Mixy Rabbits

[Whitby_Sam 4]

I am lucky enough to have a 300 acre permission with a serious amount of rabbits. I take 5 or 6 for the pot once or twice a week and the farmer seems happy with that. Unfortunately over the last month or so I've come across more and more rabbits with Myxomatosis.

I shoot my rabbits "walked-up" with a shotgun so often don't get close enough to see whether they have this horrible disease (although with some it is very obvious). I'm at a loss as to what to do with these. I don't fancy eating diseased meat, nor do I want to discard them in the hedgerow and risk spreading the disease further.

I enjoy my regular rabbit trips and I enjoy my rabbit curry/pie/stew and would hate to see this disease spread and wipe out the whole population (on my small permission).

 

I prefer not to shoot anything that I'm not going to eat (foxes of course being the exception) but the thought of diseased meat really puts me off. If I don't shoot them and allow the disease to spread at a potentially higher rate then I'll risk losing out on my shooting altogether. If I do shoot them how should I dispose of them? Can they be eaten? Dog food?

 

Can anyone suggest a way I can slow the spread? Is shooting the affected ones the answer? If so, what can I do with them?

 

Also, have seen a few black rabbits in one of the fields, are these likely to be escaped pets (or offspring of) or is it some natural colour variation?

[scalesntails 118]

Definitely kill them. While it might not make a huge difference the more you kill the slightly slower it will spread. If you don't want to eat them then let the dog have them.

 

Oh and black rabbits are just a colour mutation/variant of normal brown rabbits.

Edited July 18, 2011 by scalesntails

[Whitby_Sam 4]

Thanks for the quick reply. Obviously nobody likes to see an animal suffer so I'll probably shoot as many as I can to slow the spread and hopefully conserve my shooting for the future. Are you saying they'd be fine to eat?

[scalesntails 118]

Thanks for the quick reply. Obviously nobody likes to see an animal suffer so I'll probably shoot as many as I can to slow the spread and hopefully conserve my shooting for the future. Are you saying they'd be fine to eat?

 

Health wise yes you can eat them as it can't be passed on to anything other than rabbits. I have never eaten one so I have no idea if affects the taste/meat quality.

[Whitby_Sam 4]

Guess I'll have to give it a try and let you know... Failing that I'll ask my dogs

[bryson 562]

You need to get out and kill as many mixys as you can mate its suprising how quikly it will spread i had this problem on one of my permissions a few years back it was reaaly good running ground for my dog i let the place rest for a couple of month when i went back mixy was there there were dying rabbits everywhere and the place is only just picking back up now

[Whitby_Sam 4]

Will be up there today shooting as many poorly ones as I can. Will give some to the local keeper for baiting his traps and will give the rest to the dogs.

[Bradford Lad 74]

I think i'm right in saying that there's a few strains of Myxy about, if your lucky you'l have the weaker strain and once you've dispatched as many infected ones as you can give it a couple of months and the numbers should pick back up.

 

 

ATB Ian

[chris k 205]

ive heard mixy can be transferd to humans and other animals by digestion. whether its true or not im not sure but be carefull!

[Whitby_Sam 4]

Nothing in the research I've read has mentioned that it can pass on to other species. Infact most pieces I've read have explained that it only affects rabbits and that even hares are immune.

 

I managed to shoot about 20 last night (bearing in mind I only usually take a few for the pot that's a big bag for me!) and of those there were 12 showing advanced signs of Mixy. I gave 2 to the farm cats and the other 10 will be going through the mincer for dog food. The 8 healthy ones will be going into a curry for the weekend.

 

Hopefully this will slow the spread and there are 12 less rabbits suffering now.

[bryson 562]

good on you mate i no its hard to tell from shooting distance but if you are worried about killing all the rabbits mabey you should try and pick your shots so that you only take the mixies atb with your problem mate

[skycat 6,173]

ive heard mixy can be transferd to humans and other animals by digestion. whether its true or not im not sure but be carefull!

 

Bullshit! Myxie is species specific. Myxie can't even be passed on to hares, and my dogs and ferrets have been eating myxie rabbits for years: they haven't caught it yet. I wouldn't like to eat a myxie rabbit unless I was seriously starving, but that's just because the thought of eating any diseased animal makes me a bit :sick:

[bryson 562]

ive heard mixy can be transferd to humans and other animals by digestion. whether its true or not im not sure but be carefull!

 

Bullshit! Myxie is species specific. Myxie can't even be passed on to hares, and my dogs and ferrets have been eating myxie rabbits for years: they haven't caught it yet. I wouldn't like to eat a myxie rabbit unless I was seriously starving, but that's just because the thought of eating any diseased animal makes me a bit :sick:

I thought that was the case but i wasnt sure enough to post it incase i ended up looking like a dick cheers skykat

[nod 285]

mixi is carried by the flea, what happens when you shoot a rabbit, all the fleas jump off around the ears, shoot them or leave them the fleas will still be there,

[Whitby_Sam 4]

I guess once its established there's very little you can do but let it run its course. I could get a bulk batch of frontline and go out with the crop sprayer LOL!