A two-year (2010-2011) survey on the causes of mortality in farmed game hares (Lepus europeaus)

In this study, the biggest game hare farm in Veneto Region (Venice province) was monitored for two years (2010-2011) in order to investigate on the causes of mortality. To this aim, all dead hares with a good condition score were necropsied. Data on mortality were recorded on the basis of the following categories: newborn kits, suckling kits, growing hares, sub-adult and reproducing hares. Total mortality of born hares was not significantly different (38.7% on average) between the two years. Mortality was highest in kits during lactation (22.9% on average), followed by hares during growth (9.7% on average). The major cause of mortality in younger hares was enteric diseases, whereas the older hares were affected mainly by respiratory diseases and traumas. In reproducing hares, respiratory diseases and ulcerative pododermatitis were the most frequently detected pathological conditions.