FAQ
Can You Put Two Pregnant Rabbits Together?
I May Have Two Female Bunnies That Are Pregnant, Can I Put Them In The Same Cage? Will They Fight? Is It Okay To Put The Two Together With Their Babies And Them In The Same Cage?
Hi...I've been raising and showing rabbits for 10 years. I never recommend that rabbits housed in the same cage. Definitely not pregnant does (female rabbits), they are extremely territorial and would most likely either not take care of their babies or even kill them. It is not a pretty sight to see how they kill babies sometimes. But like I said, even when not pregnant it is not a good idea to have rabbits in the same cage. They are really not social animals and do not get lonely or pine for other animals company. Even rabbits that seem to get along perfectly will fight at one time or another, and typically chew off pieces of each other's ears and pull out their fur. You giving them adequate attention is really the best option. Having them in cages where they can see each other is good, but anything beyond that is dangerous. Also, when the does are due (their gestation period is 28-32 days) they will each need a nestbox. The ones that I use can be bought at Tractor Supply and are metal with a removable wood floor (for cleaning). The boxes will need to be put in the cages with them a couple days before they are due with about a 2 inch layer of saw dust (pine, not cedar) across the bottom with a handful of straw (not hay, hay is what they eat and straw is bedding) in the box along with a couple more handfuls outside the box for her to carry in and build her nest with. All in all about half of flake for each doe. And they usually give birth at night. Hope this helps and please feel free to contact me with any other questions.
How Is Wood Mulch Made?
Is It As Simple As Just Chipping Wood Or Is There A Curing Process Involved? I Have A Lot Of Pine Brush I Was Going To Burn, But I Need Mulch. Can I Just Chip It Up And Spread It Around? Are There Any Types Of Wood Not To Use? Does It Have To Be Dead And Dry Or Can Green Wood Be Used?
Materials
* organic residues (cow manure) - grass clippings, leaves, hay, straw, shredded bark, whole bark nuggets, sawdust, shells, wood chips, shredded newspaper, cardboard, wool, etc. Many of these materials also act as a direct composting system, such as the mulched clippings of a mulching lawn mower. There are many differing opinions on what to use.
* compost - This relies on fully composted material, where potential weed seed has been eliminated, or else the mulch will actually produce weed cover.
* Rubber mulch - Made from recycled tire rubber.
* plastic mulch - Crops grow through slits or holes in thin plastic sheeting. This method is predominant in large-scale vegetable growing, with millions of acres cultivated under plastic mulch worldwide each year (disposal of plastic mulch is cited as an environmental problem).
* organic sheet mulch - Various products developed as a biodegradable alternative to plastic mulch.
* rock and gravel can also be used a mulch. In northern climates the heat retained by rocks will extend the growing season.
The way a particular organic mulch decomposes, and reacts to wetting by rain and dew, determine in great degree its effectiveness. Organic mulches can rot rapidly rather than slowly break down, require nitrogen to decompose, can mat into a barrier that blocks water and air, can wick water from the soil to the surface due to its porocity, all conditions that can be detrimental to crops and ornamental plants.
Living mulch may also be considered a type of mulch, or as a mulch-like cover crop. This technique involves undersowing a main crop with a fast-growing cover crop that will provide weed suppression and other benefits associated with mulch.
Mulching is an important part of any no-dig gardening regime, such as practiced within permaculture systems.
[edit] Application
Mulch is usually applied towards the beginning of the growing season, and may be reapplied as necessary. It serves initially to warm the soil by helping it retain heat. This allows early seeding and transplanting of certain crops, and encourages faster growth. As the season progresses, the mulch stabilizes temperature and moisture, and prevents sunlight from germinating weed seed.
Plastic mulch used in large-scale commercial production is laid down with a tractor-drawn or standalone plastic mulch layer. This is usually part of a sophisticated mechanical process, where raised beds are formed, plastic is rolled out on top, and seedlings are transplanted through it. Drip irrigation is often required, with drip tape laid under the plastic, as plastic mulch is impermeable to water.
In home gardens and smaller farming operations, organic mulch is usually spread by hand around emerged plants. For materials like straw and hay, a shredder may be used to chop up the material. Organic mulches are usually piled quite high, six inches or more, and settle over the season.
In some areas of the United States such as central Pennsylvania, northern California, more specifically mulch is often referred to as "tanbark", even by manufacturers and distributors. In these areas, the word "mulch" is used specifically to refer to very fine tanbark or peat moss.
Mulch made with wood can contain or feed termites, so care must be taken about not placing mulch too close to houses or building that can be damaged by those insects. Some mulch manufacturers recommend putting mulch several inches away from buildings.
[edit] Sour mulch
Mulch should normally smell like freshly cut wood, but sometimes will develop a toxicity that will cause it to smell like vinegar, ammonia, sulfur or silage. This happens if the material is not rotated often enough and it forms pockets where no air is circulating. When this occurs, the decomposition process become anaerobic and produces these toxic materials in small quantities. Once exposed to the air, the process quickly reverts to an aerobic decomposition, but these toxic materials will be present for a period of time. If the mulch is placed around plants before the toxicity has had a chance to dissipate, then the plants could very likely be severely damaged or killed depending on their hardiness. Plants that are predominantly low to the ground or freshly planted are the most susceptible.
If sour mulch is applied and there is plant kill, the best thing to do is just water the mulch heavily. Water will help the chemicals to dissipate more quickly and refresh the plants. By the time plant kill is noticed, most of the toxicity will have already disappeared anyway, so removing the offending mulch will have little effect. While testing after plant kill will not likely turn up anything since the toxicity will have dissipated, a simple pH check may reveal a highly acid content, perhaps in the 1.8 to 3.6 range instead of the normal 6.0 to 7.2 range. Finally, placing a bit of the offending mulch around another plant to check for plant kill will verify if the toxicity has departed. If the new plant is also killed, then sour mulch is probably not the problem.
