Foxes and Rabbits

bazh · « **on:** January 14, 2009, 12:18 »

When I was up the allotment last saturday I had some footprints on one of the beds with garlic planted in it, due to the size of the print I'm guessing they were from a fox.

Do they cause any specific damage that anyone knows about, on another bed that has recently been cleared and dug there were signs something has been digging.

I have only recently taken over the plot which was very overgrown and where I have cleared away the weeds from around a small apple tree it looks like something (rabbits) have completely stripped the bark on it to around 18inches high anyone else experienced anything like this?

I've noticed rabbit droppings on some ashes where I had a small fire, so know they have been around.

corynsboy · « **Reply #1 on:** January 14, 2009, 12:45 »

Well if you've got foxes you won't have rabbits for long!

My foxes will happily dig holes in recently dug ground looking for earth worms. I made the mistake of using chicken manure fertilizer last year. The foxes went mental for that too. I had holes everywhere.

I have to say the damage caused by foxes is annoying but, whist i have lost crops to foxes here and there, I have never experienced deliberate damage to crops. They do tend to poop in the most unexpected places and that often looks more deliberate.

Bunny problems are I would imagine very crop oriented as they are feeding on the plot not hunting on it. Fortunately for me the foxes ate all our rabbits.

bazh · « **Reply #2 on:** January 14, 2009, 12:52 »

Thanks I know there's definately rabbits due to the droppings plus when I was clearing some of the site I came across a dead one (well half of one) the fox may just have been an occasional visitor, I'm suprised they eat earth worms though.

madcat · « **Reply #3 on:** January 14, 2009, 13:25 »

Just remember that boys are the same, whatever species they are!

We had a fox who was choosing to dig and 'decorate' the patch; it was perhaps territorial? Weren't sure. We had seen a young dog fox around and the rabbits had left

Somewhere I had heard.. read ... whatever that a young male will avoid challenging an older, bigger male so what you do is ...

... get an older, bigger male of the human sort (OH in my case) to 'water' the previously decorated and dug areas.

Fox is still around, rabbits aren't, but no more territorial markings. Result.

Don't know if it would have worked with a vixen tho'. They are smarter. :roll:

bazh · « **Reply #4 on:** January 14, 2009, 21:05 »

I'll borrow a rottweiler to pee everywhere then LOL

woodburner · « **Reply #5 on:** January 14, 2009, 21:22 »

18" sounds more like muntjac than rabbits. :o

bazh · « **Reply #6 on:** January 15, 2009, 13:33 »

Quote from: "woodburner"

18" sounds more like muntjac than rabbits. :o

Could be but I showed a couple of the old boys with sites and they never mentioned they'd seen any around plus the land around us is not really the sort you'd expect to see them, I'm going to sleeve up the other youngs trees as a bit of protection anyway.

vegikev · « **Reply #7 on:** January 15, 2009, 23:41 »

hi
rabbit, hare and even badgers can, and do sometimes cause this damage. they are all slightly different in the carateristics. the farm i work on experiences all 3

monkeyboysee · « **Reply #8 on:** January 16, 2009, 08:52 »

while we're talking rabbits, anyone got any good ideas how to keep rabbits of a veg patch?

i have a few families of rabbits running around where i plan to put my new patch. last year i used something from B&Q on some conatiners, that seemed to work keeping them away but i'd rather use something non-chemical and even better free!

there must be an organic way?

woodburner · « **Reply #9 on:** January 16, 2009, 10:47 »

The local market gardener (less than 1/2 mile away) must do something to keep the numbers in check because we don't have any trouble at all at home, but the other side of the river, where my lottie is, is a different matter.
Rabbit fencing is 'de rigeur' :evil:

I suspect that he destroys any warren developing in the area before it gets to be a problem.

bailey · « **Reply #10 on:** January 17, 2009, 07:19 »

does sound like rabbits to me!!
unfortunately in my experience you have a couple of options they your best to protect your crops with fences ect or put up with them or get them dispatched..

this will be what the market gardener will be doing.. a land owner has a duty of care to control rabbit numbers ,

PinkTequila · « **Reply #11 on:** January 17, 2009, 08:13 »

Yeah at work I am surrounded by arable farmers that never let the rabbit or fox population get very big, it does mean regular gunshot sounds but means no rabbits on the veg and no fox getting to the chickens

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