Raising Rabbits is a Hare-raising Business

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Find a No. 2-1/2 or large juice can and a pair of tin snips. Start an inch from the seam and cut downward to within two or three inches of the bottom, halfway around the wall and back up the other side. Leave an upright section of metal a couple of inches wide, to be attached to the wire or wood of the cage. (See Fig. 2.) Roll the sharp edges and pound there with a hammer until they're smooth enough not to catch the animals' fur. Such devices last longer if they're painted (let them dry thoroughly before use). Don't fasten the containers too tightly to the pen you should be able to tip them up sideways to be emptied and cleaned. And don't experiment with plastic feeding or watering gadgets! Only wood ear metal should be used around rabbits.

BREEDING STOCK

OK, the pens and fittings are all set and it's time to choose your initial stock. You can do this quite easily, without joining any clubs or being a sucker for the first rabbit ad you see. (There's no need to buy at a distance at all, but if you dc, don't try to have your purchase shipped by air freight. The airlines are not equipped to handle livestock.)

The best procedure is to go to your nearest producer, burlap bags in hand, and select from his younger stock even if you have to feed the animals awhile before they mature (at six months). They need time to get used to you and their new home.

You're after meat animals, not show rabbits, so bloodlines mean nothing. Look for broad heads, heavy bones, large pads (feet), and light color. Examine the ears for canker and the pads for raw sores. A three months-old-old's live weight should be four or five puonds.

A good start for a beginner is a buck and two or three does, depending on how many pens you have. A young animal's sex, however, cannot be determined with the naked eye so how do you know which is which? You could depend on the seller, but it's better to be sure. Take the rabbit by the scruff of the neck and slowly run the fingers of the other hand down the belly. If the area is very smooth, you have a doe. If you feel elongated tassels close to the body, the critter is a buck. You should be able to buy your stock for the dealer's market weight price. A full-blooded rabbit (not registered) is never worth more than $10.00 and then only if of breeding age. (Prices may have risen somewhat in the year since Mr. Bell wrote this article .MOTHER.)

CARE AND FEEDING

At the outset, forget the "Oh, they're so cute!" attitude toward your new bunnies. They're livestock, not pets and very good livestock, too (the cleanest and most disease-free of all).

You'll find that each animal has its own temperament some easy to handle, others more difficult. When you lift a rabbit, hold it by the scruff of the neck and place your other hand under its rear to take the weight. Any other technique may hurt the animal and get you some scratches from those big hind feet.

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