Winters here but springs just around the corner, baby lambs are already bouncing off of hay bales and running out in the snow. And a new litter of pups is just around the corner! Stay tuned, they are due March 20th!
There is a art to raising Angora bunnies! & I haven't quite figured it out- yet!. But here's a tip that seems to be helping our does a huge amount.
Red Raspberry leaves have been used for years a fertility herb, they also help with milk production, easy labor and quick recovery from the birth. Raspberry leaves also provide a rich source of iron, calcium, manganese and magnesium. We have been feeding 4-6 leaves a day to our pregnant does and our success in does caring for their litters has greatly increased. They have more milk and can raise more kits, and they have not been inclined to eat their babies while cleaning up the after birth , sacs etc. Hope this is of help to all my bunny loving friends! This recipe comes in handy when ever you have weak newborns or a ewe that has little milk. Its nice to keep the ingredients on hand during lambing season.
Mix together, warm and feed: 1 cup cold milk 1 tsp molasses 1 egg yolk Our litter of Maremma sheepdog puppies has finally made its arrival on a bright saturday morning. 2 days ago 9 puppies were born up in the trees a little distance from all the commotion of the barnyard. There are 4 females and 5 males, all the same size and so cute!
The mother is our trusted and working female Princess, she has the beautiful yellow tipped ears of a Maremma, sometimes we call her Smiley, because she smiles at anyone she sees! The puppies sire is Red, one of our first Maremma sheepdogs and our favorite as far as conformation goes. Red has a dedicated seriousness about him that makes him our best livestock guardian. Looking forward to watching these puppies mature into loving family pets, or loyal LGDs. This morning we awoke to two precious surprises! One of our ewes Midgit, lambed early this morning. She had a white male and a spotted male. The Lord has truelly blessed us this year.
We also have 2 litters of angora bunnies in the nest. 5 blacks, 1 white, and one brown. We are excited to see how they turn out as they are Satin/German crosses. |
AuthorJessica Garrett Archives
February 2014
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