Summer, Gardens, Goats and Bunny 101

It's time for garlic harvesting! This year a foot pond makes the heat bearable. 

The cabbage is doing amazing, the Bok Choy has gone to seed and the flowers are bright and pretty. Planted some mid-summer veggies next to the small garlic bed and will finish more mid-summer plantings after harvesting all the garlic.

Can't have a blog post without goats, besides I spent a good deal of time cleaning their barn.

Sheep city is still getting some finishing touches. The main painting is done and now for some color on the trim... then get some sheep.

The buns like thier digs and I'm just amazed at how well the vent thing works. Since it used to be chicken house the old pop doors got framed with wire and are now vents... they actually work!

I wasn't going to post this pic because its boring but, I plan to put in fun shelves and features so I thought it be a great before image. It also shows the rest of the vents and bunny pop door... and potty that they don't use.

Crimson and Clover keeping cool in their dirt patch. I had planned to replant this dirt patch after construction but, they really like it so I'll just let nature take its course. Since I know it will grow in I may have to create a dirt patch for them to lounge in.

Being new to raising bunnies we've been having fun offering them taste tests. Here, the choices were kale, bok choy, cilantro and borage. This time the first choice was kale but, it changes each time we play the taste test game so I'm not sure its a very scientific test. 

Also, since they are colony/simi free range bunnies they browse at will. This had some effect on their feeding choices and amount. When we first got them I filled their feeder with the pellet food they came with and they ate it at the rate the bag of feed we had indicated they would. After about 3 days the rate they ate their pellet feed slowed significantly. Now, they take about 3-4 days to eat through a one day serving of pellet. The amount of water they drink has also slowed significantly because there is water in the grass and weeds they eat. 

Watching their behavior in a colony setting is as entertaining as watching the chickens and goats.... okay, maybe I just like watching animal behavior. They do have some fun characteristics like, racing, dancing and Binky'ing. They also like to nose bump you, Arlen likes to bump them back!

Have you had your bump today?

Have to end with a goat... because I'm crazy goat lady. Shane has the softest fur ever!! He has always had the nicest, fluffiest, cuddliest fur and now that its summer its as silky and shiny as can be.