Food

[Josejones]

I want to encourage wild rabbits on my survival retreat

At the moment there are squirrels which I want to grow in numbers but now I want to introduce rabbits to get established

The plan being to trap a few here and there as nesasary for protein

What is the best way to establish a colony of rabbits on my land?

https://youtu.be/tWwvP9kSRF4

[Arzosah]

As a start, Jose, maybe checking what's growing there now, in relation to what rabbits need? Do they need a stream or anything like that? If you don't have a stream, could you instal a wild pond? That would help ecological resiliency in any case https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-build-pond

Have you done any planting on your land of human-edible foods?

[Josejones]

Yes-we have planted many fruit and nut trees and yes there is a nearby stream

Apparently there are rabbits been spotted near, but I want to have them on my land

[jansman]

Yes-we have planted many fruit and nut trees and yes there is a nearby stream

Apparently there are rabbits been spotted near, but I want to have them on my land

As someone who used to do rabbit clearance back in the 80’s and 90’s, I would *Advise* you to avoid introducing rabbits. Once they get hold they are a damned nuisance, and absolutely destructive. If you run a lamp over your land on a windy night, you will probably find you already have them. If you want to grow anything ( well) , then you need as few rabbits as possible. Squirrels aren’t much better either, especially where young trees are present. Not many folks know that under the 1911 countryside act ( as far as I know it’s still on the statute book) it’s illegal to feed and encourage grey squirrels!

I see you mentioned trapping. I presume you also mean to release live specimens onto your land to colonise it? If you do, it won’t work. Rabbits are quite territorial, and will not thrive if taken ‘off country’.

I have shot, netted and hunted with lurches, literally thousands of wild rabbits, and I never had a landowner or farmer ask me to ‘leave a few’. They insisted on total extermination ( which was never 100% achievable either) because of the damage to plants/crops/ trees, and in the case of the local heritage railway, the dangerous undermining of embankments.

That’s my experience, for what it’s worth. The choice is yours in the end though.

[ForgeCorvus]

Yes-we have planted many fruit and nut trees and yes there is a nearby stream

Apparently there are rabbits been spotted near, but I want to have them on my land

Unless you have a totally rabbit-proof fence (with 'air-lock' gates) the chances are you've already got them

[Arzosah]

jansman's rabbit clearance post takes me back! I went stargazing in deepest Oxfordshire in the 1970s, and when we pulled in offroad, and our headlights swept a field, it was like the stars were on the ground - all those rabbits looking at the strange light I was a city girl, never seen anything like it!

[Arwen Thebard]

Same problem on golf courses.

[jansman]

Same problem on golf courses.

We ferreted and lamped golf courses too.

[diamond lil]

If you encourage rabbits in then you'll never be able to grow veg..

[grenfell]

Yes have to agree , they will go for veg or for that matter anything you want to grow. I look after the grounds on a couple of properties that have resident wild rabbits. They will try to eat any small plant or shoot. Older established plants are ok once the rabits realise they aren't worth eating but that's really more for decorative plants than crops. Even on things they don't eat they are a pain. I'm forever replanting bulbs. They don't eat them but dig them up seemingly at random. Most people want to get rid of them rather than introduce them.
I take it you don't live on the land and keeping some in pens isn't an option?