Mingo Ranch

Our first successful litter!!! It's been massive worry & anxiety hoping something finally would go right. Like, I don't sleep at night & have checked on them during the Witching Hour just to make sure everything was ok so I could blame my panic attack on something else. It has been a harsh learning curve getting into these meat rabbits but part of it was the situation I was dumped into for a few months. I lost a few does having babies & Magic lost 2 litters of 9.

This go has been so much more rewarding. These 6 babies are just over 4wks old now & when I open the door to feed/see/anything, they crawl up it like demons clawing thru a portal from Hell. There were no problems, have only had to make it so they couldn't slip between the cage bars & other than that, it has been so fun to watch them. There are a few locals that seem to be emotionally invested in this batch of babies & I'd get asked daily around her due date if she'd popped yet. All I had to say was "31 days gestation" when I mentioned she'd been in with her boyfriend (Roger White) & about day 28 the messages started coming in for the Baby Bunny Brigade. Now their adoring fans stop by for a peek & to feed them dandelions.

I am planning on keeping a buck & doe (1 will be a gray), I'm trading a doe back with a guy in town for 1 of his babies in a few weeks to keep the gene pool less murky (he's been kind & thoughtful with helping me), & the rest I'd like to sell as pets. Eventually these meat rabbits will be part of how I feed my dogs & myself, but the funds would benefit me more now than only feeding a couple dogs for 1 meal. & I've had plenty practice recently with pelting & processing hides cuz that's also a purpose these bunnies will serve: the whole animal will be used, nothing will be thrown out....hides/bones are inventory, they'll feed us, & the guts go to baiting my traps.

The guy in town who helps me has pipe dreams of my rabbitry cuz he knows just what a castle it's gonna hafta be to feed 14 & fluctuating dogs. I will be adding other things to their meals (cow donations will still be appreciated, fresh enough roadkill deer will still be exciting, & I have garden plans for next year to hopefully get to where I never buy dog food again), but I figure a whole rabbit/dog/day is what will be needed to supply the demand. It'll be more learning figuring out the balance of these creatures I've decided our traveling ecosystem needs so it doesn't become a runaway, but I'm excited about it & I haven't looked forward to much in years.

I am looking forward to this homesteading thing, tho.

It's been quite the past 2mo....so much has happened: getting settled somewhere, my hand stuck in limbo between healing but not feeling better, my feet flaring up, building an actual yard (with the best dog houses & bunny hutch ever), a slight mental breakdown, failing to keep some wild bunny babies alive (which broke Ryot's heart) but Black Magic having 6 babies recently that are finally a success after a rough winter (they're so cute).

I've been extremely busy but that's a good thing. I've almost reached my weight goal a bit healthier this time than starving it off & going too far the other direction. Fancy still has pants & needs me to finish her hair cut.

LacieLu looks & feels good. The animals are happy. This is the nicest, biggest yard we've ever had. I live in a pretty great place.

Enjoy the photo dump check in.
❤️🦩