When we started vermicomposting with red wigglers a few years ago we fed them primarily shredded newspaper and table scraps. As my red wigglers multiplied, we soon needed more food for them than my wife and I produced.
Red wigglers' natural food sources are various types of decomposing animal waste. I went to Craigslist and easily found a supply of horse and rabbit manure being sold cheap to be used as a soil amendment for gardeners. I decided to purchase four 50 lb. bags of rabbit manure from a local rabbit breeder for $5 a bag. My red wigglers loved their new food supply and my garden and potted plants thrived from the worm castings.
I've decided to kick it up another level and instead of purchasing rabbit manure, we're going to purchase a couple of rabbits to keep so we always have a source of red wiggler food and garden soil amendment. And while we're at it, it would be nice to harvest wool from them. How's that for sustainable?
There are several rabbit breeds that produce wool including English Angora, French Angora, Satin Angora, Giant Angora, and Jersey Wooly. We are in the early stages of researching the possibilities, advantages, and disadvantages of each particular breed. Size, temperment, and wool production are all considerations. With the weather we experience here in the upper Midwest, the rabbits would need to be keep indoors for most of the year, so that will be a primary consideration. We're inexperienced rabbit keepers, so we want to understand the how's and why's before we make a final decision, but I am leaning toward the French Angora after my initial research.
Who knows... maybe my wife will learn to crochet and make me a nice warm angora stocking cap as a Christmas present next year? :-) I'm sure my mother would also like a homemade angora scarf at some point. It's urban farming for Christmas gifts. What a concept!
If there is anyone reading this that can help me along the journey, I'd love to hear from you.
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