PREPARING THE RABBIT 205 
tendencies as does poultry and swine, and its 
diet is even cleaner than that of the horse. 
Due to these traits and to the fact that it 
makes a rapid growth, the flesh is unusually 
delicate in texture and flavor. 
In selecting a rabbit to fry, try and get one 
about three months of age. If you can get 
them younger than this, so much the better, 
but the usual marketing age is from ten to 
twelve weeks of age for frys. A three-months- 
old domesticated rabbit should dress about 
four and one-half pounds and it is not too old 
to fry nicely. 
In buying dressed rabbits upon the market 
it is possible to tell the age easily by means 
of a simple test. By pressing the lower jaw- 
bone between the finger and thumb one can 
tell whether the rabbit is old or young. If 
the bone snaps easily, the rabbit is young; 
if not, then you know that you have an old 
rabbit. Another way to tell age is by the 
weight. A mature Belgian will weigh about 
eight pounds; a mature New Zealand Red 
