Kiska's Homestead

12/05/2023

While I won't be gifting my self rabbits (This year)... this is a real thing, you can do this.

12/03/2023

So, my reward for letting my rabbits go was I get to have a snake, again!

Thanks to Shady Brook Rabbitry, I now have this gorgeous ball python boy! We had a group meeting and Kalyn from Elbon Mill Farm thought he was actually a cookie in his container 🤣

Trying to think of names, suggestions welcome! I wanted to give him a cool name but he's proving to be an absolute goofball.

And Shady Brook has more available for anyone local looking!

I also bought extra supplies I don't need because I was going to get two but didn't, so if someone needs some heating stuff and a corner water bowl, hit me up!

11/30/2023

Final buck is back up for grabs. He's a big beautiful boy and has a great disposition 🥰
‼️Pending again‼️

11/23/2023

The most ethical way to consume meat is small scale farming. Store bought meat is far from cruelty free and you have no control over what is raised and processed outside of your own environment.

Anyone locally who wants to butcher their own livestock and doesn't know where to start, I'd be happy to assist and teach you!

Even if you are not local, still happy to walk you through the process. There's a lot of tutorial content online as well if you can't find a hands on teacher.

Together, we do better.

I was once told in the comment section, that the only reason I raise meat rabbits is because my “husband is too CHEAP to provide grocery money”……
A huge laugh for me and those who actually know him, followed by utter shock, because that lady truly believed I could just eat meat from from the store, to spare the animal.
I understand that home butchery is hard for people, because it’s an art we are losing and many don’t grow up exposed to. When I was little, my family was always growing, dispatching and processing their own food. I knew from a very young age that if chickens didn’t lay, they were turned into soup, that when my dad brought home piglets, they would be harvested and we would have bacon and hams. Everyone worked in our homestead together to provide, and I wasn’t shocked by seeing a live animal dispatched. Many have moved away from home harvesting because of convenience, laws and state regulations. But for the majority it’s easier for someone else to raise the animal and take that animals life, because you don’t feel anything buying a faceless package of meat that been shipped around the country or even world, and because people have no connection or knowledge to tend livestock. If you’re eating meat straight off a grocery store shelf, how can you comment, “Ewww, Grossss, Go to the store! I can’t believe you eat that!”, to someone raising, harvesting, providing local sustainable food?
You’ll always see me posting this process, because education, on all fronts is something I refuse to lose.
And I encourage you to keep rearing livestock, teaching those who need guidance, passing down valuable traditions and honoring those lives who sustain us.

11/21/2023

One of my favorite breeder bucks at Mountain Clean Whitetails 🥰

11/18/2023

Y'all, the comments and messages of encouragement and understanding have hit me in the feels over the past 24 hours.

And over 30 rabbits have been claimed in that amount of time, I'm amazed and incredibly thankful! 😱💜

We'll spend the next couple weeks moving them all out, meeting all the rabbitries who are taking on my breeding stock and cleaning up the rabbitry.

I'll never forget this phase of my life, everything I've learned, all the people I've met.

This page won't be vacant moving forward, while I am *busy busy*, I'll still have chickens/chicks to offer as far as livestock goes. I took on Elbon Mill Farm's Satin Silkie project earlier this year and hope to work on those and grow that flock in the coming year.

My biggest farming passion of them all is to give people the tools they need for food security and hope I can continue to educate, mentor and provide access to my community members and beyond 🙏

I'll also be co-running the new Buckhannon Farm Swap at TSC! More to come on that, soon!

Kalyn at Elbon Mill Farm is my partner in crime and chaos with this new swap and we hope to make it a good one for you all 💖

11/17/2023

Here's the project Giant Rex herd.
‼️PENDING PICKUP‼️
This is for the entire herd!!

IF I were to split them it would be half herd but I don't want to, I'm making an amazing deal on them and can even send them off with the odd and end cages.

It would take the whole herd in my opinion to continue the betterment of this breeding program.

