Fencing Question

[so lucky]

I have my garden fenced in 2x2 wire, and I have discovered that little rabbits can get through it pretty easily. So I would like to put some finer mesh fencing up around the bottom, up maybe 18" or so, just another layer with what I have. I was wondering if rabbits would chew up plastic mesh fencing to get into the garden. I have no doubt that they would/could chew it up to escape an enclosure, but do you think they would work that hard to get into an enclosure? The wire fence would still be there....
Another idea is chicken wire. Last time I checked at Lowes, they only had that really flimsy 2" mesh stuff. How small would the mesh have to be to keep those critters out?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I had a rabbit chew my electric netting last year when snow was on the ground. Electric netting does not work when it's partial buried in snow, it shorts out. Personally I would not trust plastic. That rabbit did not chew the metal wire that carries the current but sure stripped the plastic off. You could tell by the tracks in the snow what did it and that was just to get into my chicken enclosure. I don't know what was so attractive about that, there was nothing in there to eat.

I'd think a 1" opening chicken wire would work fine for rabbits. I was thinking about doing that myself for rabbits but I haven't figured out how to do the big gate. For the rest of it I'd bend it into an "L", say a 3' chicken wire with 24" up the fence and a 12" flat section probably buried just under the turf to stop them from going under. My garden fencing is 2" x 4".

 

[majorcatfish]

in the raised bed area had to put a second fence up around it used 1"x1"x 24" poultry fencing, that has stopped any bug bunny's getting in.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_492390-16418-840307_1z10s3lZ1z0ry6s__?productId=4780939&pl=1

 

[Smart Red]

Chicken wire -- 1 inch stuff -- around the bottom, as Ridgerunner said, will do the trick. I would put it on the inside of the 2x2 fencing as they would be less likely to try chewing it there. While the fencing you have will keep the adult rabbits out, their babies are as small as chicks and easily able to get through the 2x2 spaces.

 

[Beekissed]

They will chew the plastic mesh fencing for sure...found that out last year. This year will be placing the chicken wire around the bottom of that fencing to keep the rabbits from making holes. Also getting a couple of good cats.

 

[so lucky]

in the raised bed area had to put a second fence up around it used 1"x1"x 24" poultry fencing, that has stopped any bug bunny's getting in.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_492390-16418-840307_1z10s3lZ1z0ry6s__?productId=4780939&pl=1

This looks like what I need. I'll check with Lowes again, or maybe they can order it for me if they aren't going to carry that size.

 

[majorcatfish]

This looks like what I need. I'll check with Lowes again, or maybe they can order it for me if they aren't going to carry that size.

heres the lowes item and model #
Item #: 492390 | Model #: 840307

 

[Beekissed]

I'll be applying that same type fencing to my garden fence this spring.

 

[digitS']

Mountain Cottontails are a little smaller than ones found elsewhere, if I remember right.

I have seen what appeared to be adults almost running through a chain-link fence. They aren't running and if they are, will probably find a different route but given just a moment, they pass right through!

Standard mesh length is 2" - so says Wikipedia. It's looked like that to me. The fence was on the border of my then garden. The rabbits only had to run down the river bank and they could move from one property to the other, fence or no fence.

Steve

 

[baymule]

Rascally rabbits chewed through the plastic mesh I put last year. What little that did survive the horrible weather, grasshoppers and sandy-no-nutrients soil, the rabbits finished it off. I have the garden fenced in 2"x4" horse wire and I am going to put 1" chicken wire around the garden, laying about a foot on the ground to keep them from digging in.