262 



THE AGllICULTURAL NEWS. 



August 13, 1904. 



RABBIT KEEPING IN THE WEST INDIES. 



In the I'olldwing further instalment of notes on 

 rabbit keeping in the West Indies ]Mr. Barclay deals 

 with the subject ol' the breeding of rabbits :— 



BREEDING. 



Bucks and does should not be used for breeding until 

 at least eight months old, and nine months is better. Usually 

 in Jamaica does are bred as early as they -will do so and have 

 litters at six months old or before. This is wrong and results 

 in deterioration. A doe which seems to be a persistent 

 fighter should at once be fattened and killed for table, but 

 when accustomed to each other young does will not as a rule 

 fight. Young does therefore kept for breetling, can be kept 

 together until of a breeding age. After being put to the 

 buck, and within a fortnight of having 30ung, the young 

 does should be put each in its own separate apartment and 

 disturbed us little as possible. At this time the doe should 

 receive a little extra in the way of food, but not of a fatten- 

 ing nature, like corn. A hard crust of bread is one of the 

 best things and two table-spoonfuls of porridge (oat, wheat or 

 cornmeal) and milk, if this can be afforded. The doe may 

 begin to make its nest a week before she drops, and at this 

 time soft hay or grass should be put in to help the nest 

 making. The doe will take this and make a nest and line it 

 with the soft fur from her breast. She should not be lifted 

 or touched within a week before dropping, and indeed should 

 be handled as little as possible at any time. Xo curiosity 

 whatever .should allow of any one looking in the nest to see 

 how many young ones she has got. Some does are so 

 sensitive that they will desert their young, or even kill them if 

 they are touched or handled. It is a common thing in .Jamaica 

 for does to forsake their newly born young, and this is 

 due to their being disturbed too much. The presence of mice 

 or rats will often so startle and annoy breeding does that 

 they will desert their young, or scatter them about the hutch. 

 When the young are droi>ped the mother ought to get a little 

 extra grain food to help her milk supply. Porridge and 

 milk is best, but a few peas, say half a dozen, jireviously 

 .soaked in water for six hours, are peculiarly strengthetiing to 

 a suckling doe. 



The young rabliits are bare of hair when born 

 and lie enveloped in the fur in the nest, and the 

 mother puts some over them when she leaves them, 

 putting it aside again when she goes to suckle them. At 

 three weeks old the young begin to move about and peep 

 out, and at nights they come out and nibble green stuff — 

 then the supply of this kind of feeding must be gradually- 

 increased. At a month old the j'oung rabbits are running 

 about and can eat what the mother gets, and the process 

 of weaning should begin at five weeks. The doe and the 

 young should be separated during the day and oidy 

 put together during the night for three days : then the 

 mother should only be put back for an hour in the evening 

 and one in the morning for three days ; then for half an 

 hour in the evening and one liour in the morning for three 

 days ; after that, if she still a}ii)arentl3' likes to have them, 

 she should be put with them for half an hour in the evening 



only for three days ; and then the young should be separated 

 entirely. This is better than an abrupt separation. For 

 three to six more days (according to her condition) the doe 

 should be well fed and exercised alone and then put back to 

 the buck. 



After weaning and at the age of from six to eight 

 weeks, the young rabbits pass through a stage called 

 the ' moult,' and they should at this period have the best of 

 attention and the best of feeding. Where the rabbits can 

 run out and in without being liandled it is much better. 

 The breeders should be exercised, if possible, daily. Some 

 give a run on the grass only once a week. When the time 

 can be afforded boys and girls can overlook the exercising, and 

 I make a strong point in training the dogs to protect rather 

 than molest the rabbits. It is not difticult. 



It will also do those young rablsits which are intended 

 for table later on much good to be exercised. Young bucks 

 and does should be separated at the age of three to four 

 months, all depending upon size and precocity, and kept 

 strictly apart there;ifter ; at the same age the best may be 

 selected for breeding ; those not intended to be kept by the 

 owner may be sold or put in the fattening pen, the sexes 

 alwaj-s apart. From four months old the fattest may be used 

 for table as is convenient. The}- go on growing, so that 

 delay in eating is always something gained and there is little 

 fear of them dying from being too fat so long as the hutch is 

 roomy and green food is abundant. If the bucks are 

 castrated a lot can be kept together and they thus fatten 

 eiisilv and grow to a lart^er size than the others. 



AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 



St. Lucia. 



At the annual general meeting of the St. Lucia 

 Agricultural Society, held on Frida}-, July 8, the 

 Secretary read the annual report, of which the following 

 is a short summary : — 



Fijur general meetings of the society and two meetings 

 of the management committee have been held. 



A Berkshire boar of good pedigree was imported in May 

 1903. The total cost of the imjiortation, £S Is. del., was 

 borne by the society. It was placed first at IJennery and 

 afterwards at La Perle, but verv little use has been made 

 of it. 



A Hereford bull was also inqiorted from Canada, the cost 

 being £Si 7s. lUl. Its services have been fairly well 

 requisitioned. Grants were made from the funds of the 

 society for the keep of these animals and also for the 

 encouragement of the bee-keeping industry. Tlie results of 

 bee keeping appear to have been profitable. 



The subject of cotton growing has largely occupied the 

 attention of the society. In 1903, 500 lb. of Sea Island 

 cotton seed were imported and disposed of by the society. 

 In April 1904, 1,200 lb. of seed were imported through the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture, but oulj' about 100 lb. 

 have been .sold. U[)land cotton has also been grown. The 

 extent of land cultivated in cotton has been slowly but 

 steadily increasing. 



Tlie British Cotton Growing A.ssociation has loaned two 

 gins to the Dennery factory. Through the kindness of 

 Sir Daniel Morris, Mr. Seabrook was abk^ to inspect the gins 

 and put the smaller one in working order. A hand gin has 

 been placed at the Agricultural School by the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture. 



The balance to the credit of the society is £22 lis. 1^(/. 



