Re: Running pen question
Posted: Sat Jun 03, 2017 12:22 pm
When I lived in New Hampshire I belonged to the Claremont Beagle Club and they are fortunate to own three enclosures of 125 acres,90 acres and a puppy starting pen of 25 acres.Because of snow depth in winter they hog ringed an additional 3 feet of top wire on top of the regular apron fencing. to give them about 7-8 feet.This also helped keep out most of the deer [one would occasionally still get in somehow ].
Someone in the club had a connection and was able to acquire several miles of old/used telephone cable that had been taken down.This was used where the two sections of fence were hog ringed together and also as a top wire,also hog ringed.This wire was very important as trees would often fall on the fence and many times this wire was strong enough to hold the tree/branches off the fence and keep it from flattening the fence and letting the game escape.
When I moved here to Tennessee 22 years ago I built a 6-7 acre enclosure.I think back then fence and posts cost me around $2,500.00 and I did the work myself.Couple things I discovered; make your corners good and solid as that's where most of your fence tension is.If you make a square corner put some fencing material over the 90 at the top of the corner.I never saw it happen but several swore to me that your cotton tail rabbits can climb out there.
Back then they were't offering the vinyl covered fencing so I don't know how it would hold up if you buried it.I do know that the heavy galvanized I used in wet areas in my pen on the apron and close to the ground where it would be under several inches of water at times rotted out in 10 years or so.
Another thing to think about is to make sure you leave enough room on BOTH sides of your fence to mow/bush hog around your enclosure.If you don't it won't tale long for everything to climb all over your fencing .Again, with the galvanized I found that the herbicides I had to spray on my fence to keep it from getting overgrown were corrosive to the fencing and also made it rust--don't know how the vinyl would react.
The apron on the bottom of the fencing is hinged and will swing either way so there really is no tension on it.Everybody around here always puts their apron in to keep their cotton tails from digging out.I don't know----do some people put their apron out to keep predators from digging in?
After getting all my fencing up with the apron "in" I just walked around the perimeter putting rocks,logs,etc. on top of it to hold it down.Within a very short time your grass,weeds,brush,roots will grow right up through it anchoring it and most times you can't even see it after the first year.
Feeders,source of water/waters and in the summer Seven Dust in the rabbit's dusting spots will go a long ways in keeping your rabbits healthy in your enclosure.
I think the hot wire is a must and should keep out the four footed critters.Biggest problem I had with predators was owls.
Tim's right about that "more friends",etc.Once people found out I had the pen they would bug me all the time about starting their pups or bringing over some dog they just bought to try him out.People got pissed at me when I told them I didn't build that pen for that use.I built it for my use with my dogs.
Sure there were a couple of running buddies that started a pup or two and that same guy would always bring me a box with half a dozen wild cotton tails in it he had trapped.LOL.
Good luck with your project and I'm sure you will enjoy the fruits of your labor
Someone in the club had a connection and was able to acquire several miles of old/used telephone cable that had been taken down.This was used where the two sections of fence were hog ringed together and also as a top wire,also hog ringed.This wire was very important as trees would often fall on the fence and many times this wire was strong enough to hold the tree/branches off the fence and keep it from flattening the fence and letting the game escape.
When I moved here to Tennessee 22 years ago I built a 6-7 acre enclosure.I think back then fence and posts cost me around $2,500.00 and I did the work myself.Couple things I discovered; make your corners good and solid as that's where most of your fence tension is.If you make a square corner put some fencing material over the 90 at the top of the corner.I never saw it happen but several swore to me that your cotton tail rabbits can climb out there.
Back then they were't offering the vinyl covered fencing so I don't know how it would hold up if you buried it.I do know that the heavy galvanized I used in wet areas in my pen on the apron and close to the ground where it would be under several inches of water at times rotted out in 10 years or so.
Another thing to think about is to make sure you leave enough room on BOTH sides of your fence to mow/bush hog around your enclosure.If you don't it won't tale long for everything to climb all over your fencing .Again, with the galvanized I found that the herbicides I had to spray on my fence to keep it from getting overgrown were corrosive to the fencing and also made it rust--don't know how the vinyl would react.
The apron on the bottom of the fencing is hinged and will swing either way so there really is no tension on it.Everybody around here always puts their apron in to keep their cotton tails from digging out.I don't know----do some people put their apron out to keep predators from digging in?
After getting all my fencing up with the apron "in" I just walked around the perimeter putting rocks,logs,etc. on top of it to hold it down.Within a very short time your grass,weeds,brush,roots will grow right up through it anchoring it and most times you can't even see it after the first year.
Feeders,source of water/waters and in the summer Seven Dust in the rabbit's dusting spots will go a long ways in keeping your rabbits healthy in your enclosure.
I think the hot wire is a must and should keep out the four footed critters.Biggest problem I had with predators was owls.
Tim's right about that "more friends",etc.Once people found out I had the pen they would bug me all the time about starting their pups or bringing over some dog they just bought to try him out.People got pissed at me when I told them I didn't build that pen for that use.I built it for my use with my dogs.
Sure there were a couple of running buddies that started a pup or two and that same guy would always bring me a box with half a dozen wild cotton tails in it he had trapped.LOL.
Good luck with your project and I'm sure you will enjoy the fruits of your labor