CHAPTER V. 

 SELECTION OF FOOD AND PROPER FEEDING. 



THIS subject, next to Housing and Hutches 

 is no doubt the most important one we have to 

 consider. The trouble with a majority of 

 breeders throughout the country is they feed too much, 

 especially with Belgians and other small breeds. The 

 better way is to keep the small rabbits a trifle on the 

 hungry order, then they will always be ready for their 

 meal and will do much better. In other chapters, 

 feeding three times a day has been explained, and in 

 this chapter it will be shown that once a day can be 

 carried out in a successful manner for the person who 

 finds it impossible to feed oftener. Of course it is 

 impossible to raise Flemish to the proper size, and 

 develop them in the proper manner on one feed a day, 

 but the other breeds of rabbits may be raised on one 

 meal a day if the fancier's time is limited. 



In feeding once a day, the proper time is at night. 

 Only the best food should be given ; whole oats, or 

 barley in certain localities where oats are hard to pro- 

 cure. For the small breeds a large handful to each 

 single individual rabbit, and two handfuls each to 

 the does with young and the large breeds. Barley 

 meal in mashes, or alone, is a good change, and bread 

 and milk is the best of all. Some stock will refuse 

 to eat bread and milk, but in most cases if the milk 



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