28 RABBITS, CATS, AND CAVIES 



Of course, all of them should be fresh, but never given in 

 a wet state. When none of them can be obtained, I use 

 carrots, white for choice, and even slices of mangolds and 

 swedes. 



Green clover, and chicory, are both excellent, and all 

 rabbits are fond of them ; the latter has come more into 

 use of late years, and is easily grown by any who have 

 the ground to spare for its culture. 



Some breeders use a great deal of oats with their 

 stock ; if this is done, they should be the heaviest and 

 best white oats that can be obtained. All owners of 

 horses will tell you how greatly oats vary in quality, 

 the inferior sorts seeming to consist mostly of husks, and 

 these are dear at any price. 



When oats are much used, the stock will be all the 

 better with a little water to drink, once or twice a day, as 

 they seem to require it. 



It is better to give them as much, at a meal, as you 

 find they consume, so that there is an empty pan when 

 feeding-time comes round. 



Regularity in the time of feeding is important, the 

 stock soon get to know when they ought to be fed and 

 are on the look-out for the feeder. 



The last meal in the day may be about six or seven in 

 the evening, and consist of much the same as the mid-day 

 feed, except that nursing does may have a few grey peas, 

 which have had twenty-four hours' previous soaking in cold 

 water and afterwards strained. 



I would caution any novices amongst my readers 

 not to handle their stock more than is absolutely necessary, 



