Babbits and Hares • 45 



A yard sixteen by twenty feet will accommodate 

 twenty rabbits, or even more. A part of the yard 

 should be covered in some way to afford shade. In 

 connection with the yard, a honse five by eight feet 

 should be constructed; it should be well ventilated and 

 lighted, with the window so arranged that it can be 

 darkened. The entrance from the yard to the house 

 should be through about two lengths of five -inch tile, 

 one joint inclining downward from the yard and the 

 second joint inclined upward into the house. Rabbits 

 seem to enjoy running through a tunnel. It is useful 

 in preventing the entrance of cats, as they will seldom 

 crawl through a long tunnel of this character. Should 

 dogs gain entrance to a yard they will usually dig at 

 the end of the tile rather than attempt to dig under 

 the wall. Straw can be used for litter in the house, 

 but it should be removed frequently and burned. 



During the winter months rabbits and Belgian hares 

 can be fed clover or alfalfa hay, oats, apples, cabbages 

 and other materials of this character. The pens should 

 be cleaned frequently and disinfected with a five per 

 cent solution of carbolic acid every month or six 

 weeks to prevent infectious diseases and to destroy 

 parasites. 



In breeding rabbits, one buck is usually sufficient 

 for twenty does. The buck and the does should be 

 kept separate. When a doe is about to give birth to 

 young, she should be separated from the others until 

 the litter is two weeks old. When the bucks get to 

 be two months old they should be castrated, or they 

 will fight each other and will not fatten readily. 



