Holbrook argus. (Holbrook, Ariz.) 1900-1913, 1900-05-26
THU BELGIAN HARE
MANAGEMENT, MATING AND
BREEDING. =

Belgian hare is gaining such great
popularity is the small space in
which it can be successfully raised.
Any back yard, no matter how small,
is sufficient to raise good number.
They can be allowed to run on the
ground in summer, provided there is
shade and the ground is dry, but we
prefer the following system:
Give each breeding doe and the
stud buck separate hutch, about
3x4x2 feet high. Let the floor, top,
back and sides be tight and the
front covered with wire netting Zone
inch mesh). Place a door in the
front large enough to permit of
easily cleaning out the hutch, aud
provide the brood Zoe with a nest
box atouv twenty inches long, twelve
inches high and twelve wide. This
nest box may have cover for your
own use, but should otherwise be
tight, leaving only an opening six
inches square for the use of the doe.
In hot weather take off the cover of
this box. Provide earthenware or
tin drinking and feed vessels.
These hutches may be built in the
form of a rabbitry, side by side, and
perhaps two or three banks high, or
they may be dry goods boxes coz
verified into a hutch. The hutches
should be covered with shed roof,
allowing the roof 10 extend far
enough over the fronts to insure
against storm beating in. The
rabbitry should face the east and
south. Shade should be provided
in extremely hot weather, and a
heavy canvas or carpet hung on the
fronts of the hutches during cold
winter nights.
Keep the hutches clean. This
positively must be done in order to
preserve the health of your hares.
Provide plenty of litter, such as
straw, leaves, etc.
What you feed is perhaps of less
importance than how you feed. A
doe with litter, or youngsters up to
three months of age, should have
feed standing before them at all
times. With these two exceptions,
never feed more than will be eaten
clean within one hour. Always feed
at the same time of day, not 6 o'clock
one day, 8 o'clock the next. Feed
clean, bright oats or wheat in the
morning, small piece of parsnip,
carrot or the like at noon, oats or
wheat and alfalfa or clover hay at
night; clear water at all times. Dry
bread, bread and milk, rolled oats
etc., are excellent to nursing doe.
Green food or vegetables of any
kind must be fed sparingly at first
and gradually increased.
Judicious mating is very essentia.
in the production and rearing of any
stock. Pedigree is almost as much
Importance as individual quality
Even Gull stock will occasionally
produce a good or fair specimen
This reversion of nature is not to b.
depended on, and the specimen il
worthless as a breeder. On thu
other hand, poor specimen, i
backed by ancestors Of good quality
is quite apt to be good breeder.
Whether breeding for market o
the show room have type in mint
and make every mating with a view
of securing it. Strike a balance
that is, mate one deficient will
another perfect at that point.
After the doe has visited the bucl
and is placed in her hutch, provided
with the nest box, begin feeding he
an extra allowance all round, partic
ularly green food or vegetables. Sh
is due to kindle in about thirty day
and should be provided with stray
or litter, with which to build he
nest, few days before due. During
the period of pregnancy keep her a
quiet as possible and see that sh
has an extra supply of water at tim
of kindling. In her frenzy of thirs
at this period she is quite apt to xii
her young if not well supplied wit
water.
After three or four days remov
the doe from the hutch, giving he
some tidbits to keep her quiet, Will
you examine the young.
Seven or eight is all doe ca
raise successfully, and any excess c
this number should be killed.
The young can be taken from tn
doe when six weeks old in war;
weather. but will do better if lei