Ten Commandments for Raising Healthy Rabbits

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A doe of the popular New Zealand White breed.
A doe of the popular New Zealand White breed.
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LEFT: The female has a slit-like genital area. MIDDLE: The male has a rounded protuberance. RIGHT: A standard nesting box combining ventilation and shelter.
LEFT: The female has a slit-like genital area. MIDDLE: The male has a rounded protuberance. RIGHT: A standard nesting box combining ventilation and shelter.
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TOP LEFT: A small young rabbit can be held by its loin area. RIGHT: Calm an agitated rabbit by securing its head under your elbow. BOTTOM LEFT: Lift a grown rabbit by its neck and tail, not by its ears.
TOP LEFT: A small young rabbit can be held by its loin area. RIGHT: Calm an agitated rabbit by securing its head under your elbow. BOTTOM LEFT: Lift a grown rabbit by its neck and tail, not by its ears.

Believe it or not, even if your back yard is no bigger than a queen-sized mattress (about 30 square feet), you can produce 200 pounds of homegrown meat every year … by raising rabbits!

Domestic “hare” is a tasty, amazingly versatile food, too. Its flavor is often compared to chicken, and–like the barnyard fowl–rabbit is good fried, baked, stewed, cooked in casseroles, and prepared in many other ways. And the mammal’s firm, fine-grained flesh actually makes for more healthful eatin’ than does the bird’s. In fact, rabbit has more protein–and less fat and fewer calories –per pound than any of our popular meats!

Rabbits are a wise choice for the small livestock fancier for other reasons, too: The critters are quite easy to raise, feed, and–because of their clean habits–care for. They’re also quiet (which is an absolute “must” consideration for folks who’re rearing animals in an urban area).

Of course, if you do get into caretaking a batch of the furry beasts, you’ll want to keep your livestock as healthy and productive as possible. And–to help you in such efforts–I’ve prepared the following ten rules for raising rabbits free of disease.

I. Recognize Your Market

  • Published on Jan 1, 1980
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