Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-11-23
RAISE RABBITS TO INCREASE MEAT SUPPLY


prepared by the United States Depart |
ment of Agriculture.)
At four months the young Belgian |
hare should be ready for the table, |
and if it has been properly fed should |
weigh about six pounds or even more.
This weight is about the best for mar
ket rabbits, and immediate sale is
more profitable than keeping to ma
turity. Some breeders sell at 10 to II
weeks and aim to have their stock
weigh about 51a pounds at that age.
To do this requires that the animals
be kept in small hutches where they
can have but little exercise and that
they be fed heavily from the time they
are weaned. Under this treatment
they grow very rapidly and are really
superior for the table.
Market Returns.
It is not easy to state what a breeder
should realize for market rabbits.
Much depends on local conditions and
especially upon the familiarity of the
public with the excellence of hutch
rabbits for the table. If the animals
are new to a market demand for
them will have to be built up, but as
rule they soon will become popular.
Better prices usually can be had by
selling directly to the consumer, thus
saving the middlemans profit. One
may make arrangements to deliver
regularly or periodically to hotels and
restaurants, but often poultry dealer
will agree to take a certain quantity
at regular intervals. If members of
The family look after the rabbits SO
that there is fi6 outlay for labor, and
if the hutches are built at home, the
cost of rearing may be greatly reduced
and much of the Income will be net
gain. Although it must be admitted
that rabbits require more care than
usually is given to poultry on our
farms, their management has the ad-
vantage that it is more interesting
especially to the younger members OF
the family.
Disposng of Surplus.
After selecting the best stock fol
breeding purposes it is well to dispose
of the remainder as rapidly as condi
tions warrant. If those to be sold are
to be marketed alive, all that is needed
is to crate them properly and forward
them to their destination. This is the
better plan in hot weather, as the
| carcasses do not keep well. If car
casses are to be delivered the meth
DDS of killing and packing are import
| ant considerations.
Killing.
| There are two excellent ways o.
| killing the animals. The easier anC
J probably the more humane is to dis
locate the neck Almost all game
: keepers know this method and cal
show the novice quickly how it il
done, but probably a description viii
be understood. Take the two hint
i legs of the rabbit firmly in the lef
hand, place the thumb of the righ
hand Just behind the ears where tn
neck joins the skull, the palm restin
n on the left side of the face and tn
d fingers holding firmly under the jaw:
:. Then stretch out the animal Quickl
n and with force, pressing in the rtgh
u thumb and bending the head bach
e ward The dislocation will be felt dis
Il tinctly. This method requires COZ
i. siderable strength, but when the knac
n of it is learned it entails less suffel
a. ing than any other. Another exec
n lent way of killing is to hold the raj
bit up in the left hand, as in the frs
r. method, and then to strike a shar
n blow on the back of the head with
" round stick, stunning the animal.
N soon as the neck is dislocated or tt
al rabbit stunned the jugular vein, shoul
" be cut with a sharp knife and the an
n. nal hung head downward to bleed.
" Dressing.
; The next step in preparing a carca
20 for market is to remove the paunt
n and entrails, as their presence wOu
IF soon taint the meat. With a shar
6 pointed knife make longitudinal C
,r down the middle of the belly, divi
k ing the skin and the thin abdomin
n walls, but being careful not to cut t
or intestines. Turn out the paunch al
hs the intestines, but leave the lune
al liver, heart, and kidneys in plaC
&C. Next make a slit between the lar
tendon and the bone of one hind l
and slip the other leg through the CT
so that the carcass may be read
bo hung up. It should hang long enou
no to stiffen before being packed.
in Packing.
he For packing the rabbits for mark
or a basket or hamper of the ordina
mo- shape and having movable fiat slatt
-er trays to enable one to pack the CT
at casses in separate layers is reco
IT, mended. Such hamper permits fl
NJ circulation of the air not only on t
nd edge but also throughout the packa
Id and the carcasses packed in this W
mo reach their destination in an attract
70 state, instead of in the messy con
-. ton so often seen in the wild rabbi
m. marketed in America.
on Cooking and Serving.
mt The cooking of domestic rabbi
Tie does not differ greatly from that
nh quired for domestic fowls, and an
ut perienced housewife can prepare tn
me- in a variety of savory ways. AS
itz meat is naturally somewhat dry,
much as possible of the juices sho'
be retained in cooking it. The follo
ing standard recipes for preparing r.
fa- bit apply to mature animals of W
,ca and domestic kinds. For young E
IN. gian hares weighing five pounds
for less and young wild rabbits the ii
of cooking may be somewhat reduc
MA Baked Rabbit en- Casserole
,1, alternate layers of rabbit and t
slices of bacon, season with thyl
uo sage, thinly sliced onions, and salt
taste. Fill the dish with water, b;
49,, in slow oven for one and h
hours. A covered baking dish or !
=, may be used instead of a casser
on -~~~~-o-~~-~~~-~~-~o-~~-~
Sugar Beets for Feed.