Well...the coprophagy only improves the digestion. I doubt that it affects the taste or quality of the meat (except to improve it by increasing nutrient uptake and fat storage). Rabbits are big cellulose eaters and they need all they help they can get to digest the cellulose, hence the coprophagy.
On the other hand, if you eat cereal or any number of other processed foods, it is highly likely that you have ingested a significant amount of rat turds.
BTW, dogs like to lick thier butts but that didn't stop Lewis and Clark et al. from becoming inordinately fond of dog meat. So much so that one of the Indian Chiefs made fun of them, which almost led to a fist fight. I wonder what French poodle tastes like (French-fried, of course)?
I'm not sure I follow you with the parasite problem. All animals have a load of parasites. Some are just more resistant to them than others. We live in a very symbiotic world. Our body teems with parasitic wanna-bes. Screw up your immune system and see what happens when normally benign commensals or mutualists begin to multiply and wreak havoc on your body.
Walt,
I use a SHARP knife to clean small game.
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Hoodoo
And so, to all outdoor folks, the knife is the most important item of equipment.
Ellsworth Jaeger - Wildwood Wisdom
[This message has been edited by Hoodoo (edited 06-29-2000).]