The goal here is to make a flemish sized rex, my personal goal was to also work on growth rates to make them better meat rabbits but also provide flemish sized velvety pelts. There is almost a decade worth of breeding in this group of rabbits (I haven't seen many if any F5's for this project, especially on the East Coast)

I'll help whoever takes them on with any questions, genetics, just anything they may need advice on as they take on this operation.

In addition, I have J feeders, resting mats and waterers. Turn key rabbitry 🔑

There are 6 F5's
3 adult rex carrier does
3 F2's (1 buck not pictured)

There's an additional 2 normal furred bucks who can either go with the group or be culled. Those 2 Jr bucks are not guaranteed carriers.

Pictures are from this summer, I just havnt had the time to get updated pictures.

I'm letting the whole crew go for $500 (which is what I have in my original 5)

My loss is your gain, here. I want someone who will continue to work towards these goals to take this on and I will be as active as I need to be to get them started and educated.

11/17/2023

Last black buck available 📣
!!PENDING PICKUP!!

Loving the type on this boy, hoping he finds a good breeder home 🥲🥰

11/17/2023

Last blue buck unspoken for 📣
‼️pending again‼️

Remember, this is your last chance to get a Kiska's Flemish Giant 🥲

11/17/2023

Here's a post I've been both excited to make, and dreading.

As a lot of you know, I've taken on a bigger role in the family deer farm and my responsibilities there will continue to grow as the farm grows. I also help run the other family business and am just spread very thin.

That has lead to my dear husband taking over the elephant's share of my own farming chores.

For the past few months I've been pondering on letting the rabbits go... It's just not fair to my husband, or myself, or my rabbits the way things have been going.

The main reason I didn't make this decision sooner is this weird sense of obligation to continue, I have rabbits all over the country and have managed to make a name for myself in the 6 years I've been breeding. And I feel like it makes me a "quitter" to step away, and that people expect me to always provide these services. (I know, a bit illogical).

That being said, whether this is forever or for the time being, I've officially decided to completely disperse my rabbitry.

This means selling everything (Which might make for a great opportunity for someone interested in my breeders!)

I'm not sure how best to do this, I know EVERYONE wants does but I just can't sell does and leave myself stuck with a bunch of boys.

So, as for the Flemish Giants. I'm going to post boys first. If you want a doe and I still have boys they will only be available IN PAIRS.

Once the bucks are gone, any remaining does will be available.

If someone is interested in taking the entire herd, or even half the herd, they'll be offered at a discount.

As rabbits leave, I'll likely have some cages and supplies available as well.

As for the Giant Rex project, they will be split into 2 groups and discounted if someone takes both groups. I will not separate them more than that because for that program to reach its full potential you will need atleast half the herd to work with.

11/09/2023

The antler tree I got to build at the deer farm 🥰

10/30/2023

Wonderful rainy fall day sharing some coffee from one of our favorite local coffee shops and tattooing tiny buns (seriously, so tiny! Ears are almost too small to tattoo 😳)

If you havnt already started following her page, definitely recommend checking out Elbon Mill Farm and her Pixie Rex 💜

10/13/2023

Blue Buck Available 📢 !!PENDING PICKUP!!

I was looking at all of the younger rabbits this evening, and got a couple pictures of some I can let go.

This blue buck is one of them. He has a lovely shape, and he's a pretty boy. He just doesn't have the mass I prefer so I'm going to let him move on.

He is available with pedigree as a breeder or without as a pet 😊

Message for more info 💜

10/11/2023

The local homestead sale is coming up! 🐄 🐐 🐖 🐓 🦆🐑🦙🦃

Livestock sale every Saturday at 11am. Accepting livestock on Saturday 7am-1pm. Special calf sales a

10/07/2023

Preserve Bucks

10/01/2023

We've reached 2,000 followers! 🎉

Super grateful to get to learn and grow with you all.

Thanks for coming along with me for this ride.
💜 💜

10/01/2023

Check out some of the boys 🦌

09/30/2023

One of the locals made a bunch of babies DANG NEAR IN OCTOBER and ditched them in the tall grass 🚩🚩🚩


🤦‍♀️

09/23/2023

Please enjoy this late summer sunset from the other day, featuring the bestest guard doggo/kitty combo: Bragi and Kali Ma.

