Rabbit Meat?

[BankFam]

We want to get rid of the rabbits that are invading our garden and we're considering feeding them to the chickens.

I've seen two similar threads on this topic with very different responses.

The first was about squirrels and everyone seemed very confident that it's fine to chuck a fresh squirrel carcass into the chicken run, as long as you remove the remains before it decays/attracts other critters.

The other was specific to rabbits and everyone seemed very concerned about disease and parasites that could be passed on to the chickens from the rabbits.

So I guess my slightly more specific question is, what if we prep/cook the meat? People hunt rabbits all the time, right? What determines whether or not they are safe to eat?

Other solutions to keeping the bunnies at bay are welcomed as well.

Thanks in advance!

 

[2ndTink]

I'm not sure on chickens eating rabbits, it seems that cooking it should make it safe as far as parasites go, but I'm not sure about diseases.

Do you have any cats? My cat hunts and eats rabbits and squirrels so we don't have any issues thankfully!

 

[BankFam]

I'm not sure on chickens eating rabbits, it seems that cooking it should make it safe as far as parasites go, but I'm not sure about diseases.

Do you have any cats? My cat hunts and eats rabbits and squirrels so we don't have any issues thankfully!

We have a neighborhood cat who brings us "presents" sometimes but maybe he needs help keeping the rodent population down. I'll see about getting "barn cats." Hopefully they would get along.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I raise rabbits, and chickens, and ducks, and goats.

You can absolutely feed rabbit bits to your chickens, Great lean protein source.

That said, I avoid feeding liver and kidneys of any of my animals to my other animals - those organs collect, filter, and proces waste - its where "bad" things tend to accumulate - including heavy metals - since I have no plans to move, ever, I don't wish to keep feeding concentrated sources of potential "bad" back to my animals generation after generation.

The occasional wild rabbit? Not a concern.

Its true that rabbits and chcikens can pass Salmonella to one another -usually chickens to rabbits, and that rabbits carry something that cause cholera in chickens - but the risk is very low. Very very low.

and yes, cooking will reduce the risk further.

 

[Cluckwork Orange]

https://www.outdoorhub.com/how-to/2013/02/25/rabbit-hunters-take-note-steps-to-avoid-tularemia/