This might work

[lostcreekrabbits]

OK, so just hear me out :lol:

I may have stumbled upon something or I may have turned into the male counterpart of "the crazy cat lady". So yesterday's haircut got me to thinking, what if a doe hasn't pulled enough fur to adequately cover her popples? might human hair work as a substitute, I mean, it kept my head warm. Mind you I not talking about scavenging hair off the floor of the local barber but hair that was cut in my own home with my own clippers (I have a hard time paying somebody 20.00 to cut my hair when I always just buzz it anyway) I don't use any product in my hair so there shouldn't be any chemical interaction.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I think the cut ends of hair or fur can be quite sharp. I worked in a grooming shop when I was a teen, and the groomers were forever complaining about issues with fur in their bras and clothing- it would pierce their skin on occasion, and cause "zits" (for lack of a better term), kind of similar to what you would get from an ingrown hair.

If you have a dog or cat, I think it would be better to gather their fur when they are shedding out.

 

[MaggieJ]

Human hair wouldn't supply near the insulating qualities of rabbit fur - or indeed, other kinds of fur. I don't recommend it.

 

[lostcreekrabbits]

yeah, don't want that

I wonder if the scent of dog and cat fur would freak the doe out tho?

 

[MaggieJ]

Why not just groom your rabbits when they moult out their winter coats and save that? Or shave some off a rabbit you have butchered, before you skin it?

 

[lostcreekrabbits]

I dunno, I was tossin around an idea

 

[MaggieJ]

It's good to toss ideas around... you never know what might come of it.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

That's a great idea to shave a pelt, MaggieJ.

As for using other animal's fur, I would just wash in dishsoap with some vinegar, and then air dry it. That should get rid of any lingering odors.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

That's a great idea to shave a pelt, MaggieJ.

As for using other animal's fur, I would just wash in dishsoap with some vinegar, and then air dry it. That should get rid of any lingering odors.

exactly the way to clean and then use it--

 

[Secuono]

What about washed feathers? Or even store bought down pillow and just use those feathers?

 

[MaggieJ]

I've often used feathers. We butchered a mean gander years ago and his feathers are still keeping bunnies warm here.

 

[lostcreekrabbits]

I never thought of using down, I wound up using trusty ole dryer lint

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

Cotton balls would work, as well, and even the faux fleece that dog and cat beds are made of. I have a bag of cut up fleece blanket material-- the squares are about 1.5 x 1.5 inches

 

[digitaloutlaw]

ummm what about using pelts from previous rabbits?

 

[Jessykah]

maggie, wouldn't the ends of feathers or down be worse than the ends of human hair?

 

[MaggieJ]

They don't seem very sharp, at least not on the goose feathers. Chicken feathers might be sharper... I can remember being stuck now and again by a feather working its way out of a pillow when I was a kid. I hadn't thought about it until you mentioned it, but have never had a problem when using them. I use the half-down, half-feather ones from the goose's body. Maybe feathers are not the best idea, after all.

We're butchering this week. Maybe I'll shear a rabbit or two and make a stash of bunny fur.

 

[Jessykah]

hey, if you have used it often and have had no problems with it poking their eyes or delicate skin, then maybe it IS ok... I guess only you can tell, b/c you have done it.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Quills can be rather sharp, but they are a lot bigger in diameter than hair or fur, so it would take more pressure to pierce the skin.

When my mom was a little girl living in Denmark, one of the things they did during the winter was to pull the stuffing out of their bedding, separating feathers from down, and strip the feathers from the quills. Goose down is the best, but it has always been costly, and her family was very poor... so with some extra work they got nearly the same quality without the extra cost.