Sale of live rabbits

[Loler UK]

Good afternoon hive mind.

I currently have a few drop traps running and get very good rates from a slaughter house for headshot or unmarked gutted rabbits but recently had an enquiry for live rabbits.

They are usually swiftly dispatched from their drop traps gutted and put in the chiller.

I'd have assumed re-locating such a damaging invasive species would be illegal, perhaps even their live transport but can't find anything online or in legislation providing they do not suffer.

My gut told me I'd find that live transport in a suitable container with food, shelter, water etc to slaughter would be legal; Transport to re-locate them in the wild illegal (as an invasive species) and re-locating to a domestic or farm enclosure potentially illegal on welfare grounds due to post capture myopathy.

But I can't find anything, nada

The buyer assures me they are to be relocated into their own enclosure and be bred kept for their meat and fur and NOT released into the wild. I get £2.50 headshot gutted but the buyer is willing to pay significantly more.

 

[Buchan]

I suspect this isn't legal, relating to keeping a wild animal in captivity.

 

[VSS]

Interesting question. Presumably the potential purchaser is planning on creating a traditional enclosed warren.
I have often heard of people relocating wild rabbits (eg, to repopulate a shot-out area, for sporting purposes), but never been sure about the legality.
If he purely wants to breed rabbits for meat then domestic stock would be a much better bet. The fact that he wants wild ones suggests a sporting element to his plans.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Don’t do it.

Stick with supplying them as humanely culled in the field. I assume you are doing this with the appropriate paperwork?

K

 

[Loler UK]

Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 & Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 list other species but not rabbit.

Defra also advised no licence from them is required

​

 

[Loler UK]

Interesting question. Presumably the potential purchaser is planning on creating a traditional enclosed warren.
I have often heard of people relocating wild rabbits (eg, to repopulate a shot-out area, for sporting purposes), but never been sure about the legality.
If he purely wants to breed rabbits for meat then domestic stock would be a much better bet. The fact that he wants wild ones suggests a sporting element to his plans.

Yes, it's a large enclosed warren 80m x100m
I certainly wonder if it would actually serve as some sort of release pen to supplement wild rabbit for sporting purpose.

 

[Loler UK]

Don’t do it.

Stick with supplying them as humanely culled in the field. I assume you are doing this with the appropriate paperwork?

K

Yes, we supply over 1000 a year into the food chain.
Why not do it? if it's legal, what's the problem?
In fact, live transport could be argued far more environmentally friendly than refrigerated transport, it's very common in some countries for the butcher to keep live chickens and only slaughter on the day or even hour of collection.

 

[saddler]

Yes, it's a large enclosed warren 80m x100m
I certainly wonder if it would actually serve as some sort of release pen to supplement wild rabbit for sporting purpose.

....launching them from a clay trap is frowned upon though

 

[Loler UK]

....launching them from a clay trap is frowned upon though

I heard a pneumatic canon / launcher was the preferred method.....

 

[shakey jake]

well one expert on here said you need a licence to release foxes!!?? if its worth the extra money and hassle, baring in mind you have a duty of care and to prevent suffering, defending your self in the event of an inquiry by rspca, its not illegal if the rabbits cant caise damage to a crop, if they can access a neighbours crop you could(in theory i think prob not in practice) by liable with the land owner

 

[Rake Aboot]

Is this for Halal meat ?

Had the same enquiry but pretty sure it’s illegal as causing distress to a wild mammal.
Plus you’d be a meat retailer with all the grief that follows.

 

[baguio]

Perfectly legal. Gundog trainers have rabbit pens all over the country and would sooner stock it with wild rabbits. Whilst tame rabbits will quickly go wild ish, they’re never the same as the real thing.

 

[deerstalker.308]

Not legal if for release, been through this whole process trying to establish them where VHD has eliminated them in this region (they are pivotal to the management of Breck heaths). If transporting live for other reasons you’ll get into questions over animal movements I’d have thought and need relevant licenses from DEFRA etc.

 

[User00036]

Didn't know that, Breck heaths were traditionally managed by fires, but yes, rabbits are a bit more carbon neutral.

 

[Redders]

£2.50 a rabbit sounds a good price I'd stick with the less hassle option

 

[deerstalker.308]

Didn't know that, Breck heaths were traditionally managed by fires, but yes, rabbits are a bit more carbon neutral.

Warrening of rabbits was what built both the landscape and the economy in the Brecks up until mixy hit, there are still a few of the “old” warreners alive albeit now very old now sadly, a bit of history soon to be lost.
Not sure where the thought of fires managing the heaths came from, certainly never been common practice in the Brecks.

 

[baguio]

It's quite easy to work out if it's illegal or not surely? Can I go and buy a rabbit (or several) from the pet shop, yes. Is it tagged or marked in any way, no. Would the police be interested if I drove it half way across the country, no. How, therefore is the pet rabbit any different from a wild one? They're all capable of carrying the same diseases after all.

 

[User00036]

Warrening of rabbits was what built both the landscape and the economy in the Brecks up until mixy hit, there are still a few of the “old” warreners alive albeit now very old now sadly, a bit of history soon to be lost.
Not sure where the thought of fires managing the heaths came from, certainly never been common practice in the Brecks.

Im going back to ancient times, long before the rabbit was here. The name came from Breakland, you set fire to the bracken & silver birch etc, the ash provided enough ferts for 1 crop, then 2 years grazing with sheep, before the scrub took over again. So you then had to give it a long break. Iron Age 4 coarse rotation.

 

[VSS]

It's quite easy to work out if it's illegal or not surely? Can I go and buy a rabbit (or several) from the pet shop, yes. Is it tagged or marked in any way, no. Would the police be interested if I drove it half way across the country, no. How, therefore is the pet rabbit any different from a wild one? They're all capable of carrying the same diseases after all.

The fact that he will be transporting them for sale means that the Welfare of Livestock in Transport regs will apply, which sets maximum stocking densities, maximum journey times, min / max temperatures etc. And requires a certificate if the journey is over a certain distance.

 

[baguio]

The fact that he will be transporting them for sale means that the Welfare of Livestock in Transport regs will apply, which sets maximum stocking densities, maximum journey times, min / max temperatures etc. And requires a certificate if the journey is over a certain distance.

True enough. However, I suspect that the buyer doesn't live very far from the capture point. I would hope that none of us would want the rabbits to suffer in any way so I would say that the OP is worrying about nothing. A decent crate and getting them from A to B without them getting too hot or too cold should be a given.