10 RAISING BELGIAN HARES AND OTHER RABBITS. 



short intervals and the hay thoroughly cured in such small quantities 

 that no sweat in «: takes place. However, if sweet hay is not available 

 the sweated may be fed to the rabbits without injury, unless it be 

 moldy. 



GREEN FOODS. 



Eabbits require some green foods for winter. Cabbages, kale, 

 spinach, and rape leaves are recommended. Turnips, beets, and 

 mangels are often fed, and have been recommended by many rabbit 

 breeders, but they do not keep so well as the foods just named. 

 Turnips, unless kept in the ground, wilt by midwinter and are then 

 of little use. Beets and mangels keep better, and the latter are the 

 main dependence of some English rabbitries; but, on the whole, cab- 

 bages are more economical, as well as more satisfactory in every way. 

 They are usually available until green stulf grows in the spring. 

 l^Tiatever green food is put away for winter use must be stored where 

 frost can not touch it, as freezing unfits it for rabbit food. Parsnips 

 left in the ground all winter make an excellent early spring rabbit 

 food after the frost leaves the ground in which they grow. 



FEEDING. 



Rabbits should be fed twice daily. Ordinary stock is fed morning 

 and evening, but suckling does should have also a noon meal or be 

 given more than they will eat at the other meals. The general rule 

 is to feed only as much grain or green stutf as the animals will oon- 

 sume. Hay is put into the hutch to be available at any time, a part 

 of it being left as litter. The exact amount of grain or green stuff 

 for each rabbit at a meal can not be stated, as the appetite varies 

 greatly at different times. Observations of the quantity left over 

 when the animals quit feeding will soon enable the feeder to adjust 

 the meals to the needs of the rabbits. Overfeeding is a much more 

 common mistake than underfeeding. 



Winter feeding. — In winter, one of the meals each day should be 

 chiefly of green food (as roots or cabbage), and the other mainly 

 of grain. Roots, cabbage, celery, and the like should be previously 

 washed clean of soil, but should not be wet when given to the rabbits. 

 If green food is given in the morning, the evening meal should be 

 whole oats or other grain for mature animals. Those under 3 months 

 of age should be given crushed oats with a little bran, as they can 

 not so well masticate whole grain. A little hay should be given with 

 each meal. 



Summer feeding. — In summer, green food should be the chief reli- 

 ance, and only a small quantity of hay or grain is needed. Rabbits 

 are fond of all kinds of garden vegetables, besides wild parsley, 

 dandelion, plantain, dock, and other weeds, as well as grasses. Agree- 



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