THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, February 10,1857. 331 
I have found, as a general rule, that Rabbits will thrive the 
best, “ young or old,” if supplied, morning and evening, with 
a single handful of oats, and another of greens. The latter 
'L intiuitely prefer to be Dandelions or Swine Thistles ; but, 
when these cannot be obtained, sliced turnip, carrot, or 
any other garden vegetable will suffice. Occasionally it is 
well to give them a small handful of sweet hay, and if 
herby so much the better, about noon, which they greatly 
relish. 
It is a mistake to imagine that young Rabbits are easily 
diseased by giving them a good supply of green meat; 
for, if liberally supplied with it when with their mother, if 
weaned at eight weeks old, and the supply be at that time 
slightly reduced, and then gradually increased again, it may 
be continued with great advantage; for a Rabbit will always 
become larger on plenty of green food than will one deprived 
of this natural source of moisture. Let the young fancier, 
however, beware how he feeds specimens purchased from 
another stock; for if the young Rabbits have not been 
accustomed to much green food, and the supply be suddenly 
increased, disease, and most probably death, will be the 
result. Few are in the habit of giving their Rabbits water 
or other fluid, which is, at best, a dangerous practice; for 
'these creatures do not require it, nature having provided 
them with such ample means of absorbing the moisture 
necessary to life through the pores of the skin. 
The hutches should be kept well strewed with clean straw, 
which is more wholesome as well as less expensive than hay; 
and, besides this, when hay is used the stock will not enjoy 
their mid-day supply. I think it an excellent plan to sprinkle 
the floor of each hutch with dry saw-dust before laying down 
the straw, as this absorbs part of the moisture, and keeps 
the animals sweeter and more healthy. 
Again, I would earnestly impress upon the inexperienced 
fancier the immense importance of strict cleanliness. The 
hutches should be thoroughly scraped and brushed out at 
least once a week, and, as I before mentioned, it is well to 
have them lime-washed out two or three times each season. 
An occasional stiff mash of barley-meal will be a wholesome 
change in the diet, and it will be found to facilitate the 
fattening of this animal, especially in the winter time, when 
green meat is scarce. 
MANAGEMENT EOR BREEDING TURPOSES. 
When the young Rabbits ai’e separated from the doe they 
may be allowed to run together till they are nearly three 
months old, when the bucks and does should be removed to 
separate hutches. Do not, however, remove them singly to 
separate hutches, for young Rabbits will eat and thrive 
better in numbers than singly; but when they become four 
or five months old the best specimens may be selected, and 
finally separated for breeding from, and the inferior ones may 
be left together to fatten. 
The young doe should not be bred from till she is six 
months old at the earliest, and it is better to wait till 
she is eight months old, especially if she is of sufficient 
merit to compete for prizes, and I should never use the 
young buck till he has attained the age of eight months. 
It is better for an inexperienced fancier to begin with young 
specimens, otherwise he may be taken in, and may obtain 
Rabbits too old for breeding purposes, or suffering from 
some disease. Moreover, the experience he will necessarily 
acquire in rearing his young stock will greatly assist his 
further efforts, and will help to insure future success. 
When the Rabbits have attained the age at which 
they may be permitted to breed, care should be taken that 
they are not unwisely mated. A young doe should 
breed with an older buck, and vice versa; thus a more 
healthy and well-developed offspring is the result, and it is 
of the utmost importance that they be not related. The doe 
should not be allowed to rear more than five or six young at 
a litter, else they will be puny, their points will be less 
perfectly developed, and, what is even of more importance, 
the doe will be pulled down in condition, and her constitution 
shaken. She ought not to have more than three or four 
litters in a season if a Fancy Rabbit, and these should be 
during the summer months, when there is no fear of the 
cold pinching or destroying the young, and when there is an 
abundant supply of green food, which helps to promote a 
good flow of milk. When the doe kindles, which she may 
be expected to do from the twenty-eighth to the thirty-first 
day after conception, and which she will give notice of by 
carrying hay about in her mouth to make the nest, and 
by pulling the down from her own breast, she may be pro¬ 
vided with a little milk and bread, given lukewarm, and kept 
very quiet for a day or two, at the end of which time she should 
be removed from the hutch, while the young are taken one 
by one from the nest and examined. 
At this early period of their existence their marking may 
be readily distinguished, and thus the worthless ones may 
be culled out, and the best five or six may be permitted to 
remain. It is very seldom that a doe will destroy the young 
after she has fed them for a day or two, if the nest be not 
much disturbed in removing the inferior specimens ; and, as 
this “ overhauling ” seems to be a necessary evil, as a doe 
will sometimes kindle ten or a dozen, if she is found to 
destroy her young more than once it is better to fat her for 
the table. A day or two before the doe is expected to kindle 
the slide should be fitted in the hutch, and the nest-box 
thus formed should be cleansed, so as to do away with the 
necessity of disturbing the young for that purpose till they 
come out of the nest. Every fancier ought to be provided 
with a diary, in which he may keep a memorandum of the 
date on which the Rabbits are mated and expected to kindle, 
besides being valuable to note down many circumstances 
which will occur in the course of a season’s experience.— 
Percy Boulton. 
FAREHAM POULTRY SHOW. 
The occurrence of many Shows at the same time makes 
it necessary to divide our reports, which we do as fairly as 
we can. 
The above is one of those friendly and comfortable Shows, 
managed by a few gentlemen who love the pursuit, where all 
go to enjoy themselves. Committee and exhibitors are 
known to each other, and every one is interested in its 
success. The Spanish and Dorkings were excellent, worthy, 
of any Show. The prize-list shows a long array of high 
commendations in both, no less than twenty-seven pens, 
and a fact worthy of notice, namely, that there were five 
pens of rose-combed birds, and the first prize was taken 
by one of them, showing that the ridiculous idea that 
they are not pure is fast losing ground. Mrs. Pettat’s was a 
beautiful pen. The next that called for especial notice were 
the Buff Cochins of 1856. Mr. Vaux’s birds were very good, 
as were those belonging to the ubiquitous and spirited 
exhibitor Mr. Rodbard. We were sorry to see that the Isle 
of Wight did not take one prize for Game. Where is the 
old reputation of the island for that breed? Messrs. 
James, Fox, and Rodbard showed well. Mr. R. James 
was strong in Golden-spangled Hamburghs, and the Judge 
was compelled to stop in high commendations of the Golden- 
pencilled, and to pronounce the whole class “ very capital.” 
Mr. James may, then boast, of his victory. Mr. T. P. Mew 
took both the first prizes for Silver-pencilled. There was 
little competition in the Black Polands. Mr. Coleridge won 
the piece of plate he gave for the best collection of Polands. 
Mrs. Pettat and Mr. Fox severally took first prizes. Mr. 
Mew was successful among the Bantam classes, which 
brought some good birds. The varied class was unusually 
good. Mrs. St. John, of Basingstoke, took both prizes. 
The Ducks and Geese were very good. 
The Show was held in the Institution Hall, and we 
imagine the lesson conveyed by the Exhibition was neither 
the least useful nor the least instructive of the year. The 
Committee were indefatigable, and are richly entitled to our 
best thanks. 
CREWE CENTRAL AMATEUR EXHIBITION 
OF POULTRY, PIGEONS, CANARIES, AND 
RABBITS. 
This Show was held on the 3rd and 4th instant, in the 
Cheese Hall, at Crewe, in Cheshire. Judges of Poultry 
and Pigeons, Mr. J. Baily, Mount Street, Grosvenor 
Square, and E. Pargum, Esq., Sandbach ; of Rabbits, Mr. 
