Hares and Myxomatosis

[Lindell]

Item on news, large numbers of hares dead in East Anglia. Scientists think myxomatosis has jumped species.

 

[nick...]

Very very sad news if it’s true.we have lots of hares about here.woukd be tragic if they dissapeared
Nick...

 

[unlacedgecko]

Item on news, large numbers of hares dead in East Anglia. Scientists think myxomatosis has jumped species.

From what I’ve read, it’s nit mixy, but VHD.

 

[Dry Rot]

From what I’ve read, it’s nit mixy, but VHD.

It was mentioned on R4 'Farming Today'. The University of East Anglia is doing a study and would be grateful for photographs of any fresh dead hares.

https://phys.org/news/2018-10-uea-mysterious-hare-deaths.html

 

[bovrill]

There's noticeably fewer hares here this year.
A pity, as they'd built up well after nearly being wiped out by pikeys coursing about five years ago.

 

[CopperBeech]

That would be an utter tragedy, one which falls at the feet of lazy b******s.

 

[Greenbeast]

Given they are quite disparate species on the tree of evolution, i wonder if mixy is not even possible?

 

[Exfarmer]

Given they are quite disparate species on the tree of evolution, i wonder if mixy is not even possible?

Some diseases do regularly jump species such as avian flu going from birds to pigs to man . I very much hope Myxie has not jumped, but not impossible. However i doubt it will be the same intensity in hares due to their solitary lifestyle compared to rabbits.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

It is very unlikely to be Myxmiatosis as it is spread by fleas underground mostly when there is a high density of rabbits.
It is possible that it is VHF but I believe when there is a high number of Hares they seem to die off, it may be a parasitic worm.

 

[yellow belly]

Hares always struggle in dry years when all the land is cultivated and no wheat emerged they do not do well on osr
Now we notill and grow spring crops with cover they have plenty of feed
One of the success signs for over winter stubble or winter cover is the presence of hares

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Hares always struggle in dry years when all the land is cultivated and no wheat emerged they do not do well on osr
Now we notill and grow spring crops with cover they have plenty of feed
One of the success signs for over winter stubble or winter cover is the presence of hares

......and lack of coursing

 

[Jerry]

Hares always struggle in dry years when all the land is cultivated and no wheat emerged they do not do well on osr
Now we notill and grow spring crops with cover they have plenty of feed
One of the success signs for over winter stubble or winter cover is the presence of hares

I’d agree with that. Got more hares here now then we had 15 years ago. Nearly ran two over this morning with the quad bike in fact.

Love to see them around. One of my favourite animals in the farm and I’ll help them if I can.

 

[Happy]

From what I’ve read, it’s nit mixy, but VHD.

Would think that far more likely too.
Mxy been around since the 1950’s so surely would have jumped to hares before now if it was going to.

Never seen a rabbit here in 15 years due to VHD.

 

[michael N123]

More Hares now than ever on our land slammed my brakes on like 50 times when mowing in one field because the leverets where slowly bouncing out my way on each pass

 

[CopperBeech]

......and lack of coursing

To be fair there were far far more hares around when coursing was legal.

It doesn’t exactly account for many in the grand scheme of things.

 

[yellow belly]

The biggest reduction round here was in 2012 when breeding success was very low
This year they have done a lot better but will be under pressure where wheat has not emerged and the only other crop is osr

 

[nick...]

Biggest problem we have is bloody buzzards picking up leverets.ive witnessed this when spreading fertiliser.made me really angry
Nick...

 

[Barleymow]

we saved 3 leverets from the combine the buzzards were hovering overhead too

 

[PSQ]

Found an immature hare on the road in early spring, went to move it and it had what looked like classic Myxi with eyes full of goop, and riven with flees. Dead by morning.
I googled ‘Myxomatosis in hares’ and the scientific results said it was relatively rare to see it in hares, but not unknown.

 

[Fallowfield]

'Biggest problem we have is bloody buzzards picking up leverets.ive witnessed this when spreading fertiliser.made me really angry
Nick...'

###

Why does watching nature* in operation make you angry?

(* leaving to one side the pedantic quibble that the buzzard is a native species while the brown hare isn't).