Getting Ready For Autumn
It’s hard to believe that it is already September – until I look out the window. I don’t know about everyone else. But I take notice of the changes in lighting throughout the year. I love the way is softens this time of year. Or how it warms in the spring. And sharpens in the summer. The beauty of the natural world has it rhythms, and I am so glad it does.
This weekend we are continuing our updates to the rabbit barn. Then I’ll be able to start our breeding season. I so look forward to baby bunnies. I adore most baby animals. But bunnies might be my favorite. Unless horses and goats come into the picture. But as I have no short term plans for ether of those, bunnies will do just fine. At this point we are building, and setting up a few more cages. Next on my list will be getting a watering system going. Not having to fill so many water dishes every day will save us so much time. And by the time spring comes I would like to have a few rabbit tractors as well.
I’ve also come to the realization that I don’t want a small barn. Although I don’t think 30-35 holes is that big. Especially for three breeds of rabbit. Hopefully in the next few months I’ll be able to bring in large Rex rabbits, and the even heavier Silver Fox rabbits. Even though I’ve never ate rabbit (that I can recall) I’m sure my husband and other family members will enjoy it even if I don’t. And we will be raising for pelts as well as meat, show & breeding stock, and pets. I figure it will take us a couple of seasons to get a feel for it. But the entire enterprise appeals to both my husband, and my self. We have really enjoyed working with the rabbits so far. And he has raised them for meat in the past.
Along with setting things up for the rabbits, we need to get our fall garden going. I made a bad call this spring that cost me dearly. The only crops I got were herbs, and just recently – a few tomatoes. There was a handful of cucumbers, and green beans at one point as well. Be wary of getting manure from cattle pastures. If they have been sprayed with an herbicide the damaged your garden could be extensive.
When I first started my garden lest year we built a few raised beds and placed them along the edge of our front yard. Rather then trying to salvage any of the larger garden, we are expanding the smaller one for fall and winter crops. It is going to take some effort. The existing beds need to be emptied, and moved for this to work. A new fence needs to be built around it. And a small green house put at one end. We don’t have time to take this on this weekend, as well as the rabbit barn. And since a friend needs us to watch her rabbits while she is on vacation. We have to get that done first. I had a very successful, yet small garden through out most of last winter. I am hoping I can do that again this year, on a slightly larger scale.