HOUSES, HUTCHES AND~TARDS 65 



about six inches high placed across the front 

 of the hutch and resting on the floor, 

 held in place with a button or a hook at each 

 end. The rest of the space may be covered 

 with wire. At cleaning time this board may 

 be removed and a scraper used to pull out the 

 litter. This plan economizes work when a 

 wheelbarrow or cart or perhaps a litter carrier 

 on a track is used to remove the rubbish and 

 ofifal. 



If a rabbit raiser is to keep his animals in 

 the open air all the year round, he will need 

 some kind of roof or shelter which will pro- 

 ject a foot or more over the front of the hutch 

 or stack of hutches to exclude both rain and 

 a certain amount of direct sunshine. There is 

 no better disinfectant than sunlight, and most 

 rabbits like to bask in it. At the same time, 

 it is exceedingly injurious in mid-summer 

 when the weather is very hot. Moreover, ex- 

 posure to direct sunlight for any length of 

 time fades the coats of several breeds, like the 

 Himalayans, the Imperials and the Tans. 

 Many breeders contend that the coats of Bel- 

 gian hares are damaged by sunlight, but this 

 claim is often carried much too far. No doubt 



