anyone feed wild rabbits????

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BIGBANG

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anyone feed you snakes wild rabbits????

hey guys does anyone feed wild rabbits to their snakes????? i used to shoot rabbits for a living and the processor i used to sell to would buy from me and a few blokes in nsw (600-1000 pair a week), most went as human consumption but ocassionally ya would hit one in the shoulder or neck which couldnt so they would end up a the melb zoo as food for the animals, dont know what animals exactly so was just wondering if anyone feeds them to their larger snakes???
 
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They used to be sold on herp trader for snake consumption.
 
I am probably wrong, but I recall someone saying a long time ago that it is dangerous to feed them wild anything since the diseases. If anyone could correct me on this it will be greatly appreciated.
 
The risk is greatly reduced if the animals are frozen for a long period of time. I give them a thorough check before taking them home to freeze, too.
 
The risk is greatly reduced if the animals are frozen for a long period of time. I give them a thorough check before taking them home to freeze, too.
id do the same if i were in the situation of using wild animals
 
There is a parasite rabbits get called hydadis which from what I understand is a type of worm which can be fatal if transferred to humans and other animals if ingested this can usually only be found if the rabbit is gutted cos it's usually inside attached to the spine sometimes found on the back legs, do you feed them the rabbits gutted or cleaned?
 
There is a parasite rabbits get called hydadis which from what I understand is a type of worm which can be fatal if transferred to humans and other animals if ingested this can usually only be found if the rabbit is gutted cos it's usually inside attached to the spine sometimes found on the back legs, do you feed them the rabbits gutted or cleaned?

Wouldn't you need the whole rabbit (organs and all) to ensure that your snake is getting the nutrition it needs?
 
There is a parasite rabbits get called hydadis which from what I understand is a type of worm which can be fatal if transferred to humans and other animals if ingested this can usually only be found if the rabbit is gutted cos it's usually inside attached to the spine sometimes found on the back legs, do you feed them the rabbits gutted or cleaned?

I freeze them for around 3 months before being fed to the animal.
 
Wouldn't you need the whole rabbit (organs and all) to ensure that your snake is getting the nutrition it needs?
Yeah I assume so, just putting it out there, when I was shooting if I gutted one and I found hydadis cysts then I had to sterilise my hands and knifes and throw the rabbit away, does freezing kill these worms?
 
Yeah I assume so, just putting it out there, when I was shooting if I gutted one and I found hydadis cysts then I had to sterilise my hands and knifes and throw the rabbit away, does freezing kill these worms?

Well as blakehouse said he freezes them for 3 months to ensure that it's safe.
 
I have also fed wild rabbits to a few of my carpets, never had a problem. Two rules I go by though, I have to know where the bunnies come from and I make sure I freeze them for a minimum of 3 months as well, just in case.
The rabbits I was getting was from a stud horse farm, so there was never any poisons used and the bunnies were all fat and healthy due the great feed the horses used to get.
 
I find with the .308 my carpets don't like mince :D I wouldn't mind snaring a few more rabbits (in one piece) for a few of my snakes. The snakes would have to fight me for it though. I love fresh rabbit!
 
Hydatid disease (Echinococcus granulosus) is a tapeworm of dingoes, dogs, kangaroos, wallabies, and anything else that will pick the eggs up off pasture, or by eating other prey. The definitive host is the dog/dingo. Others, including humans, are intermediate hosts. In intermediate hosts, the tapeworm can form cysts, commonly in the offal, but also (more rarely) in the muscle.

So gutting the rabbit and throwing away the organs won't work, because (although uncommon) the cysts can be in the muscles of the rabbit, and this can be passed on to your snake.
I read a bit about freezing. It has been found to be effective at -80 degrees for 48 hours, or -70 degrees for 4 days. So I'm pretty sure that's not a viable option.

I know it seems like cheap and easy food, but if it was my snake, I just wouldn't want to risk it. Getting a tapeworm cyst may not kill your snake (though it could), but it may end up with a very large cyst, obstructing everything, that would have to be surgically (and expensively) removed, or the snake may have to be euthanased.

Humans are fine to eat wild rabbit, because we cook it before we eat it, and cooking does deactivate the cysts, just the same as eating wild pig or any other wild animal.

Hope that helps :)
 
I love wild rabbit casserole in red wine sauce. So good :) But cooked, so no tapeworms.
 
Hydatid disease (Echinococcus granulosus) is a tapeworm of dingoes, dogs, kangaroos, wallabies, and anything else that will pick the eggs up off pasture, or by eating other prey. The definitive host is the dog/dingo. Others, including humans, are intermediate hosts. In intermediate hosts, the tapeworm can form cysts, commonly in the offal, but also (more rarely) in the muscle.

So gutting the rabbit and throwing away the organs won't work, because (although uncommon) the cysts can be in the muscles of the rabbit, and this can be passed on to your snake.
I read a bit about freezing. It has been found to be effective at -80 degrees for 48 hours, or -70 degrees for 4 days. So I'm pretty sure that's not a viable option.

I know it seems like cheap and easy food, but if it was my snake, I just wouldn't want to risk it. Getting a tapeworm cyst may not kill your snake (though it could), but it may end up with a very large cyst, obstructing everything, that would have to be surgically (and expensively) removed, or the snake may have to be euthanased.

Humans are fine to eat wild rabbit, because we cook it before we eat it, and cooking does deactivate the cysts, just the same as eating wild pig or any other wild animal.

Hope that helps :)

hey mate i knew sombody would have a difinative answer about it, i knew they were nasty little buggers an wasnt sure if freezing would kill it, i used to come across the cysts inside the gut cavitey attached to the spine, or sometimes you would feel the cyst on the back legs, do you have a photo of it? maybe we should put a pic up to let everyone that doesnt know about it, what hydatid cysts look like, i can only describe them as golfball sized pouches of water like fluid that if popped is full of little white seed like things which are larvie........not a very good description

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Well as blakehouse said he freezes them for 3 months to ensure that it's safe.

mate i'm not as dumb as i look.......i was waiting for someone that knew exactly what i was talking about to reply
 
yes tape worm can often be found in the thigh muscles as well so no joy.

your best bet will be to Freeze the Rabbits and the freezing will kill the parasites, i however do not know how long you would have to freeze the rabbit for to kill all the parasites.

alternatily trap the rabbits feed them broad spectrum antibiotics and parasite meds to kill everything off then wait a week or 2 after the drug's course so the drugs clear the system, then use em as food, this tho would be more expensive and time consuming, but fresher lol
 
yes tape worm can often be found in the thigh muscles as well so no joy.

your best bet will be to Freeze the Rabbits and the freezing will kill the parasites, i however do not know how long you would have to freeze the rabbit for to kill all the parasites.

alternatily trap the rabbits feed them broad spectrum antibiotics and parasite meds to kill everything off then wait a week or 2 after the drug's course so the drugs clear the system, then use em as food, this tho would be more expensive and time consuming, but fresher lol
might as well just breed domestic rabbits
 
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