Does this look like good value?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/50m-GALVANISED-WIRE-RABBIT-NETTING-900mm-x-50mm-19g-/330427127496?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL&hash=item4ceefdd6c8 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/50m-GALVANISED-WIRE-RABBIT-NETTING-900mm-x-50mm-19g-/330427127496?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL&hash=item4ceefdd6c8)
or does anyone know where I can get it cheaper?
As my allotment neighbour is busy rabbit-proofing his plot, think I'd better do something to stop them all congregating on mine!
Fair enough. But. If I was doing the job I'd want to use 1050mm-x-31mm-x-18g instead.
1050mm (height) so you can bury or turn out 6" at the bottom and still have a 3' high fence.
31mm (hole size) as little rabbits can get through 50mm.
18g (wire thickness) as apparently rabbits can chew through 19g. Though I've not found that in practice.
That makes it about twice as expensive. But if you're going to all the trouble of doing a decent job, what's 25 quid? If there's a serious rabbit problem you need to do it properly. Even then you might get jumpers.
Those same people do the stuff I'm on about. I've used them before, they were alright. I actually rang them up. If there's any farmers merchants near you it's worth trying them, to save on the postage. In Devon it's Mole Valley Farmers. Look again on ebay also. Search under rabbit netting. (Whoever called a film "rabbit proof fence" is a right pain. Same goes for "chicken run"). I'd say you would be OK with19g wire, which does make it a bit cheaper.
Thanks, jjt. I don't like having to spend money on my allotment, prefer to recycle wherever possible, but hopefully this will be a worthwhile investment!
I used to use wirenetting, 4ft wide - 3ft high and 1ft on the ground outwards with a round wire 6" above the netting. This was the Forestry Commission standard. The netting had small mesh at the bottom with 2" above it (I don't know if that's available now).
In the last few years (in my garden) I have used electrified rabbit netting. This is more expensive but probably more effective. The problem I found was that the polypropylene netting breaks down where the lines cross.
I have now devised my own electric fencing system. Smooth round galvanised wire (1mm) mounted on 50mm posts, on the outside the "earth" wires spaced at ground level + 10cm + 10cm + 20cm + 20cm and on the inside, the positive wires spaced at 5cm + 10cm + 20cm + 20cm. The earth wires are just stapled to the posts whilst the positive wires are mounted on insulators made from blue plastic water pipe (underground service pipe) nailed onto the posts and the wires are fastened to the insulators with nylon ties. This arrangement ensures that if the ground is very dry that the "earth" still has a continuous path. Once the rabbits have experienced the shock of an electric fence they don't try it again. Of course, you need an "Energiser" to develop the pulses and a battery to supply the power. I use a 12v energiser and a 12v lead acid battery. I have two sealed batteries and a charger, the batteries are 1ah and 7ah capacity (would have had 2 x 7ah but I already had the 1ah battery).