# What killed my Rabbits?



## ML8ML82 (Jan 26, 2005)

I had 11 New Zealand Whites, in cages, in a shed. Came home one day and one plank on my fence was shoved aside, no foot prints on the ground, cages ripped from the bottom, killed ALL of my rabbits but didn't eat them, no visiable wounds, nothing. I do get possums in my fig tree...till I make them look like swiss cheeze with my .22 but can't figure what else may have killed them. Anybody have the same problem?


LUKE 22
36Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.


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## Rosarybeads (Oct 21, 2004)

ML8ML82 said:


> I had 11 New Zealand Whites, in cages, in a shed. Came home one day and one plank on my fence was shoved aside, no foot prints on the ground, cages ripped from the bottom, killed ALL of my rabbits but didn't eat them, no visiable wounds, nothing. I do get possums in my fig tree...till I make them look like swiss cheeze with my .22 but can't figure what else may have killed them. Anybody have the same problem?


No bites, no blood at all? That seems really odd. A possum couldn't get the cage bottoms off, but a racoon could, but they would have eaten at least one. Same with a possum or a skunk, or a coyote. So I would rule out all those if none of the rabbits have bites or are eaten. How did the rabbits die if they have no wounds? Are their backs broken, or their necks? How did the animal/person get in the shed? How big was the opening in the plank?


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## uncle Will in In. (May 11, 2002)

Sounds like a well fed dog. Many dogs that are usually confined get nutty about any animals they aren't used to.


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## westbrook (May 10, 2002)

The only thing that I know of that would rip the bottom of the cages off would be a raccoon.

Dogs/coyotes, possums, skunks don't have the dexterity to do this. A human adult would have the knowledge and strength but why? when they could open the cage door. A child doesn't have the forethought to tear off the bottoms, they would have opened cage doors.

The first thing that comes to mind is that a raccoon came in the shed, begin to tear the cages open, scared the rabbits and they killed themselves hitting the sides of the cages breaking necks, backs and frightened to death. You may have come before the raccoon had time to take one away. Raccoons usually frenzy kill, then take 1 at a time, coming back to get another.

Regardless of what did it, you have a predator that is capable of getting in. The best solution is a dog. I use Anatolians but there are other Livestock Guradiand Dog breeds that are equally as good. I recommend Livestock Guardian Dogs because they are fearless and no predator will get by them. http://lgd.org


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## Oxankle (Jun 20, 2003)

I believe it was probably someone's pet dog. Dogs will do just what you saw, tearing up cages and either shaking rabbits to death or causing them to die of fright and broken bones/necks/backs. They will kill one and then chase a live one, losing interest when the rabbits are dead. A hungry stray will eat at least part of the first one it kills. The cure is shoot, shovel, shut up.

Westwood is right in that ***** can do this, but I have never seen a **** that did not stop and eat part of a rabbit it had killed even if it carried off more with it. ***** will also reach thru the cage wire, grab a fistful of fur and pull the rabit to the wire, eating it alive bite by bite thru the wire. 
Ox


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## joyfulmama (Nov 23, 2003)

We had this problem with some neighborhood dogs. They ripped open the wire sides of a cage and shook the rabbits to death.


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## ML8ML82 (Jan 26, 2005)

The board on the fence was 6" that was moved aside. No foot prints showing, couldn't see any wounds but ants and flies were all over them. Weird part was that rigermortis(sic) hadn't set in.


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## qtkitty (Apr 17, 2005)

Was the board carefully laid aside along the fence or more like knocked off?

If it is carefully leaned back against the fence it sounds like you have someone who is really ****ed at yah. 

If it is knocked ... then it sounds like a dog .. Kevin's dad's dog brought me Kevin's older brothers rabbit as a "present" when i was there one day ... it was not ripped up or punctured.Then he killed a goat .. was given to someone who did not have livestock near them. Not a month after that rabbit incident the same dog was shot for going after a human.


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