The American Beagler Forum

I have a place picked out to construct my pen, it will be between 13 and 15 acres front half is a brush draw with brush piles down both side and mixed timber and under brush I will be hinge cutting a majority of the trees in the next couple years to promote under growth. The back fiels is my question on one end of it I have a large push pile and the other side I have trees wind rowed with a dozer the field is about 350 feet wide by 700 feet long so approx. 5 acres I was wondering what to plant for cover in this field that will hold rabbits and also stand up to the winter. Right now it is mixed rag weed and cool season grass that the winter just mats down, I want to get a good weed base going that stands up to winter.I put in some pallet and x mas tree piles

Switchgrass hands down, with some pines in it.
Thanks,
Bob

Warm season grasses--the blue stems, switch grass and others--hold up well in winter. This year even my small patch of little blue stem got flattened. Interesting; I have a small patch on the power line and there is none anywhere else that I know of. Broomsedge grows other places, but not little blue stem. You might try some shrub plantings, like sumac, gray dogwood, or hazel nut. Check the Missouri DNR website. They have good information on rabbit habitat. Sound like you have a good start already. Grain sorghum stands up fairly well too. I'd try different strips: weeds, grain and grass to see which works best. Keep us posted.

What are you using for wire ?

I have managed 4 pens totaling over 100 acres for like 10 years. Best thing you can do is get rid of the standing timber otherwise hawks and owls will stalk the rabbits your dog runs or perch and wait other times. Food plant trailing soybeans and alfalfa strips for spring food plots. in september plant strips of tetraploid winter rye grass with a light mix of alfalfa tossed in. The alfalfa produces nitrogen for the rye and is very nutrious. Make sure the rye grass is endophyte free or will kill the rabbits. if you lack cover plant sericea lespezeda strips not that great for food though they eat it if hungry. In the winter when it snows keep corn and alfalfa hay out they love it. Of course can be expenxive rabbit pellets if you like. take soil samples for lime and fertilize needs. Also have 2 strands of hot wire up to keep predators and cats out. if you rum the pem every day need plenty of food and dont run it every single night thats when they eat close up at midnight, mix in few easy days keep good number bunnies so can switch off. good luck have fun!

Autumn olive and spruce trees are a great addition as well as the other suggestions

I am using coated 4 foot wire with apron 18 gauge with 2 hot wires around the top I am gonna start running fence next week. I was gonna plant food strips but my problem with that is deer we have hoards of them if I put food plots up I know there will be more deer than rabbits in pen. I plan on getting grasses started then go in and tear up some strips for planting some cedar and red pine. My wife said I have to leave some of the trees up near the house so there will be a few trees in it but there is alot of cover up there and I think I can deter them from sitting around to much

Autumn olive will make lots of cover quickly BUT it spreads very quickly. Everything eats the berries and passes fertilized seeds. I planted some 20-plus years ago and it's a constant battle to keep it under control. I know 40 acre parcels I doubt you could walk through standing up. The stuff is the best and worst. It's very invasive and two or three years you'll have it in your yard. DO Not plant fescue; it's toxic to rabbits. Something like a blue spruce would be better than red pine. Spruce provides better cover. We run several Christmas tree farms and always find rabbits.

Does anyone know if sheep fescue has the same endophytes as tall fescue? I am wondering if it is toxic to rabbits as well?

Here is a link to some pamphlets that might help or not. There is one for the eastern cottontail. Some of the reference info is probably outdated. But I would say to listen to the folks that have the experience. http://www.wildlifehc.org/resources/pub ... -leaflets/

Very good information. I plan to add it to my reference notebook. Thanks for the link.

Don't forget a salt/mineral block. They may not lick directly on the block, but they will eat the ground it was setting on. One guy said they breed more with salt, another guy said that salt helps them fight off a certain worm they get. Don't know if either is true, but my rabbits have never been healthier.
Thanks,
Bob

rabbits

SwitchGrass also helps protect them from birds lf prey. Add some pines and some brush piles.