Kitchen Garden Forum

It would appear that on our plot (eyewitness reports)we have a huge bunny of the Wallace & Grommit variety which can hurtle down the allotments clearing the fences like Colin Jackson and usually with a good few feet to spare! How high can these buggers jump? I thought I was pretty safe with a solid 3.5" fence but this one sounds like it will have no problems. One person has already lost every cabbage and cauliflower and is very unimpressed.

Hi Chantal,
I think that your fast furry Rabbit is actually a Hare. I chased one out of my place a couple of years ago and it cleared the 4ft Rabbit fence with total alacrity. If you were to witness the 'Mad March Hares' that I do you would see that they can jump to incredible heights. Having said that the Hare that I spoke of was the first one in 30 years so I don't expect to see another on my plot!!

Chantal, when you typed 3.5" (inches) I hope you meant feet.Late one evening I saw one animal going in and out of my otherwise secure rabbit fenced enclosure, it moved very fast and I concluded that it must have been a hare.
Maybe an extra top wire or even string would deter your super-bunny, a dark colour would be almost invisible.
Allan

Hi Chantal , I am not disagreeing with the previous authorities (!) but I had a pet rabbit when I was a child that could jump five feet ... onto the overhanging roof of the hut ... it was we discovered being terrorised by rats. As soon as this was discovered it was brought inside and the rats were dealt with..... so maybe a big incentive.... those veggies must look worth jumping for. Now the best rabbit for me is a rabbit in a pot with onions , garlic , white wine and dijon mustard ... now that is yummy !
yummyveggies

Thanks both, yes, I have Piglet disease it should have been 3.5'. String sounds like a reasonable idea, and a cheap one too. I've not had a problem yet, but I would like to avoid one and would rather do something before all my cabbages are scoffed.

Was it something that happened at Malvern?
Will Tigger elucidate us?

Chantal, reading your mailing more carefully it seems to be possible that you are jumping to conclusions (pardon the pun) inasmuch as that you are assuming that the jumping bunny and whatever ate the cabbages are the same. It is only too easy to put up a rabbit fence and think it is OK only to find a small defect that is letting some rabbits through. Particularly vulnerable in this respect are the corners where you have to cut the skirt to put a right angle in the fence, unless you overlay this cut on the outside with an extra piece of wire mesh then rabbits can make a way in unnoticed. The other troubles we have had are an anthill built against the fence and (not proven 100%) bushes grown against the wire making a foothold.