COMMERCIAL RABBIT RAISING 



49 



low some wool or fur which is not 

 digested. The only noticeable re- 

 sult may be droppings fastened 

 together by fur fibers. However, 

 if the rabbit swallows any appreci- 

 able amount, it may collect in the 

 stomach and form a "fur block" 

 that interferes with digestion. If 

 it becomes large enough, it blocks 

 the alimentary tract and the animal 

 starves. The most satisfactory 

 method of preventing this is to 

 shear Angoras regularly, and try 

 to prevent fur eating among your 

 rabbits by providing adequate 

 roughage and protein in their diet. 

 A block of wood or other material 

 upon which the rabbit can chew 

 may be used to reduce fur chewing. 



Gnawing Wooden Parts of the 

 Hutch 



Gnawing wood is natural for the 

 rabbit. Protect wooden parts of 

 the hutch by placing wire mesh on 

 the inside of the frame when con- 

 structing the hutch and by using 

 strips of tin to protect exposed 

 wooden edges. Treating the wood 

 with creosote protects it as long 

 as the scent and taste last. Plac- 

 ing twigs or pieces of soft wood in 

 the hutch protect it to some extent ; 

 rabbits may chew these instead of 

 the hutch. 



Rabbits that have access to good- 

 quality hay and are receiving some 

 fresh green feed or root crops are 

 less likely to gnaw on their hutches. 



Disposal of Rabbit Manure 



Rabbit manure has a high nitro- 

 gen content when the rabbits are 

 fed a well-balanced diet (<5). It 

 will not burn lawns or plants and 

 is easy to incorporate in the soil. 

 It is satisfactory on gardens and 

 lawns and about flowering plants, 



shrubbery, and trees. There is no 

 danger in using it for fertilizing 

 soil on which crops are to be raised 

 for feeding rabbits. 



The value of rabbit manure de- 

 pends on how it is cared for and 

 used. There will be less loss of 

 fertilizing elements if the material 

 is immediately incorporated into 

 the soil. "When manure is stored 

 in piles and exposed to the weather, 

 chemicals are lost through leaching 

 and heat. Much of this loss can 

 be prevented by keeping the ma- 

 nure in a compost heap or in a bin 

 or pit. 



Earthworms in the Rabbitry 



Where earthworms are active 

 throughout the year as in warm 

 climates, they may be used to ad- 

 vantage under rabbit hutches to 

 save labor in removing fertilizer. 

 Make bins for confining the worms 

 the same length and width as the 

 hutch and 1 foot deep (fig. 20). 

 Place bins on the ground, not on 

 solid floors, and keep the fertilizer 

 moist to insure the worms working 

 throughout the bin. 



Earthworms convert the rabbit 

 droppings into casts — a convenient 

 form of fertilizer for use with 

 flowere, lawns, shrubs, trees, and 

 other foliage. If you keep a large 

 population of worms, there will be 

 no objectionable odor. Very few 

 flies will breed in the bins. It is 

 necessary to remove the manure 

 only at 5- to 6-month intervals. 



Records and Recordkeeping 



A convenient and simple system 

 of records is essential for keeping 

 track of breeding, kindling, and 

 weaning operations. You can use 

 the information in culling unpro- 

 ductive animals and in selecting 



