The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1915-01-14
TO THE FARMERS
OF TENNESSEE
by CAPT. T. F. PECK,
Commissioner of Agriculture
THE BELGIAN HARE FOR
HOME USE AND PROFIT

wears ago; now all cIaSs0'
went wild over the possibilities Oh 'ie
prolific little animal.
Farmers sold other stock anu hiiee
their available space with high prlceu
hares. merchants bred them IN upper
rooms of apartments stores, and cot
tages erected buildings in back yarus
20 accommodate them. For a time II
seemed tina the industry had come "
stay. and believe that if 1t had NO.
been abused by interruptions men ~
would today stand by the poultry
business in its usefulness to the mass
es of the people. Men bent alone On
making money, taking advantage Oh
tho boom. bought worthless stock and
advertised and sold them at nlgn
prices, until it was difficult to go into
the business without bein gswindled'
man was fortunate to get good
stock even at fancy prices.
Another thing which affected the
popularity of the hare was conteh-
tion on the part of some that, es-
Gaping and breeding wild state'
they would over run the country ana
destroy the crops. This has peen
nroved tn be an error, as it is now
known that, having so many enemles'
they cannot survive in natruai state'
Though tbs boiom of Belgian hares
collapsed, the little animal, held us
own, All that had been claimed LOT
II was fully met 1t had proved to De
the most prolific of all meat produc-
ing animals. 1t would mature quickly
an dawtshe very choicest article Oh
food and the sick could eat OF 1t When
no other meat could be safely eaten.
lust at this time when stead is pro-
hibitive to the masses because OF us
nrice and all kinds of meat are sell
ing at prices that make 1t Impossible
for many to provide it for their FAM
ily ii occurs to me that is worth
while to consider the Belgian hare as
a way to provide wholesome supply
of meat for home use or even for mar
ket.
It may be that many are not famil-
lar with the Belgian hare and have
no idea of how rapidly they increase.
Fo rthe benefit of sue hi will say that
one doe. if properly handled, will
bring six or more filters in one year
and will leverage six at a time. Her
first youngwil bread at six months and
will average, if three does are in the
first litter, eighteen before the year is
out the next litter twelve, and the
mex six. So you san easily produce
from one doe and her offspring in one
year seveny-two hares. This is a low
estimate.
AS a maturity at six weeks of age
the young hare is twice as heavy as
a chicken of the same age, weighing
probably one ane one half pounds.
This is not the only thing in which
the hare has the advantage OF the
chicken. The critical period in an in
cubatr chicks life is during the first
three weeks. 1t must be kept warm
by artificial heat, andits food must
be suited to its needs, in which is a
difficult problem. On the other hand,
during the first three weeks the young
hare is practically safe from the
weather, snugly in its mothers nest;
and If turned off or weaned at that age
it is well able to take care of itself,
and If properly fed on rolled oats and
alfalfa hay the loss amounts to very
little.
To raise hares for meat economical-
ly fence in large yards, the larger the
better, so that the grass will grow
fast enough to give them plenty. Use
for the bottom of the fence wire net
ting, one inch mesh, eighteen inches
wide. With pillow or otherwise
make a trench about six inches deer
puading the lower edge of the wire
at the bottom, throwing the earth
back against it. Above this run two
inch mesh poultry netting three OF
three and one half feet wide. Faster
the two strips of wire together every
four feet with small wire. Place the
uprights on which you stretch 1t firm
ly in the ground every ten feet. using
round stakes or 2x2 joists.
Have a little building for shelter
large enough to avoid crowding then
at night, with good ventilation close t
the roof. The floor elevated from thu
ground at least six inches. Make THU
floor of narrow strips leaving tn,
backs about one fourth inch wide be
tween. See that the building is closet
to the ground so there will be n,
draft under the floor. Have small
door in one corner for them to enter
In this building you can place ha,
racks, feed hangers, etc., so that il
stormy weather the little fellows will
not be compelled to go out Of doors.
Does and Bucks can run together I'm
til three orfour months old, when the
should be separated.
BY giving large runs so they can ge
plenty of grass to eat, with very little
grain they can be brought up to tn