09/18/2023

We're booking for 2024 at the deer farm! 🦌

09/16/2023

Let's talk tattooing!

Trying to get caught up on long put off chores as summer winds down, figured I might as well make a post about it since I get asked so often how to tattoo rabbits 💁‍♀️

First of all, tools and supplies:
- Tattoo machine (or clamp)
- Tattoo ink & ink cap
- Notebook (keep diligent notes!)
- Numbing Spray (optional)
- Rubbing alcohol
- Clean rag and large towel (dark colors ideal)

Step 1: Prep Ear

Use a small amount of alcohol on the tip of a rag and clean the area for the tattoo. I prefer to place the tattoo as deep and as high in the ear as possible (see pictures). This allows me to tattoo the thicker part of the ear, it will last longer, have less exposure to sun damage and its less visible in pictures of the animal, which I prefer.
You should be tattooing the left ear- guidelines state "A legible tattoo in a rabbit's ear provides permanent identification for that animal. For rabbits to be shown at ARBA shows, the personal tattoo must be put in the rabbit's left ear. The right ear is reserved for a registration tattoo placed there by an ARBA registrar."
At this point you can use a marker to trace the name or identification number inside the ear if you'd like a stencil to follow. You may want to plan what combination of numbers and letters work best for you, this is an opportunity to sneak information into your identification system. Play with ideas, make it unique to you and your rabbitry. AND TRIPLE CHECK S*X BEFORE YOU CONTINUE. You want your records to be as accurate as possible. Make sure you have the right information for each rabbit and checking s*x is crucial considering how some rabbits have that elusive change later in maturity.

Step 2: Numbing Spray (Optional)

This step can be skipped but I find it both easier on me and the buns to use numbing spray. They struggle less while I am applying the tattoo and that just makes life easier for all of us. The spray I use can be found on Amazon and is pictured. I use the towel or rag to cover their eyes from over spray and give a small sprit on the prepared area. Let rest about 5 or so minutes to allow it time to numb.

Step 3: Burrito the Bunny 🌯

Pretty simple, lay the towel out, place bun in middle and ✨️burrito✨️ wrap the bun. I like to do a snug wrap to keep them from thrashing or scratching. I then fold a section of towel over their eyes so they can't see and I have a little control over their head, as well. At this point, its time to ink!

Step 4: Tattoo!

I like to use my clean rag as a backing to the ear, giving me more structure and support. I fold the ear open slightly to get the positioning I like and then begin tattooing. They will probably jump a little initially because of the sound in their ear but if they are sufficiently numbed, I find most sit pretty still for this, especially when their eyes are covered.
Once I have the name or number complete, I like to wipe the excess ink away. It won't all come off initially, but that's okay.

Sidenotes: You can use any tattoo machine or clamp, they are actually quite cheap on Amazon. I recently upgraded to a cordless version which is MUCH more cohesive to my set up as my rabbitry is nowhere near a power outlet. I can tattoo in the rabbitry now and not carry everyone up the hill to the house 🥴
I'll post a link to the machine I'm currently using but cheaper options still work perfectly. You'll also want to make sure you are getting a kit with power supply for whatever machine you choose. I prefer machine tattoos to clamps and find them more legible and longer lasting.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09X9H78W6?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_image

*Special thanks to the lovely Mantis for being my model this evening 🧡

08/26/2023

🙃

08/22/2023

😏

08/21/2023

His very first set ✨️

Appy and his First set of Antlers

08/21/2023

💜

So some of you may already know if you follow Kiska's Homestead, but for those that don’t know….

I will be now hosting the Foster Feed Farm Swap. The remaining schedule for 2023 is below. Christina has done a wonderful job in the past with hosting that swap. Her schedule just has gotten very busy and she chose to let someone else take over and I stepped up. I love hosting swaps so I’m very excited!

I will still be hosting Buckhannon Freedom Ag’s Swap as well. Remaining ones for this year’s are September 2nd and October 7th.