Preliminary dosing trials of a new anticoagulant, brodifacoum, as a toxicant for the rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.)

In two trials, domesticated New Zealand white rabbits were fed an acute anticoagulant, brodifacoum (3‐ [3‐ (4' — Bromo [1, 1' — biphenyl] — 4 ‐yl)‐l, 2, 3, 4 — tetrahydro ‐1 — naphthalenyl] — 4 — hydroxy — 2H — 1‐benzopyran — 2 — one) on carrot baits after prefeeding with similar baits. In the first trial a dose of approximately 6 mg/kg body weight caused 100% mortality and a dose of approximately 0.5 mg/kg body weight gave 62% mortality. Toxin strength on the baits was 0.018% and 0.002% respectively. In the second trial consumption of approximately 2.5 mg/kg body weight gave 100% mortality and at approximately 1.25 mg/kg body weight mortality was 87%. The toxicant concentrations used were 0.01% and 0.005% respectively. Acceptance was very good in both trials. Brodifacoum appears to be a promising new toxicant for use in rabbit control.