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



sanitary surroundings, and for pre- 

 venting outbreaks of parasitic and 

 other diseases. 



This handbook is being issued 

 to help county agricuUural agents, 

 State colleges of agriculture, and 



the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

 answer the many thousands of re- 

 quests received each year from 

 commercial and professional rabbit 

 producers for information about 

 rabbits. 



CHOOSING A BREED 



Whether you raise rabbits for 

 meat and fur, wool, laboratory ani- 

 mals, or show stock — select the 

 breeds best adapted to the purpose. 



The American Rabbit Breeders 

 Association lists standards for 28 

 different breeds, and approxi- 

 mately 77 varieties of these breeds 

 of rabbits, to cover characteristics 

 such as type, color, and size; dis- 

 qualifications also are listed. Table 



1 lists some common breeds of 

 rabbits. 



Mature animals of the smaller 

 breeds weigh 3 to 4 pounds each; 

 those of the medium breeds, 9 to 

 12 pounds; and those of the larger 

 breeds 14 to IG pounds. They also 

 vary widely in color. 



Rabbits best suited in size and 

 conformation for producing meat 

 and fur are such medium and large 



Table 1 . — Some common breeds oj rabbits 



