Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-11-30

Is likely always to give abundance of
milk for her young. If pairing begins
in February each doe may be expected
To produce four filters n year. the
young coming at intervals of about
twelve weeks, with u longer rest i'll
midwinter.
Preparing for the Young.
The CESSATION period of the rabbit
is about thirty days. When the doe
is nearly ready to bear young, her
hutch should be thoroughly cleaned
and disinfected, after which good
supply of soft hay or straw Goat straw
is besD should be placed in the body
of the hutch TO enable her to arrange
her nest. If the hutch is without u
nesting compartment, box should be
placed in n corner. 1t should be IS to
20 inches long, about Il foot deep, or
10 inches wide, and without II lid.
Make hole in one end large enough
for the doe to pass through easily, and
turn the box upside down. The doe
will arrange her nest day or two be-
fore the young are born. At this time
extra attention should be given To her
food. She should have milk and warm
water regularly, and Il pan of clean
water should be kept constantly in
the hutch. While a doe is heavy with
young and for few days after their
birth. extreme care should be taken
to see that she is not frightened by
cats or dogs or even by strange visi-
tors in the rabbitry. Avoid touching
the nest or handling the young, unless
it is absolutely necessary.
Diet While Nursing.
During the first week or two after
having young the doe may be fed al
most entirely on warm milk and bread.
This is recommended for the bulk of
the morning and evening meals, with Il
small supply of green food. Green
food may be given also in the middle
of the day, and the daily proportion
gradually increased. Boiled mush
made of cornmeal is also an excellent
food for sucking does. but most other
pasty or watery foods should be avoid
ed as likely TO derange the bowels.
Milk, and indeed any soft food, should
be fed in separate earthenware dish.
especially In warm weather, when il
sours quickly. The dish should be
washed and scalded often.
WEAVING.
The young may be weaned when a
month old, but it is better to leave
them with the doe two or three weeks
longer. Remove two each day until
all are transferred to another hutch
which may be large enough to accom-
mOdate any number. They do well to-
gether until they are three or -four
months old, when their development
will compel separation of the sexes
After this any number of does ma:
OCCUPY the same hutch, but unless
thoroughly accustomed to each other
will fight.
AiImerss of Rabbits.
If properly cared for, rabbits are
remarkably free from diseases. The
more, common ailments results from
insanitary surroundings, lack of care
in feeding, and improper ventilation
The hutches should be cleaned fire.
quently and fresh sawdust or other
fine litter used to take up liquids, SO
that the hutches do not become foul
Such ailments as mango, scurf, sur
felt, and the disease of the eyes known
as Ophthalmia are due usually to foul
hutches. Cold snuffies and the like re.
suit from improper ventilation. sud
den drafts of cold air in Overheated
buildings, and similar causes. The
disorders of the digestive organs come
from feeding young rabbits too freely
of wet and juicy green foods or from
too radically changing their diet. Most
diseases are preventable, and If the
cause is understood remedies will sug.
gest themselves.
among hutch rabbits in America is
coccidiOsis. 1t is caused by internal
parasites, and when present in the rab
bitry kills many young rabbits. TX
IRENE caution is needed to prevent its
introduction, and new stock obtained
should for time be kept isolated from
the regular hutches. Keeping the
hutches in stacks aids in spreading
the infection. Absolute cleanliness may
do much to prevent the disease
Whenever a number of the young rab
bits under good care develop pot
bellied appearance, particularly where
it is accompanied by symptoms of cold
and snuiIles, there is reason To suspect
that old and apparently healthy ami
mails may be afflicted with chronic
cOccidiosis and are eXpelling cOcidi
from their bodies. Isolation of the af
fected hutch and its occupants, tOgeth
to be taken while the exact nature OF
the trouble is being determined
Literature About Rabbits.
If serious diseases affect his stock
the amateur will find it advantageou:
to obtain a standard treatise on tn,
management of rabbits. This will con
tain detailed instruction for the treat
ment of the more common ailments
AS the business of rearing rabbits i.
carried on much more extensively il
England than in America, the hes
hand-boOks are published abroad
They may be obtained through an!
bookseller.
-~~~~~~-~-~o~~~~~~
! DON'T BURN ASPARAGUS BET