Vol. 8, No. 6 
Page 5 
Table 4. Numbers of prairie chickens on booming grounds, Bogota Study Area, 19&5- 
Date of Count 
Cocks 
Hens 
All 
March 13 
38 
0 
38 
March 20 
39 
0 
39 
March 27 
37 
0 
37 
April 2 
42 
1 
43 
April 3 
26 
6 
32 
April 6 
7] 
6 
37 
April 9 
47 
6 
53 
April 16 
31 
4 
35 
April 24 
27* 
2* 
29* 
* Counts not reliable 
because of 
concealing vegetation. 
6. Rabbit Management 
J. A. 
Bailey, R. J* S iglin 
During May and June I 965 , 11 plant species were offered to young cottontails 
to determine relative palatabi1ities of these species. Rabbits between 3 and 7 
weeks old, from four litters, were used in the tests. The animals, obtained as 
nestlings during April and May, were kept in groups of three to seven in cardboard 
boxes. Tests were begun when the rabbits would readily eat fresh plant material 
and after they had been exposed to all of the test species. All food was removed 
from the boxes 1 - 2 hours before the rabbits were given 25 grams of each of two 
plant species. Freshly-cut leaves or leaves and stems were used. After 30 minutes 
the remainder of the food was removed from the boxes and the consumption of each 
species was determined. Each of the 11 plants was tested against the other 10. 
Palatability was rated by the number of times a species was preferred during the 
ten tests (Table 5)* Among the species tested, dandelion and prickly lettuce were 
highly preferred; giant ragweed, red clover, Rugel's plantain, smartweed, and curly 
dock were rated as preferred; and wild carrot, crabgrass, common ragweed, and 
lamb 1 s-quarters were least acceptable. 
Table 5. Relative palatability of 11 plant species to young cottontail rabbits. 
Test Species 
Palatability Rating 
Dandelion ( Taraxacum officinale ) 9 
Frickly lettuce ( Lactuca scariola ) 9 
Giant ragweed ( Ambrosia trifida ) 7 
Red clover ( Trifolium pratense ) 6 
Rugel's plantain ( Piantago rugelii ) 6 
Smartweed ( Polygonum pensylvanicum ) 6 
Curly dock ( Rumex crispus ) 5 
Wild carrot ( Caucus carota ) 3 
Crabgrass ( Piq i taria sanqu inalis ) 3 
Common ragweed ( Ambrosia artemisiifo1ia ) 
Lamb 1 s-quarters ( Chenopodium album ) 
