Would you be willing to help bring back the rabbits?

[Guest Countryboyo]

what if you think its a great idea but are scared of rabbits

 

[Wayneb 0]

Surely breeding to release is illegal, it's against the law to release a domestic animal into the wild so anything bred in captivity would be classed as domestic

 

Oh my god, this guy definately told his teacher on all the bold kids at school anyway.

 

 

HUH??? Only pointing out a small detail you seem to have missed out on

[pattstaff 157]

This would involve rearing wild rabbits in captivity or domestic/wild hybrid crosses. They are very easy to breed as you probably alreay know, if you know anything at all about rabbits.

 

If you would be interested in doing your bit i would reccomend looking at the gamekeeping and conservation section of this forum and the place i got the Idea on another forum from another munster fellow. link is below and the topic features pictures of his set up. thanks for the votes and responces.

 

http://jacksshed.myfreeforum.org/ftopic1995-0.php

I think its a great idea and have moved a few rabbits myself to places where they have been wiped out and if I had the room Id bred and release.Had a look on that other site at the guys plan.I think you should tell this guy not to breed wild with tame rabbits because I think that you could be doing the population of wild rabbits a disservice by weakening them genetically.Breed wild to wild!! If you wanted to repopulate an area with say,wolves you wouldnt bred a wolf with a labrador and let them go!!

[Guest Countryboyo]

This would involve rearing wild rabbits in captivity or domestic/wild hybrid crosses. They are very easy to breed as you probably alreay know, if you know anything at all about rabbits.

 

If you would be interested in doing your bit i would reccomend looking at the gamekeeping and conservation section of this forum and the place i got the Idea on another forum from another munster fellow. link is below and the topic features pictures of his set up. thanks for the votes and responces.

 

http://jacksshed.myfreeforum.org/ftopic1995-0.php

I think its a great idea and have moved a few rabbits myself to places where they have been wiped out and if I had the room Id bred and release.Had a look on that other site at the guys plan.I think you should tell this guy not to breed wild with tame rabbits because I think that you could be doing the population of wild rabbits a disservice by weakening them genetically.Breed wild to wild!! If you wanted to repopulate an area with say,wolves you wouldnt bred a wolf with a labrador and let them go!!

 

Thanks for the reply man. ya I reckon Wild to wild is the Ideal option. However domestics are easier to breed in captivity and will do so in smaller cages. If I was releasing rabbits I would want the offspring to be at least three quarter wild. A few guys have told me that they released domestic females into low populations of wild rabbits and they survived and repopulated the area significantly so i wouldnt rule anything out.

 

EQUIPMENT and HOUSING WISE

 

To breed wild rabbits I am told you will need a pen at least 4 foot x six foot x 2 foot high. You will keep this inclosure on your lawn and move it dayly to allow fresh grazing. for shelter you should cover half the roof of the enclosure with a plastic sheet or board. and for the nest a small plastic barrel (like the ones used for motor oil any farmer will have loads) filled with straw and a small opening for the bunny to get in. A simple set up fairley cheep, minimal work involved in this project. Hopefully excellent results. Rabbits pregnancy lasts only 30 days so you could breed at least three litters a year off each doe rabbit.

 

RELEASING

 

Release all the does pregnant this will cause them to burrow naturally and make a safe escape and home below ground. Also release where there are already burrows. If not put down pipes to offer tempory escapes. Also release a lot at one time rather than a few at intervals. The more there are there will be safety in numbers and they will alert each other if mr fox is around, also it is only natural that a few will be taken.

 

Best of luck to anyone that will give it a shot.

[Guest Countryboyo]

Surely breeding to release is illegal, it's against the law to release a domestic animal into the wild so anything bred in captivity would be classed as domestic

 

Oh my god, this guy definately told his teacher on all the bold kids at school anyway.

 

 

HUH??? Only pointing out a small detail you seem to have missed out on

 

It would be impossible to get caught buddy. rabbits are "escaping" all the time. and as for keeping wild rabbits in captivity - they are genetically the exact same as their domestic cousins and there would be no way of proving they are wild. people dont go around trying to catch people breeding rabbits for release you know. Im glad you brought up that point all the same, I knew someone would. wou should have a look at the topic on the other forum, It might give you a better insight.

