hoping4better
Member
So, I've read a lot about this before and lately. Lately, because my plans for a few tractors may be thwarted by the plethora of wild onions. I plan on raising rabbits for meat mainly just for my family, but possibly as a supplement for the guardian dog we'll be getting for our chickens as well. I'm thinking of only 1 buck with 2 or 3 does and letting them do what they do as often as they feel and harvesting at the appropriate times, then replacing the mom's as needed to keep a healthy colony and not deteriorate their health too much (mom=dinner and a young one gets to be a new mommy in a few months).
We live on Tennessee red clay. That's literally all there is out there. To rid the colony area of onions I planned on several layers of cardboard and lasagna composting on top of that. I have plenty of space to grow food for them, but I'd prefer to grow as much as possible in their pen, since anything outside of the pen will be raided by birds, cottontails, chickens, deer, and possibly wild pigs.
So here come the questions.
So, will the red clay be a problem, since it really doesn't drain well?
How much space will be needed for a buck and two does and all the kits from the last five months?
----FYI - I am REALLY concerned about depleting the soil and plants where they will be colonizing. I don't want to have to de-worm and such often if at all.
How deep will they tunnel?
--I planned on putting rocks/concrete blocks below the fence down to about 8-10 inches all the way around. Will this keep them from digging out? If not how deep should I go?
I know rabbits try to be fairly cleanly about their poop. In a colony will they still try to only go in one area?
--I'd like to use it for manure if I can.
I may have more questions as I go, but honestly this is only in the planning stages as I probably won't be able to start anything, but the composting and some planting until spring or early summer.
We live on Tennessee red clay. That's literally all there is out there. To rid the colony area of onions I planned on several layers of cardboard and lasagna composting on top of that. I have plenty of space to grow food for them, but I'd prefer to grow as much as possible in their pen, since anything outside of the pen will be raided by birds, cottontails, chickens, deer, and possibly wild pigs.
So here come the questions.
So, will the red clay be a problem, since it really doesn't drain well?
How much space will be needed for a buck and two does and all the kits from the last five months?
----FYI - I am REALLY concerned about depleting the soil and plants where they will be colonizing. I don't want to have to de-worm and such often if at all.
How deep will they tunnel?
--I planned on putting rocks/concrete blocks below the fence down to about 8-10 inches all the way around. Will this keep them from digging out? If not how deep should I go?
I know rabbits try to be fairly cleanly about their poop. In a colony will they still try to only go in one area?
--I'd like to use it for manure if I can.
I may have more questions as I go, but honestly this is only in the planning stages as I probably won't be able to start anything, but the composting and some planting until spring or early summer.