Brown Stuff Inside The Rabbit

[GreyRake 108]

Two rabbits i gutted in the last few weeks have had a large mass of small brown balls in a sort of brown paste. I know the obvious answer is its rabbit shit, but theres just too much and its around the stomach area, but not inside any organs. It gets all over the meat I'm good at not cutting into and intestines or anything. Am i right in thinking rabbits actually eat their own shit? Wonder if i'm bursting something when 'peeing' them. Any ideas?

[Guest norseman]

i'd say your right. its shite.

 

and they do eat their own.

[Tiercel 6,986]

All rabbits do it. if the do not eat them they will become very sick.....it's not actual poop, it's cecalsRabbits have a large cecum, which is a blind pouch located at the junction of the small intestine and the large intestine, where the digestible portions of the intestinal contents enter and are broken down by bacteria. Some nutrients are absorbed through the wall of the cecum, but most nutrients are locked up in the bacteria.

 

The rabbit then produces bacteria-rich droppings called ecotropes, which are softer, stickier, greener and have a stronger odor than the regular waste droppings. These cecotropes are eaten directly from the anus as soon as they are produced. The cecotropes are then passed through the digestive tract of the rabbit and nutrients such as vitamins,amino acids and fatty acids are released from the bacteria and absorbed into the rabbit's body. In this way, rabbits are very efficient at producing their own vitamin, protein and fat supply from food that for some animals, such as ourselves, would be totally useless. This is why Rabbit manure is the only manure you can use direct form the animal without composting it first, and it wont hurt your plants by burning them with too much nitrogen.

 

TC

[paulus 26]

rabbit currants my dogs love them

[GreyRake 108]

Very informative tiercel, thank you. I was sure i had heard they produce two different kinds of droppings. One to be ingested again and the other to be left as waste. Cows have extra stomachs, but rabbits just re-process it again? These bunnies seem to have been feasting on it! I've also noticed when i've been out, piles of droppings around the warrens, some pellets have a kind of mould on them and the others have none. I guess this fits in.

 

So i must be bursting their stomach/intestine? Im sure its not when i'm cutting. Must be when i'm peeing them - Squeezing the urine out after dispatch? Although i dont think im too rough

[Tiercel 6,986]

Try just knicking them with a knife just below the rib cage then put your two index fingers in and pull apart. To gut a rabbit properly you need a really sharp knife so you do not need to excert pressure for it to cut.

 

TC

[The one 8,495]

sounds like your bursting the guts right enough, try holding the rabbit downwards so most of the guts falls into the lung area and just use the knife tip till you can get your fingers in

[GreyRake 108]

Lost my good lock knife during the last few weeks.... I blame my partner, but, hmm, haha. Anyway, just using a kitchen knife now, sharpened it but still have to slice lightly 5-10 times to get a rabbit open. Any harder and I may slice too deep too early. I'm convinced it's to do with the way I squeeze the urine out. I'm sure the gamekeeper that used to take me managed to squeeze out some shit pellets too... Was a long time ago... Can't be sure.

 

Do you guys just gut early and not worry about 'peeing' them?

[pie-eater 377]

Lost my good lock knife during the last few weeks.... I blame my partner, but, hmm, haha. Anyway, just using a kitchen knife now, sharpened it but still have to slice lightly 5-10 times to get a rabbit open. Any harder and I may slice too deep too early. I'm convinced it's to do with the way I squeeze the urine out. I'm sure the gamekeeper that used to take me managed to squeeze out some shit pellets too... Was a long time ago... Can't be sure.

 

Do you guys just gut early and not worry about 'peeing' them?

If youre after a new knife take a look at mora carbon steel brilliant knives.

 

I piss the rabbit soon after killing it and gut them after every warren.

[The one 8,495]

I piss the rabbit as soon as i take it out the net then hang them on a fence or tree to cool and carry on ferreting , picking the rabbits up on the way back and gutting them near the car

[Country Joe 1,411]

All rabbits do it. if the do not eat them they will become very sick.....it's not actual poop, it's cecalsRabbits have a large cecum, which is a blind pouch located at the junction of the small intestine and the large intestine, where the digestible portions of the intestinal contents enter and are broken down by bacteria. Some nutrients are absorbed through the wall of the cecum, but most nutrients are locked up in the bacteria.

 

The rabbit then produces bacteria-rich droppings called ecotropes, which are softer, stickier, greener and have a stronger odor than the regular waste droppings. These cecotropes are eaten directly from the anus as soon as they are produced. The cecotropes are then passed through the digestive tract of the rabbit and nutrients such as vitamins,amino acids and fatty acids are released from the bacteria and absorbed into the rabbit's body. In this way, rabbits are very efficient at producing their own vitamin, protein and fat supply from food that for some animals, such as ourselves, would be totally useless. This is why Rabbit manure is the only manure you can use direct form the animal without composting it first, and it wont hurt your plants by burning them with too much nitrogen.

 

TC

An old Rabbit Trapper I knew, used to dig a deep trench in his garden, where he put rabbit guts, when filled it was covered over, late spring he planted his Sweet Peas in the trench, he claimed he had the best blooms in the Village every year.

[Country Joe 1,411]

Using the tip of the knife is good, another tip shown to me, is too shear a small piece of the fur, exposing the skin, then as been said open with the tip of the knife

I have two rabbit paunching knifes made by Jes Knifes, not the cheapest but but really good knifes made by a master craftsman.

 

http://jesknives.co.uk/

Edited September 15, 2013 by Country Joe

[dytkos 17,818]

Its about practice as well, you can gut a rab on a barbed wire fence if you lose/forget your knife.

A Stanley knife is a good a substitute for a gutting knife also as most people have one.

 

Cheers, D.

 

PS As has been said very informateve Tiercel.

[Country Joe 1,411]

Its about practice as well, you can gut a rab on a barbed wire fence if you lose/forget your knife.

A Stanley knife is a good a substitute for a gutting knife also as most people have one.

 

Cheers, D.

 

PS As has been said very informateve Tiercel.

Aye many a rabbit ive done on the barbed wire, when ive forgot the knife.

[The one 8,495]

 

Its about practice as well, you can gut a rab on a barbed wire fence if you lose/forget your knife.

A Stanley knife is a good a substitute for a gutting knife also as most people have one.

 

Cheers, D.

 

PS As has been said very informateve Tiercel.

 

Aye many a rabbit ive done on the barbed wire, when ive forgot the knife.

Never tried the country mans way of bending then in half and using there teeth ?