Page:Care and Management of Rabbits.djvu/242

224 animals will not be exposed to draughts or the cold too much. This will cause them to catch cold and will lead to the "snuffles."

And this is something that one should take into consideration in shipping the rabbits. In the heated cars and freight stations it is generally hot, stuffy or warm. They are then taken out in the cold air and subjected to a severe change in temperature, all of which is very apt to cause colds. If you have to make shipments in the winter, do all that you can to make it cozy and warm in the crates for the stock. Use muslin across the top and openings to prevent draughts.

Use good-sized crates. Old orange boxes make an excellent shipping crate for a pair. If only one rabbit is to be shipped, one of the compartments of the orange box may be sawed off. But be sure that the floor is solid and does not have any cracks in it so that the rabbits can stick their feet through and get them broken. It is best to have everything so that they cannot get any part of their bodies out of the crate in transit.