This got me thinking(yes it hurt) if you are relying on hunting to supplement your diet this is something to consider... humans aren't the only animals to suffer epidemic in the population. Just something to think about.
Relying on Hunting?
Relying on Hunting?
When I went to let the girls out and feed them this morning, I came upon the second Mixied Rabbit in my garden in as many days. The first was dead, this one was still alive. I put it out of it's misery.
This got me thinking(yes it hurt) if you are relying on hunting to supplement your diet this is something to consider... humans aren't the only animals to suffer epidemic in the population. Just something to think about.
This got me thinking(yes it hurt) if you are relying on hunting to supplement your diet this is something to consider... humans aren't the only animals to suffer epidemic in the population. Just something to think about.
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain~anon
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Red Doe
Re: Relying on Hunting?
True, even with red deer, although the population in Scotland is at pest proportions, they get hit hard in winter, particularly the past two severe winters, where many died through extreme cold and lack of food. The condition of some of them was pitiable.
With mixi, enough rabbits are actually immune and they breed fast enough to ensure a decent supply but that also depends, of course, on how many humans are hunting them.
I'm lucky up this way, we haven't seen mix for years here so they are thriving. A little too much, I'd say!
With mixi, enough rabbits are actually immune and they breed fast enough to ensure a decent supply but that also depends, of course, on how many humans are hunting them.
I'm lucky up this way, we haven't seen mix for years here so they are thriving. A little too much, I'd say!
Re: Relying on Hunting?
Awww, that's awful. Let into the UK by the 'back door'. Makes me mad. 
I don't believe for a minute that the government tried very hard to contain it when it arrived in the UK. It almost wiped out the entire wild rabbit population in this country.
Bit off topic. Rant over. Carry on.
I don't believe for a minute that the government tried very hard to contain it when it arrived in the UK. It almost wiped out the entire wild rabbit population in this country.Bit off topic. Rant over. Carry on.
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Red Doe
Re: Relying on Hunting?
The good news Bitsy is that there are immune rabbits and numbers recover pretty quickly from a mixi outbreak, more so than in previous years.
Unimportant fact.....rabbits were at one point only food for the rich, kept in warrens specifically for that purpose. Kinda like in Scotland, where at one time, the poor ate lobster, oysters and supped on claret imported from France via the Auld Alliance.
My, how times change...
Unimportant fact.....rabbits were at one point only food for the rich, kept in warrens specifically for that purpose. Kinda like in Scotland, where at one time, the poor ate lobster, oysters and supped on claret imported from France via the Auld Alliance.
My, how times change...
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diamond lil
- Posts: 9960
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 1:42 pm
- Location: Scotland.
Re: Relying on Hunting?
Our rabbits have a virus, we havent seen any for over 2/3 years here. Although they had mixy as well, last time I saw one but this is a different virus.
Although they had mixy as well, last time I saw one but this is a different virus.-
the-gnole
Re: Relying on Hunting?
myxomatosis was introduced into the UK many years ago to try and reduce the population.
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/2005/Fea ... 024879.htm
As good old Spike Milligan wrote
Little rabbits with eyes full of puss
Is the work of scientific us.
It is also a disease of rabbits, not humans IIRCly, so if really desperate you could eat the meat, but you would have to be really really desperate to do so.
Where I shoot there is a fair bit of myxomatosis around, any found are despatched humanely.Myxomatosis is spread by insects and fleas it is not contagious as such because it needs a flea to carry the disease from one rabbit to the other. Although humans can't catch myxomatosis they can still carry the flea
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metatron
Re: Relying on Hunting?
I'm not much of a lover of rabbit, when I go lamping on friends land, I tend to just boil up the rabbits and use it to supplement my dog feed, mixi is everywhere but their good enough for dog food. There are a lot of deer around here, pidgin and pheasant around this way all of which are good eating. Squirrel is nice when BBQ'ed, you can even bake hedgehogs in clay if you fancy trying it.
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diamond lil
- Posts: 9960
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 1:42 pm
- Location: Scotland.
Re: Relying on Hunting?
You can eat mixy rabbits, just cut off the head. Its a brain disease.
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the-gnole
Re: Relying on Hunting?
http://exoticpets.about.com/od/rabbitsh ... atosis.htm
Signs of Myxomatosis:
Myxomatosis can take several courses. Rabbits may suddenly become very ill with conjunctivitis (red, runny eyes), a high fever, loss of appetite and lethargy, and may die within 48 hours. Sometimes the illness lasts longer, and the mucous membranes and other tissues become swollen, including the eyes, nose, mouth, ears (which become droopy) and the genital and anal areas. The entire face may become very swollen, and thick pus may be discharged from the nose and the rabbit may have difficulty breathing. Most rabbits die within 14 days.
In more chronic cases (and depending on the strain of virus and immunity of the rabbit) lumps and nodules (myxomas) may develop over the body. Rabbits with this form may survive, and become immune to myxomatosis virus. This seems to be a less likely course of disease in domestic rabbits, however, with most suffering from the acute forms with eventual death.
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Triple_sod
Re: Relying on Hunting?
Oh yeah, there’s a lot of factors that can severely reduce population numbers so it’s always worth baring in mind. As Red Doe pointed out humans hunting is another big factor, I think if things continue to get worse economically we’re going to see a lot more of that.