Because some of our Beans have children who might read these posts, I’m going to write about rabbits ‘exercising’. Infer otherwise as you will.
not tonight, dear, I have a headache
We raise rabbits at Stoney Creek for meat (in theory) and because they are splendid recycling systems – weeds, alfalfa pellets and kitchen scraps go in one end, and wondrous fertilizer comes out the other. Mixed with some straw and whatever pellets they spill, it quickly makes a great compost. Those expensive composting tumblers you see advertised aren’t nearly as efficient, and certainly nowhere near as cuddly.
To meet increased demand, we need to increase our population of little compost-making machines, and for that to happen, our rabbits must…..exercise. Now, it’s widely known even among non-farmers that rabbits are enthusiastic about…..exercising. Many eloquent turns of phrase revolve around their fondness for frequent, productive exercise. Many jokes, many comparisons – you’ve all heard them. When given the chance, rabbits will exercise, right?
Not, apparently, our rabbits, who have possibly given up exercising for Lent. I have tried arranging exercise dates at different times of the day because, after all, some rabbits might not enjoy exercising first thing in the morning. I have tried preceding exercise sessions with a little non-exercising proximity, figuring that hey, maybe exercising with someone you don’t know well might be inhibiting. Tried some pre-exercise carrot snacks, you know, to build up the carb levels before anything strenuous. Nothing. Not even warmup activity.
This afternoon I took a CD player to the greenhouse (where the rabbits are housed) with me so I could listen to some music while I was transplanting our seedling tomatoes into 4″ pots. As I’ve done the last few times I’ve been up there, I moved one of the does to the buck’s cage, but this time, with low expectations.
Much to my surprise, all parties involved became extremely enthusiastic about vigorous aerobic activity. Now I’m wondering – can I get a grant to study the effect of Aretha Franklin on rabbits?
katie