Black Rabbits And Myxi

[keepitcovert 842]

One place i hunt is crawling with rabbits this year, but recently myxi has taken its toll, also on this ground there are quite a few black rabbits, now in all the time ive been at the game, many years now, ive yet to pick up a black rabbit with any signs of myxi, could it be an inherent gene thats protecting them or have they just been lucky. Whats your experiences regarding this.

[Phil Lloyd 10,739]

In my experience,...the Myxoma Virus is no respecter of colour

Edited June 25, 2016 by Phil Lloyd

[grompz 706]

this topic has been discussed on here before,and i put my pennies worth in,do a search, been alot of interesting answers back on it,in the area i live in there has always been superstion relating to black rabbits,mostly by the older hunters,lots of the boys would always call them the parson or the priest.and the mention of them to fishing boat skippers was taboo,an old uncle of mine who hunted rabbits into his eighties,would turn heel and head for home if the dogs caught one,or the ferrets bolted one,always saying bad hunting day would follow,may be just coincidence but usually something would go wrong,dogs ripped up bad,hell of a lay up with ferret,or lose some of the kit,,needless to say i still have my reservations.lol.

[Phil Lloyd 10,739]

A rabbit is just a rabbit,...

Edited June 25, 2016 by Phil Lloyd

[stormyboy 1,352]

Black rabbits usually crop up when numbers are high,as the genes that produce the colour are more likely to meet. The myxy virus also strikes when numbers are high,simple,no witchcraft involved...

[keepitcovert 842]

Nothing to do with superstition or any other mumbo jumbo just an observation ive made on the ground i hunt.

[redquil 219]

Pet rabbits of all colours can get mxyi. Vets advise vaccination. Pal of mine was taking bunnys home for skinning and sometime over winter must of had one carrying myxi. His daughters pet rabbit ending up catching it. Colour don't matter end of .

[morton 5,369]

One place i hunt is crawling with rabbits this year, but recently myxi has taken its toll, also on this ground there are quite a few black rabbits, now in all the time ive been at the game, many years now, ive yet to pick up a black rabbit with any signs of myxi, could it be an inherent gene thats protecting them or have they just been lucky. Whats your experiences regarding this.

Around my vicinity it gets hammered by Myxi nearly every season,the black and coloured rabbits fared far better than normals,ive no idea why that came about and it may be just coincidental,yet they certainly seemed to stay healthier and any caught also seemed to be in better condition than the normals, much of the time.

[peterhunter86 8,627]

Black rabbits usually crop up when numbers are high,as the genes that produce the colour are more likely to meet. The myxy virus also strikes when numbers are high,simple,no witchcraft involved...

 

As far as i know its inbreeding that produces black ones i go to a few places thats crawling with rabbits and only ever seen one black rabbit. And i know two places were new blood cant get in and most of the rabbits are black

[Daniel cain 49,242]

Driving home yesterday I passed a field that had at least 60 rabbits running around,at least 15 of them were black-don't think mixI has a colour preference .personally around us it seems to flair up when we have lots of rain and the grounds holding water.atb dc

[whitefeet4190 1,729]

Wouldn't surprise me if Ministry released the black rabbits with mixy to kill off the rest of them

[jukel123 9,567]

One place i hunt is crawling with rabbits this year, but recently myxi has taken its toll, also on this ground there are quite a few black rabbits, now in all the time ive been at the game, many years now, ive yet to pick up a black rabbit with any signs of myxi, could it be an inherent gene thats protecting them or have they just been lucky. Whats your experiences regarding this.

I've come across a few black ones with myxi-which i euthanised to stop the virus spreading.

[squab 2,875]

few small pockets of blacks in various places round here,this ones on verge of a dual carriageway up the road from me so do see them regular.

 

 

i used to run the dog on a golf course years ago and in one particular corner i used to see a black one feeding out with the regulars,this dog could pick up a few and regularly caught double figures on the course,i was lucky enough to run this black one on two consecutive nights but it wasnt happening,them golf course bunnies can shift but this thing was on another level lol