Rabbits

[pollyanna]

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We are taking our 3 girls on holiday to a farm near Ipswich at the end of next week, and it is likely they will be allowed to chase the rabbits there!! )

Now Polly has never seen a rabbit except at Pets at Home, where she tried to make friends, but Twiggy was a real rabbiter , according to her former owner. She is now 13 so may not be fast enough to catch any but it might give Polly the idea and I want to know what I should do if either of them catch one please??

As we are in self catering accomodation, I doubt we could take it back - should I just leave any they might catch in the field?

Fortunately Lily is way past catching bunnies - too blind and slow- but I'm sure she'd enjoy a share if they could be eaten?

Any advise much appreciated :unsure: From a very sqeamish Janet!!

 

[Trish]

my girls breeder always took there mother rabbiting and she let her eat them as she caught them,think its ok long as your dogs are wormed regular as they can ingest worms from the rabbits :x ,this is just what i was told anyway :thumbsup:

 

[Lal]

Rifle always eats his, I'm sure those who 'work' their dogs would frown on this but I'm not keen on Rabbit. Gamekeeper I knew told me it was good for their digestion, fur and all! :x

 

[jinx and rubys mum]

Jinx is always allowed to eat her kill and she loves it!!!! (w00t)

The crunching is a bit off puting though!!! (w00t)

 

[beaubeau]

Jaspa comes from a working background and I was worried about the very same thing. I always walk my dogs over fields where there a bunnies running about.

 

He does catch the odd bunny here and there and brings them back to me (usually dead), drops them fairly easily and shows no sign of eating it ( just wants to catch the next!! :lol: )

 

Mixi is rife around here so you may find your other 'less able' dogs catching one too.

 

At the moment I leave the rabbit in the field as I can't bring myself to skin and gut one :x :x

 

However, I have since found someone who has Ferrets and will be popping them over to him from now on :thumbsup:

 

Enjoy your holiday...........I'm in Norwich so let me know if you're coming this way, It's a lovely City

 

 

Tracey x

 

[affieluver]

i must be mad when my dog caught her first rabbit i skinnned it and cooked it for her lasted two days

 

[Jazzys dad]

Don't forget you must put them out of their misery, if the dogs haven't killed them.

Hate to see things suffer a lingering death - A sharp tap to the head with a hammer does the job.

Sorry if that sounds heartless, but at least it's quick. :'( :'(

 

[affieluver]

JAZZYS DAD THATS NOT CRUEL JUST THE RIGHT THING TO DO :thumbsup:

 

[beaubeau]

Don't forget you must put them out of their misery, if the dogs haven't killed them.Hate to see things suffer a lingering death - A sharp tap to the head with a hammer does the job.

Sorry if that sounds heartless, but at least it's quick. :'(   :'(

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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Absolutely..... I tend not to carry a hammer around with me though :blink: but I did have heaps of advice from K9rs and a tuition on 'Dispatching' which has come in VERY helpful. Really surprised myself when it came to it.... but it does need to be put out of it's misery, swiftly, as you rightly say. Maybe a club - like piece of wood could be carried while walking

 

 

Tracey x

 

[whippetlove]

..its funny isnt it..a week after we got Scoobie whippet he had managed to teach out lurchers how to catch rabbits and kill them...before it was just chasing them. Suddenly my Oh would come home with a bag full of rabbits..they were then dispatched and everyone got a bit...raw. Sometimes we would freeze them too. However after a while when they caught them it became eat a bit as you go type of thing..Scoobie used to carry his and stop and eat a bit..furr and all and trot along again ...by the time we got to the car there was a smug whippet who didnt need his dinner tha evening..Dash our wirrier always brought them back to me and dropped it by me..dead. Since Scoobie went to the bridge they arent catching many at all....and I think he was the main motivator ..as far as I am concerned its natural behaviour for them....

 

[pollyanna]

Thanks everyone - I think :b I use a walking stick, so will have that if i need it - which i hope i never do!!!!! Twiggy's previous owner said that if she caught a rabbit, she'd disappear for an hour and come back looking smug - and full - so i hope that if she manages to catch anything with her arthritis and age, she remembers to do the same.

Polly wouldn't have a clue!! If a cat stops in front of her she just sits and looks puzzled, so I doubt she'll actually catch a rabbit. I'll report back after the holiday!!!! :thumbsup:

 

[~Sarah~]

Hope you have a good holiday Janet. :thumbsup:

 

[jinx and rubys mum]

Have a good holiday and dont worry my jinx hasnt brought a live one back yet!!!!

Just try and check them before they eat them if the eyes are milky and glazed get rid as they have mixy, I dont know if it does the dog any harm but I wouldnt risk it.

Enjoy yourselves

 

[Lal]

Don't forget you must put them out of their misery, if the dogs haven't killed them.Hate to see things suffer a lingering death - A sharp tap to the head with a hammer does the job.

Sorry if that sounds heartless, but at least it's quick. :'(   :'(

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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I don't think it's heartless at all, no animal deserves to suffer a prolonged death.

I always have my walking stick but have only had to use it once (thank God!) and that was when a friend's dog caught one and didn't know what to do with it!

Rifle's pretty quick at dispatching them himself.

Enjoy your holiday.