Myxy

[Bowlander]

My terriers have had 2 myxy rabbits in the garden in past 2 days. Our rabbits are at a low ebb population wise and the weather hasn't been bad enough to send them underground.

Anyone else seeing much around? Normally hits us later in the year when there are loads about and the weather turns wetter.



Sent from my SM-A500FU using Tapatalk

 

[samobaggins]

In the last month or so I've seen lots while out shooting.

 

[woodstock]

we have a few healthy looking rabbits not enough to take for the pot here in south Wales.

 

[Klenchblaize]

+1

Stalked to within 4ft of one a couple of weeks ago and did the kindest thing with a shot to the head by simply pointing the rifle from the hip.  

I hate to see this cruel disease and it always makes me feel an otherwise beautiful piece of landscape is somehow compromised by its presence.

K

 

[Bowlander]

Aye, got to feel sorry them, though some recover. On the plus side I walked the labs on a bit of ground further down the dale and there were loads of young ones about.

Sent from my SM-A500FU using Tapatalk

 

[Tantalus]

Such a cruel disease, and a waste of a perfectly good dinner too

Not seen much of it up here for a year or 2, but then again not seen many rabbits either.

Tant

 

[Countryman]

One of the big farms I look after locally had a bad dose a couple years ago. We had a day and a night where we cleared as best we could the area where I figured it was centred. Lost count! Very sad. Only two well rabbits out of the lot.

We had a bunny wander into the courtyard offices last weekend to die so I will try to get out this weekend. I would assume it's back.

I find that when the population is high the chances of it resurfacing rise. Probably food stress. Given the very mild winter and late grass, I expect the rabbits bred like rabbits. Would make sense now that we have lots and this ghastly (man made let's not forget) sickness is back.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Drain Bamaged]

Not actually 'man made' but certainly cultivated, experimented with and deliberately introduced to area's by man. the problem is the virus is carried by so many different creatures (mostly though not exclusively biting insects especially fleas) so a mild winter will ensure that many 'carriers' survive to spread the virus once the rabbits start to appear in numbers. Lots of different strains of the virus and some strains are not as lethal as others with mortality rates varying from maybe 25% to as high as 99% (obviously these figures would be seen over an area much larger than just the warren in the local field). The thing is animals that recover do seem to be immune to reinfection so it may not always (though it often seems kindest) be the best thing to do to automatically euthanize any found with it , though I'll be honest it is what I have always done.

D.B.

 

[Blundstoned Love]

"Baby rabbit with eyes full of pus,
Is the work of scientific us"

Spike Milligan

 

[HillBill]

It'll die out before the rabbits do. Its not 100% fatal. Those that survive it to breed will pass down genes which are resistant to it. Over time, the whole rabbit population will have built up resistance to it and it won't be nowhere near as serious.