Rabbit Rampage in the Fruit Cage, Frosty Weekend & Compost Igloo | Smallholding Vlog

[@ColinDH12345]

Just to add to your options... I used to conduct agricultural research trials which are plots of different crop varieties. You can imagine that the rabbits thought a banquet had been set out. Anyway, we always used electric rabbit fencing for years and it was perfect. It's about 2 feet tall. They don't jump it. The bottom net row is not engergised so no earthing and once they have been zapped, they don't go near it and don't burrow under it. Muntjac deer are another issue but they can jump, even over fencing so any fencing for them needs to be 5 feet or 1.5m. I would consider electric netting along the fence on the back side. Rabbit at ground level and then sheep netting from there up. You have the engergisers. A lot easier. The other thing I might suggest is to have camera cables set out around the property. A simple 4-camera system is ~£200. Extra CAT5 cable can be set in a spade cut slot to remote cages. Their benefit is you see what the problems are. Also, you should see from the poo whether muntjac's are around. Rabbits certainly will be. Wish I could help more.

[@ColinDH12345]

By the way that research was north of Lincoln, next to Scampton air base on the A15. Flat!

[@OtterwoodCottage]

@@ColinDH12345 this is all amazing info - thank you so much for taking the time to write this. Really super helpful. 🥰

[@mymessyplot]

Oh Emma, how upsetting - after all the work to plant them! I really feel for you.

[@OtterwoodCottage]

@@mymessyplot thank you lovely - it is what it is. Our fault and lesson learned!

[@adambrinded70]

We’re hoping to start our small holding journey within the next few years. Definitely going to remember rabbits!

[@OtterwoodCottage]

@@adambrinded70 ah thank you so much for this comment - exactly what we are hoping this channel will do - help someone else not make the same daft mistakes we do!! 🙈🙈🤣🤣

[@adambrinded70]

@ The one that makes no mistakes makes nothing at all. But it’s always nicer when that mistake is a cheap one and can be remedied sooner rather than later!

[@OtterwoodCottage]

@ 🤣 cheap would definitely have been better!

[@stewy62]

Stay chipper !

[@OtterwoodCottage]

@@stewy62 will do ☺️

[@myrustygarden]

We have rabbits too but my veg garden is small enough we can have a chain link fence with chicken wire all around the bottom. Rabbits and deer will eat anything new and tender 😢😢, deer ate my pink blueberry plant. Yes definitely give them a chance to recover. Baby rabbits can get through small holes so ask around what the best option is for gauge of wire. Oh boy you definitely have your work cut out for you but we have faith in you both. Chin up have a better week, Ali 🌞🥶🇨🇦

[@OtterwoodCottage]

@@myrustygarden thanks Ali - chins are up, big girl and boy pants are on and we will soldier on 😂🥰

[@mauricebrown9094]

I am really for your loss. Life does that to you sometimes. Well lets crack on with a plane to not only protect your gardens but deter them from making another free meal of your hard work. Oddly enough I thought of the Perter Rabbit movie.. Chin up guys, everything will come out in the wash, you'll be fine...

[@OtterwoodCottage]

@@mauricebrown9094 thank you so much - ‘crack on’ is exactly our general approach to things ☺️

[@kneedownbrown]

Oh no. Rabbits would have crossed my mind. Sounds sensible to invest time fencing etc at the expense of other projects. You’re starting from scratch so you may not be able to grow all that you plan to this year. I have no advice or experience in keeping rabbits out, but yes the little emerging seedlings 🌱 never fail to bring a smile. Keep going, don’t give up!

[@OtterwoodCottage]

@@kneedownbrown thank you 😊 seedlings make everything ok 👌

[@mauricebrown9094]

I'm sitting here wondering weather or not 3ft wire netting or wire fabric ( what ever it is called ) dug into the ground 6-8 inches and placed 6-8 inches outwards and then the black mesh over the whole side would be something to consider as rabbits dig holes. I realize it would be another cost, but if this was me I would never want them to get in ever again. Do you have Voles there?. Just a thought. Your both doing a wonderful job.

[@OtterwoodCottage]

@@mauricebrown9094 that’s what we plan to do with the outer perimeter so hopefully the area will be well protected once we get round to it!

[@OtterwoodCottage]

@@mauricebrown9094 we do get voles, and field mice too! All the furries

[@LadyMoringaAndTheCallalooMan]

I’m worried that the rabbits, foxes etc will just dig under

[@OtterwoodCottage]

@@LadyMoringaAndTheCallalooMan I think they would if we don’t install the rabbit proofing on the perimeter. By adding in stock fencing which also adds horizontal protection underground, we are hoping to prevent burrowing - although persistent creatures always seem to find a way! 🙈

[@chrisroome8519]

I appreciate you don't want to develop a rabbit restaurant, but trying to protect your whole property is rather against nature is it not? You live amongst nature now, not around them. Why not just fence off the area around where you grow and leave the rest of your land, new woodland etc for the animals, after all this is their land too? You could place traps within your growing area to stop persistent pests! Just a perspective from both a fellow allotment holder but also a nature animal supporter. I wish you all the best though.

[@OtterwoodCottage]

@@chrisroome8519 my heart completely agrees with everything you have said here and if we were working with an established plot then I would 100% be taking this approach. The difficulty we have is that in creating something from scratch, we are going to need to take extra measures to protect everything while it is in its infancy and slowly reintroduce nature over time. If we were to plant several thousand trees for our new woodland now and not protect the boundaries of the land, the whole lot would be girdled and dead before it got a chance to establish itself. Once the woodland is established, and we’ve created additional hedgerows etc we will work to reintroduce ‘freedom of movement’ for all wildlife and only protect specific growing areas. But in these first couple of years, everything we plant will be vulnerable so we need to counter-intuitively keep some nature out while allowing other things to establish. Eventually we hope there will be a balanced ecosystem which can work harmoniously but whilst we are making changes to the landscape, our hands are a bit more tied than I’d like them to be!

[@chrisroome8519]

@ I can appreciate your perspective and position, I’m so pleased the potential boundary barrier will just be for the short term, while your plants establish themselves. Best of luck! I look forward to watching how your plans evolve.

[@KirstyHart-nq4wk]

Such a shame about your trees.

[@OtterwoodCottage]

@@KirstyHart-nq4wk thank you for the sympathy lovely - a disappointment for sure but our own fault! Lesson learned!