Omaha daily bee., 1918-07-21

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people do not realize it.
Rabbits can be raised on a city
lot where chickens can't. A man with
small city lot can have on hand at
one time as high as 800 rabbits. From
the day the rabbit is born until il
is ready for the oven at five months
old, when it should weigh seven
pounds, its board and keep will not
be over IS cents. At that time the
meat value of the animal should be
$3.25. Contrast this with a Ply
mouth Rock chicken, which will only
weigh about three pounds in the same
period and worth $l.20, while it has
cost 80 cents to produce.
Easy to Raise.
rabbits are easy to raise. The
average city dweller can raise as high
as 800 rabbits in season in a rab-
bitry 8x20, 8 feet in heighth at the
back, 10 feet at the front and with
a sloped roof. This will give space
for 81 hutches, with nine feet of
floor area for each animal. The
hutches should be ventilated from
above and below without any direct
draft hitting the rabbits, for they are
very susceptible to drafts and develop
snuffles or pneumonia from this
cause.
"Water should be kept in front
of them all the time in summer and
should be available once a day in
winter. I have patented feeder in
which I keep alfalfa hay and this is
in front of the rabbits all the time.
This. with light ration of oats daily
in summer, and an occasional feed
of corn in winter, to supply heat,
constitutes the bulk of their feed.
Green feed should only be given oc-
casionally, and then but little at a
time. | do not recommend the feed
ing of soft mashes. Clover hay with
an occasional nip OF carrot or
mangels is good and dandelion given
during the summer season has great
medicinal value and the rabbits love
it. Keep little rock salt where the
rabbits can get at it.
Require Little Exercise.
rabbits being raised for meat pur-
poses do not require much exercise.
| keep hurdle in each hutch for the
rabbits to jump over in going from
one side of the pen to the other.
This is to keep them from becoming
pot-bellied.
There is no great skill required
in caring for rabbits. All is needed
is the exercise of plain common
sense, humane care and a Jealous
regard for sanitation. 1t is as essen
tial that the rabbit hutch be kept
clean and we'll ventilated as it is your
own home. 1t is we'll to have shelves
made of window screen in the pens
so the rabbits can get cool air from
above and below during the summer.
All feeding and watering jugs should
be sterilized with hot water at least
once a week.
Rabbits play and eat at night and
are apt to seem sluggish during the
day. They should be raised the same
as chickens, sheep or hogs, and not
as pets. Yet they are very cunning
and intelligent They get to know
the names you give them and will
come and go like dogs at call. They
can be taught tricks and are a con-
slant source of amusement. They
produce from four to FIVE litters in a
year and raisers have TO produce
nurse rabbits of commoner breeds to
rear them. These are plentiful and
cheap and are worth the price for
the service they perform.
Litter Makes $50.
THE litters run from six to II and
are easily raised. | had a litter Of
10 come in the coolest weather of
last winter and saved every one.
They brought me $50.
There need be no worry about