Anyone have naming suggestions?
I also finished the new Rabbit Tractor today. The wooden back door and the boards were in it from the last time I worked on it, but today #3 cut pieces of hardware mesh and I used wire to attach them to the holes in the cage. Then I drilled some holes in a small plastic tote for drainage in the bottom, and in the side so I could wire it to the side of the cage, up on the wood parts so it's up off the ground. We put Princess Poppy and Pocahontas in it for the first time to see how they did. They seemed to enjoy getting fresh grass.
After the photo below was taken, I also added a water bowl (also drilled for wire to hold it to the side of the cage), and used an old feed bag, cut open and attached with wire, to cover the top to keep them dry in case it rains. Tonight will be a bit of a test. We may get some storms coming through and I left the bunnies in the new tractor. I hope they do well. I may have to add more cross boards and another tote. I had originally hoped to put the colony grow out bucks in this pen, but they're small enough to walk right out between the bars. Then I considered just having one rabbit in there, but with the colony bunnies currently in a co-ed grow out pen, I figured it might be best to put these lovely ladies in there and then separate bucks from does in the grow out pen (using their old pen as the doe grow out - which is what it was last year - they just never left). I haven't moved the grow outs yet because I want to make sure this tractor design works first.
Today I cleaned out the barn brooder and moved all of the ducklings out of the house and into the barn. I'm so happy to get the birds out of the house. never again! Never ever bringing birds in the house - ever again! They took stinky to a whole new level, and the dust? Oh my goodness - why did nobody warn me about "chick dust" and the fact that it covers every surface from floor to ceiling? The rest of this week will be spent cleaning and sanitizing the entire basement.
The one down side to this move? Peg-leg Sue is now out in the barn brooder. Now, the brooder in the barn and the brooder in the basement are nearly identical. They're both the same size, made of the same materials, the foam padding underneath the pine shavings in the bottom, I even moved their food and water containers out so that wasn't a change. But it means she's just one step away from the rest of the birds being released into the flock once they're all feathered out. If I can't find her an alternate home, I'm not sure what will happen to her. I'll have no choice but to turn her out with the others and hope the bigger birds don't kill her, that she doesn't get that bad leg infected from hobbling around in the barn and the yard, and that some predator doesn't pick her off. We did buy a pool noodle, and I'm contemplating buying vet wrap. How much do I want to invest into pampering this bird when it's chances of survival here are low? The couple of people who voiced interest in adopting her weeks ago have all flaked out. I can't say that I blame them. A disabled house duck isn't really what most people would consider a fun pet. I will talk to Tony tomorrow about ordering some vet wrap. It might be something good to have on hand anyway.
Tomorrow morning one of the bucks from the colony litter is heading to his new home. He's such a cutie with his little cheek patches. The last time we had one like that he was the first one sold from the litter too.
And here as I'm wrapping up writing this blog post it's pouring rain and there's rolling thunder outside. A good test for the rabbit tractor and for Pocahontas and Princess Poppy. I really hope they're smart enough to hop up into the bin and not just sit on the ground.