The American Beagler Forum

Thinking about building a smaller(1/4 to 1/2 acre) starting pen for personal use. For the people that have built them before what are the things you would have changed or done differently. Or is that size of pen even worth the hassel. For more info. I plan on stocking it with rabbits I raise and just starting puppies. I raise about one litter a year and like to get them all started and see them going for myself before I sell/cull

Do's Make a safe pile. Round the corners. Supply food and water. Make lots of cover. Make a 1ft apron on the inside. Can't think of any don'ts off hand. You're eventually have problems with coons hawks and owls. Just thought of a don't. Don't waist your money on the night eyes blinking lights for predator control.

My little pen was a corner of the woods we cut out. It had stumps, tops and some rootwads we pushed up when digging the pond. Put a fence around it and it grew into a perfect little starting pen for pups. Birds brought in blackberry and honeysuckle grew over the tops. It looked like a tangled mess but that's what kept the rabbits alive and made the pups hunt for them. Lots of fun and gave the pups the ground time they needed for a good start. Ours was more the shape of and oval, try to avoid corners where rabbits get caught.
Best of luck...

I built a 2 acre pen this past spring if I had to do over I would probably only done 1 acre just because I think it would of been big enough. Pups can start bad habits In a starting pen pretty quickly so all I do is once they learn the rabbit is leaving scent behind and there using there nose tracking there done in the starting pen that's my opinion and that's how I do it. I hung 4 strands of high tensil fence using ratchet binders to get it tight then hog ringed the chicken wire to the high tensil leaving a foot apron on the ground. Then I covered the apron up with dirt all the way around. Your biggest problem will be keeping rabbits in there predators will clean you out. Somebody already said it but the predator lights and tape is a joke. Snowman beagles has a good video on YouTube on how he done his pen I based mine off his. Good luck

Here are two links that may help.


http://www.beaglesunlimited.com/trainin ... ign-part-1

http://www.beaglesunlimited.com/trainin ... ign-part-2