Spring is Here?

I have been working slowly, very slowly but surely this spring with my broken-up back and other health issues. The vegetable garden is finally in. The lack of sunshine has slowed the growth of alot of the plants. The liquid sunshine has been wonderful for others. The perinneal gardens are busting at the seams. I have been relocated and splitting up alot of the plants so the massive growth doesn't overtake everything. I believe if I didn't trim or cut back plants all the time the wilderness would take over in less than a year and you would never know someone ever lived here! LOL

The first round of litters of rabbits have been born. Many really beautiful and promising youngsters are now growing. I now have the difficult decisions to make on what seniors will be replaced by their offspring and how many show bunnies to grow for the shows. Many really nice juniors and seniors will be sold as I hope to downsize the Mini lop herd again this year.

RABBITS BC held a spring show. The Silver Martens did really well with Mitchell's Magic taking BOV in both shows. Cedar Hill's Onyx took BOS both shows and BOS in show A. Mitchell's Tom Jr took BOV broken Mini lop.

I will be working on the tri-colored Mini lops with Kim Posey this season. We both have a new animal to add to our tri herds in June. I will be keeping Dizzy's harli kit and Dizzy will go to live with Kim. My new broken orange doe from Rebecca's Rabbitry will take her place.

I have a few litters from my chocolate/carrier Mini lops. Mitchell's Twinkle has two gorgeous kits; a lynx doe and a broken lynx buck out of Mitchell's Blake. Mitchell's Moonshine has five kits; one broken chocolate buck and all the others are carriers, one chestnut doe, one black doe, one broken chestnut buck and a black buck. Mitchell's Geronimo is the sire. Mitchell's Liberty has a litter of six sired by MTR's Hershey. There are three chocolate chestnuts in the litter. The others are carriers. Posey's Joni had three really nice kits out of Mitchell's Blake; a chocolate buck, a chocolate 'charlie' buck and a choc. 'charlie' doe. Both Mitchell's Twilight & Mitchell's Blu are expecting with a litter from MTR Hershey, a chocolate buck on loan from George.

I have one chinchilla litter from Mitchell's Taylor bred to Posey's Brayden. There are four nice kits; a seal buck and doe and a broken chinchilla buck and doe.

Willow's Catalina has a litter out of Mitchell's Riley; a broken black buck, a black doe, two broken golden tipped steels (unsexed) and a steel. Mitchell's Button had a litter of three sired by Posey's Brayden. A nice little blue steel doe; the two bucks with missing toes and tail from a difficult birth will not be kept.
Mitchell's Tammi has six kits sired by Posey's Brayden also; there is an opal, chestnuts and blacks.

Mitchell's Ariel had five kits sired by Mitchell's Hawk. They are the first tortoise litter this year. There are two blue tort does and three tortoise does.

The Silver Martens have also been productive this year. Mitchell's Tori had five beautiful blue kits. I have kept a nice buck to replace thier dad Mitchell's Twin. Mitchell's Saree had seven kits; three blue does, three black does and a black buck. Mitchell's Rosemary has a wonderful litter of seven kits also; three blue bucks, two blue does and two black bucks. Mitchell's Nakita had four kits; a pr. of blacks and a pr. of blues. Mitchell's Magic is bred SS Blue Manchoo, a beautiful new buck from Washington and Posey's Raven is bred to Preston's Jericho.

I will hold off on too many more litters as the growing cages are full. I hope to do a second breeding on some of the does again this year. Many senior does will be sold this season.

I have been having lots of fun with the chickens. We just love having farm fresh eggs. I now like eggs again. There is no comparison to store eggs..... I raised a few chicks from my own hens. I kept a really nice Partridge Cochin hen. All the roosters have been sold. I purchased a small flock of Buff Brahma Cochins - Standards and will be selling the Bantam Buff Brahma Cochins. I also purchased six Ameracuana chicks. I will keep the hens to add more blue egg layers to the flock. I also have a Silver Lace Wyndotte/Ameracauna chick that will stay if it turns out to be a hen. I still need to build the outside chicken run. Hope to tackle this project this month now most of the gardening is done.

The love of farming has kept me motivated but down-sizing is a must with my back and health issues. Keep watch on the website for the sale of some really nice animals.

Spring Showers

It is the beginning of May and we are still having our spring showers. The property is in a flush of green and the rabbits and chickens have babies in the nest. I got an early start on the fencing and completed another section. Some things are coming up in the garden. I have built the deck at the back of the chicken coop but I haven't yet gotten to putting in the outside run.

Lots of new Silver Marten and Mini lop litters born since my last post. Posey's Joni has a nice litter sired by Mitchell's Blake. There are two chocolate charlies and one chocolate in the litter. Mitchell's Ariel has five kits sired by Mitchell's Hawk. All are either torts or blue torts. Mitchell's Taylor has four kits sired by Posey's Brayden. There are two broken chinchillas and two seals. Willow's Catalina has five kits sired by Mitchell's Riley. Not sure of the colors yet but there are both solids and brokens. Mitchell's Moonlight has five kits sired by Mitchell's Geronimo. There is one broken chocolate, black, and chestnuts in the litter. Mitchell's Twinkle has two kits sired by Mitchell's Blake. Looks like a lynx and a broken lynx in that litter.

Mitchell's Rosemary has seven kits sired by Mitchell's Twitch. One black and the rest are blue. Mitchell's Saree has seven kits sired by Mitchell's Twin; four blacks and three blues in that litter. Mitchell's Nakita has four kits sired by Preston's Jericho/Soldier; two blues and two blacks. Moonstruck Tori just weaned five blue kits sired by Moonstruck Twin.

There are five Mini lop does yet to kindle this month; Mitchell's Dizzy, Mitchell's Ray, Mitchell's Liberty, Mitchell's Blu, Mitchell's Tammi. I have held off on breeding any more Silver Martens until I receive my new buck out of Silver Streak's stock. I am also getting a new doe from Scott Rudolph.

I did get to the RABBITS BC spring show in Parksville, BC. My Silver Martens did well. Cedar Hill's Onyx won BOSV black and BOS in both shows and went on to winning BOS in show A. Moonstruck's Magic won BOV blue in both shows. Mitchell's Tom jr. won BOV in the broken Mini lop group. It was a fun show. I came home with a new junior black Silver Marten buck from Stan & Kathy.

My silkie chicken successfully hatched three strong chicks; two Standard Partridge Cochins and one Silver Lace Whyndotte. I have two Partridge Cochin hens setting on a dozen eggs right now;9 will be Buff Brahama Cochin bantam chicks and three Whyndotte/Americana cross chicks. They are due to hatch the third week of May. Exciting.

The first fryers went into the freezer today. The winter was long and the food stocks are low so time to fill the freezer with beautiful organic meat and produce again.

I will sign-off but will post again soon!