The hinged roof should be made water tight by covering with some form of commercial roofing paper, or by using tongue and grooved boards well painted.
Fig. 225. Traps
The door sliding in grooves, as shown, has a long handle, which projects up through the top of the runway, so that it may be opened or closed from the outside. It can be made from box material.
A number of these houses may be placed in a row and allowed to open into a large yard, or there may be individual runs. The latter method is more satisfactory, as a large run can easily be obtained by providing doors between the yards.
In the country, where weasels, mink or other wild enemies bother the rabbits, they can be caught in traps. The ordinary box trap at a, [Fig. 225], is designed to catch the animals alive. Its construction is clearly shown in the drawing, one end covered with wire netting, or made solid, and the other provided with a door, arranged to drop easily in the groove when the trigger has been disturbed. The simple construction of the trigger is shown in the detail, while the bait is attached to a string. As soon as this is disturbed the door drops.
A typical dead-fall trap is shown at b. The weights placed on the sloping board should be heavy, as this trap is designed to kill its victim. For this reason it should never be used where there is any possibility of a pet cat or dog being caught. The trigger is very sensitive, and the slightest pull at the bait is sufficient to bring the weight down on the unfortunate animal.
The uprights should be mortised through the base board, and the cross piece at top halved to the uprights. The sloping board with weights fastened to it has a generous-sized hole fitted loosely over a dowel at the right-hand end of bottom board. A groove cut in the latter allows the weighted board to fit tightly when it falls, the dowel with bait dropping into the groove.
[Fig. 225] at c shows a snare frequently used. It should be placed in front of a hollow log, box, or barrel, so that the animal must put his head through the loop of wire in order to reach the bait.