Mixi

[BLACKBOB 9]

Gutted! at the start of the season, i went lamping rabbits on a very highley populated area, where its nothing to see 30+ rabbits in a field. On the way back to my vehicle we were stopped by a patrol car, and questioned about what we were doing. ( lamp in one hand, two whipet grayhound Xs and a hand full of bunnies) :11: He asked where we were from and who owened the fields. I rattled some names off and he accepted what i was telling him and he was on his way.

 

One the way home i thought to myself that someone must have reported me as ive never seen an officer there before, its in the middle of nowhere and ive been going there for years. So i took it as one of those things.

 

I didnt rush back there for a couple of weeks, but temptation was too high, I returned, bagged a few and was returning through the last field when one of the dogs picked up a rabbit off lamp and retrieved live to hand. It was the elephant man of rabbits, lumps, bumps, cuts, blood and puss everywhere. I dispatched and returned to the vehicle. I checked our clean catch and saw some discoloured and swollen eyes, and thought theres a bit of Mixi around.

 

I returned there last night, Nothing, not a rabbit in sight!

 

Can mixi happen naturally in the wild as some suggest ?

Or is this a case of someone wipeing them out to stop us going there ?

 

That patrol car wasnt there for the sake of it. :realmad:

[Guest sportsman]

I shoot over two farms in west wales and both these have mixi on them. Lots and lots of rabbits showing over the summer months, when it came time for us to have some sport MIXI hits and has wipped out most of them if not all. I think someone put it down in this instance. Where is the land you have found it on?

[BLACKBOB 9]

This land is down the Vale, Cowbridge area, But its not the only farm, theres another a few miles away with it but not as bad. well it wasnt the last time i went.

 

I spoke to some lads in Aberthaw area cos they were badly hit last year , nearly wiped out, on an isolated farm. They are adement that no mixi had been put down, and that it was a natural cause. Can this happen ?

[Guest CharlieC]

We have it here every year, its worst from the summer time to about this time of year and then what rabbits are left surviving go on to breed the following year. Im sure that whilst Myxi was originally invented by humans and introduced to the rabbit population, it is now a "naturally occurring" disease which is spread by the intermediate host the flea, which is at its peak for breeding during the summer months and this co-incides with the rabbit population being at its highest level.

If anyone knows different to this then Im happy to stand corrected.

[bobby 3]

I HAVE PERMISION ON A SHOOTING ESTATE ......WHERE WE HAVE HAD GOOD DAYS 4 THE LAST 20 ODD YRS...BUT THIS YEAR THERE WAS NOT A RABBIT 2 B FOUND.....WORKED 3 FARMS ON THE ESTATE AND GOT NOTHING...I READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT DISEASE WHICH STARTED IN CHINA AND CAN WIPE A WHOLE POPULATION OUT IN 36HRS

[king 11,972]

I HAVE PERMISION ON A SHOOTING ESTATE ......WHERE WE HAVE HAD GOOD DAYS 4 THE LAST 20 ODD YRS...BUT THIS YEAR THERE WAS NOT A RABBIT 2 B FOUND.....WORKED 3 FARMS ON THE ESTATE AND GOT NOTHING...I READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT DISEASE WHICH STARTED IN CHINA AND CAN WIPE A WHOLE POPULATION OUT IN 36HRS

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

tell the chinese they can keep it ............

[Hywel 53]

This land is down the Vale, Cowbridge area, But its not the only farm, theres another a few miles away with it but not as bad. well it wasnt the last time i went.

 

I spoke to some lads in Aberthaw area cos they were badly hit last year , nearly wiped out,  on an isolated farm. They are adement that no mixi had been put down, and that it was a natural cause. Can this happen ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Blackbob,

I live not too far at all from the area you are talking about and I'm aware of another massive mixi outbreak about 7 miles away.... i'm reassured by someone in the know that it's a natural occurence.....

[BLACKBOB 9]

Hywel

 

Thanks for that info [bANNED TEXT], I went yesterday to the St. Donaughts area, where we seen loads on the lamp. Tried a few warrens where we saw rabbits running on lamp.

 

Nothing, ferret not even interested.

 

Went back to farm near City had 3 bolts and ferret peged one on hole but still very poor ferret even turned up with fresh rabbit skull?

 

I think the problem is very bad and extensive

 

How bad have you found it down that area ?

 

Anyone else expieriencing big problems ?

 

Cheers

[Hywel 53]

Blackbob,

The area I've witnessed is on sand dunes and holds literally hundreds of rabbits. I took the dog out there a few weeks ago (not with ferrets) and it was total carnage. I counted at least twenty dead rabbits of varying rates of decomposure and didn't see a single healthy one running around. :search: This on land where you would normally see them in abundance. Mind you, the buzzards looked a bit overweight.......