View Full Version : Is a whole rabbit a complete diet?
Bulldogstalker
07-10-2014, 08:19 PM
I've been thinking about switching to raw. Thought if I raise rabbits an just feed a whole rabbit every day or every other it would be complete. Maybe add multivitamin of needed. Once I got enuff rabbits with a good rotation it maybe a lil cheaper. Gotta dig a lil deeper into it.
its a complete meal, but not a complete diet. its to one sided, and they r low in fat
wouldnt fast every other day. imo its better to feed every day.
Are you planning to feed the intestines as well? Do not know about tame rabbits. I believe rabbits are known to carry tapeworms or a certain type tape worm. That could apply to any type raw feeding I suppose. CA Jack has good info in his Pit Bull Bible on how to more cheaply handle the parasites.
Can you come out cheaper raising rabbits for meat, than buying the out of date meats at the food stores or buying whole sale chicken parts at a local chicken processing plant? Back in the 70's and 80's I had several food stores that I could get all the good bones and meat scraps from. Today that may have changed. Cheers
ovahaul
07-12-2014, 08:19 PM
I fed wild rabbit once a friend of mind brought me some didn't known about the tape worms until it was to late. My male caught tapeworms really bad. This was about 12yrs ago Neva fed it again since.
Bulldogstalker
07-12-2014, 10:23 PM
I was gonna feed intestines an all. Maybe chop the head off. I was thinking if I fed them
Well an kept them wormed it would be better for the dogs. Still debating.
Officially Retired
07-12-2014, 10:46 PM
I was gonna feed intestines an all. Maybe chop the head off. I was thinking if I fed them
Well an kept them wormed it would be better for the dogs. Still debating.
A dog will starve to death fed only rabbits.
Not enough fat for a dog to survive on them.
Chicken is a far better choice.
Palooka
08-10-2014, 03:45 AM
would have to disagree with you there Jack, i use to hunt rabbits on a daily basis and all my running dogs were exclusively fed whole carcass rabbit and maintained superb shape, best to freeze them first for a while before feeding to kill worms or just worm more often. have also incorporated whole rabbits when rearing pups with very good results. agree there's not much in the way of fat and humans have starved to death just eating rabbits but they weren't eating the full carcass, had they have done so they may have survived. four week old pups making short work of their first whole rabbit yesterday.
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Long term raised rabbits are better than wild rabbits for feeding whole prey. The game rabbit does not have near the fat content of a caged rabbit. One the game rabbit must forage, cover ground and when spooked will run like none other. Those three things keep them thin and just about fat-free. The caged rabbit is fed a diet (rabbit pellets) that is readily available, he only travels from one end of the cage to the other and more than likely will never break into a dead run. The lifestyles are different and the caged habitat will lead to a fattier rabbit.
Same with chicken. A chicken house chicken is fattier than a yard chicken who has roamed, scratching and pecking his whole life.
Deer the same. Deer hunting has exploded into a huge sporting venture. At 45 (not 145) I can remember deer absolutely having to have beef fat added to make deer burger because it was such lean cuts. Today thousands upon thousands of pounds of corn re poured out and the deer congregate in that area as the food is plentiful and easily accessed. When we skin deer now there is a fat layer that was not there as a kid (in rural NC, maybe different in other parts).
Granted the average chicken is a better choice over the average rabbit but a tame-raised meat rabbit will not starve a dog. His living in the wild counterpart may, but there is a big difference between the two. EWO
Are you planning to feed the intestines as well? Do not know about tame rabbits. I believe rabbits are known to carry tapeworms or a certain type tape worm. That could apply to any type raw feeding I suppose. CA Jack has good info in his Pit Bull Bible on how to more cheaply handle the parasites.
Can you come out cheaper raising rabbits for meat, than buying the out of date meats at the food stores or buying whole sale chicken parts at a local chicken processing plant? Back in the 70's and 80's I had several food stores that I could get all the good bones and meat scraps from. Today that may have changed. Cheers
Palooka
08-10-2014, 05:42 AM
i wouldn't offer an opinion unless it was based on practical experience and i can only say that my own dogs were fed nothing but rabbit ( guts, fur, the lot ) throughout the hunting season Sept to Feb without any lost of condition, far from it , they thrived on it. perhaps rabbits lay on a bit more fat during the cold winter months, there certainly is fat around the kidneys, just enough it would seem.
Black Hand
08-10-2014, 07:56 AM
I do not believe that is actually long enough to determine how well balanced of a meal it actually is. A human being can survive on next to nothing and some rice for a long ass time. It is not optimal and will have some long term effects on your body but you will be okay for a few months. Raise half a litter on strictly rabbit and the other half on what is believed to be more optimal and see the difference when mature. Rabbit is probably a lot better than kibble though.
Eating the rabbit fur does not cause any intestinal blockage at times? Do not know if Foxes/Coyotes eat the whole hide. Maybe they do. Looks like those pups are enjoying themselves. LOL
Someone going into you and the other dog has long ears. Your dog might perceive, hey that is one big rabbit over there. Yum Yum going to get me some. LOL
I know a good dog man that hunts rabbits and keeps a good pack of beagles. Next time I see him, will ask if he feeds any of his rabbits to his dogs and puppies. Reckon that would be a good way to get their prey drive focused on those waskly wabbits. LOL
Hey meat is meat and parts is parts. Maybe a good use for all non productive dogs. Feed them to the puppies. I have known a couple of dogs that loved eating other dogs and puppies for snacks. LOL Just funning
Over in Bennettsville S.C. many years back. A older Korean lady would often make stops at the local dog pound,adopt cats and dogs. This went on for a good while till the Humane Dyke Society paid her a visit. Too see how all those adopted animals were fairing. She told them all the animals had been well cared for. Fatten up and had made the most delicious meals for her. Was planning soon to make another run on the dog pound. Talk about freaked out Dykes. LOL
Hey, the solution for the over population of dogs and cats in this country. Hell with spading them. Give them to the starving North Koreans. Cheers
bamaman
08-20-2014, 06:55 PM
Lol good story CYJ ! I know most of you won't believe this story but I knew a older black gentleman when I was in my 20s and when he went rabbit hunting he would take a stick ,sack to put the rabbits in and 4 shells and 410 shotgun .He would come back with all the shells and a nice bunch of rabbits .The man was in his 60s at the time.You couldn't run fast enough to keep up with him and we never heard a shot so he didn't have any extra shells hidden away.
Officially Retired
08-20-2014, 07:23 PM
I used to shoot a rabbit almost every morning, and would feed it to a random dog.
Won't hurt them. None of the dogs ever ate the tail. All there would be left is a little "cotton ball" :lol:
Seriously though, you can't keep feeding rabbits to dogs; they don;'t have enough fat on them. You can feed them occasionally (so long as they don't have tularemia), but do not keep doing it.
The dog will starve / get malnourished; rabbits don't have enough fat on them.
Jack