COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISn^TG 



17 



outer edge of the triangular piece 

 supporting the baffle, and bend the 

 nail to hook over the lower lip 

 of the opening to hold it and the 

 baffle in place. 



You can save hutch floor space 

 by using a hopper with a feed 

 opening on one side only and by 

 placing the hopper only part way 

 into the hutch. Cut an opening 

 large enough to accommodate the 

 hopper in the side of the hutch. 

 Then wire the top of the hopper 

 to the hutch for support. One 

 short baffle on the side opposite the 

 hopper opening will keep feed out 

 of the rear corners. 



A one-compartment feed hopper 

 is used when only one kind of feed 

 is given. When mixed feed that 

 the rabbits can separate is offered 

 in the hopper, the feed will be 

 selectively consumed. The rabbits 

 scratch out and waste the part they 

 prefer not to eat. You can prevent 

 this waste by using a hopper with 

 individual compartments for each 

 feed. 



Equipment (or Waterins 



Rabbits should have clean, fresh 

 water at all times. 



Crocks.^ — Half-gallon water crocks 

 are still used rather extensively. 

 Fasten them in the hutches so that 

 the rabbits will not tip them over. 

 If a part of the crock extends 

 through the front wall of the hutch, 

 you can refill it without opening 

 the hutch door. Clean and dis- 

 infect the crocks periodicall}^. 



Coffee Cans. — Coffee cans are es- 

 pecially useful for watering rabbits 

 during cold weather because you 

 can easily break and remove the ice. 

 Cans are, however, easily tipped 

 over unless you fasten them to a 

 board. 



Automatic Watering System.— 

 Automatic watering systems are 

 widely used in commercial rabbit- 

 ries (fig. 10). They are better than 



w^ater crocks or coffee cans. They 

 eliminate the tedious and time- 

 consuming chores of washing, dis- 

 infecting, rinsing, and filling. They 

 supply fresh, clean water for the 

 rabbits at all times. When an auto- 

 matic watering system is properly 

 installed, dirt and fur will not collect 

 in it and plug it up. In cold cli- 

 mates, an automatic watering sys- 

 tem must be protected against 

 winter freezing unless the hutches 

 are in a heated enclosure. Protec- 

 tion may be obtained through the 

 use of heating cables wrapped 

 around, or running through the 

 water pipe. If winter temperatures 

 are not too severe, protection 

 against freezing can be obtained by 

 having valves at the ends of the 

 water lines and allowing water to 

 dribble throught the pipes during 

 short periods of subfreezing tem- 

 peratures. 



12767A 



Figure 10. — Young rabbit drinking from 

 an automatic waterer. 



If you can cut and thread pipe, 

 you can install an automatic water- 

 ing system. Conventional systems 

 sold by rabbit and poultry supply 

 houses consist of a pressure-reduc- 

 ing tank equipped with a float 

 valve, a lA-inch supply pipe, a 

 watering unit for each hutch, and 



