COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING 



41 



sharp knife or razor blade. If you 

 do not use a disinfecting agent on 

 the rabbit, he will lick the wound 

 frequently, keeping it clean and 

 the tissues soft, thus promoting 

 healing. 



Press one of the testicles out into 

 the scrotum. Hold it firmly be- 

 tween the thumb and forefinger of 

 the left hand. Make an incision 

 parallel to the median line and 

 well toward the back end of the 

 scrotum to allow the wound to 

 drain readily. To keep the testi- 

 cle from being drawn up into the 

 abdominal cavity, as soon as it 

 comes from the incision pull it out 

 far enough from the body for the 

 cord to be severed just above it. 

 To prevent excessive hemorrhage, 

 sever the cord by scraping with a 

 knife rather than by cutting. If 

 too much tension is put on the 

 cord and it is drawn too far from 

 the body, injury may be brought 

 about by internal hemorrhage or 

 other complication. 



After the second testicle has been 

 removed in the same manner, lift 

 the scrotum to make sure that the 

 ends of the cord go back into the 

 cavity. 



Handle the animal gently. After 

 the operation, place it in a clean 

 hutch where it can be quiet and 

 comfortable. 



Care of Herd During Extreme 

 Temperatures 



Heat. — In almost all sections of the 

 United States high summer temper- 

 atures necessitate some changes in 

 the general care and management 

 of rabbits. Provide adequate shade 

 to the animals during the hottest 

 part of the day. Good circulation 

 of air throughout the rabbitry is 

 necessary, but avoid strong drafts. 

 Provide an abundant supply of 

 water at all times. 



Newborn litters and does ad- 



vanced in pregnancy are most 

 susceptible to high temperatures. 

 Heat suffering in the young is 

 characterized by exteme restless- 

 ness; in older animals, by rapid 

 respiration, excessive moisture 

 around the mouth, and occasionally 

 slight hemorrhages around the nos- 

 trils. Move rabbits that show 

 symptoms of suffering from the 

 heat to a quiet, well-ventilated 

 place. Give them a feed sack 

 moistened with cold water to lie 

 on. Water crocks and large bot- 

 tles filled with cracked ice and 

 placed in the hutch so that the rab- 

 bits can lie next to them contribute 

 to the rabbit's comfort. 



In well-ventilated rabbitries, 

 wetting the tops of the hutches 

 and the floors of the houses on 

 a hot, dry day will reduce the 

 temperatures 6 to 10 degrees F. 

 The tops of hutches should be 

 waterproof, as rabbits should be 

 kept dry. You can use overhead 

 sprinkling equipment in houses 

 with concrete or soil floors that 

 drain readily or sprinklers above 

 the roof of rabbit sheds (fig. 2). 

 You can install a thermostatically 

 controlled sprinkler that will work 

 automatically. 



The use of evaporative coolers 

 on the roof or sides of the build- 

 ings, whereby air is drawn over 

 wet pads and distributed through 

 the building, can be successfully 

 used in hot, dry climates such as 

 the southwest United States. This 

 type of cooler is widely used in 

 homes and can be adapted to use 

 in rabbitries which are partially, or 

 totally, enclosed. 



In areas of high humidity, the 

 use of sprinklers or extra water 

 will aggravate the situation and 

 add to the rabbit's discomfort. Un- 

 der such conditions, it is advisable 

 to install fans, or place the build- 

 ings to take advantage of all 

 breezes, in order to get maximum 

 movement of air. The use of re- 



