How to rabbit-proof large garden?

[lhfarm]

Have a 50' x 50' enclosed garden area. Woven fence 8' height because of heavy deer population. Been in place 25 years and need to straighten corner posts and replace wire fence. Deer are not a problem, but past several years we have rabbits digging under the fence in many places. I patch the hole and they just move on. If I replace all the fence wire, I want to stop the rabbits. What are the best bottom fence options and how deep do I need to bury?

Thanks,

 

[Deere Dude]

I have used chicken wire with 1" holes and wires that to the existing chain link fence that seemed to work, but we didn't have rabbits that dig much.

Just though as I was typing, why not get a lawn edger and make a groove in the ground and bury pole barn steel in to about a foot or two. Install that as close as possible to the fence on the outside, kind of like skirting on a trailer house.

 

[square1]

 

[PILOON]

Build a rabbit garden outside with plenty of carrots to entice them away.
or
As my father did, label the plantings STORRAC in case the rabbits could read.

 

[Bird]

I used to have an 83' x 103' garden; no deer problem but the cottontails did take a liking to it. And now I've forgotten who told me to spread Blood Meal around the perimeter and the rabbits wouldn't cross it. I was a bit skeptical, but it worked for me. Of course Blood Meal is a high nitrogen fertilizer so it made the grass grow beautifully around the garden, and when it rained, that would water it in and I'd reapply it.

 

[Mendonsy]

An electric fence wire about 3" off the ground will work, but you have to use weed killer to keep the grass from shorting it out.

 

[Looking4new]

12 ga. rabbit stew!

 

[orezok]

What I found works well for me is to take chicken wire and only bury it about 4" but turn it out flat for about 18". They start digging at the fenceline and hit the horizontal wire. The are not smart enough to back off 18" to dig.

 

[Ed of all trades]

I have heard that you could just lay 8 or 10 in of chicken wire on the ground and staple it down with big staples made of stiff wire. Make sure not to leave a gap at the bottom of the fence. The best might be to turn it up onto the fence a little and then out from the fence on the ground. Hope this helps. Ed

 

[CCWKen]

I used to have a problem with rabbits in the veggie garden. It's 50x50 also. I added 18" chicken wire to the bottom of the fencing. That worked well. The larger garden stayed open and only got nibbles occasionally. I think with the increase in hawks and eagles around, the rabbits stay under cover. I loose more plants to gophers than rabbits. So goes the cycle of nature. :confused3:

 

[PILOON]

12 ga. rabbit stew!

Problem with that is you'd better have a good dental insurance plan.
Pellets, you know.

 

[EddieWalker]

You have to lay another fence on the ground, outside the fence and tie it together and anchor it to the ground with staples sold for this purpose.

It will keep out rabbits, but it's mostly used to keep out coyotes. They try to dig under the fence, but hit the wire that they are standing on, and they cannot get through.

 

[/pine]

Hasenpfeffer...!

 

[davesl708]

12 ga. rabbit stew!

But what wine goes with rabbit stew??:drink:

 

[Ed of all trades]

But what wine goes with rabbit stew??:drink:

AWWWWWWW poor little rabbit! Ed

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I solved my gopher problem by making cages from hardware cloth and planting my maters and peppers in them.

 

[Looking4new]

Problem with that is you'd better have a good dental insurance plan.
Pellets, you know.

Or no teeth at all!

 

[stuckmotor]

I did something similar to keep a dog in a dog pen. I split sheets of corrugated metal roofing length wise to, save money, and burried them 6 inches deep under the bottom of the fence which was also set into the trench. Around 4 inches went to the outside of the fence and the greater portion on the inside. The sheet metal was not attached to the wire. Whether it was luck or not, I don't know but, the pup never got out.

You have to lay another fence on the ground, outside the fence and tie it together and anchor it to the ground with staples sold for this purpose.

It will keep out rabbits, but it's mostly used to keep out coyotes. They try to dig under the fence, but hit the wire that they are standing on, and they cannot get through.

View attachment 452511

 

[dragoneggs]

What I found works well for me is to take chicken wire and only bury it about 4" but turn it out flat for about 18". They start digging at the fenceline and hit the horizontal wire. The are not smart enough to back off 18" to dig.

We used plastic mesh around the bottom 1ft high around the outside and turned it out about a foot. Seems to work as they don't dig and probably don't like walking on the mesh material maybe.