Have a neighbor who was breeding bunnies and then decided not so good
and set them all free. There are a few in our yard and I do not wish to
kill them, but I do not want them eating my garden. Is there anything
anyone can suggest other than killing that will help get them away from
my garden. (The one who has eaten all of my marigolds can fit in the
palm of my hand)

I have used Stinky Coleus in the past, but not sure where I can find
some around Raleigh.


Jo

If you can get the use of a humane trap (Humane Society and many rescue
organizations will lend one), I miss having a bunny living with the
chickens, and would enjoy having one again (two if they are the same sex,
but I don't know how to sex bunnies). I still have 40# of rabbit food
here.

My original bunny was NOT a pet to be held, but loved being hand-fed
carrots, and thought he was a chicken. The hens ate his food and he would
eat theirs. (They get fresh greens from the garden regularly, so that was
what they all shared.)

The one or two bunnies would live in the chicken house and fully wired pen,
so they would be indoor/ outdoor, but not with access to the open yard.

(There's a huge immature bald eagle hanging around the chicken pens, bunnies
would only be safe here IN the pens with the chickens).

Email me off list if this would help, or seems feasible for you.

laurie (Mother Mastiff)

"Jo" wrote in message
...
Have a neighbor who was breeding bunnies and then decided not so good and
set them all free. There are a few in our yard and I do not wish to kill
them, but I do not want them eating my garden. Is there anything anyone
can suggest other than killing that will help get them away from my
garden. (The one who has eaten all of my marigolds can fit in the palm of
my hand)

I have used Stinky Coleus in the past, but not sure where I can find some
around Raleigh.


Jo

wrote:
Jo wrote:

Have a neighbor who was breeding bunnies and then decided not so good
and set them all free. There are a few in our yard and I do not wish to
kill them, but I do not want them eating my garden. Is there anything
anyone can suggest other than killing that will help get them away from
my garden.


I second the suggestion of a humane box trap.

Your neighbor is a jerk. Domestic rabbits are a Eurasian species, NOT
native to North America. They should never be released into the wild.
If you do trap them, please don't release them elsewhere. If the other
poster (Mother Mastiff) is unable to accept all the rabbits, take the
extras to the humane society. They'll probably be euthanized, since
feral rabbits are unlikely to be good pets, but that's still better
than having yet another non-native species out there.

Hmm, any chance of reporting the neighbor to NCDENR or the Wildlife
Resources Commission? Releasing domestic rabbits can't be legal.


We were trying to buy a trap last night. Animal control won't lend us
one because they worry that their are too many bad elements in the
neighborhood and it will get stolen.
We call our street Breeder Lane because of the constant breeding of
various animals. Plastic tarps cover fences and areas where they are
breeding animals and yes I have reported this to animal control, but
they are not interested.

I don't know if I can prove they were the ones breeding the rabbits.
They dumped everything, cages and all and last time they had killed a
dog and I reported it, I was told without evidence it was my word
against theirs.

I will trap what I can and take them to my vet to get sexed for Mother
Mastiff and ask them what to do with any others I find.

Thanks for the info on the NCDENR. I will check into it just in case.


Jo

Jo,

With rabbit food so cheap, I will take several (not just two) provided they
are all the same sex, whichever sex is the more prevalent. Um, are these
HUGE bunnies or medium or small?

Are these rabbits wearing camouflage coat colors, or pretty decorative ones
that would attract hawks? If there are several kinds of paint jobs among the
rabbits, the ones with neutral coloring have the best chance of survival
left loose, the ones with white or patterns will attract the eye of
predators.

My pens are securely wired on the top as well as sides, last week the wire
roof foiled an adolescent Bald Eagle who wanted to lunch on a live chicken
nugget from my pens and SCREAMED in rage when he could not get in.... I had
never been so close to one before, a magnificent sight.

laurie (Mother Mastiff)

excited at the prospect of bunnies in the pen again! (Just don't want to be
a bunny BREEDER, even inadvertently!) OBTW, a friend raises angora rabbits
for fiber animals, and would be excellent for explaining how to sex bunnies,
to save a trip to the vet. Unless you want to have them checked for general
health and parasites etc.

"Jo" wrote in message
...

wrote:

Jo wrote:



Have a neighbor who was breeding bunnies and then decided not so good

and set them all free. There are a few in our yard and I do not wish to

kill them, but I do not want them eating my garden. Is there anything

anyone can suggest other than killing that will help get them away from

my garden.





I second the suggestion of a humane box trap.



Your neighbor is a jerk. Domestic rabbits are a Eurasian species, NOT

native to North America. They should never be released into the wild.

If you do trap them, please don't release them elsewhere. If the other

poster (Mother Mastiff) is unable to accept all the rabbits, take the

extras to the humane society. They'll probably be euthanized, since

feral rabbits are unlikely to be good pets, but that's still better

than having yet another non-native species out there.



Hmm, any chance of reporting the neighbor to NCDENR or the Wildlife

Resources Commission? Releasing domestic rabbits can't be legal.





We were trying to buy a trap last night. Animal control won't lend us

one because they worry that their are too many bad elements in the

neighborhood and it will get stolen.

We call our street Breeder Lane because of the constant breeding of

various animals. Plastic tarps cover fences and areas where they are

breeding animals and yes I have reported this to animal control, but

they are not interested.



I don't know if I can prove they were the ones breeding the rabbits.

They dumped everything, cages and all and last time they had killed a

dog and I reported it, I was told without evidence it was my word

against theirs.



I will trap what I can and take them to my vet to get sexed for Mother

Mastiff and ask them what to do with any others I find.



Thanks for the info on the NCDENR. I will check into it just in case.





Jo

laurie (Mother Mastiff) wrote:
Jo,

With rabbit food so cheap, I will take several (not just two) provided they
are all the same sex, whichever sex is the more prevalent. Um, are these
HUGE bunnies or medium or small?

Are these rabbits wearing camouflage coat colors, or pretty decorative ones
that would attract hawks? If there are several kinds of paint jobs among the
rabbits, the ones with neutral coloring have the best chance of survival
left loose, the ones with white or patterns will attract the eye of
predators.

My pens are securely wired on the top as well as sides, last week the wire
roof foiled an adolescent Bald Eagle who wanted to lunch on a live chicken
nugget from my pens and SCREAMED in rage when he could not get in.... I had
never been so close to one before, a magnificent sight.

laurie (Mother Mastiff)

excited at the prospect of bunnies in the pen again! (Just don't want to be
a bunny BREEDER, even inadvertently!) OBTW, a friend raises angora rabbits
for fiber animals, and would be excellent for explaining how to sex bunnies,
to save a trip to the vet. Unless you want to have them checked for general
health and parasites etc.



I haven't caught any yet, but these are small. My boxers have been
guarding the trap. Didn't do a darn thing about the garden, but they
guard the trap.

My vet will sex them for free. I just have to stop by and they will take
a peek for me.

There seems to be several different kinds of bunnies, or perhaps they
just look different to me. I know nothing about rabbits except they are
cute adorable and like my organic garden...

Jo

I am hopeful. Have you found a cage to borrow? I need to buy a Havahart
trap that will catch a large raccoon or opossum, but am not sure a small
bunny would trip the door if the trap was too big, does anyone know? If you
can use a too-big trap for small stuff, then I could advertise for a used
large Havahart and loan it to Jo.

laurie (Mother Mastiff)

"Jo" wrote in message
...
laurie (Mother Mastiff) wrote:
Jo,

With rabbit food so cheap, I will take several (not just two) provided
they are all the same sex, whichever sex is the more prevalent. Um, are
these HUGE bunnies or medium or small?

Are these rabbits wearing camouflage coat colors, or pretty decorative
ones that would attract hawks? If there are several kinds of paint jobs
among the rabbits, the ones with neutral coloring have the best chance of
survival left loose, the ones with white or patterns will attract the eye
of predators.

My pens are securely wired on the top as well as sides, last week the
wire roof foiled an adolescent Bald Eagle who wanted to lunch on a live
chicken nugget from my pens and SCREAMED in rage when he could not get
in.... I had never been so close to one before, a magnificent sight.

laurie (Mother Mastiff)

excited at the prospect of bunnies in the pen again! (Just don't want to
be a bunny BREEDER, even inadvertently!) OBTW, a friend raises angora
rabbits for fiber animals, and would be excellent for explaining how to
sex bunnies, to save a trip to the vet. Unless you want to have them
checked for general health and parasites etc.



I haven't caught any yet, but these are small. My boxers have been
guarding the trap. Didn't do a darn thing about the garden, but they guard
the trap.

My vet will sex them for free. I just have to stop by and they will take a
peek for me.

There seems to be several different kinds of bunnies, or perhaps they just
look different to me. I know nothing about rabbits except they are cute
adorable and like my organic garden...

Jo

We purchased one at Homedepot. We figure we might need to catch things
now and again.

No luck yet, again, our boxers think that the cage needs more protecting
than the garden. Oy I love my big ole boy.

laurie (Mother Mastiff) wrote:
I am hopeful. Have you found a cage to borrow? I need to buy a Havahart
trap that will catch a large raccoon or opossum, but am not sure a small
bunny would trip the door if the trap was too big, does anyone know? If you
can use a too-big trap for small stuff, then I could advertise for a used
large Havahart and loan it to Jo.

laurie (Mother Mastiff)

"Jo" wrote in message
...

laurie (Mother Mastiff) wrote:

Jo,

With rabbit food so cheap, I will take several (not just two) provided
they are all the same sex, whichever sex is the more prevalent. Um, are
these HUGE bunnies or medium or small?

Are these rabbits wearing camouflage coat colors, or pretty decorative
ones that would attract hawks? If there are several kinds of paint jobs
among the rabbits, the ones with neutral coloring have the best chance of
survival left loose, the ones with white or patterns will attract the eye
of predators.

My pens are securely wired on the top as well as sides, last week the
wire roof foiled an adolescent Bald Eagle who wanted to lunch on a live
chicken nugget from my pens and SCREAMED in rage when he could not get
in.... I had never been so close to one before, a magnificent sight.

laurie (Mother Mastiff)

excited at the prospect of bunnies in the pen again! (Just don't want to
be a bunny BREEDER, even inadvertently!) OBTW, a friend raises angora
rabbits for fiber animals, and would be excellent for explaining how to
sex bunnies, to save a trip to the vet. Unless you want to have them
checked for general health and parasites etc.



I haven't caught any yet, but these are small. My boxers have been
guarding the trap. Didn't do a darn thing about the garden, but they guard
the trap.

My vet will sex them for free. I just have to stop by and they will take a
peek for me.

There seems to be several different kinds of bunnies, or perhaps they just
look different to me. I know nothing about rabbits except they are cute
adorable and like my organic garden...

Jo