Rabbit's on the allotment and other Q's...
Zoomer44
Posts: 3,267
Judging by all the droppings in the neighbouring plot, rabbits are a problem on the allotment. So...when all the brambles are cleared... I've decided to build a rabbit proof fence as I'd be gutted if the first veg grown was eaten by them and air rifles aren't allowed on the site
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How difficult can it be....I have some 4ft high rabbit wire...Some plot holders have advised the wire can be buried vertically in the soil, other's have said it needs to be bent out in an 'L' shape, some silly Q's now, what height do the posts need to be, I'm thinknig 5ft, how far apart should they be and how far into the ground should they go so the fence is firm.
The fence would be on a slope which me thinks might make it more difficult to build.
Thanks for your replies in advance.
Posts
I suspect that getting rid of your briambles will improve matters - rabbits love to shelter in a briar patch - remember Brer Rabbit
They will be sheltering there and popping out to raid the nearby allotments.
Yes, the fencing needs to be turned out at the bottom in the direction of where the rabbits are coming from - some details here
http://frontpage.woodland-trust.org.uk/communitywoodlandnetwork/publications/documents/Spec%203-09.pdf
I'm in the process of fencing to keep the rabbits out of our garden. Our fencing is about 1m high and yes, in an L shape about a foot under the ground going out towards the rabbits trying to get in, if you see what I mean. I don't think rabbits jump very high but I could be wrong. My experience is they just eat what they see literally in front of their noses. The part of our garden next to the wood is on a slope too but the fencing seems to be ok. The posts just need to be high enough to take the fencing and ours are about 2/3 metres apart.
More than happy to be contradicted on this advice though ... I don't think I'll rest easy until we have a whole year without any furry visitors.
But are they smart enough to start digging far enough back from the bottom of the fence to avoid the bit that's been turned up?
Hmm, are you on my allotment site?
We have been rabbit-free since setting up the site 3 years ago but the little darlings have just made an appearance these last few weeks. Got a message from my neighbour up there to tell me the apple trees have been stripped
I had originally fenced off my plot with sturdy posts and 4ft high windbreak netting, so my plan is to just fasten chicken wire fencing on the outside of this and I can keep the benefit of the windbreaks. Looking at buying chicken wire from my local farm supplies, they have different sizes. Do people recommend 25mm holes or will 31mm be enough?
Just to add my experiences - rabbits can't jump very high but they can climb up and over 1 metre high fencing, so go taller. They can dig under anything, including my dry-stone walls. Get small-size mesh chicken wire as the babies can get through the larger size. Don't expect it to last long as rabbits can bite through the wire, you have to keep checking for breaches. And don't expect to win - the rabbits always find a way!
Couldn't agree more with this Charlie November. Our gate is on a slope and I've had to fit some garden edging to block the gap. A pain in the backside to move every time I want to open the gate, but whatever it takes ...
As much as I don't want to admit it yet, I think you may be right landgirl100
It al starts off very innocently
But once they get the idea ......
.... there's no stopping them
Sounds like it's a war out there....I'm certainly not going to let them get my veg without a fight
I had thought about the gate and have a nice long slab to put under it, I even thought about making sure the gate is wide enough for a wheel barrow.
I've 50m of chicken wire and this isn't very scientific but was thinking a post every three strides. There's a huge pile of stones at the bottom of the plot, how does this sound, I was thinking of filling the outside of the trench with soil over the buried wire and the inside trench-half with soil and top part with stones.
Didn't know rabbits could climb or eat through wire though
the wire's 3' 7' wide, so even if I only go 6 ' deep and then with the bit bent outwards, isn't going to leave much wire above ground.
I was thinking 5ft posts but 6ft posts seem a better option and then more wire could be attached to the top if need be and they can be driven into the ground further.
Could do with a perimetre fence like the one's round a prison
Mike. I'm a new plot holder and the plots on offer when I was asked to choose, being the last in a list of 34 were not one's you could plant in without lots of work.
Take your point about sharing the cost and helping with the labour. I'm happy to pay for the fence, I've reckied cheap materials but would like some help in building it after all it will protect neighbouring plots from rabbits.
I've not met the neighbouring plot holders yet, one's a newbie like me but that plot is easy pezzie compared to mine, after the grass was cut the first week, beds are now being dug over
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I was thinking a trench a couple of feet wide so the stones would crate a path with membrane under to prevent weeds and stuff growing through but not that deep.
Mike, unless Zoomer is keeping chickens on the plot, Reynard may turn out to be an ally in the war on rabbits