[edit] Straw mulch
Mulch made from straw is generally lighter and easier to use than bark mulches, with the added advantages of being biodegradable and neutral in pH. Straw mulch tends to additionally have higher moisture retention and weed controlling properties than other mulches.
[edit] Living mulches
Living mulches differ from cover crops in that plants continue growing with the main crops whereas cover crops are incorporated into the soil or killed with herbicides. However, living mulches might need to be mechanically or chemically killed at some point to prevent competition with the main crop (Brandsaeter et al. 1998, Tharp and Kells, 2001).
Are The Pine &Quot;Needles&Quot; Actually The Leaves Of The Pine Tree? What'S The Deal With That.?
1) Do The Needles Of All Evergreen Trees Count As Leaves? 2) Is This A Crazy World Or What? 3) Is It Correct To Say &Quot;Pine Leaf&Quot; When Talking About Otherwise Might Be Refered To As A &Quot;Pine Needle&Quot; ?!?
1. Not all needles are leaves. There are some species with needles where the needle is actually a modified stem, with small scale leaves that appear in whorls around the stem e.g Casuarina sp.
2. Its always been a crazy world and its sure to get crazier.
3. I did a whip around of my office (I'm a plant pathologist) and all the scientists agree that while it might be technically correct to say 'pine leaf' if you do, scientists will likely think you are a bit of a tool.
I Want To Sell 3-5 Huge Pine Trees That Are In My New Back Yard. Where Should I Start?
I'M Not Sure What Kind Of Pine Trees They Are Maybe Blue Spruce..?..
Definition is everything. If the trees are healthy, full of needles and HUGE as you say, then you would want to contact "estate landscapers", building contractors or a local college that offers a horticulture program. Nursery's and garden centers are in the business of making money and probably wouldn't pay enough, and bother with the labor cost involved in digging up your yard. Make sure they don't destroy any underground electric/plumbing or gas lines. Check with your insurance agent to see who is responsible should damage occur. Good luck.
I Have A Lovely Healthy Rabbit, I Use Hay For Her Bedding But Was Wondering If Pine Straw Is Harmful To Them?
I am not sure what you mean by pine straw...do you mean pine shavings? If so, I would not recommend using that. Pine shavings are thought to cause liver damage.
Here is what the House Rabbit Society has to say about litters:
"8.4 What types of litter should I use?
It depends on what's available in your area and what your rabbit's habits are. Keep in mind the following as you choose your litter:
most rabbits spend lots of time in their litter boxes
rabbits will always nibble some of the litter
rabbit urine has a very strong odor.
House Rabbit Society recommends organic litters, made from alfalfa, oat, citrus or paper. (Some brands to look for: Care Fresh, Cat Country, Critter Country, Yesterday's News, and Papurr) For a complete listing of litter types, see the litter boxes and liver disease article.
Stay away from litters made from softwoods, like pine or cedar shavings or chips, as these products are thought to cause liver damage in rabbits who use them. CatWorks litter has been linked to zinc poisoning. Swheat Scoop Litter should be avoided, because rabbits will often ingest it. Because it is comprised of wheat, it is very high in carbohydrates and can cause obesity, excessive cecal production, diarrhea, bacterial imbalance, and other health issues.
Another approach is to place a handful of hay in each box, or to simply use hay as litter. It is helpful to put several layers of newspaper under the hay, to absorb urine so that your rabbit is not standing in the urine. Most newspapers today are using soy-based ink, which is safe for your rabbit, but check with your local newspaper to make sure first. Obviously, you need to change the hay fairly frequently (daily), since your rabbit will be eating it. This method often helps to encourage good litter habits as well as to encourage hay consumption, since rabbits often eat at or near the same time as they use the litter box.
Pros and cons of the various types of litter include:
clay litter is dusty--if your bunny is a digger, the dust can make her vulnerable to pneumonia
the deodorant crystals in some clay litters are toxic
clumping litters will clump inside the rabbit's digestive and respiratory tracts (the latter if they manage to make enough dust to breathe) causing serious problems and often leading to death
pine and cedar shavings emit gases that cause liver damage when breathed by the bunny
corn cob litter isn't absorbent and doesn't control odor, and has the the risk of being eaten and casing a lethal blockage.
oat- and alfalfa-based litters (available from Purina, Manna-Pro, and King-Soopers groceries [not sure what the geographical range of this chain is]) have excellent odor controlling qualities, but if a rabbit eats too much, they expand and cause bloating; these, too, can be added, with the bunny's waste, to compost
newspapers are absorbent, but don't control odor
citrus-based litters work well, offer no dangers, and can be composted, but may be hard to get and expensive in some areas of the country/world
some people have reported success with peat moss which can also be composted
Many people have great success with litter made from paper pulp or recycled paper products. These litters are very good at absorbing and cutting down on odors. A litter called CAREfresh is available. You can find out about local places that carry Carefresh by emailing [email protected] or by calling 1-800-242-2287. A similar litter in a pelleted form is called Cellu-Dri 1-800-382-5001. These litters are harmless if ingested.
Compressed sawdust pellets: are inexpensive, highly absorbent litters used in many foster homes. They are made from softwood or hardwood sawdust, but they are not toxic because the phenolic compounds are removed during their manufacture. Their wood composition helps control bacterial growth and odors. Wood stove fuel pellets and Feline Pine are two examples of this product.
Litters made from Aspen bark are safe and good at absorbing odors. One brand is called GentleTouch 1-800-545-9853. "
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/litte...
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