Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-11-16

defer mating young doe until Marcll.
She then has young in April, when
there Is abundant green food to in
duce good flow of milk. This lacteal
development once well established. she
is likely always to give abundance of
milk for her young. If pairing begins
in February each doe may be expected
to produce four litters a year, the
young coming at intervals of abou;
twelve weeks, with a longer rest il
midwinter.
Preparing for the Young.
The CESSATION period of the rabbit
is about thirty days. When the dof
is nearly ready to bear young, he's
hutch should be thoroughly cleaned
and disinfected, after which a good
supply of soft hay or straw Coat straw
is bes) should be placed in the body
of the hutch to enable her to arrange
her nest. If the hutch is without
nesting compartment, q box should be
placed in a corner. 1t should be IS to
20 inches long, about foot deep, or
10 inches wide, and without lid
Make a 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 a 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 a pan of clean
water should be kept constantly in
the hutch. While a doe is heavy with
young and for a 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
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 a separate earthenware dish,
especially in warm weather, when it
sours quickly. The dish should be
washed and scalded often.
Weaninq.
The young may be weaned when
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 may
occupy the same hutch, but unless
thoroughly accustomed to each other,
will fight.
; Ailments of Rabbits.
: If properly cared for, rabbits are
remarkably free from diseases. The
7 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 snuffles and the like re-
suit from improper ventilation. sud-
] den drafts of cold air in overheated
D buildings, and similar causes. The
e disorders of the digestive organs come
). from feeding young rabbits too freely
s of wet and juicy green foods or from
+ too radically changing their diet. Most
o diseases are preventable, and If the
!, cause is understood remedies will sug
e gest themselves.
+ The most serious disease known
e among hutch rabbits in America is
' coccidiosis. It is caused by internal
f parasites, and when present in the rab
/ bitry kills many young rabbits. Elk
e treme caution is needed to prevent its
s introduction, and new stock obtained
b should for timebe kept isolated from
l. the regular hutches. Keeping the
hutches in stacks aids in spreading
IS the infection. Absolute cleanliness may
# do much to prevent the disease
y Whenever a number of the young rab
N bits under good care develop pot
g bellied appearance, particularly wher'
ID it is accompanied by symptoms of cole
al and snuff1es, there is reason to suspec
h that old and apparently healthy ami
if mails may be afflicted with chroni,
'e coccidiosis and are expelling cocidi,
ID from their bodies. Isolation Of the at
to fected hutch and its occupants, togeth
er with disinfection, is the first ste
to be taken while the exact nature o
is the trouble is being determined.
d, Literature About Rabbits.
r. If serious diseases affect his stock
Is the amateur will find it advantageou
a. to obtain a standard treatise on tn
I'd management of rabbits. This will cor
O. tain detailed instruction for the treat
ment of the more common ailments
ut AS the business of rearing rabbits
he carried on much more extensively /
q England than in America, the bes
m hand-books are published abroad
be They may be obtained through an
to bookseller.