Page:Care and Management of Rabbits.djvu/22

14 may not be possible to most breeders who are not so favorably situated, but it is an indication worth mentioning. Many breeders place the exact cost of producing a pound of rabbit meat at six cents under existing high prices of feed, so many in fact that it has come to be almost an accepted figure among commercial breeders.

The rabbit, unlike poultry, does not need concentrated foods which are always leading the market in price. It requires more roughage in the way of good hay than it does of grain. It does not need corn or wheat at all, oats being the staple grain in the rabbit's ration. Oats, with hay and some green vegetable matter are the principal articles of diet. Some mashes may be used which will even tend to cheapen the cost of feeding the herd.

These facts are largely responsible for the strong position which the rabbit has won in recent years. People are becoming more and more attached to rabbit raising, as they realize what is essential and correct their earlier mistakes.