The American Beagler Forum

Needing advice on a starting pen. Wanting to do something that will hold up and be economical. Looking at about a 2 acre size to start
for young hounds. What is the best fence and method of putting it all together. I know some guys on here have some nice ones! Also looking
at where to get the supplies to build it. I live in north central Wv and want to try not to travel 4 hours to get the stuff to build it.
Thanks in advance!!

Dude,

Get in touch with a guy named Earl Naylor. He lives here in North Carolina. He goes by the name rabbit earl on this board. He can put up a pen in just a short time.

As far as the supplies, you might look at Chip Eisen he is in Charlston WV

Jim i just done my 3ac pen it took me 1 1/2 days between me and my 2 boys and 1 of there buddies.The 1st one i built was 1 ac and it took me a month to build it, but i learned from some of the ol timers on how to do it which made it much easier.
i use 1" coated wire 5' tall giving 4' high with 1' mating. i use what is called a brake away deal that a friend taught me and that is if a deer runs through it it won't damage your fence. i use a hook on top post made of light wire so if something gets into it it just falls over, then all ya gotta do is just hang fence back up.
For the matting i use to staple it to the ground but not now i just lay logs, post, and rocks in the areas sticking up worse and use cut up coat hangers to staple here and there.
I just like putting in the gate posts and hanging the gates and i will be done. Both of the pens i built was built in Jan and Feb this allows the grass to grow through the matting in the spring and you never have a problem unless something tries to get in like a yote,fox,etc.
I got my wire from a friend who worked at a feed store here and gave nearly nothing for it cause they could not sell it and it was taking up space, my first pen was 1" chicken wire 5' high with 1' matting.Some said it wouldn't last long but it's been up for 5 yrs and it still looks good, just had to mind a couple spots sense i had it and that was from critters trying to get in and it not even rusted on the outside and matting is still holding up good.

Thanks very much for the info. my brother and I are gonna build one when the snow comes off. I was thinking about 3 acres would be nice size. And the
matting will be much more easy than trenching. What are the measurements feet wise on an acre? Forgive my ignorance!

100 by 100

208 ft per side
One acre comprises 4,840 square yards or 43,560 square feet[1] (which can be easily remembered as 44,000 square feet, less 1%; or as the product of 66 x 660). Because of alternative definitions of a yard or a foot, the exact size of an acre also varies slightly. Originally, an acre was understood as a selion of land sized at one furlong (660 ft) long and one chain (66 ft) wide; this may have also been understood as an approximation of the amount of land an ox could plow in one day. A square enclosing one acre is approximately 208 feet and 9 inches (63.6 meters) on a side. But as a unit of measure an acre has no prescribed configuration; any perimeter enclosing 43,560 ft2 is an acre in size.

Steve,

Thanks for the information and the history lesson! Impressive for a boy out in Missouri, if I spelled that right. LOL!
Seriously thank you. When you gettin those other puppies to create the Dingus nation in MS?? Talk to you later.

LOL ,
thanks for the confidence but i copyed all that off of the www.
i did know the 208' tho. if that counts .
well my friend, they will be here next weekend.
take care.
Steve

Triple_S wrote:208 ft per side
One acre comprises 4,840 square yards or 43,560 square feet[1] (which can be easily remembered as 44,000 square feet, less 1%; or as the product of 66 x 660)...

Here in KC, we learn it as "going down (Interstate) 435....doing 60"

One thing you need to look at.What kind of rabbits.Wild rabbits.Well can you catch some.Or am I just going to used it just to start pups then tame rabbits is the way to go.I build my first one in 87 and over the years I like the wood post better.With one nail around 4 an half ft high to hook your wire on, that all one nail to each post.Why when deer hits it its easy to put back up and the wire ant mess up.When you get to a corner don t make and L corner but a round corner.New rabbits can just keep bump around.Two years ago me and one more build one 13 ac and putting up two gates for truck to go in and out 18 hr to build this pen.

Coated wire is the way to go.5 ft 150ft long.last I got.last year 95 dollors a roll.The only thing I can tell you.Don t worrie about putting the fence up.But good luck after you start putting rabbits in it.

Earl,

We do want to put wild rabbits. The place we are putting it has a lot of rabbits and I am sure we will have some inside when done.
We don't have any trouble catching rabbits. Will the wild ones stay in the pen? I have seen some go up and right over a fence. you said
you prefer wooden posts, what type or size? Thanks for your help!

The post are 6 1\2 long and 3 1\2 by 4 1\2 inch round.You be alright if its already have rabbits and knowing how to catch some.Some will climb out or jump over. They do it worst in a small pen.Put all your post down first and them bobwire next al around with the bobwire on top of post.Hook your rabbit wire on the hook nail and then in between the post put a wire hook to the bobwire to the rabbit wire.This will work just like a post.Then at the bottom put a dirt ever 2 ft then your gate and your done.Good luck.

Earl,

You have a number I could call you at to ask some more questions? thanks again.

Yes sir,Call me910 385 5803 Would love to help out.

I am in the process of building a 1 acre pen and have learned alot from Chip E, he is on this forum too. I am using 8 inch round posts on the corners and 4x4 's for the fence line on 12 foot centers. I am going to run 3 strands of barb wire and then use 5 foot wire I bought from Chip and connect it to the barb wire with hog rings. When I get done in the next few weeks I will post some pictures. From what I have learned rabbits are ALWAYS needed and you must be able to raise them or buy them. Kerry in Maryland