Oxford Democrat., 1921-08-16
Breeding Rabbits.

For long time Il was difficult TO &c
che market men to handle rabbit meat
and even now many Of them decline t
DO 90, thinking perhaps 1t would Inter
fere with their regular sales OF beet, mutt
ton and pork. Still, In the largo citiei
one finds dealers who advertise for rab
bits Of all kinds. and who pay prict
which compares we'll with that paid f0l
live poultry.
A surprisingly large number of people
have taken up rabbit keeping, and ye'
the available supply is very small com
pared with the supply Of other meats
There is no kind of meat which can be
produced at so low cost as rabbit meat
especially II one has vegetable garden
and patch OF ground where little hay
can be had.
A hutch made ont of dry goods box
will answer for the rabbits home, and
about the only expense will be the pur.
chase of little grain, of which oats ia
the best. Some people raise their rab-
bits wholly on green food and vegetables,
with the addition of hay; but less rapid
growth is made, and the flesh is too soft
to be of the highest quality. On the
other hand, too much grain makes the
meat too hard.
While oats are the most common grain
used, whole corn makes q good ration,
and Is sometimes boiled. Crushed oats
are best for young stock, and can be pre-
pared by means of simple hand-mill.
Hay is Q necessity In climates where
green food can not be obtained the year
round. It is best to keep the hay In q
little rack at one end of the hutch 30
that it will not be wasted, although .
little hay is also used often times for
bedding. It is easy to make rack by
using few laths or poultry netting.
Some breeders urge the use of cab.
bages, while others say that they should
never be given to rabbits. In any case, It
must be said that oabbages should not
be allowed to freeze, nor should they be
fed when decayed. Moreover, X the
hutches are indoors, it Is best to avoid
cabbages because their use results In
rather unpleasant odors.
OF all the vegetables which the rabbit
keeper can grow In his garden, none is
better than carrots, which are especially
good for breeding does. They seem to
create a liberal flow of milk and impart
q fine glossy appearance to the coat. In
England breeders place great value on
parsnips, and there is no reason why
they should not be fed freely here. 1t
is an excellent plan to grow rutabagas
and other turnips, for they can be stored
In the cellar in the winter and fed out as
needed. Whiting can be avoided to q
large extent by packing the vegetables
In boxes Of sand. II sand Is not avail
able, substitute autumn leaves.
Green food should not be given when
wet, and yet rabbits, which run In yards
or have their liberty, eat wet grass with
impunity. Apparently, 1t is the sudden
change from dry foods to those which
are wet which causes trouble. It may be
that the cause of the trouble Is really
more often the use of moldy green's. If
wet hay or vegetable tops are ieft for
even q short time, they soon begin to
heat, and are not then In proper condi-
tion for rabbits.
A great deal has appeared Of late about
the value of rabbit furs. Yet 1t is not
wise to bank on any great profit from
this source, as only the winter pelts are
valuable.