Sunday, February 19, 2012

Soggy Sunday

It has been raining here for the past couple of days and it ain't right. I had plans this weekend but had to settle for almost doing nothing.

I took advantage of some of the down time to do some major cleaning and scrubbing of the house. I love the smell of bleach in the morning.

Another rainy day activity me and the youngest did was get her rabbits all tattooed up and ready for next weeks show.

All I have is this old eighties model tattoo gun that we used on goats way back then. It still works and does a good job.
 Nothing fancy here. We just wrapped them in a towel and poked the ears through. The girl held them close and tight while I did the deed.
 After rubbing the left ear with alcohol, I had to find the main veins and avoid them.


The tattoo has to legible in the left ear, right side up so it's always good to punch though a piece of paper before the doing the ear just to make sure you are holding the tool right and the letters or numbers are in right. 


 After the the tattooing, I rubbed in the ink with a trimmed toothbrush.
I trimmed the toothbrush so the bristles were stiffer and would push the ink into the open holes better.
In a couple of days the ink will be gone leaving a pretty little green F2 behind on this rabbit.

The main reason we have to do this is because if we plan to show them, they have to be marked. Another reason is to identify who is from who.



There you go, a little bit of Animal Husbandry at it's finest

9 comments:

  1. Good to know. Next time I need ink I will know who to come to.

    - Genevieve

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  2. There is always something to do even on a rainy day. Be glad you are getting rain. I keep hearing that Texas is having a drought. Apparently not where you are.

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  3. yep, rain is no excuse around here either...there is always something waiting to be done on a homestead or farm. weekends are no exception either. we have had a lot of rain too and i used the time to make my seed list and place my order, check my food pantry and make that list and place my order, and begin making three casserole carriers to take to the shop along with the quilt i finished this week - no since wasting gas delivering just one quilt. if the grid went down tonight, i would still have chores to do tomorrow and luckilly, a way to get them done.

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  4. Interesting, never heard of tattooing rabbits

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  5. G - For your Rabbits right?

    Sista - Some parts still are. I am Happy for the rain but it has not dried up here enough to do anything for two months now. Oh well, this summer I will be complaining about no rain.

    Anony - Weekends are our go time. During the week we all get home so late that all we have time for feeding.
    I was going to do a pantry inventory yesterday but didn't get around to it. It does need to be done this week though.
    As far as seeds, I have enough to last seven to ten years. I did get a chance to plant yesterday afternoon so a big thumbs up on that one.

    Stephanie - Anytime you show in a sanctioned ARBA or TRBA show, your rabbits have to have a tattoo in their left ear. If not they disqualify you.
    Plus when breeding them you need to know who the momma and daddy are once they get older so your pedigree chart on each rabbit is correct.

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    1. Heck, I thought you were starting another homesteading business. Rabbits. Humans. Really what is the difference. lol

      JK JK

      - Genevieve

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  6. My grand father raised rabbits. But his were for eating, not showing. He tattooed all the bucks and doe's. So he could keep records. When the bunnies got to a certain size, they were butchered. And sold.
    He did this to supplement his retirement checks.

    At one time, he had about 10 bucks, and 11 does. And bunches of little bunnies. My sister and I never saw a (show) rabbit, until we were in 4-H. We thought they were really neat.

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  7. Flier - We tried the meat rabbits and they don't sell good here. Most folks around here don't kill to eat. They drive to the store and buy it. What they are looking for is a pretty, little and cute rabbit to hug and hold.
    After the show, all the meat rabbits that the other kids show are usually given away.

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  8. G - I could not imagine the pain this tattoo gun would cause on a person. The rabbits hardly flinch.

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