Side trip to rabbit hutch
People who keep rabbits will
soon face a major financial
decision - whether to allow the
rabbit to earn net income or to
keep the rabbit as a guest on the
farm.
Of the 100 calls 1 get each year on
rabbits, the primary question
deals with: “Where can 1 market
all these rabbits?”, or “Why do 1
always have more rabbits than
money?” Some say they con
sistently lose money on rabbits.
The second question most
frequently asked is: “How do I
prevent sickness,' disease or
parasites in rabbits;” “My rabbits
are sensitive and get sick easily.”
As a management specialist, I
view the rabbit as an animal to be
properly cared for. This means
improved genetic selection, the '
most healthy environment,
adequate nutrition, and a health
program to prevent or control
disease.
Capital flow in rabbits is usually
out of the grower’s pocket into
someone else’s pocket. So money
in the rabbit business depends on
your point of view.
Do you keep the rabbit, or does
the rabbit earn net income and
keep you? Reproduction, growth
rate, quality of the animal, and
health of the rabbit relate to
marketability, price or earning
power.
In the Pennsylvania rabbit in
dustry large commercial herds of
400 to 7,000 breeding does are few;
nearly all rabbit growers have 30
breeding does or fewer and usually
ho more than 200 rabbits total. One
doe rabbit can provide.adequate
rabbit meat for one family of four
for one year. So this means that
two or more does are considered a
commercial herd.
The rabbit has potential in the
future but currently it has too high
a variability in market demand,
health and reproductivity. This
makes the rabbit business local -
where all problems and markets
have to be solved or dealt with
locally.
Some rabbitnes are financially
successful while many are
PUBLIC SALE
To be held at McLaughlins Auction
House, 440 Ramsey Avenue, Cham
bersburg, Franklin Co., Pa.
ON FRIDAY EVE., OCTOBER 8,1982
6:00 P.M.
SEVENTY-EIGHT 78 GUNS
Large Remington Gun Collection. Including
4-Model 8; 8 Model 14; 3 Model 14te; 3 Model
25; 3 Model 141; 7 Model 721; 12 Model 722; 6
Model 725; 10 old Series Model 760 including
150th anniversary 1816-1966 gold insigna, a
collectors item; 7 new series Model 760 new in a
box; Remington Model 700 - 222 Cal. B.D.L.
Varment with scope. Remington Model 870 -12
ga. Skeet Bicentennial, new; Remington
Rolling Blocks; Remington Falling Block;
Winchester Model 25,12 ga. pump; Winchester
Model 66, Centennial, new; 3 glass door, 20 gun,
gun cabinet, hart wood, very nice.
Auctioneer Note - This is a great Remington
collection. Many key guns; lets say all in mint
condition. Just beautiful. Guns will sell as
numbered. Doors open for inspection at 1 P.M.
sale day. For a complete listing send self
addressed, stamped envelope to McLaughlins
Auction House, 440 Ramsey Avenue, Cham
bersburg, Franklin Co., Penna. 17201.
Terms: Cash or approved check.
J. Robert Myers, Auctioneer
& Manager
Phone 717-264-2224
CjjicHeo Coop ffews
Update on the poultry industry
fferb Jordan
Penn State Extension Poultry Specialist
mediocre or poor. There is no
rabbit market quote commonly
accepted for quantity, quality and
price such as in poultry, eggs or
milk. Therefore each rabbit
grower is on his own to establish
lab, meat, pet or pelt markets.
A five-pound bag of rabbit feed in
a local pet shop sells for $l,OOO per
ton which is probably $2OO per ton
for feed and $BOO per ton for love or
aesthetic appreciation of the
animal.
Not ail rabbit growers relate to
profit, net income or money
youth projects use rabbits as a
model for education. The
youngster learns responsibility in
the care of an animal.
Market for rabbits may be as a
pet. Love a rabbit as a pet or
companion animal and the owner
gets an inner fulfillment.
Some keep the rabbit as a hobby,
show or exhibition animal. Show
stock must be purchased and bred
selectively to win first place in
open competition among
registered stock.
Meat for the table can be
profitable but seldom is, because
of low or erratic consumer
demand, low prices and the ab
sence of dressing plants for rab
bits.
Skins for warmth and style are
rarely seen as a business in
Pennsylvania; however, Rex
OF GUNS
JUDY FARMS DAIRY
HERD DISPERSAL
FRI. OCT. 15
at 7:30 P.M.
at Penns Valley Livestock Auction
Centre Hall, PA, at the intersection ofßt.
45 and 144.
Featuring 68 head, (38 cows, all stages of
lactation, 7 Registered, 30 heifers, all stages, 8
Registered.)
Watch next issue for more information
Ron Gilligan, Auctioneer
For more information
call 814-364-9096
PUBLIC AUCTION
VAL. GUNS, ANTIQUES, HOUSEHOLD GOODS
SOME TOOLS, ETC.
Having purchased the contents of
Dorothy Girton Home & selling on
premises at 120 Carpenter St., Muncy,
Pa.
THURSDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 7
Starting 4 P.M
Rare John Trout (Williamsport) over-under
shotgun-rifle dbl. 30” brl. hammer gun w/tiger
maple stock & gold inlays - patchbox - a beaut;
Weatherby 300 Mag. Mark V bolt made in
germany-unfired; Win 35WCR mod. 1895; Win.
model 20 410; Win. Mod. 9422 M 22 mag.; Win.
