What a waste!

I took the dogs for a walk in their favourite wood today for a couple of hours. Dusty my ESS brought me a not quite dead rabbit he had caught and dropped it on my feet. He's never managed to catch one before so I was as surprised as him. I dispatched it quickly and decided that as it was healthy and very fresh the dogs could have it for their dinner.

When we got home I made it easy for them by skinning and gutting it and gave then half each. They made an effort to eat it but left virtually all of it. They crunch up chicken portions and carcasses on a regular basis, so why not a rabbit.

I glad I know now because my butcher offered to get me some cheap frozen rabbits for them as a bit of variety.

If you still have the rabbit, bag it and freeze it, they may prefer it after its been frozen (or even served frozen)

Hmmmn perhaps as it was still warm it was a bit too far removed from kibble! Good idea.

as you say - good job you found out rather than buying a load which they won't eat.

Yes particularly as my OH's vegetarian gene kicks in with bunnies. It would have been a lot of portions of frozen rabbit casserole for one.

I have the opposite problem!

I regularly walk through fields teeming with bunnies - it's not exaggerating to estimate I can see over 60 on a walk, usually in large groups of up to 20.

But does His Highness show any interest in free furry fast food? Nope - he runs towards them, but the closer he gets the slower he is then when they pop down their holes he looks very smug.... Herding rabbits? Job done!

We met a Golden retriever a few weeks ago who had just caught a rabbit and was enjoying her meal - much to disgust of owner. I helped her get her dog back, and the reward was a nice juicy leftover pair of bunny hind legs for Merlin. Which he gobbled down delightedly.

Of course I thought this might change his attitude and it did.... for five minutes he looked at them running away with an extra enthusiasm, but when push came to shove (or chase came to charge!) he gets more satisfaction just rounding 'em up!

Perhaps Dusty will remember they taste yucky next time he's chasing one and herd it into it's burrow? He could have a little on-line chat with Merlin.

I'm sure they could both learn from one another!

I'm waiting on a new chest freezer, but once I have it, there is actually a gun shop locally as a lot of people here enjoy shooting (pheasants, duck and clay pigeon mostly). I'm thinking of leaving my details with the shop owner or putting an ad in the window as I would welcome a bunch of fresh bunnies for the freezer - or pigeons, come to that. The other possibility is contacting ferreters.

I guess it sounds abhorrent to some... but the more I look into raw feeding, the more I start thinking about sustainable, natural raw food for my dog and cat. As opposed to meat from farm animals which may or may not have had a decent life, or end to that life.

I like the idea of the dogs catching their own dinner, but if they catch a pheasant it's mine! But I agree with your sentiment as I have been feeding them value chicken portions occasionally as I stocked up when we first went "raw". Lots of the drumsticks are broken and I suspect from the bruising that it happened when the bird was still alive. Feeding free range raw is way outside of my budget unfortunately.

Send it over here ... Yogi catches, kills and eats rabbits (fur, bones, head, the lot) on a regular basis! The others aren't quick enough, so just have to wait and watch, and hope he leaves a bit for them.