Rabbit Tractor

Allright, would like to try and raise some fryers in a Rabbit Tractor this summer. My plans are to rotate the tractor around the yard to utilize the greens as feed for the fryers. Anyone have any experiance with this??? Or how about designs or pictures of Rabbit Tractors.

This is an idea that has been batted around a lot and I know some people over on HT have tried it in the past. There are considerations that you must address if a rabbit tractor is going to work well. The rabbits must have protection from the weather - particularly shade as they can overheat very quickly and die of heat stroke. And they must be kept secure: safe from predators getting in and the rabbits getting out. This requires a very solid pen with some kind of wire on the floor to prevent digging. The rabbits will exploit any unevenness in the ground to dig out... the grass is always greener on the other side. If this floor wire is too small a mesh, it will not allow access to the greens. 2" welded wire might work. Then too you must be available to shift the tractors two or three times a day if greens is to be their main food. Putting the tractor on a pair of old skis might make it easier to pull around. You must beware of injuring the rabbits' feet when you move the tractor. Another consideration is poisonous plants... You will need to know your fields well so the rabbits do not eat anything dangerous.

I love the idea of a rabbit tractor... but I have never yet come up with a design that does all I would want it to do at a reasonable price. My solution is to take a five gallon bucket out and fill it with the plentiful greens and take them to the rabbits. This is cheaper, quicker and easier for me and I have more control over the rabbits' diet. Not quite as much fun for the buns, however!

The other factor is the high probability of coccidisis from ingestion of small invertebrates on grass. I tractored a couple bucks last month--both had spotted livers; one had pinworms.

I am keener on bringing fresh greens to the buns; just got some clover out of the yard--most loved it---strangely some groups didn't.

So the small invertebrate, must live in the soil & not on the grass?? If you can pick the greens with no problems of feeding the small invertebrates to the rabbits? Can you eat a rabbit that has pin worms and the spotted liver you are talking about?

The protozoa that causes coccidiosis can be found just about everywhere. It only seems to become a problem in rabbits when the rabbit is under stress or when the parasite load becomes extreme. Pin worms likewise are very common. Either of these things could be caught by feeding greens contaminated by wild rabbits. My understanding is that these organisms are species specific (that is, rabbit coccidosis affects only rabbits, not chickens or goats; and rabbit pin worms are not the same as dog or cat pin worms.) So yes, there is some risk feeding greens, but unless you are overrun with wild rabbits and/or live in an area where these problems are out of control, it is a small risk. Washing the greens before feeding them may help minimize the risk... not sure how effective it would be.

Neither pin worms (which are only in the intestinal tract) nor coccidiosis affects the quality of the meat, but in the case of liver coccidiosis ("spotty livers") the liver itself is considered unfit for consumption and should be discarded.

Very true about the coccidia being species specific. (I had occasion to check on that with my vet and with the DNR folks when we started raising chickens) One way to combat any potential problems is to rotate your flock/tractors onto new ground every month. Don't leave them in one place long enough that they end up sitting in, or eating from, an area that they have defecated in long enough for it to become, er, soggy. And if the area is swampy at all, move them even more often.

you can eat a rabbit that has pinworms....and they aren't contagious to people.
You can eat a rabbit with coccidia, just toss the liver.

It has been unfortunately shown that some rabbit coccidia can be transferrable to dogs. So if you have a rabbit with coccidia, don't feed the guts or liver to your dogs.

IF you feed fresh greens to your rabbits there is a risk of getting pinworms and other such stuff in your rabbits. Treat your rabbits twice a year (your breeder stock)AFTER you do a cull out and eat your growers. That will keep everything quite manageable.

Ok, you say to treat the breeding stock twice a yr for coccidia. What do you use to treat them with??

I use sulmet. you can find it at the local feed store. LIquid or powder. I find the liquid overall to be more effective.

A more natural approach for those who are feeding naturally for philosophical reasons rather than because it is more economical, is to use a natural herbal remedy. Pumpkin seeds are a popular choice, but there are others. Lots of information online about alternatives, but do make sure what you give them is suitable for rabbits.

I had coccidiosis in one line of rabbits, the ones I have mentioned before as having filthy habits. I've never seen any indication of pin worms or anything else. I think a lot has to do with where you live and the population of wild rabbits.

BTW Pinworms are the most common type of worm to infect humans. VERY common in children especially.

but rabbit pinworms do not affect humans. they are different. I"ve been assured that by my vet as well as by various on line sources.

Genus Toxoplasma has one important species, Toxoplasma gondii. Cats are the definitive host, but all mammals and some fish, reptiles, and amphibians can be intermediate hosts. Therefore, only cat feces will hold infective oocysts, but infection through ingestion of cysts can occur with the tissue of any intermediate host

This is taken from Wikipedia. Just to let those who have cats know.This specific species of cocci is dangerous for humans as well and especially pregnant humans. So even if one doesn't have chickens or wild rabbits around its still possible if there are cats around.
Here is the full article link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccidia