All of a sudden, gathering greens is getting more difficult - just when I have 14 hungry nine-week-old fryers to feed! There are still plenty of greens out there, but it is taking longer to gather them and the weather is hot and humid, which makes it less pleasant. This set me thinking about the timing of those spring litters.
Greens are lush and plentiful from mid-May to end of June. I should be timing my spring litters to take advantage of this. After the beginning of July, the greens take much longer to harvest. Ideally, each rabbit should get about a gallon of greens a day during their period of fast growth. (Plus hay and grain, of course.) That means three large bucketfuls a day.
If the litters are timed to be kindled around April 1st, they would be ready for freezer camp by the end of the first week of July, just when the greens begin to slow down. Young rabbits begin eating substantial amounts of greens from about 4 weeks of age. Greens become reasonably good by late April, so that fits nicely.
Does anyone else plan their litters this way? I realize that the actual dates would vary from place to place, but it seems to me that the principle should hold for most places. I wish I'd thought of this along about the beginning of March. :doh:
Greens are lush and plentiful from mid-May to end of June. I should be timing my spring litters to take advantage of this. After the beginning of July, the greens take much longer to harvest. Ideally, each rabbit should get about a gallon of greens a day during their period of fast growth. (Plus hay and grain, of course.) That means three large bucketfuls a day.
If the litters are timed to be kindled around April 1st, they would be ready for freezer camp by the end of the first week of July, just when the greens begin to slow down. Young rabbits begin eating substantial amounts of greens from about 4 weeks of age. Greens become reasonably good by late April, so that fits nicely.
Does anyone else plan their litters this way? I realize that the actual dates would vary from place to place, but it seems to me that the principle should hold for most places. I wish I'd thought of this along about the beginning of March. :doh: