R/-JS!T 2/13/31. 



But when we say domestic rabbits, don't f^et the idea that they 

 are our own wild rabbits domesticated. Our domestic meat-and-fur rabbits 

 are descended from wild rabbits of Europe;, v/hich were domesticated a very 

 long;, long time ago. The Chinese appear to have bred rabbits for 

 sacrificial ourposes in the time of Confucius, and domestic varieties are 

 mentioned in the early literature of the Greeks and Romans, 



i ■ 



The principal breeds uced in thi g' country v/ere developed in Belgium, 

 Sn^-land, and France, In those countries,' domestic rabbits are raised 

 quite extensively to help supply meat for the family. Each farm house 

 v/ill have a few of them. 



In fact, about 98 per cent of the rabbit f^xr used in this countr^r'' 

 comes from abroad, including the better qualities from the European 

 domestic rabbits and the v/ild rabbits of Australia and New Zealand. 



Because of our dependence on other countries for so much of our 

 rabbit lur, and because rabbits multiply so fast, many folks have aeen big 

 opportunities in rabbit raising. 



Domestic rabbit raising, as an extensive industry, started on the 

 Pacific Cop.st and has been gradually spreading toward the East. Mr. 

 Meyer tells me that at present livestock farmers in the Middle We?t are 

 taking v; rabbit raising as something new. And, they are fast putting the 

 business un a commercial basis. The general trend is toward a small number 

 of rabbits raised as a side line in connection with other faming, just as 

 chickens are most often raised. That's also the present trend on the 

 Pacific Coasto 



At first, rabbit raising v/as promoted as a scheme for selling 

 breeding '-.tock on a large scale. The fast multiplying of rabbits made 

 a strong o^.iking point for the salesman, who could show you how to get 

 rich dispor-ing of the progeny of a ievi pairs of rabbits over a period 

 of only a few years. 



But few folks seem to realize that to maize rabbits pay in practice, 

 as v;j11 as on paper, takes a good-sized production of yoimg. 



The general practice is to breed four litters of yovng a year, and 

 retain about six yoTing to the litter. That means twenty-four young a 

 year. Heyer, hov;ever, says his experience at the United States Rabbit 



Experiment Station at Eontana indicates that that many are necessary for 

 the rabbit farmer to make a reasonable "orofit over and above the cost of 

 production. 



This business of rabbit raising is so new in this co"untry that 

 there are a lot of things we have yet to learn. That's the reason for 

 the experiment station. Mr, Heyer and his assistants are developing 

 methods of feeding, and breeding, and handling, and housing, and disease 

 control. 



Up until this station was established, the business had grov/n in 

 a haphazard sort of wa;y, with breeders learning from, trial and error. 

 But the business has gro'.vn. The first promoters sold stock on the unit 



