After losing lots of crops to rabbits last year (most of our swedes, most of our 10,000 leeks, over 1000 cabbages, all our carrots and all our parsnips) we have spent the past week constructing a new permanent rabbit-fence around the market garden field (and we'll be growing this years main crops inside last years chicken fence).
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| Jonathan and Lloyd enjoy a small break from fencing. |
We knocked 80 half-round posts in using a sledge hammer and spirit-level, 4 metres apart, added some support posts on the corners and gate-posts, then tacked 320 metres of chicken-mesh around the field's circumference. The mesh is laid 10 to 15cm across the ground, then tacked up the posts, the overlap across the ground being to prevent rabbits digging under the fence. This is weighed down with stones until the grass grows through to anchor it into place.
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| Sarah unrolling the next section to be stapled up. |
The gates are also now all in place, 2 for tractors and 2 for people/wheelbarrows. Now all we need is a tension wire around the top of the mesh to stop it sagging, and - touch wood - we defy any rabbit to get in!!
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| Building the new rabbit-proof entrance gateway. |
As always, a big thanks to everyone who helped on the fence during the 5 days it took to build.
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