We have four indoor cats and two dogs, so I am quite familiar with every type of "accident" they make. One cat is elderly, one cat isn't spayed yet (she goes this week, FINALLY), and one dog is still a puppy. The unspayed cat, Rosie, likes to mark in the most horrible of places... she waits until no one is around and pees on the wood table and countertops. How fun! (Do you sense my sarcasm?) The key is to find the mess as quick as possible, so that it doesn't soak into the wood. Then I will use a vinegar mixture of 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water. This is a safe and natural choice for wooden surfaces. Cleaning the carpets or fabric surfaces are a different story. Those who know the smell of cat urine know it is STRONG and hard to remove that smell. I recently discovered a miracle product... Angry Orange Odor Eliminator (link below). This spray doesn't just mask the odors, it destroys them with bio-enzymes. It also rids of stains and happens to be made in the USA. Recently we had an incident where a certain cat (*cough* Rosie *cough*) urinated on our pool table. After absorbing most of the mess with paper towels, I sprayed Angry Orange on it. Made from natural orange, its lovely citrus aroma filled the room and the bio-enzymes immediately got to work. The next day, there was no stain at all, and even smelling it directly, no smell! It worked better than any other cleaner I've tried. I encourage you to try it yourself, a little goes a long way. No more pet smells here! The Miracle Pet Odor Spray" target="_blank"> The Miracle Pet Odor Spray
1 Comment
3/11/2022 0 Comments Breeding Like Rabbits... Or Not?The old saying "Breeding like Rabbits" can be a frustrating thing to hear when you can't get your rabbits to mate. The doe won't lift, the buck isn't interested, the doe runs or acts aggressively to the buck. There are a few factors that can cause rabbits not breed. Rabbits are generally seasonal breeders, meaning their biological clock ticks only during the months of the year where days are longer. During the winter, both parties may lose interest in the birds and the bees. These biological instincts kept our domestic rabbits' ancestors from having babies in the winter and freezing. If you keep your rabbits outdoors, wintertime will just be a break from breeding for them, but if you keep them indoors or in a barn or shed, they can be tricked into breeding. Artificial lights on for at least 10-12 hours a day should do the trick, mimicking the lighting of summer. Another factor is how you pair your rabbits. Does are very territorial of their hutch, so it is important to bring the doe to the buck's cage. This will help prevent fighting, as well as keeping the buck from getting distracted. I personally stay and observe for breeding, separating after 2+ "fall-offs", or if fighting begins. Then I return the doe to her hutch. Successful mating is very quick, so you will know if both buck, and doe are apt to breeding within a few minutes. Another way to check if your doe may be ready, is to examine her vulva, if it is a dark pink or red, she may be more receptive. Young or inexperienced rabbits may have more issues their first-time breeding. Depending on breed, wait until buck and doe are 6-10 months of age. Dwarf breeds are ready sooner than giant breeds. Sounds crazy, but sometimes certain pairs just don't like each other. I had a buck that all of my does just didn't care for, no matter what they wouldn't lift. I sold him and bought another buck, and they lifted the first time I tried pairing them. Now before you go replacing your buck (or doe), give them several tries together. Some people swear by adding apple cider vinegar to their water or taking the doe for a car ride. In my experience, time trumps all. Try breeding at different times of the day, try and wait a couple days and try again, try bringing both of them to a whole new cage to meet. In most cases, they will eventually do the deed. Don't give up! If you get lucky, you'll see results like this beautiful litter on the left. -Carrie 3/9/2022 0 Comments Incubating Button Quail EggsI recently acquired a small group of assorted Button quail. These little ones are the smallest species of quail kept, maturing at only about 4 inches tall. These quail come in many colorful varieties, their antics are entertaining, and they are, well, just plain cute! A bit too small to be a meat bird, they lay tiny eggs that are perfect for incubating or to use as food for reptiles and other exotic species. They are also well known to be the perfect "clean-up crew" for keepers of parrots and other domestic birds, eating any of the dropped seeds. Anyways, with these quail I was also given 30 fertile eggs. As soon as I got home the incubator was running. I was excited for the potential of expanding my little flock. This is my first time incubating Button eggs, but here is what I have learned so far. I've used my Farm Innovators Inc Pro Series Digital Incubator 4250 and the 3400 Automatic Egg Turner (links below) for chickens and ducks for years and have had excellent results. All I needed to do was to purchase quail rails for the automatic turner, because these little jelly bean eggs would fall right through trays on the standard size turner. I ordered the 6-pack quail rails, which hold 120 eggs in total (link below). It was pretty easy to swap the rails on the egg turner, just needed to take out two screws and pop the individual rails out and in. The pre-set temperature on the incubator (99.5-100.0 F) is the perfect recommended temp for the Button eggs. I keep the humidity slightly higher than chicken eggs, at 50%. I keep that by adding water regularly. The incubator conveniently has a built in thermometer and hydrometer, which makes it a lot easier to keep track of the temps and humidity. Button quail eggs hatch in about 16 days, give or take. At day 13, i will be removing the automatic turner, as well as increasing humidity to 60% in preparation for hatching. At this time, I will also set up a brooder box for the chicks. The brooder will consist of a red bulb heat lamp, grippy substrate (paper towels or possibly regular towels). Also, a feeder with the crumbles spread around, so that food is easy to find, and a quail specific waterer (link below). A quail specific waterer or marbles in shallow water is very important for raising quail chicks, as they can easily drown. I will update you on my quail hatching adventures in two weeks! It's all a learning process for me so let's cross our fingers we get some little chicks. Thanks for reading and as always, if you have any questions or advice, let me know! P.S. We will be selling fertile Button quail eggs for YOU to hatch! -Carrie Recommended Products: My Favorite Incubator" target="_blank"> My Favorite Incubator Quail Egg Rails" target="_blank"> Quail Egg Rails Quail Chick Waterer " target="_blank"> Quail Chick Waterer
3/8/2022 0 Comments A New JourneyWe have been blessed to have found our dream property. Here we will expand our business and grow our family. With that, Two Kids & a Farm and Carrie’s Critters will be renamed Owl-Creek Homestead and Exotics. Named after the “crick” that runs through the property, and the many old and knurly maple trees that provide great nesting grounds for screech and hopefully saw-whet owls.
We will still be focusing on the rabbits, geckos, and dairy goats, but are excited to add new products and livestock. I will update this blog as we build and progress our home, farm, and business. If you’d like to keep up with us and our adventure, go ahead and follow our page. Thank you everyone for your previous and lasting support! -Carrie |
AuthorMy name is Carrie, I have a passion for animals and a knack for self-sufficiency. Follow my blog for our family's homesteading adventures and educational posts as well! ArchivesCategories |