Merry Christmas !

WHAT HAPPENS TO RABBITS IN THE WINTER?

Winter's cooler temperatures and lack of vegetation forces wild rabbits to spend more time in search of food. They often seek shelter in underground dens they have lined with grass, straw and twigs as insulators. Domesticated rabbits living in outdoor hutches rely on sensitive human companions that remember to provide additional protection from wind, rain and snow. During extreme cold temperatures -- below zero -- it's best to move domesticated rabbits inside.

Diet Changes In Winter
As noted by Fish and Game Magazine, the once abundant food supply wild rabbits enjoy is decimated by the onset and continuation of winter. Lush vegetation is withered away. Most of the clover, tender young plants, berries and vegetables are gone or difficult to find because they've already been consumed. Wild rabbits resort to eating woody plant parts including the twigs, bark and buds of trees and bushes. Penn State University explains the rabbit's year-round habit of eating their own pelleted feces becomes even more important in the winter months. Rabbits do so to extract additional nutrients because their digestive systems aren't particularly efficient.

Weary from Being Hunted
The winter months aren't tough on wild rabbits solely due to the lack of food. This is the time when humans and other animal predators target them as prey. Game and Fish Magazine states that wild rabbits are hunted in the winter months by house cats and bobcats on the ground and by hawks, owls and other feathered predators from the sky. Add people with shotguns, and wild rabbits face a variety of threats to their chances of surviving until the onset of spring.

Creative Hiding
The thickets and bushes rabbits hide amongst are reduced to bramble with no vegetative covering during winter. It's tough to hide just among stems and twigs. Brush piles and hollowed-out stumps and logs become effective refuge. Some rabbits change color to blend in with the predominantly white and gray landscape. Rabbits also stay put in cold weather to conserve energy. Game and Fish Magazine discusses how hunters walking too quickly in colder temperatures often don't spot rabbits that are in a holding pattern.

Domesticated Rabbits Need Hutch Protection
The Verlannahill Rabbitry states that rabbits can withstand cold much better than excessive heat. That's good news for keepers of domesticated rabbits in outdoor hutches. Rabbits can easily tolerate temperatures hovering at the freezing mark -- 32 degrees Fahrenheit -- or below provided they are sheltered from wind and wet. Use extra straw or other bedding to completely insulate one section of the hutch where your rabbits are protected. Do not enclose the entire hutch as rabbits do require fresh air.

Pumpkin Seeds - Buying, Selection and Saving

Seed Selection:
Experienced growers will tell you, that good seed is an important to a successful crop.
What this means is:
The seed is viable and a good germination rate(percentage of seeds sprouting) is likely to occur.
Genetics, genetics, genetics. If you want a large pumpkin, obtain seeds from a large fruited parent. However, not all large pumpkins are "pretty". You may have to sacrifice a little size for a rounder, oranger strain. Plant viruses can be stored in the seed, and carry into the next year's crop. Look for seed from an experienced grower, who rotates his crops, and knows to remove any diseased vegetation from his garden.
The seeds will produce the type of fruit you want. Cross-pollination is common among the Cucurbita Family. Any experienced home gardener has experienced a cross between a pumpkin and a zucchini at least once. The problem is that when cross-pollination occurs, the genetics are contained in the seed of the crossed fruit, and will not show up until next year. Experienced growers know how to minimize this risk.
Keep the above thoughts in mind, when you acquire seeds. But, do not let it deter you from either saving your own, or getting seed from another grower.

Saving Seeds:
Here are the simple steps for saving seed for next year:

1. Select large, healthy pumpkins from healthy plants. Remember, large begets large, and round begets round.

2. If one plant appears more disease resistant than others, use a pumpkin from this vine.

3. Select two or three (or more) pumpkins, if possible. Using several fruit increases the likelihood of good germination.

4. Extract the seeds from the pumpkins.

5. Wash and rinse seeds thoroughly, using soapy, lukewarm water. Do not use hot water, and do not soak them in water.

6. Drain seeds in a strainer.

7. Spread seed out on a screen.

8. Stir the seeds often the first two days. Turn them over as you stir.

9. Allow the seeds to air dry in a cool, dry area for three weeks. Longer is recommended. Do not cut the time short, even if the seeds appear "dry".

10. Store seeds in a bag, envelope or jar in a cool dry place. Use of an air tight jar is not recommended, because if the seeds have not thoroughly dried, they will mold and rot.

11. Mark the seeds with date and type of pumpkin.

12. Some people place the seed in a freezer for a couple of weeks before sowing them, to replicate nature's winter cycle. This is optional and I have seen no difference.

Growing Peppers

Choose a site with full sun for your pepper plot. Don't plant peppers where tomatoes or eggplants grew previously, because all three are members of the nightshade family and are subject to similar diseases. Make sure the soil drains well; standing water encourages root rot.

Garden centers offer a good variety of transplants, but the choices are greater when you grow peppers from seed. Pepper roots don't like to be disturbed, so plant them indoors in peat pots two months before the last frost date, sowing three seeds to a pot. Maintain the soil temperature at 75°F, and keep the seedlings moist, but not wet. Provide at least 5 hours of strong sunlight a day, or ideally, keep the plants under lights for 12 or more hours daily. Once the seedlings are 2 to 3 inches tall, thin them by leaving the strongest plant in each pot and cutting the others off at soil level.

