Chapter VII. 

 HOUSES, HUTCHES AND YARDS 



IT is quite possible to keep rabbits in yards 

 out of doors, and when the Belgian hare 

 boom was at its height some years ago, 

 many of the leading breeders constructed 

 houses with yards attached, very similar to 

 poultry houses. As a rule, though, rabbit 

 keepers now-a-days confine their animals to 

 hutches. Of course it is a simple matter to 

 make a hutch from a dry-goods box or to 

 make a series of hutches by the use of second 

 hand lumber or perhaps boxes from the gro- 

 cery store. The hutches may be very inex- 

 pensive and yet perfectly satisfactory. In 

 England, where many wealthy men and wo- 

 men are included among the rabbit fanciers, 

 some elaborate houses are to be found. In 

 some houses mahogany doors and ornamental 

 latches or door fasteners are common enough. 

 Perhaps it goes without saying, however, that 

 the animals to be found in these pretentious 



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