Feeding Wild Rabbits

[ox1973 2]

does anyone feed wild rabbit as a large part of a dogs diet? Currently feeding dry as barf was costing way too much! Just lookin for a cheaper way to feed the dogs better,cheers

[dymented 2,220]

yes you can feed wild rabbits to the dog be sure to have frozen them for a minimum of 3 weeks to have killed and worms off bud

[ox1973 2]

Cheers bud, do you feed them whole or do ya skin/gut them?

[dymented 2,220]

i would gut them be for freezing bud then defrost and feed as required

[moonlighter 1,163]

If you feed too many rabbits, your dogs might look a bit on the skinny side after a while. I feed mine rabbit about twice a week.

[Country Joe 1,411]

i feed raw rabbit, especially now, so I can empty my freezer,then I will fill it up with meat from DAF.

Its probably to much bother for most on here, but im retired, plenty time on my hands,

I skin and gut, i then take meat of the bone, this is frozen for three weeks,

what meat is left on the carcass is also frozen for the ferrets.

the dog gets about 1lb of raw rabbit, and a good handful of Gain 20% veg and vits.

because rabbit, contains very little fat, i add a knob of melted lard to the meal.

[sandymere 8,263]

As above I feed rabbit alongside complete, table scraps and butchers waste, it gives a decent protein to the diet, and as above I tend to add a little extra fat, a teaspoon of cod-liver oil daily.

Through the winter the dogs get half a rabbit 4 or 5 times a week, I skin, gut and halve then and freeze for a couple of weeks prior to feeding.

[deck 35]

i feed raw rabbit to my dogs and i only freeze them when i got to many.

[beast 1,884]

i have only ever frozen rabbits for 3 days and never get worms. i dont know if perhaps the temperature is different in different freezers (mine is -20) but what do people base the 3 weeks freezing on?

anyway, i skin and gut them before freezing, sometimes leave fur on feet and tail if im being lazy and have a lot of them to do, and feed roughly one whole rabbit to a medium sized dog. this is fine in summer but not enough fat for winter or for a dog in hard work, so i feed top up the calories with some form of animal fat and use a lot more venison as feed through the winter months

[sandymere 8,263]

During freezing ice crystals form within the cells and these growth through the structure damaging them. So the rabbit needs to be frozen long enough for the tissue to be completely frozen and ice crystals to have formed and grown. So the more efficient the freezer the quicker the meat will be ready for use.

 

 

I admit to using meat within a week at times but usually try to rotate the stock so most game is in the freezer for a few months. The usually stated time of two weeks is likely just a figure picked out of the air and one I, as many others, repeat rote fashion, just goes to show we all do it.

The only thing I can think of would be the cysts can stand a degree of freezing before they are destroyed although I’ve no evidence for this other than some basic models ie insects can stand freezing but they have specialised adaption’s to achieve this, I doubt tape worms have had the evolutionary pressure to do so.

 

So freeze until fully frozen, a slightly mobile period.

[Sirius 1,391]

I agree I think the 3 week thing is more than likely a rough guide to be on the safe side.

 

The amount of times I have fed fresh rabbits and they have pretty well always got tapeworms. But even with a week or two freezing I don't have a problem at all, so i guess its more than likely similar to sandymere theory as to how they are destroyed.

[LaraCroft 863]

Staying on the freezing part of the topic - and I know it is very un-scientific - but I wondered about the difference between my indoor normal fridge freezer freezer ( keep up ! ) and the industrial origin outside freezer that usually takes the bunnies etc. I put a bunny in each, on the same day, same size, gutted the same etc, and took them both out a week later. Putting a knife through each, the industrial freezer was solid all through - could hear the crunch and feel the pressure of the ice etc - not so the indoor freezer - first 2" yes, middle no, last few inches, yes. Not scientific, but enough to show me the indoor freezer wasn't as effective. Both temp indicators said -16 to -22 at all times, with a proper temp checker pokey device thing ( it has a name, I have had a glass of white and can't remember it )

[Magwitch 687]

I mix whole rabbit with chicken and lamb trim from the butchers, when rough mince and freeze...................................

[stubby 175]

I mix whole rabbit with chicken and lamb trim from the butchers, when rough mince and freeze...................................

so thats your dinner sorted pat, but what about the dogs

[Magwitch 687]

It does look too good for the dogs lol.......