Rabbits and Hares 45 
A yard sixteen by twenty feet will accommodate 
twenty rabbits, or even more. A part of the yard 
should be covered in some way to afford shade. In: 
connection with the yard, a house five by eight feet 
should be constructed; it should be well ventilated and 
lighted, with the window so arranged that it can be 
darkened. The entrance from the yard to the house 
should be through about two lengths of five-inch tile, 
one joint inclining downward from the yard and the 
second joint inclined upward into the house. Rabbits 
seem to enjoy running through a tunnel. It is useful 
in preventing the entrance of cats, as they will seldom 
erawl through a long tunnel of this character. Should 
dogs gain entrance to a yard they will usually dig at 
the end of the tile rather than attempt to dig under 
the wall. Straw can be used for litter in the house, 
but it should be removed frequently and burned. 
During the winter months rabbits and Belgian hares 
can be fed clover or alfalfa hay, oats, apples, cabbages 
and other materials of this character. The pens should 
be cleaned frequently and disinfected with a five per 
cent solution of carbolic acid every month or six 
weeks to prevent infectious diseases and to destroy 
parasites. 
In breeding rabbits, one buck is usually sufficient 
for twenty does. The buck and the does should be 
kept separate. When a doe is about to give birth to 
young, she should be separated from the others until 
the litter is two weeks old. When the bucks get to 
be two months old they should be castrated, or they 
will fight each other and will not fatten readily. 
