RABBIT BOARDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27060, 20 April 1949, Page 6

RABBIT BOARDS

Sir, —I am interested in the rabbit question and the truth pertaining to same, but 1 am not going to deal with all the inaccuracies contained in Mr R. C. Reids recent letters. I notice that no bona fide rabbiters are making any protest against the 20 per cent. levy. Rabbiters know that this 20 ■ per cent, is aimed at the rabbit farmer to compel those pests to form a board. I am not one of Mr Reid's “Gentlemen Rabbiters' 1 (worse luck), but one of the slave rabbiters, although I am not working 85 hours per week, or anything like it. Much hooey has been written about tire so-called natural enemy. I have been among rabbits all my life and my experience is that the dog is the rabbit’s natural enemy. The skunk, stoat and cat with kittens will certainly kill a few in season, but the ferret and hawk are simply scavengers. Show me country that is infested with this “ natural enemy ” and I will show you rabbits in hundreds, simply because these animals can only kill the weaklings, and the good strong breeding strain goes ahead. The uninitiated have the mistaken idea that stoats, weasels and ferrets, etc., go about day and night killing rabbits by sucking their blood—but such is not the case. These animals usually feed In daylight, and then it is mostly birds, lizards and eggs. .The stoat, when very thirsty, will suck the blood, but will eat anything in the way of flesh. The ferret, being slow and lazy, will live on a dead sheep all winter, but, like the hawk, will kill for his food when the rabbit is already caught in a trap. Once their source of supply is eliminated (by the rabbiter) you will find that these vermin will go for the lambs. In fact. I already know of two cases where a stoat has attacked a child. It is quite a common occurrence to find ferrets, cats, and rabbits living in the one warren. It may surprise your readers to know that the hedgehog, in the nesting season, destroys more young rahtvts than either the hawk or ferret combined. In conclusion. I would strongly advise farmers and runholders to form their rabbit boards, or tack on to boards already in existence, because it is the " earlv bird that gets the worm,” and the last boards to form will be eaten out with rabbits for the want of rabbiters. —I am, etc., Facts.