Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Chatting => Frugal Living => Topic started by: Fluff on March 04, 2007, 17:32

Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: Fluff on March 04, 2007, 17:32: Allotment that I am on is plagued with rabbits. Most other folks have fenced their areas off. i am in middle of plant seeds and seedlings.

Whats the cheapest way of keeping rabbits etc off.

Is that fleece stuff any good.

Thought about making wire cloches out of fencing wire.

Am looking in skips for anything but if I have to go down the bought route whats cheapest option.

Oddly enough have a lot of ferret keepers on site but rabbits seem to be winning at this point.
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: Bigbadfrankie on March 04, 2007, 18:59: We have a plague of rabbits. The only way to keep the little blighters out, is a fence. It is costly especially to allotmenteers who love to be like wobbles and reuse every thing. We got our fencing from a farm suppliers but it still cost a lot. But if you don't fence you will have nothing to eat!!

We tried getting the rabbits genetically modified to eat slugs and snails but the first experiments still wanted a side salad :lol:

Good Luck
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: muntjac on March 04, 2007, 19:53: 5 ft wire , buried 2 ft down on posts is what we do to keep em of the crops ...... and shoot em
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: Plot No 2 on March 04, 2007, 19:54: I read rabbits won't go through a wall on onions.

A couple of rows of onions around the allotment?
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: muntjac on March 04, 2007, 20:00: Quote from: "Plot No 2"
I read rabbits won't go through a wall on onions.

A couple of rows of onions around the allotment?

cant see that mate as i shot many of em in a fields full of onions in lincolnshire :wink:
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: WG. on March 04, 2007, 20:17: Rabbits will eat almost anything, never mind walk past it to get to something to eat. :(

They've eaten garlic tops, coriander, shallots apart from all the usual stuff
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: Trillium on March 05, 2007, 03:52: Sounds like you're dealing with gourmet rabbits there, WG. I haven't tried this but others swear by it - they purchase Zoo Poo, the trade name of manure composted either for or by the city zoos, to help with fund raising and help eliminate a particular buildup. Seems that the tiger and other big cat poo, because of its high protein content and other major predator smells, is a very strong deterrent to rabbits and such so gardeners sprinkle this Zoo Poo around the garden border and they say it works. No idea if you have this in UK but it's worth a try. :D
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: thegazbo on April 26, 2007, 10:01: I find shooting them helps or a friend of mine said dog hair tied up into ladies tights hanging from sticks works, again its rabbits fear of dogs?
And there are plenty of pet parlours around these days who would let you have some for free...

Gary
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: joannazoo on May 25, 2007, 12:46: I keep rabbits and have found the cheapest way of keeping them in is chicken wire and a frame of bamboo. I made a rabbit run for less than £10, and they have not escaped yet - so assum they could not get in either, but would sink it in a bit more if it was permanent - my run moves as the rabbits are also known as lawn mowers...
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: David. on May 25, 2007, 15:56: Mesh part buried in the ground is the only way or they dig under. Your rabbits have obviously got a cushy billet.

LINK (http://handbooks.btcv.org.uk/handbooks/content/section/3315)

Cheapest from Wilkos when 75% off around Autumn time, but they only seem to have 600mm high fencing left by then. I cut one along the middle and join together, which gives me 900mm fencing for only 23 pence a metre.
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: big green bloke on June 10, 2007, 20:31: easy shoot them and put them in pies :twisted: :twisted:
yours big green bloke
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: pete on August 05, 2007, 21:04: Amen, Shoot the blighters. S/he who works the land should reap the rewards and a couple of rabbits now and again aint gonna hurt anyone. Check for mixamitosis though - i ain't sure i'd eat one with it.

Be lucky.
Pete.
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: geordie lee on August 06, 2007, 19:33: Best thing i have found for rabbits, is as sugested before shooting. The good old fashioned 12 bore under and over or side by side work well, only problem is the noise so you can only get one at a time. The other way is ferrets and purse nets. i've taken 30 out of one warren in a morning.
hope this helps anyone
Title: just fence
Post by: celtbhoy on August 09, 2007, 18:09: i was plagued by millions of them when i started my little plot,i tried sprays,blocks and even poison(sorry)none worked,so i just fenced off with 9x2 in boards with wire on top...not 1 crossed my fence..
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: GrannieAnnie on August 09, 2007, 20:30: Munty says its okay if a rabbit has mixi, just don't eat the head!!! That's right eh Munty????
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: muntjac on August 09, 2007, 21:16: yes ,what happens is this the rabbit dies because the virus affects the eyes and the respiratory system .in the later stages it cannot see so starves to death ,if you get rabbits in the early stages you can stil eat thjem as i have done but in the later stages they are so skinny its better to just cull them , what spreads myxi is a flea this can travel on your person to your home and infect any rabbits you keep as pets . nowadays myxi is being caught by the rabbits but they are survivng if it breaks out in the later part of the year,, you can tell a rabbit that has had it by the scabby appearance around its eyes , if you cannot break a myxi rabbits neck then please hit it hard on the head a couple of times ,far better this that it starving , :(
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: sparky on August 10, 2007, 02:03: Quote from: "muntjac"
yes ,what happens is this the rabbit dies because the virus affects the eyes and the respiratory system .in the later stages it cannot see so starves to death ,if you get rabbits in the early stages you can stil eat thjem as i have done but in the later stages they are so skinny its better to just cull them , what spreads myxi is a flea this can travel on your person to your home and infect any rabbits you keep as pets . nowadays myxi is being caught by the rabbits but they are survivng if it breaks out in the later part of the year,, you can tell a rabbit that has had it by the scabby appearance around its eyes , if you cannot break a myxi rabbits neck then please hit it hard on the head a couple of times ,far better this that it starving , :(

Good info muntjac, I'v caught many a bunny with black scars above the eyes and found them no different than the "clean" ones. :)
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: David. on August 10, 2007, 14:12: Our vet says it OK for dogs to eat them if the have mixi.

My preferred choice is to deny them access to crops, used in conjunction with a silenced pre-charged .22 air rifle.
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: muntjac on August 10, 2007, 22:01: silenced .22 rim.at 80 yds for me :wink:
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: Bodger on August 22, 2007, 14:53: Shootem quick whilst you've still got carrots to put in the stew :lol:
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: Aunt Sally on August 22, 2007, 16:08: Quote from: "Bodger"
Shootem quick whilst you've still got carrots to put in the stew :lol:

Is that rabbit stew Bodger :roll:
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: Bigbadfrankie on August 24, 2007, 22:39: we only shoot those who work out how to scale the fence. the trouble is you cannot be at the garden 24/7 so the fence has to be the maine deterrent. if i find rabbit poo then i wait and end the problem other wise us and the rabbit get along.
Title: Cheapest way to keep out rabbits etc.
Post by: sparky on August 25, 2007, 01:48: Quote from: "muntjac"
silenced .22 rim.at 80 yds for me :wink:

Yeh, I always said "close range" was the best if your eyesights going.

(http://bestsmileys.com/shooting1/3.gif)(http://bestsmileys.com/shooting1/9.gif)(http://bestsmileys.com/lol/22.gif)