[Back Stabbath 1]

I think its a great idea countryboyo like I've said before, and I wish you the best of luck with it. We need to give something back and not just take all the time. The land can hold a lot more rabbits than there are right now. Its just a shame it has to come to rearing and releasing them.

 

I would be rearing and releasing if I had my own house and/or land, but seeing as how I'm still living with the folks who would never allow it, with a relatively small back garden (which is being renovated after an extention and is literally just all sludgy muck, clay soil...), and a rabbit keen Doberman roaming, I'm not exactly in the position unfortunately.

 

As for the pest issue, well, there are plenty of farmers who don't grow crops and have literally thousands of acres for their animals, so rabbits aren't a pest there, in fact up at my uncles beef and sheep farm and around that area he hasn't seen a rabbit, or a rabbit killed on the road for ages, which says something about the rabbit population in many parts of Ireland. So far its declining in Kerry, Wexford, Wicklow, and whichever county you are in countryboyo(?).

 

 

 

 

Ideally the rabbits would be fully wild, and I think that is possible. After a generation I think they would be just as easy to breed as domestic varieties. Wild varieties are usually healthier than their domestic relatives (think cattle births vs. say wildabeest births, or grey wolf health problems vs. German Shepherd health problems).

 

If the rabbits are to be bred with domestic varieties I think which breeds is an important consideration. Preferably the darker coloured ones for the best chance of survival. Though this may be difficult as who knows any rabbit breeders? Also the ones in the petshop are usually crossbreeds I assume though they do have the odd dwarf rabbit.

With crossbreeds we don't know their ancestry and the last thing we want is lop eared or longhaired bloodlines.

But with purebreds you don't get hybrid vigour, and get more inbreeding in the line, which isn't good.

 

Perhaps it would be best to just buy the wild coloured rabbits and hope for the best.

Or just capture wild rabbits and breed them to give them a better chance of survival than they would have in the wild.

Edited December 15, 2008 by Back Stabbath

[Guest Countryboyo]

I think its a great idea countryboyo like I've said before, and I wish you the best of luck with it. We need to give something back and not just take all the time. The land can hold a lot more rabbits than there are right now. Its just a shame it has to come to rearing and releasing them.

 

I would be rearing and releasing if I had my own house and/or land, but seeing as how I'm still living with the folks who would never allow it, with a relatively small back garden (which is being renovated after an extention and is literally just all sludgy muck, clay soil...), and a rabbit keen Doberman roaming, I'm not exactly in the position unfortunately.

 

As for the pest issue, well, there are plenty of farmers who don't grow crops and have literally thousands of acres for their animals, so rabbits aren't a pest there, in fact up at my uncles beef and sheep farm and around that area he hasn't seen a rabbit, or a rabbit killed on the road for ages, which says something about the rabbit population in many parts of Ireland. So far its declining in Kerry, Wexford, Wicklow, and whichever county you are in countryboyo(?).

 

Well said lad Im Limerick myself. great to see that the poll is looking posetive so far. I was hoping i could copy and paste the enclosures and pens your man had from the other forum but I cant. I have steel one inch sheets for the missuses rabbits . one inch holes so the baby rabbits dont escape when they are small. the cage is 4 foot by 6 foot by two in height. Its solid and supports its self with tye wraps. No dog on this earth would break in to it. Had to be very strict with my dogs to stop them trying though. And it in no way effected their drive for rabbits in the field. Just waiting for a mate of mine to get back to me now. He said hed ferret a few wild rabbits for me if he has a chance. I will cross a wild male in to the girlfriends two female rabbits and then cross the offspring back into wild again so they will be three quarter. I will also breed full wilds of course.

[SUNDAYBAIN 19]

DUN THIS YEARS AGO BROUGHT BACK RABBITS FROM PLACES THAT WERE ABSOLUTLEY HEAVING WITH RABBITS TOOK THEM TO AREAS THAT DIDNT HAVE MANY ON IT AFTER A SEASON THEY HAD ALL GONE.

