Thread: How do you prep your bunnies for dog tucker?

How do you all prep your bunnies for dog tucker? With possums we just collected the fur and removed the claws and left the dogs to it out in the paddock. We have a big rabbit problem on our farm and have been picking a bunch off every few days. If we take our young dog along she grabs them for us and will pretty much just help herself to them if allowed. Sorry to sound dumb but Should we be gutting, removing the feet or anything first? Is it ok for them to be eating rabbits often? We have enough rabbits around to feed the dogs every day
Also for those that sell rabbits To dog tucker people how are they meant to be prepped for the buyer? Do you just freeze them until you have X amount for the buyer?

Gut, skin, chop head and paws off, chop into half, throw to the dogs

Selling for pet food is very different.
Gut and cool as quickly as poss. In summer you have about 2hrs to chill them before they turn bad. Winter about 4hrs.
Don't freeze them. They want them fresh. You have a very short window to get them to the processor.

If our dog gets fresh rabbit and he does from time to time, then he'll need worming.
I gut and only take the best for meat, we uses it in many ways!, baits for pest control, wife cooks it and throws it to the chooks, feed the owls.
https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....tml#post939279
KH

my dogs eat the lot...if they go in house gutting the rabbits first reduces the fart factor.....one dog will eat heads and feet the other likes them removed and bunny naked.

I guy I shoot for runs 15 - 20 dogs so dog tucker is always an on going issue, any I shoot with a 10 min drive to his place I throw in a bin and drop off.
He skins them and guts them, then freezes for 3 days to kill the worms.
I knew possums were bad for worms but never really realized rabbits carry plenty also .

Mate throws them straight into the freezer then, later, chops them in half with an axe and gives them to the dogs.

I have two cats who love rabbit meat so I just cut off the back wheels and give them to the cats as they come. Cats meet me at the door every time I go shooting.

If I get a good one... it goes in the slow cooker and the cats go hungry.

Rabbit is too lean for dogs. Possum is good. I do pet food. Guts(paunch, runners n asshole out). Head n feet off. I deliver frozen to buyer.


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Small cut across the centre of the back, makes skin into two opposed socks. Stand on head pull skin off backlegs and feet, turn around head upwards, stand on back feet pull skin to base of ears, cut ear cartilage, pull skin off head. To gut, split from arse through pelvis to diaphragm in one cut pull out stomach and intestines, leave everything forward of the diaphragm for the dog.

Thanks all. Just got 4 yesterday so left the dogs to them out in the paddock. Younger dog manages to pretty much eat the entire thing and leaves the skin/fur and head. Older dog like to pretty much eat the whole bottom half. I’ll try and prep the bigger bunnies but we do get quiet a few smaller ones that I’ll probably just give them whole out in the paddock. I’m not brave enough to eat them. We laid bait down mid last year which done nothing so have resorted to just picking them off. Gives us and the kids something to do and if we can feed the dogs at the same time it’s a bonus. Was thinking of finding a dog food buyer but we probably can’t get the numbers for fresh pick up and it’s probably not worth the time.

I prepare rabbits for my dog by shooting them, she's to old to catch them herself.

Does anyone have a definitive yes / no on the presence of tularemia in the NZ wild rabbit population ? In the northern hemisphere gloves appear mandatory for handling the bunnies.

Me thinks someone with good video skills needs to do an updated video of rabbit prep, the ones on line are getting dated.

Originally Posted by Puffin

Does anyone have a definitive yes / no on the presence of tularemia in the NZ wild rabbit population ? In the northern hemisphere gloves appear mandatory for handling the bunnies.

From what I understand its either very rare or non existent here in NZ. Haven't found any mention of it being found here.

Edit:
https://dermnetnz.org/topics/tularaemia/