Wow Cathy, that was quick!  Thanks for the reply.  When you say the cages are welded wire do you mean that they weld the wire to frames or that they weld the smaller rabbit wire to welded panels?  The shade shacks are moveable housing that is inside or outside the cages?  I used to have rats and they had little grass shacks that I put inside the cages and they slept on top of it...is it like that?
Theresa
Going to order some of the holders from Rabbit Wringer...do you also have the popper that they make?

Thanks for the friend request Cathy; it's nice to meet you.

thanks for the acknowledgement. im curious if anyone in the area (athens/surrounding) that is raising/harvesting would mind a little help (ie.student) one day.

Cathy,

I wanted to fill you in on the wonderful time our family's been having with the trio of Americans we purchased from you back in Feb.  Both does, Lenticular and Cirrus kindled eight each back in May.  They were great moms.  

We lost 3 of Lenticular's kits because she had gone crazy with the nest building and we only saw 3 in the front.  A few days later one didn't make it and the others looked very dehydrated.  After removing the dead one, I decided to poke in the back to make sure there were no other casualties.  Well, lo and behold, 5 plump healthy kits.  I believe that the 3 in front got separated from the rest and never got to nurse.  I will definitely be bolder next time to check in the nest thoroughly earlier.  

We lost one of Cirrus' kits due to the fact that I didn't install baby saver wire and a few fell out during a cold morning when they were about 2 weeks old.  I think one was too chilled to make it.  My bad.  

They are 12 weeks now and I will be keeping one 6.6 lb. buck and a 6.1 lb. doe.  They are both Lenticular's.  Her babies were quite a bit bigger, perhaps b/c she only was nursing 5 instead of 8.  Her ave. baby weight is 6.2lb. while Cirrus' babies averaged 5.4lb.  How did we do on growth?  Is this on target or not?  I feed them a lot of garden produce and greens.  I suppose I'm more into sustainable feed than maximizing the harvest.

Tomorrow is butchering day!  I'm excited and feeling apprehensive.  I've already butchered 2 roosters this summer, but bunnies are so cute and cuddly.  I have a no nonsense nurse friend of mine to come give me moral support.  I have 10 to do.  I'm thinking I may try a few different ways of dispatching them to see what works best for me.  What is your preferred method?  I'm going to try the broomstick, cervical dislocation by hand and maybe clubbing with a blunt instrument.  I really dislike the last one b/c it seems so brutal and its going to take precision.  The only other method I would try is by a .22 but my  husband just left for a week trip with the boys.  I thought it would be best to process the bunnies with the boys gone.

I also rebred the girls today.  The heat has been bad so I didn't rebreed them right away.  I'm thinking Cumulus is shooting blanks due to heat infertility, but I thought I would give it a try.  

It sounds like you all are doing great.  I love your updates on FB and the interactions on Farm Dreams.  I just love homesteading!

Sincerely, Amy