Seedlings are ready for the garden when they are 4 to 6 inches tall. Before moving the young plants to the garden, harden them off for about a week. Peppers are very susceptible to transplant "shock," which can interrupt growth for weeks. To avoid shocking the plants, make sure the soil temperature is at least 60°F before transplanting; this usually occurs 2 to 3 weeks after the last frost. Transplant on a cloudy day or in the evening to reduce the danger of sun scorch; if this is not possible, provide temporary shade for the transplanted seedlings.

When buying transplants, look for ones with strong stems and dark green leaves. Pass up those that already have tiny fruits on them, because such plants won't produce well. Peppers take at least 2 months from the time the plants are set out to the time they produce fruit, so short-season growers should select early-maturing cultivars.

Space transplants about 1½ feet apart in rows at least 2 feet apart, keeping in mind that most hot-pepper cultivars need less room than sweet ones. If the plot is exposed to winds, stake the plants, but put these supports in place before transplanting the seedlings to keep from damaging roots. To deter cutworms, place a cardboard collar around each stem, pushing it at least an inch into the ground. If the weather turns chilly and rainy, protect young plants with hotcaps.

A first in Europe: Birth of four foals from genotyped, cryopreserved embryos !

Four foals were successfully born as the result of the transfer of genotyped and cryopreserved embryos. Researchers report that this is a first in Europe. The goal of this work is to better understand embryonic development, control livestock reproduction, and maintain breed genetic diversity. Furthermore, it is advantageous for the horse industry to be able to determine the traits of a future foal.

Genotyping allows scientists to choose the embryos they want to use based on different criteria: sex, like in this experiment, the absence of known genetic disorders, or, perhaps in the future, other traits that are tied to behavior, such as emotivity or sociability.

How to Feed a House Rabbit

Your house rabbit needs to have a good diet to stay healthy and live a long life. A well-balanced diet will consist of a good mix of hay, greens, food pellets, and the occasional healthy treat.

1. Give your rabbit plenty of hay. Hay is the most important part of your rabbit's diet, since it provides lots of fiber to aid digestion. A grass hay such as Timothy should be available at all times, allowing the rabbit to eat as much as he or she wants. You can add a variety of hays to encourage more hay consumption. Blue, Brome, Rye, Fescue, Orchard, and Timothy hay can make an tasty blend. Alfalfa can also be offered as an occasional treat to adult rabbits, and should be the primary hay given to babies.

2. Give leafy greens frequently. Look for greens that are dark in color, like dandelion, chicory, parsley, romaine lettuce and cilantro. Always buy organic lettuce. Wash the greens thoroughly before giving them to the rabbit. Depending on your rabbit's needs, sometimes you should only give greens once a week, but most rabbits like lettuce or other greens as one of their two meals every day. The other meal should be pellets (don't forget that hay should always be accessible).

3. Supplement your rabbit's diet with a good quality pellet. Contrary to popular belief, pellets are in fact the least important part of a healthy rabbit diet. Note: Even when you are planning on changing your bunny to a healthier pellet, do so gradually, mixing in more of the new with the old over a months time. This will prevent serious digestive upsets. Feed your adult rabbits a small amount of pellets daily, about 1/4 cup for every five pounds of body weight. Babies that are weaned should have unlimited alfalfa based pellets because alfalfa has extra calories.

4. Keep your rabbit supplied with fresh water. Like all animals, rabbits need fresh water. You can use a heavy bowl or a water bottle. Some rabbits prefer one over the other. A water bottle may need to be changed less frequently than a bowl, which can easily collect rabbit hair and other pollutants. Either will need to be changed and cleaned regularly. A stuck nozzle or broken water bottle can easily go unnoticed. Make sure to do a quick daily check of your water bottle. A simple push of your finger on the nozzle will help ensure it is working properly.

5. Feed your rabbit small amounts of healthy treats, occasionally. Small slices of carrot, banana, apple or a few cheerios make good treats. A couple of raisins is another fun snack. Treats should make up only a tiny portion of your rabbit's diet. For bunnies with extra sensitive digestive systems, use mint, basil and rosemary as a healthy sugarless treat. Other good treats are small amounts of carrot, (unlike Bugs Bunny, a real rabbit can get very sick from eating a lot of carrot) dried banana chips, fresh banana, apple, blueberries, strawberries, wild strawberries, (best from your own backyard) and wild cherry tree branches (not the kind of tree that actually grows cherries). Again, please do not feed your rabbit treats too much otherwise it could make your rabbit sick! All the listed treats should be selectively given except for wild cherry tree branches as they are good for rabbit's teeth to chew on (giving them cardboard toilet paper rolls after they have been used is also a good idea if they don't have much glue on them and is also a good way to recycle).

Storing Vegetables for Winter

Vegetable gardens may close down for the winter in cold climates, but that doesn't mean we can't still enjoy the vegetables we grew. Many vegetables will keep for months in cold storage, if you can provide the right conditions. Choose your vegetables well, keep an eye on them through out the winter and don't be shy about using them. They won't last forever.

General Storage Rules

1. Store only fully mature vegetables. Immature fruits and vegetables will rot quickly. Hold off harvesting as long as possible, especially with root vegetables, that can withstand some frost.

2. Do not store vegetables that have been bruised or nicked or that show the slightest sign of rot. Be careful when handling them.

3. Remove all excess soil. Don't wash the vegetables, just let them dry and brush off the soil. You can wash them well before using them.

4. Thoroughly clean your storage area before each use.

5. Keep the storage area dark.

6. Do not expose stored vegetables to temperatures below freezing.

7. Check on your stored vegetables every week or two. Storage times are just approximations, since vegetables, temperatures and conditions can vary widely.

8. Use vegetables taken from cold storage as soon as possible. They will not last as long as they would if they had been freshly picked.