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Country Matters October 2003
When I was young most field crops had their headland grazed off by rabbits. Rabbits had only two main predators the fox and humans. As the fox was considered a serious pest of free-range poultry and strychnine could be bought over the counter its numbers were well controlled. This just left humans to wage war against the rabbit.They were an important part of country people’s diet up to the time myxomatosis was introduced into the country. Many farm workers would go ferreting at weekends and they were very protective of their patch. Any surplus rabbits were sold and became a significant part of a farm labourer’s income in the winter. As there was a ready market for clean killed (ferreted and snared) rabbit they were rarely shot, as this would spoil the meat.
During World War 2 and post war my father used to sell wild rabbit to certain well-known London restaurants where it was taken off the bone and sold on the menu as chicken. It is difficult to believe that chicken was once expensive and desirable when today it is so cheap and readily available.
When fields of corn were cut, the binder cuts from the outside in. The rabbits would be forced into the reducing area of crop. They rarely broke cover until the last few acres were left. All the local lads knew when fields were likely to be finished so they moved from farm to farm as the action was about to start. The best place to be was walking immediately behind the binder but this was only possible for one person so everyone else had to anticipate which way the rabbits would run and whether there were any pointed corners of crop where the binder would force them out. When the rabbit did break cover for the hedgerows it was not necessarily the fastest runner that caught it as they jinked in all directions and there was usually at least one dog also giving chase. The best hope of catching the rabbit was that it would take cover under a sheaf of corn whereupon one or more lads would fall on the sheaf and feel for the rabbit underneath. Everyone had a stick for the chase, which they notched to record each kill. It may seem strange to the younger generation of today but this was a sport and a major highlight of the year. I can still remember some of my best days. Even when I was young rabbit was still an important part of the rural diet.
Myxomatosis was then introduced to the country and crop output increased dramatically. The rabbit became scarce and when populations did increase ‘myxy’ returned and decimated them again. Unfortunately this hideous virus disease put many people off eating wild rabbit. I must admit that I have only started eating them again in recent years.
Nowadays Myxomatosis does not cause many mortalities, rabbits now recover from the infection or show no symptoms. This autumn a farm on the parish boundary has shot over 500 rabbits and daily counts well into three figures shot have become commonplace. To most non-farmers this must read like a slaughter but trials have shown that field yields can be reduced by over 50% by rabbit grazing and small fields can be completely destroyed. Unfortunately the shot rabbit is virtually un-saleable and even clean killed rabbits are difficult to sell. As the fox population is so high one would expect that the rabbits would be controlled to some extent but the fox has found easier pickings from the rubbish left by humans. Country Matters October 2003.
When I was young most field crops had their headland grazed off by rabbits. Rabbits had only two main predators the fox and humans. As the fox was considered a serious pest of free-range poultry and strychnine could be bought over the counter its numbers were well controlled. This just left humans to wage war against the rabbit.
They were an important part of country people’s diet up to the time myxomatosis was introduced into the country. Many farm workers would go ferreting at weekends and they were very protective of their patch. Any surplus rabbits were sold and became a significant part of a farm labourer’s income in the winter. As there was a ready market for clean killed (ferreted and snared) rabbit they were rarely shot, as this would spoil the meat. During World War 2 and post war my father used to sell wild rabbit to certain well-known London restaurants where it was taken off the bone and sold on the menu as chicken. It is difficult to believe that chicken was once expensive and desirable when today it is so cheap and readily available.
When fields of corn were cut, the binder cuts from the outside in. The rabbits would be forced into the reducing area of crop. They rarely broke cover until the last few acres were left. All the local lads knew when fields were likely to be finished so they moved from farm to farm as the action was about to start. The best place to be was walking immediately behind the binder but this was only possible for one person so everyone else had to anticipate which way the rabbits would run and whether there were any pointed corners of crop where the binder would force them out. When the rabbit did break cover for the hedgerows it was not necessarily the fastest runner that caught it as they jinked in all directions and there was usually at least one dog also giving chase. The best hope of catching the rabbit was that it would take cover under a sheaf of corn whereupon one or more lads would fall on the sheaf and feel for the rabbit underneath. Everyone had a stick for the chase, which they notched to record each kill. It may seem strange to the younger generation of today but this was a sport and a major highlight of the year. I can still remember some of my best days. Even when I was young rabbit was still an important part of the rural diet.
Myxomatosis was then introduced to the country and crop output increased dramatically. The rabbit became scarce and when populations did increase ‘myxy’ returned and decimated them again. Unfortunately this hideous virus disease put many people off eating wild rabbit. I must admit that I have only started eating them again in recent years.
Nowadays Myxomatosis does not cause many mortalities, rabbits now recover from the infection or show no symptoms. This autumn a farm on the parish boundary has shot over 500 rabbits and daily counts well into three figures shot have become commonplace. To most non-farmers this must read like a slaughter but trials have shown that field yields can be reduced by over 50% by rabbit grazing and small fields can be completely destroyed. Unfortunately the shot rabbit is virtually un-saleable and even clean killed rabbits are difficult to sell. As the fox population is so high one would expect that the rabbits would be controlled to some extent but the fox has found easier pickings from the rubbish left by humans.
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