. Green Zebra

5. Purple Cherokee

Late starts:

6. Nyagous (another black tomato)

Back row- Nyagous tomato

Other 2 rows- Bell Pepper

Between rows- Chayote squash

The girls sitting in the shade

The new ones- Black/ Copper Marans

Dahlia!

And Jax.