Rabbit fencing

[Flasheart]

We're suffering from rabbits coming in from an adjoining wildlife site. Shooting just isn't enough so considering fencing it.

Not ever done this before, so some advice is needed.

How deep do you bury it? How high should it be? Spacing of posts? What about a top wire ?

All advice gratefully received.

 

[Post Driver]

I bury it 8 - 12 inches deep and clipped to a 2.5mm HT line wire. Posts every 4 - 5 meters, should be fine.

Netting comes in 1050mm or 1200mm heights, so once you bury 200-300mm the 1050 can be a tad short, but I've not seen rabbits jump over.

Use 18 guage wire too, that bit heavier.

We knock in the strainers and pull a 2.5mm line wire all round. Then dig the trench with a mini diggger (some people have single furrow ploughs set up for turning a furrow over). Pull another plain wire at the desired finish height of netting. Unroll the netting and clip to the top and bottom line wires, pull up by hand and staple a few staples to keep the slack up. Then back fill the trench carefully, not heaping the soil back in so it pulls at the netting and rips the clips off. Slight hump to it won't hurt, will settle with time.


Or you can fold it out flat to the neighbours side. Then weigh it down with rocks, logs, turf. We peg it down with cheap tent pegs off eBay. Grass and scrub soon grows up and knits it to the floor.

 

[Post Driver]

Pictures attached of the 2 approaches.

 

[Flat 10]

Electric sheep wire is good. See Rappa fencing.

 

[Komatsu]

We use 1200 high net here would recommend if you in areas with much risk of snow as when drifts against net rabbits hop over top 1200 net gives enough height unless real bad drifting. If pinning rather than digging use ht fence wire tie up new roll and chop with grinder into lengths, bend over top to make pin as your pinning cheap as chips and very quick!

 

[Flasheart]

Thanks guys really useful, although I doubt the finished article will look as smart as those pics

 

[Tim G]

If the rabbits are coming from neighboring land then it's up to them to control the rabbits and it can be enforced by law I believe.

 

[Post Driver]

Thanks guys really useful, although I doubt the finished article will look as smart as those pics

You'll be fine, put some pictures up when you're finished

 

[Badshot]

Pictures attached of the 2 approaches.

Does that work OK pegging/weighing it down?

 

[Flasheart]

If the rabbits are coming from neighboring land then it's up to them to control the rabbits and it can be enforced by law I believe.

That's the way I understand it but........

It's a wildlife trust managed area, got more chance of winning the lottery than them doing anything. Public access as it's common land, basically a rabbit, ragwort infested dog lavatory.

 

[Flasheart]

Can you fence against ragwort ?

 

[Teejay]

Try speaking to a so called animal charity about controling their rabbits and the damage they are doing, I have never spoken to any so arogant and ignorant.

 

[Shorty]

Put in a claim for crop damage, they will soon do something about it, if the rabbits are resident on their land and foraging your crops then you have a legitimate claim, also state what it is costing you in ammo and time to try and keep numbers down

 

[Andy26]

Does that work OK pegging/weighing it down?

It does one the grass has grown through and sunk the word with its roots.

 

[Badshot]

It does one the grass has grown through and sunk the word with its roots.

Interesting, that would make a much easier job of fixing it to existing sheep netting fences. I guess if they did make the odd way in it would be ideal for a snare or two, or even a drop trap.

 

[Exfarmer]

Drop traps are an excellent idea as they stop the rabbits trying and succeeding in jumping over.
But we had all ours destroyed presumably by some so called animal hugger

 

[Badshot]

Never tried one but do have the design for one somewhere, seems like a nice idea to go for a wander round and check them. So quiet in comparison to shooting.

 

[Northdowns Martin]

If the rabbits are coming from neighboring land then it's up to them to control the rabbits and it can be enforced by law I believe.

In principle but better off asking for a contribution ie. split between materials and labour. Leave enough gap to put a hedgecutter head on the desk between fence and any trees/hedging, fence will last longer if kept clear for foliage.

 

[womble8350]

If the rabbits are coming from neighboring land then it's up to them to control the rabbits and it can be enforced by law I believe.

You can use the law I used it against rail track(pre network rail) it is a defra act can't quite remember the name but it works. Basically you report the pro you will recieve a visit from wildlife office he then contacts offending party and they have a set number of days to act. We got all our railway boundery netted

 

[Northdowns Martin]

Taken from "Defra Wildlife management Archive"

If rabbits on a neighbour’s land are causing serious damage and discussions with them fail to resolve the problem, you can refer the matter to Natural England’s Wildlife Management and Licensing Service.
Where a complaint is justified, Defra and Natural England have powers to require rabbit control is carried out. If this is not done, it may arrange for the necessary work to be undertaken at the expense of the occupier, who could also be liable to a fine.
If rabbits are harboured on land owned by Network Rail you can call the company using Network Rail's National Helpline on 08457 114141.