Page:Care and Management of Rabbits.djvu/56

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CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF RABBITS

dard for the breed. The youngsters are hardy, quick maturing and will easily dress one pound for each month of their age up to six months. I rarely find one that will not beat this record by a long ways. They are of a delicious flavor and texture, having white meat all over, similar to the breast of a chicken. There isn't a single rabbit of the domesticated breeds that has dark meat.

The Belgian hare is the smallest of the commercial breeds. It should weigh eight pounds or under. For years it was bred more for appearance and style, it being thought highly ideal to have as small and trim an animal as possible. It springs from the same source as the Flemish Giant, but the English breeders sacrificed its splendid commercial possibilities in order to make a show animal of it.

It is long and racy in appearance and is not quite so chunky and solid as the New Zealand Red, but it makes a splendid commercial animal when bred for that purpose. It is a quick grower and takes on weight readily and if