270 mod. 70; Rem. 270 mod. 760; Win mod. 1906
& Rem. 1909 22 pumps; Sav. Mod. 99 243 & 22-
250 rifles; Rem. 35 mod. 14; Rem. 32 mod. 141;
Win. mod. 54 30-30; Italian 6.5 w/curly maple
stock; Marlin 357 mod. 1894 rifle; Glenfield
mod. 25 22; Rem 760 6mm; black powder
pistols & guns; quantity of ammo; Oak ice box
w/raised panels; Oak side by side; Oak kitchen
cupboard; hanging medicine cabinet; old
tiffany tye kero, hanging lamp; childs roll top
desk; set of 6 brass back bells; much much
more not listed.
Auct. Note: Everything sells to highest
bidder regardless of price (No minimums - no
reserves).
Owner
EARL DENY REYNOLDS
Conducted by Fraley Auction Co.
546-6907
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator
Jesse Helms commended
Secretary of Agriculture John R.
Block for his announcement of the
1983 feed grain program and ad
ditional funds for on-farm storage.
“Secretary Block’s an
nouncement of a 10 percent paid
diversion and a 10 percent acreage
reduction is excellent news for the
American farmer,” said Helms,
chairman of the Senate
rabbits are reported to be active in
Utah. Some say Rex rabbits are
now quite valuable.
Capital moves out of the rabbit
business in most cases. It is not a
profitable business yet. There is an
“X” or unknown factor in rabbits
which means some earn profit
from rabbits while many people
lose money or break even. In
vestment m rabbits vary from $lO
to sso' per doe for housing and
equipment. This variation is too
wide to predict net income of a
business.
Income at auction or in the in
dustry varies from 10 cents per
pound to $4 per pound or more live
which is too wide to understand.
Here is a budget of cost of
producing live rabbit. This
producer was not earning net in
come for meat markets so this
total cost of production would have
to be reduced :
Heims commends U.S. feed
gram announcements
Agriculture Committee. Congress
had required that a paid diversion
of at least 5 percent be im
plemented for 1983.
“This strong action by the
secretary demonstrates his ef
fective use of the farm program
tools provided by Congress in the
1981 farm bill, which I introduced
and supported. Despite difficult
economic circumstances, this
legislation has been effective in
aiding the American farmer.”
“I am also pleased with the
allocation of an additional $6O
million for the farm storage
facility loan program. These are
short-run actions which will boost
the farm economy and help farm
prices, ” Helms said.
“The public should note that
these actions today will ultimately
provide savings to the taxpayer
through reduced government
Del. broiler housing seminar Oct. 6
NEWARK, Del. The 21st
annual National Broiler Housing
Seminar will be held Wednesday
Oct. 6, at the University of
Delaware Georgetown Substation.
■ A diversified program involving
safety, litter, ventilation, solar
heating, housing and equipment
has been planned. The meeting will
start at 8 a.m. and adjourn at 3:15
p.m. The $l5 registration fee
covers a fried chicken luncheon,
Yorkshires
APPROX. 70 BRED GILTS (All gilts are hand mated)
25 Yorkshire - bred Yorkshire,
30 Landrace bred Duroc or Yorkshire,
15 Duroc bred Duroc
Due November - December - early January
40 BOARS (Seven to eight months old)
Feed efficiency & Test Station information
25 Yorkshire IS Duroc
50 OPEN GILTS (Ready to breed)
YORKSHIRE, CROSSBREb, DUROC
Soundness and production are top priorities in our breeding program. Our
Yorkshire herd is unsurpassed in production per sow for herds this size. Our
animals have done well in test stations. Pennsylvania's Ist Superior Certified
Ouroc Meat Sire came from our herd. We also had the top indexing boar over all
breeds, Pa. State 1979 ("Hustle”) and the top boar in Delaware 1980 (Explorer).
All animals vaccinated for Erysipelas & Lepto & Rhinitis. Validated Brucellosis &
Pseudorabies Free herds.
Friday Evening
NOVEMBER 5 f 1982,6:00 P.M.
SALE TO BE HELD AT THE
Lebanon Area Fairgounds
(CORNWALL & EVERGREEN ROADS, IVt MILES SOUTH OF)
Lebanon, PA
Yorkshires
Leon L. Arnold, R.D.7, Box 705
Lebanon, PA 17042 - 717-273-5880
Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, October 2,1982-031
ARNOLD’S 24TH
PRODUCTION SALE
Auctioneer: Harry Bachman, PA
CALL OR WRITE
Du rocs
Lawrence Arnold, 1245 Cumberland St
Lebanon, PA 17042 717-272-9827
Farm 272-2179
CATALOGUES AVAILABLE OCTOBER 15
NEXT SALE FEBRUARY 12,1983
spending on surplus commodities
in the future,” Helms said.
“I must caution, however, that
government production controls is
not the long-term solution to
problems in the grain sector of
economy. We cannot indefinitely
reduce U.S. production in the face
of expanded plantings in other
countries. In fact, I have been
concerned that a very large paid
diversion would allow other
countries to expand export sales at
our expense,” said Helms.
“However, the reports of record
breaking fall crops in the U.S.
make this action necessary.
“Farmers want and need profits
in the marketplace. The Reagan
Administration is aggressively
seeking world markets for our
products, and this action will
further help to balance supply with
demand.”
coffee and donuts, and a copy ot
the proceedings.
Key speaker will be David
Sainsbury of Cambridge
University, England. He will
describe broiler production in
Europe and tell how this has been
influenced by the animal welfare
movement.
For further information contact
Extension poultry specialist
George Chaloupka at 302/856-5250.
OF
Durocs