You are the zombie apocalypse

Hernando County to finally allow chickens in backyards

     In an amazing victory for personal liberty the other day, commissioners voted unanimously to allow backyard chickens in residential areas of Hernando County. Areas which have additional zoning restrictions such as named or incorporated areas with HOA's still have their own problems.
     There is going to be some time taken to decide how many chickens and where coops can be located. I'm unclear on exactly who is deciding these issues, also it brings up more questions like chicken culling on your own property. Cleanliness. Size of fencing. Proximity to easements. Animal control.
     So when can I get my duck?  :)

Hernando moves forward on allowing chickens

Preparing to Raise Rabbits in Florida

     As we try to move toward a more sustainable urban landscape, we will be putting rabbits in the backyard. We decided to try rabbits because fowl are illegal in this suburb. There are a lot of great reasons to raise rabbits though, and a huge one is that eat leafy stuff that we cannot, and turn that leafy waste into very usable fertilizer.
     Not a lot of information can be found about heat stress in rabbits, but the conventional wisdom says that too much heat decreases their productivity and can lead to dying off. We may have to implement a rabbit free summer zone if the heat is too much for them.
     Rabbits need protection from the sun and rain, and should not be allowed to stand on wastes.

     Traditionally rabbits should be given five square feet of cage space. We have turned some sturdy, large dog crates into rabbit cages by lining the floors with a mesh that should provide adequate drainage and feet protection. Chicken wire is not recommended for rabbit cages due to the larger size and feet damage issues, and that rabbits have been known to escape through it. Our cages are tied down to concrete block, for now, and secured with locks to prevent theft (after the break-in a few years ago, I'm not taking any chances).
     At about 5-6 months old the doe can be bred. Conventional rabbit raising call for putting the doe in the bucks cage and then watch the first mating to be assured everything is going well, then afterward to return the does to her pen for an hour. Then let them be together again for another round. This is to ensure ejaculate quality and to prevent territorial fighting.
     Palpate the does 14 days after breeding to check for pregnancy. At 28 days after breeding, provide a nesting box for the little mama.  20” long x 11” wide x 10” high. Wean the kits at 6 weeks old and separate them from their mother. She can be re-bred at this time. At 10 weeks they should be fryer sized, and a few more weeks longer and they should roaster sized, which is not quite full-grown.
     Rabbits need a diet with about 15% protein for adequate growth and to avoid problems during gestation and lactation. Full grown adult rabbits need only about 13% protein. Most pellets provide about  13-18% protein. Rabbits also need long fiber, which is not adequately supplied in pellet form but is provided with the addition of regular grass, which most breeders recommend at about 2 cups per 5 pounds of rabbit per day. Beyond fiber, protein, and vitamins, rabbits do not need the addition of grains or fruits or vegetables, though these are okay to give in small quantities.
     The rabbit manure, which looks like little round pods, is pH neutral and can be applied directly to the garden or mixed into a manure tea. Some raisers use it for vermicomposting.

How to build a nest box out of plywood

Greening the Suburb

Bean seedlings surrounding an Agave near sidewalk in suburban garden.

     Victory Gardens are an important part of our cultural heritage as Americans, though largely unknown nowadays. During World War II, the government encouraged Americans to grow, hunt, and forage as much as they could in order to save domestic supplies for the war effort. Domestic supplies being food and other parts of the gross domestic product. Of course, times are different now. We export and import food like nobody's business, and indeed, people ignore food like it's not their business.
     I live in a food desert, and you probably do too. What would happen if there was no food at the grocery store, or if there was no grocery store? How long would it take for your family to be hungry? What would happen if Florida was cut off from the rest of the USA? How long would it take our population to feed itself, if we even could?

With the beans harvested, nothin' but Sorghum growin' on.

     Food production is a noble endeavor that should be embraced by the 99%. Humanity should take back the wasted space occupied by that unproductive grass and put in some plants more useful to us. Reclaim public grounds. Schoolyards could be growing greens for healthy kid lunches. Grassy pastures at parks and government buildings could be providing food for public food pantries. Prisoners could be providing their own fare and not draining on taxpayers.
     There are ways to do this sustainably without draining the aquifers and the taxpayers. But it has to start with one person at a time. Perhaps with your very own Victory Garden.