COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING 



43 



accumulation of moisture. Cold 

 weather, drafts, and high humidity 

 are conducive to the spread of 

 respiratory infections. For young 

 litters, provide nest boxes and 

 sufficient bedding to keep them 

 warm as discussed previously. 



Controlled Environments. — The 

 use of controlled environment in 

 rabbitries, where rabbits are main- 

 tained under more or less constant 

 environmental conditions, is re- 

 ceiving increased attention. Several 

 large commercial rabbitries in the 

 western United States are changing 

 to or are constructing this type of 

 housing. The advantages of con- 

 trolled environment are the elimi- 

 nation of extremes in weather and, 

 perhaps, seasonal fluctuations in 

 production. 



Preventing Injuries 



Paralyzed hindquarters in rabbits 

 usually result from improper han- 

 dling or from injuries caused by 

 slipping in the hutch while exer- 

 cising or attempting to escape 

 predators, especially around kind- 

 ling time. Such slipping usually 

 occurs at night. Common injuries 

 are dislocated vertebras, damaged 

 nerve tissue, or strained muscles or 

 tendons. If the injury is mild, 

 the animal may recover in a few 

 days. Make the injured animal 

 comfortable and feed it a balanced 

 diet. If it does not improve with- 

 in a week, destroy it to prevent 

 unnecessary suffering. It is im- 

 portant, therefore, that your rab- 

 bits be provided with quiet, com- 

 fortable surroundings and be pro- 

 tected from predators and unneces- 

 sary disturbances. 



The toenails of rabbits confined 

 in hutches do not wear normally. 

 They may even become long 

 enough to cause foot deformity. 

 The nails may also catch in the 

 wire mesh floor and cause injury 

 and suffering. Periodically cut the 



nails with side cutting pliers. Cut 

 below the tip of the cone in the 

 toenail. The cone can be observed 

 by holding the foot up to daylight. 

 This will not cause hemorrhaging 

 or injury to the sensitive portion. 



Preventing Sore Dewlaps 



During warm weather the dew- 

 lap, or fold of skin under the rab- 

 bit's chin, may become sore. This 

 is caused by drinking frequently 

 from crocks and keeping the fur 

 on the dewlap wet so long that it 

 becomes foul and turns green. The 

 skin on the dewlap and on the in- 

 side of the front legs becomes 

 rough and the fur may be shed. 

 The animal scratches the irritated 

 area, causing abrasions and infec- 

 tion. 



Remove the cause by placing a 

 board or brick under the water 

 crock to raise it so that the dewlap 

 will not get wet when the rabbit 

 drinks. If the skin becomes in- 

 fected, clip off the fur and treat 

 the area with a medicated oint- 

 ment until the irritation clears up. 

 The best solution to the problem 

 is to use an automatic dewdrop 

 watering system which eliminates 

 the possibility of wet dewlaps. 



Sanitation and Disease Control 



To protect the herd's health, 

 keep the rabbitry equipment sani- 

 tary. Remove manure and soiled 

 bedding at frequent intervals and 

 contaminated feed daily. Inspect 

 water crocks and feed troughs 

 daily and wash them frequently in 

 hot, soapy water. Rinse them in 

 clear water, allow them to drain 

 well, and place them in the direct 

 rays of the sun to dry. If it is 

 impractical to sun the equipment 

 properly, rinse it first in water to 

 which a disinfectant has been 

 added and then in clear water. 



To prevent or control a disease 