[reddog70 236]

maybe some of the ferreting lads with the high populations could box up there days catch and get them to pick up points for collection would have to have everything in place no more than a couple of days in transit

[cachuiar 4]

Hi lads it seems clear that over all the rabbit populations in general seem to be dropping and non existant in places. I have decided that I am going to try and tackle the problem in my area by breeding rabbits for release and hopefully help the population recovery in my area. I have read numerous accounts of this kind of action being very successful in rabbit recovery. I would like to know if you would support such action and/or even consider taking part in a breeding programme yourselves. Thanks lads I ask only that you approach this topic with an open mind.

yeah i would give it a go my old man s got about 20 acres of land so i could probably do but would they survive if caught in the wild and put into man made warrens a friend of mine has caught a load ferreting ang re relised them in an area with no rabbits and its working well, i think the problem is the ban has scared a lot of poeple with dogs into buying rifeles and theres to many idiots now shooting them and wiping them out thats what these anti hunters dont understand at least with dogs the rabbits had a good chance but these rifeles they ain t got a hope in hell

[macca 83]

i asked on the ferreting forum for anyone to help me with wild caught rabbits for release on 11 acres i own and im willing to pay for them, i got no response but im still looking for them in warwickshire

[sambo123 587]

I think it,s the old fox that,s going to have to be bred soon,there is no season on them and i could tell you tales all afternoon about them being persecuted to extinction in this country.Calling and shooting is the big problem,which i don,t mind if you rear gamebirds or the like ,but driving around and shooting them from roadsides is not hunting in my book.

[/quot

From Looking at your display pic You just completely contradicted yourself

[Guest Countryboyo]

DUN THIS YEARS AGO BROUGHT BACK RABBITS FROM PLACES THAT WERE ABSOLUTLEY HEAVING WITH RABBITS TOOK THEM TO AREAS THAT DIDNT HAVE MANY ON IT AFTER A SEASON THEY HAD ALL GONE.

 

The problem there was probably that they were released in an area that myxi was still about. If you are releasing rabbits in an area that there used to be rabbits but myxi wiped them out, make sure there has been no rabbits there for the past two years because myxi carrying flea can last for over a year down the burrows and contaminate your whole warren. Great to see people are willing to give this a go. we will probably come up against some obsticles but we will also learn as we go along and can advise each other. Also a tip if you are crossing domestics to wilds. A wild male will service a domestic female but a domestic male would kill a wild female if you tried to cross them.

 

And get your rabbits sorted as soon as possible so you will be ready to begin breeding in february and get the show on the road. I reckon breeding is the way to go. this way you can release rabbits every season . but if you have ferrets and the time then you could catch and release in your own area too. I would personally prefer to breed as id find it interesting rearing them and observing them. Thanks for responces lads.

[Guest Countryboyo]

Hi lads it seems clear that over all the rabbit populations in general seem to be dropping and non existant in places. I have decided that I am going to try and tackle the problem in my area by breeding rabbits for release and hopefully help the population recovery in my area. I have read numerous accounts of this kind of action being very successful in rabbit recovery. I would like to know if you would support such action and/or even consider taking part in a breeding programme yourselves. Thanks lads I ask only that you approach this topic with an open mind.

yeah i would give it a go my old man s got about 20 acres of land so i could probably do but would they survive if caught in the wild and put into man made warrens a friend of mine has caught a load ferreting ang re relised them in an area with no rabbits and its working well, i think the problem is the ban has scared a lot of poeple with dogs into buying rifeles and theres to many idiots now shooting them and wiping them out thats what these anti hunters dont understand at least with dogs the rabbits had a good chance but these rifeles they ain t got a hope in hell

 

I agree riffles are the killer. I dont see the sport in shooting bags of rabbits personally. Ive heard the rabbits will survive away fine in the cages once there on grass and not too small. I reckon we should cross the wild males into domestic females as they will be used to rearing young in captivity. and then keep introducing wild blood to the following generations. That way you would only have to keep one wild male at a time and once he has his job done he could be released or else kept to be bred back into his daughters ( line breeding causes no problems in rabbits)

[Guest Rod&dog]

Yea,All seems a good idea for a bit of sport,,But does farmer jones want more and more about on his land?