Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits, 5th Edition

Preface: For the Love of Rabbits Acknowledgments Part I: Getting Started 1 Why Start? First of All, Good Eating • Rabbits Serve Science • The Fancier's Role • Would You Believe 12 Million Rabbits? • Here's Where You Come In • Progress in Raising Rabbits 2 The Right Rabbit A 40-Million-Year-Old Species? • American Domestics: Probably Not Belgian Hares • Choose Your Market • The Enticing Economics of a Small Breeding-Stock Rabbitry • Choose the Right Rabbit • Coat Types 3 Obtaining the Right Foundation Stock Crossbreds Are the Least Valuable • A Pedigreed Rabbit Has Papers • Registration • What Does It All Mean? • The Best Rabbit Raisers • How to Find a Raiser • What to Expect When You Buy • How to Build Your Herd • What You Can Expect to Pay for Purebreds • Purchasing by Mail Order • Bringing Your Rabbits Home 4 A Gallery of Breeds Part II: Housing, Feeding, and Breeding 5 Housing and Equipment You Are in Charge • Why the All-Wire Hutch? • How to Make a Wire Hutch • Creature Comforts: Situating the Hutch • Building a Dream Barn • Rabbit Sheds • Other Rabbit-Shed Options • The Economics of Sheds • Other Equipment and Considerations 6 Feeding Rabbits Right Pellets Make the Ideal Feed • Feed Supplements • General Feeding Guidelines • My Preferred Lifetime Feeding Regimen • What Else Should You Know? 7 Breeding and Producing Rabbits Mating Your First Pair • Is She Pregnant? • Time for the Nest Box • The New Litter • Breeding the Doe Again • Weaning and Housing the Litter • The Problems of Weather • Keeping Breeding Records • Ear Identification • Choosing Future Breeders • Methods of Breeding • Reminders That Bear Restating Part III: Marketing and Miscellany 8 To the Best Market: Selling Rabbits The Meat Market • Slaughtering and Butchering • The Laboratory Market • Breeding Stock • The Ironclad Guarantee • Let's Set a Price • Good Records Make Future Sales • What Else to Sell? • Some Sales Advice from Rabbit Raisers • Trends in the Rabbit Business • Reviewing Some of the Best Ideas 9 Rabbits and the Home Garden Make Manure Go a Long Way: Compost! • What the Garden Can Do for Rabbits 10 Preventing Problems Breeding Tips • Disease Prevention • Is Medical Treatment Available for Rabbits? • Sanitation • Complaints from Neighbors or Relatives 11 On to the Rabbit Shows! Locating and Entering Shows • Judging by Class • Selecting Show Stock • Make the Rabbit Shows Work for You 12 Rabbit Associations and the Future of the Industry National Organizations • Regional Groups • ARBA Benefits • Into the Future • Increasing the Demand for Meat • A Promotional Campaign • A Show of Support • The Rabbit's Potential 13 Cooking Rabbit Chicken Is Cheaper • Comparing Rabbits and Chicken • Preparing for Cooking • The Recipes Afterword Reading about Rabbits Glossary Metric Conversion Charts Index