40 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



to gently depress the area in front 

 of the sex organs to expose the red- 

 dish mucous membrane. In the 

 buck, the organ will protrude as a 

 rounded tip, while in the doe the 

 "membrane will protrude to form 

 a slit with a depression at the end 

 next to the anus. 



Marking for IdentiRcation 



Mark each breeding rabbit for 

 identification. Tattooing the ears 

 is a satisfactory method. When 

 properly done, it is permanent and 

 will not disfigure the ears. You 

 can obtain instruments for the 

 purpose from biological and live- 

 stock supply houses. Ear tags and 

 clips are not satisfactory because 

 they tear out and disfigure the ear. 

 Identification is then lost. An ad- 

 justable box is convenient for re- 

 straining the rabbits for tattooing 

 (fig. 18). With this equipment, 

 one person can do the job. 



Castration 



Castration of bucks may be de- 

 sirable; for example, where An- 



goras are to be kept in colonies 

 for wool production. In produc- 

 ing domestic rabbit meat for mar- 

 ket, there are no advantages to be 

 derived from castrating bucks for 

 improving the rate of growth and 

 condition, reducing the quantity of 

 feed required to produce a pound 

 of gain in live weight, and improv- 

 ing the carcass and pelt. Prob- 

 ably the only advantage to be de- 

 rived would be that it reduces 

 fighting and makes possible the 

 maintaining of a number of cas- 

 trated bucks in one inclosure, there- 

 by saving equipment, time, and 

 labor. Castration is a simple oper- 

 ation, most easily performed when 

 bucks are 3 to 4 months old. You 

 also can perform it at weaning 

 time. 



To restrain an animal for the 

 operation, have an assistant hold 

 the buck's left forefoot and left 

 hind foot with his left hand, and 

 the right forefoot and right hind 

 foot with his right hand, with the 

 animal's back held firmly, but 

 gently, against his lap. Clip all the 

 wool from the scrotum. Disinfect a 



Figure 18. — Vertical section of a box for restraining a rabbit for tattooing. The 

 spring-type holders tacked to the lower side of a movable floor compress the 

 rabbit toward the top of the box. A movable cross partition holds the rabbit 

 toward the front. Blocks of wood on each side hold the rabbit's head in the 

 center of the hole at the top. 



