S6 PRACTICAL RABBIT KEEPING 



rabbitries are seldom superior to those kept 

 in much more modest quarters and owned by 

 breeders having more skill than money. 



The most important point in connection 

 with any hutch or house is that it should be 

 absolutely dry and free from drafts. It should 

 be reasonably roomy, too, because rabbits suf- 

 fer if confined to very narrow limits. Of 

 course much depends upon the breed. It is 

 not necessary to have as large hutches for rab- 

 bits like the Himalayans and the Polish as for 

 Belgian hares and New Zealand Reds, while 

 Flemish Giants need larger hutches than any 

 of the breeds mentioned. It is sometimes 

 thought by fanciers that there is an advantage 

 in having small hutches when smaller rabbits 

 are being raised for exhibition purposes on 

 the assumption that the rabbits will not grow 

 large because they have so little room to move 

 around in. The fact is, though, that exercise 

 is of quite as much importance, because with- 

 out it the animals are likely to get fat and 

 logy instead of measuring up to their true 

 type. The mistake is often made of having 

 hutches too low, especially when fancy rabbits 

 are being bred. The result is that the animals 



