Will chicken wire work?

[Audrey]

I am going to make a couple movable A frame rabbit pens for grow out pens. Will lattice on the bottom half, and chicken wire on the top be suffice, or will I need something stronger?

 

[ottersatin]

I would suggest something STRONGER,
Rabbits can easily chew through Chicken wire
and escape. The second thing is:
Most predators can more easily chew
through Chicken wire and find an easy Dinner!
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[michaels4gardens]

I have found, to my dismay, that chicken wire will not slow a coon down much at all.-- so if you have coons, dogs, coyote, or fox predators, I would invest in something heavier then chicken wire.

 

[Audrey]

Thanks

 

[mystang89]

The absolute weakest material I would even consider going with would be hardware cloth but dogs, rabbits and other preditors can chew through that just as well.

 

[Ramjet]

The absolute weakest material I would even consider going with would be hardware cloth but dogs, rabbits and other preditors can chew through that just as well.

And never use that for the bottom of the cage , it will shred their hocks.

 

[Audrey]

Duly noted

 

[Schipperkesue]

Here is a sad story. I know a lady who purchased a trio of extraordinary Flemish Giants. She spent $600 on them. They arrived late in the evening. She put them in two chicken wire tractors and went off to sleep. In the morning she awoke to carnage. Her dogs had ripped open one tractor. One doe was dead and the other gone. This is the tale I always think of when I hear of chicken wire.

 

[mystang89]

The absolute weakest material I would even consider going with would be hardware cloth but dogs, rabbits and other preditors can chew through that just as well.

And never use that for the bottom of the cage , it will shred their hocks.

When I first made my cages, back before I completely knew what I was doing, I made the entire cage (wood) out of Hardware cloth. It worked great for me except when the doe was nursing and had those horse turds that wouldn't fit through the hardware cloth. The only thing that made me have to change was because of an dog attack that completely annihilated my rabbit cages. I switched over quickly after that but I've never had any problems with their hocks. I should probably add that mine are New Zealands, Calis and Silver Fox's. Maybe the heavier breeds are worse about it.

 

[Audrey]

Thats terrible, I for sure don't want to risk my critters! We do have raccoons that can get in, but larger predators can't get in, our hole yard space is fenced in with deer fence.