COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING 



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and proper ventilation. Two gen- 

 eral kinds have been used exten- 

 sively—the box type and the nail- 

 keg type. If a nail keg is used, 

 nail a 1- by 6-inch board across 

 the open end of the keg, so that 

 it covers one-third to one-half of 

 the opening. To keep the keg from 

 rolling, extend the board a few 

 inches beyond the sides of the open- 

 ing. Drill several 1-inch holes in 

 the closed end of the keg for venti- 

 lation, and some 14-inch holes in the 

 bottom for drainage. 



Since nail kegs have become dif- 

 ficult to obtain, apple and pear 

 boxes are frequently used. These 

 may be fitted with tops or left 

 open. In either event, an opening 

 should be cut in one end at the 

 top, or a portion of one end re- 

 moved, to provide easy access for 

 the doe and young. As an alterna- 

 tive, one end may be fitted with re- 

 movable boards, or slats, so that as 

 the young begin leaving the nest, 

 panels may be removed to allow the 

 young to reenter the nest box. 

 Metal nest boxes also are available 



but have the disadvahtage, in some 

 climates, of being cold or collecting 

 condensation of water vapor. 



Another type of nest box in- 

 creasing in popularity is the coun- 

 terset type, where the box is re- 

 cessed below the hutch floor (figs. 

 6, 11). These may be placed at the 

 front of the cage and fitted with 

 drawers for access from the ex- 

 terior of the hutch. They have 

 the advantages of providing a 

 more natural environment, since 

 rabbits are burrowing animals, and 

 of allowing the young easier ac- 

 cess if they should be displaced 

 from the nest at an early age. The 

 young can jump out of the stand- 

 ard nail-keg or apple-box nest, but 

 they often cannot jump or climb 

 back in. This means that some of 

 the young may go hungry when 

 the litter becomes divided. The 

 doe usually nurses her young at 

 night or in the early evening and 

 morning hours. If the litter is 

 divided, the doe will either nurse 

 the young in the nest or those on 

 the hutch floor. She will not nurse 



N 45948 



Figure 11. — Counterset nest box and drawer as illustrated in figure 6. 



