Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-05-30
WHITE RABBITS AS PETS
Provide an Easy Way for Farm
Boys to Earn Their Own
Pocket Money.
BY M, F. RrTTENHoUsE.

In my opinion the most profitable
and cheapest pets for the boy VINO
wishes to earn his own pocket money
are white rabbits.
l know a boy who had only dis
used chicken pen not more than lO rect
square and three white rabbits which
had been given him by young coun-
try cousin, who made quite little |
spending money the first year of his |
venture and in this-his second year
has so far paid for his clothing and
school books from the proceeds of the
sale of his pets.
The enterprising cousin who started
him in business also showed him how
to make his hutches of the empty
packing cases in which shoes are
shipped He also suggested 70 him
that he earn these packing cases, which
would have cost him at least 10 cents,
by sweeping the shoe merchants store
for him.
The cousin made him his first three
| hutches. He removed the bottom of
the packing cases and replaced them
with pieces of 1-inch mesh wire net
| ting, fastening the netting along the
cases with small staples used in tack
ing down straw mating.
He sawed out an opening about 3
| inches wide and inches in length in
both ends of the packing cases The
openings We're then covered with pieces
of window screening and made quite
neat appearing little windows.
He made a very neat sliding door by
mailing two thin, narrow strips of
wood about half an inch apart along
the inside edges of one end and both
sides of the top of the packing cases
and into the grooves formed by the
strips of wood he fitted the bottoms of
the cases, which he had removed care
fully in order that they remain in one
piece. They moved easily and smooth
: ly in the grooves after he had planed
their ends and sides slightly at the
edges.
He also sawed out and covered with
l netting a small window in the center
2 of each sliding door, for the Dummies
need plenty of air. When my young
friend grew accustomed to the use OF
tools he experimental by making his
r front door of the 1-inch mesh and OF
| course this required hinges, but he
: went back to the old way of making
the hutch doors after few trials O
e the new way.
d the packing case is placed on one side
S which makes the bottom of the cas-
6 with its inch mesh the back and tn
sliding doors the front of bunny'S man
e sion.
: In each of the mother rabbit
hutches he placed boxes about l
inches square, with a hinged lid i
front, in which he cut an opening
inches square. In this box Madam
Bunny makes her nest and here he
babies hide until they are at least
weeks old.
The country cousin also taught hir
that the food and drinking dishes mus
be carefully cleaned each day and tn
bedding of hay and straw on the floc
of the hutch must be changed twice
week.
1t is a good plan to have the hutche
several feet from the ground, as moth
ing kills rabbits so quickly as damp
ness
In the summer my boy friend found
inexpensive to feed his pets, for the
lived almost entirely off of dandelio
clover, oak leaves, lettuce and IL
green tops of any vegetables, with on
a handful of oats once a day, but
the winter he had to provide carrot
apples and a great deal more corn al
oats, which he mixed together.
He gave the mother rabbits plen
he of bread and milk all the time tn
de were building their nests and until t
an babies were weeks old. At that a.
'et they are ready for market, and ev,
ITS if you do not sell them they must
If taken away from the mother and s
nd up at housekeeping in hutches of the
ITS own, so the enterprising cousin to
nd him.
of Bits of green hickory or oak wo
with the bark should be placed in the
hutches every once in while and
occasional acorn or hickory nut is
much benefit to them.
ng The selling price varies, but I
nd young friend tells me that even VIII
,se he sells in large lots to dealers
zen never gets less than 20 cents apiece
,g them and that he has at Easter
of ceived as much as 81 each and Oft
tie when selling direct to customers
nst cents apiece.
Ter AS each mother rabbit will ra
,sv more than twenty babies in a year, a
the as they are ready for the market a
weeks old. you will readily see Il
they are profitable pets.