PET RABBITS, CAVIES, AND MICE. I3 



oats (42lbs. to the bushel) to which is added a small 

 percentage of the best wheat, the only solid food 

 required. To this I add plenty of chicory, dandelion, 

 swedes, etc. I do not find carrots suitable for this 

 variety when you are getting them ready for the show 

 pen." In feeding English, Mr. T. F. Linley proceeds 

 as follows: "Green food in the morning, and whole 

 oats and grey peas at night. Turnips, clover, cauli- 

 flower leaves, carrots, etc., when in season, and parsley. 

 Give also plenty of sweet old hay." A very old and 

 successful breeder of Dutch rabbits gives it as his 

 opinion that the adults of this variety only require feed- 

 ing once a day during the summer, but young stock 

 and breeding does twice a day. In Winter, feed twice 

 a day, but not with corn. Give green food or roots and 

 a good handful of hay or clover in the morning; and 

 in the evening corn and green food. As a change diet, 

 give now and then, besides oats, a little wheat and 

 barley, also a few grey peas that have been soaked for 

 24 hours. These are a fine pick-me-up. Soft food is 

 unnecessary for Dutch, except about once a week. You 

 don't want to get this variety too fat and big, as there is 

 a standard weight limit, and most judges are dead 

 against a big Dutch. Only give sufficient food for a 

 meal. It is a bad plan to over-feed so as to have corn 

 left in the feeding troughs. A drink of water in the 

 hutches is always useful if not essential. It is not a bad 

 plan to watch carefully the food your rabbits eat the 

 most freely, and study that well. The above will give 

 a good general idea of the modes of feeding and foods 

 required. Miss Mabel Illingworth, who is the 

 originator of the variety called " Imperials," once told 

 us that, although her pets are a fairly short-coated 

 variety, she used bran as part of her staple food. It 

 was soaked and given mixed with oats. The usual 

 green foods, most of which we have enumerated pre- 

 viously, were given. Our own view is against the use of 

 bran in the case of any of the short-coated varieties that 

 are intended for exhibition, and we do not favour the 

 use either of turnips or turnip tops as a succulent food. 

 Perhaps we have discussed the question of feeding at 

 somewhat inordinate length for the space at command, 

 but it is the channel through which success is often made 

 or marred. One final word. See that all food is sweet 

 and pure. 



