The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-10-25
BUNNY GAR
HOPES DISPLACE
LII PORkERS
By VINCENT THILLEN

UNITED Press Stan correspondent
st. Louis, oct. rs. UP)-There
Is more to raising rabbits than ac-
quiring buck and q doe and slide
rule to count the young. Take the
word OF Albert q. Geitg Of Clayton,
Mo-, who is awaiting appointment as
national rabbit co-ordinator.
What takes the appointment Of
bunny czar' out Of the early realm
Of folderol that attended the first
co-ordinator appointments OF every-
thing from co-ordinator Of tatting to
coordinator Of hop-scotch, Is that
the walking powder-pufts7 repre-
sent an amazing amount Of meat be-
hind that perpetual motion schfios-
zo1a. ~
deitz expects the rabbit TO take
the place Of the little porker n that
rhyme which goes: This little pig
ey went to market" 0eitz's version
goes this way: 'sT1nis little bunny
went to MARKET, ell skinned,
dressed and ready for the table.
/, The position Of "buntay co-ordi.
nator' Is described by civil service
folders as O market specialist u
rabbit meat who organizes and con.
ducts o purchase program designed
to acquire rabbit and hare meats
for the United States government
and to organize q system for mar.
keting rabbit meat Is an edible
product.
There is a possibility that the
program will result in shipments Of
'hare hams" to Europe TO feed the
starving millions Of that stricken
continent.
Geitz, while awaiting confirmation
Of his appointment, intends to
take motion pictures to inform rab.
bit raisers on the correct methods Of
caring for the mathematical ami
mails who multiply. In addition, he
will tour the nation to organize O
rabbit industry on the pattern OF
other livestock industries.
Rabbits" says Geitz, "provide
wonderful meat, much like chicken
white meat. And what Is even bet
ter, a rabbit has only z per cent
bones, while q chicken has O bone
content of 80 per cent.
Rabbits require very little room,
feed is inexpensive, they multiply
fast and their fur as well as their
meat can be sold. The reason rab-
bits haven't been raised In quantity
as an edible product Is that people
have q prejudice. They think Of
them as pink-eyed little pets. They
shouldn't be any more sentimental
about them than they are about
pigs or sheep or cows"
Geitz says that another factor
which has retarded interest In rab-
bits Is an unfounded fear Of tula-
rem!a-a disease which Geitz de-
clares Is virtually unknown among
domestic rabbits. Pathologists up
hold Geitzs view and add that q
rabbit Is no more susceptible to
tularemia than fish or chicken.
Missouri Is an ideal state in which
to raise the furry animals, in GeitZ's
opinion. He points out that rabbits
like weather as cold as 10 degrees
below zero and that they don't mind
hot weather II their hutches are
well ventilated.
To the layman, all rabbits look
and feel alike, but 0eitz, who at one
time raised as many as 900 rabbits
at once, says q good specimen has
clear, pink eyes, and ears that are
sturdy but not too long. CONTRARY
to popular belief, O rabbit should
never be picked up b yitS ears. In
stead grab the beast by the skin on
Its shoulders)
A good-eating rabbit is chesty-
"blocky" rather than "stringy''-
and he stands squarely on his front
feet, instead Of "toeing out" A doe
weighs from eight to II pounds, and
her husband tips the beam at -
pounds.
Does, according to Geitz, can be
mated about four times per year
and will probably raise about two
dozen counterpartS during that
time. When Brer Rabbit Is eight
weeks old he weighs about four and
q half pounds and yields two and
three-quarter pounds Of meat. In
chicken parlance, he Is a "fryer."
His older brothers are used for bak-
ing and stewing.
Government ceilings on rabbit
meat are IS cents per pound.