The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-08-27
REARING RABBITS.
A Profitable Employment for the Youn
on the Farm.


the Farm.
The rearing of rabbits for sale may
be made profitable employment-no
more difficult to manage than the
breeding of poultry, and with even
better pecuniary results. These ami
mails are hardy, exceedingly prolific,
and are cheaply fed. They are not
subject to any serious diseases, and,
when kept in a manner consistent with
their natural habits, are very little
trouble, requiring only room enough in
a safely-inclosed place on dry ground
and convenient nesting places to thrive
in satisfactory manner. The flesh is
quite as good as that of poultry, and is
quite as salable in the markets.
The choice of variety is important,
because the flavor of the flesh and the
weight depend much upon the selec-
ton. The Belgian rabbit is considered
the best for market purposes, and
grows to a large size. If one should
desire to 90 into the business of rearing
these animals for profit, this breed
would be the first choice; but, as few
are kept in this country, it would be
necessary to import the stock from
England, where it is largely kept by
fanciers, or from its native country.
Our Northern hare, which grows to
the weight of eight or nine pounds,
and the English hare, of about the same
size, might also be kept with profit.
| The English hare would be preferable,
as having long been used to the feeding
which would be most conveniently pro-
vided, and being already dOmesticated
and kept for the supply of the markets.
/ This animal has been brought to this
| country for sale during the winters to
/ a small extent, and has been received
/ with favor in the markets, although it
! has been sold at a high price-viz.,
/ three dollars per head.
But whether the large Belgian rabbit
/ or the English hare be chosen, the man.
agement would be the same. A large
enclosure would be required, not less
! than ten acres, surrounded by a safe,
| tight fence, to keep them in and the
dogs out. A piece of rough woodland,
with plenty of lowgrOwing underbrush
and ferns, would be needed to furnish
cover and breeding places, and a grass
| field or pasture properly provided with
acceptable food, with some ground for
crops of various roots. A useful inn
! proVement upon nature would be to
| provide dry coops and distribute them
about the preserve for use of the young
!
| litters.
The food of the rabbits and hares
consists of clover, grass, tares, pea
vines, cabbage. tUrnips, both young
and in the root, celery, parsley, lettuce,
carrots, beets and mangles. a small
patch sown to wheat would furnish
useful food in the late fall and early
spring, while the cabbage, turnips,
celery and carrots, with some bran,
would provide acceptable food for the
winter. A little salt is necessary fOE
the health, and these animals are ex-
ceedingly fond of it; so much so that il
is used as the best of all bats for en-.
ticing them into traps.
1t would certainly be best to KEEP
only the pure breeds, and not attempt
to cross them with our small wild rab
bits. These are too small and cheap
for profit, and would cost more thar
they would be worth to get a stock o.
them alive. | have often thought Of
the advantage of introducing the Eng
fish hare for breeding and feeding
for market, or else our owI
Northern hare, which is quite as large
but being native to the soil, would
not be as popular and profitable as tht
foreign hare or rabbit The English
hare would be a valuable acquisition tx
our stock of food animals, as it pro
vides the material for a large number
and variety of most toothsOme dishes
the cookery book having not less thar
twenty different ways of preparing this
animal for the table, and in every one
the peculiar tenderness and gam1
flavor of the flesh make it most desir
able. It is estimated that fifty of these
hares and about one hundred of The
Belgian rabbits can be kept the yea
round on an acre of ground. More car
be kept, of course, if a winter supply
Of vegetables and roots is provided; fol
a pound of roots and cabbage heart
with two ounces of bran, viii affOrC
abundant provision for hare or fol
two rabbits; but a change of grounC
and yearly blowing will be necessary
to preserve cleanliness. They cOulC
be kept much more easily in the South
where the ground is free from deer
SHOWS, than in the North, although GU
native hare is an inhabitant of the mos
Northern States, and is exceedingly
abundant in Canada and the Northern
lake regions, where [ have seen thu
swampy thickets trOdden hard by thei
countless numbers, and have known
over one hundred taken in snares in
night by one trapper. But the South
ern winter climate is so much like tina
of England and the north of Europe
Belgium especially, that the two ami
mails would be wholly ct home there a
far as climate and natural food ar
concerned.-H. Ste30art, IN C0u19trl
Gentleman.