Boies' utility rabbits for meat and fur by Boies Harry Archer

Author:Boies, Harry Archer. [from old catalog]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Rabbits
Publisher: Milbrook, N.Y.
Published: 1917-03-25T05:00:00+00:00

BREEDING.

While a rabbit can be bred at four months of age, it is not advisable to do so before they are six months old. Many will not breed their does until eight or ten months old, but if they have been well feed and cared lor, the}- can safely be bred when six months old. in breeding, the doe should always be taken to the buck's hutch and not vice-versa. If she will not take the buck, take her away and put with him again the next da} and continue until served. A doe will generally be ready for the buck one in every three days. The period of gestation is thirty days.

PREPARING FOR THE YOUNG.

About a week before the doe is to have her young, she should be supplied with a nest box, unless she has one already, described under heading Nest Box. Three or four days before she is due to litter, her hutch should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and she should be supplied with plenty of fine hay or straw, so she may build her nest. Special care should be taken at this period to see that the doe is not frightened and she should not be handled unless absolutely necessary. P"eed plenty of greens and a drink of warm milk, if possible, so as to start a good liow of milk for the young to come.

She will generally keep the entrance to nest box covered with litter and it should be left this way until she removes it, for the young-should be kept inside away from food they would otherwise get that would be harmful to them.

HANDLING.

To pick up a rabbit, take hold of the skin of the back, right over the shoulders, and if the rabbit is very heavy, place the other hand under the stomach, allowing part of the weight to rest there. Do not pick them up by the ears, it is uncomfortable and painful to them and is decidedly the wrong way to handle them.

KILLING.

To kill a rabbit, pick it up by one of the hind legs and hit it a (piick, sharp blow on the back of the head, then cut its throat and hang it u]) to bleed.

DRESSING.

A rabbit should be dressed ])y hanging it up b}- the gamble joints in the same manner as a hog or sheep is hung up. Tie a piece of heavy twine about each joint and hang up in a door-way, limb of some tree, or some other handy place, with the legs spread. Make a cut around each leg at X in figure 8-a. then cut the pkin down the inside

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.