Rabbit Proof Fence

Building a good, quality rabbit proof fence can help keep your garden safe from a destructive rabbit and your garden will look nice in the process. 

Gardens can be a lot of work and for most people they're pretty much a labor of love.

So, if you're going to spend a lot of time making your garden look beautiful, it's equally as important to put up a nice fence to protect it.

A single rabbit can do a lot of damage to a garden.  

Plus, once a rabbit finds an easy meal it will be back again and again until the food is gone or until you find a way to stop them.

There a a few good rabbit repellents on the market that work pretty well.  

Liquid Fence Deer And Rabbit Repellent is one good example, but you have to continually re-apply repellents if you want them to work.

Taking an afternoon to build a nice fence prevents you from continually re-applying various repellents around your garden, and if you make the fence removable you can take it down at the end of the season to rototill your garden or clean up your backyard.

Do you have chickens?  

This design also works really well for building a chicken run for your chicken coop.  

It's sturdy enough to keep out predators like raccoons, fox and coyotes.  

Even if they try to dig under the fence they won't be able to get inside!

Just make sure to add a roof to your chicken run to prevent hawks and other animals from entering the chicken run from the top.

Rabbit Proof Fence - Using Chicken Wire

Although galvanized 1'' x 1'' or 1'' x 2'' fencing wire is more sturdy, using chicken wire is the least expensive and easiest to assemble.  

You can always replace the chicken wire with galvanized wire if you want for this project.

If you've ever used chicken wire before you know that it's kind of difficult to work with.  

It constantly wants to roll back up and it's flimsy so having some help from a family member or friend will make this project a lot easier.

The small size of chicken wire works great for keeping rabbits out of your garden, even baby bunnies!

To begin the rabbit proof fence you will need the following equipment:

• 1 roll of chicken wire 4 feet tall and long enough for your garden
• T posts
• Zip ties and wire cutters
• Shovel

Step #1

Start by mapping out the location for the fence around your garden.

Next, take a shovel and dig a trench about 9''- 10'' deep around the garden where your fence will set.

Step #2

Now, pound a T Post in each of the 4 corners of the fence line (assuming your garden is square or rectangular).

After you have pounded a T Post in each of the 4 corners, space additional T Posts every 6'-10' throughout the fence line.  

Even though it takes a few more posts, I like to space the T Posts every 6' which keeps the chicken wire tight and prevents any bows in the wire.  

Do not space the T Posts any further than 10' apart or the fence will sag.

Step #3

Once you have your posts in place, zip tie the start of the fence to one corner.  

With the help of a friend, unroll the fence around the garden with the bottom of the fence resting about 8'' in the trench you dug.

Some people like to bend an "L" shape into the bottom of the fence that's buried underground, but as long as you burry the fence at least 8'' underground a rabbit won't burrow or dig underneath it.

Zip tie the fence at the top of the T Post and at the bottom of the T Post and add 3 more zip ties through the middle section of the post to securely fasten the fence to the post.

Step #4

Continue to roll out the fence in the trench and zip tie to each T Post as you go.  

Once the fencing is up, fill in the trench with dirt, pack it along the bottom with your feet and you're done!

You can put a step ladder over the fence to access the garden or if you want to make a quick entry door in the fence, simply leave about a 2' gap on one side of the fence.  

You can just place a sheet of plywood over this gap and remove it anytime you want to enter the garden.  

Overall - Building A Rabbit Proof Fence

Building a rabbit proof fence around your garden to keep out a hungry bunny is pretty easy.

With a few simple supplies and an afternoon of work you can prevent your garden from being destroyed, and your fence will look great!