I remember being able to get whole rabbits for a couple of dollars, much cheaper than you could buy a chicken for. Or it was something you’d be given free from someone who had been hunting. I used to get them when I was a student and had limited money.
Yes. Rabbit meat (wild) should be cheap as chips and a possible solution to a serious pest problem. I understand farmed rabbit has a cost, but wild is perfect low income protein.
I think they moved more to Calici virus, but they are constantly having to change what they are using as the rabbits become immune. I just saw today that they are starting a poisoning program around Ballarat because the rabbit numbers are up. I haven’t seen any around where I am but there are definitely lots around work.
Squillions on Merri Creek. You do still have to vaccinate pet bunnies though for myxo & calicivirus. The viruses are destroyed by cooking. As are liver flukes, tapeworm and other parasites etc. that infest wild rabbit populations. Just don’t eat rabbit tartare. And wash hands & tools THOROUGHLY after preparing raw wild bunny. Just a rinse won’t do.
Oh that sucks that they’re poisoning them now. And that makes it less safe to eat them.
It sounds a bit heartless but with cost of living being what it is, it might be useful (and more effective not to mention humane) for more people to hunt them for food
Given the large number of rescued/ex-racer greyhounds around, hunting rabbits does actually make sense as a post-racing career for them. Shooting & snaring is not really an option for urban rabbit populations.
I remember being able to get whole rabbits for a couple of dollars, much cheaper than you could buy a chicken for. Or it was something you’d be given free from someone who had been hunting. I used to get them when I was a student and had limited money.
Yes. Rabbit meat (wild) should be cheap as chips and a possible solution to a serious pest problem. I understand farmed rabbit has a cost, but wild is perfect low income protein.
When I was a kid a family member would go pest control shooting and bring them home for free.
I don’t know if I could bear to kill them myself though (I couldn’t)
Edit: is myxo still a danger?
I think they moved more to Calici virus, but they are constantly having to change what they are using as the rabbits become immune. I just saw today that they are starting a poisoning program around Ballarat because the rabbit numbers are up. I haven’t seen any around where I am but there are definitely lots around work.
Squillions on Merri Creek. You do still have to vaccinate pet bunnies though for myxo & calicivirus. The viruses are destroyed by cooking. As are liver flukes, tapeworm and other parasites etc. that infest wild rabbit populations. Just don’t eat rabbit tartare. And wash hands & tools THOROUGHLY after preparing raw wild bunny. Just a rinse won’t do.
Oh that sucks that they’re poisoning them now. And that makes it less safe to eat them.
It sounds a bit heartless but with cost of living being what it is, it might be useful (and more effective not to mention humane) for more people to hunt them for food
Given the large number of rescued/ex-racer greyhounds around, hunting rabbits does actually make sense as a post-racing career for them. Shooting & snaring is not really an option for urban rabbit populations.
Yeah, like barn cats 🤔