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Wildlife Pond and rabbits.... compatible?!

Hanlou

Mama Doe
I wasn't sure where to put this.... so hope this is ok!

As you know am hoping to adopt a pair of rabbits at some point in the future.

We've been doing our garden over the last couple of years - last year was all about weeding, weeding, weeding and clearing together with removing vast quantities of concrete - this year we've actually been able to put plants in!

We've been gardening with wildlife in mind - trying to start a vague wildflower patch and planting a small hedge / some Pyracantha etc. The best thing for wildlife would be to add a pond which I had been planning to do eventually.

*But* I've been wondering if it's a good thing to do if I'm planning on having rabbits? Ponds naturally attract insects - might I be attracting midges etc that would put my bunnies more at risk from Flystrike than would normally be the case? There would be safety issues too but I feel they could be overcome by being sensible / using rigid mesh or something similar. But the insects thing would worry me...... :?

What do other people think? Does anyone else have a pond and rabbits?

Opinions gratefully received.
 
Flystrike is caused by bot flies (and similar species) not midges. These type of flies are more likely to be attracted to rabbit poop than water.

Biting insects (midges) can carry myxi but they like still water so you could easily get over that by having a small fountain to keep the water moving. Obviously I recommend vaccinating 6 monthly for myxi anyway as it can also be carried by ticks/fleas that could come in on your clothing or various wildlife.

The best style of water for wildlife is water with a slope at one edge for easy access in and out. Depending how big you were planning on going that should make it safe for rabbits to get out if they did accidentally jump in.
 
Thanks very much for the swift reply Tamsin! Much appreciated!

I was thinking about it today and just suddenly found myself worrying about everything..... :oops:

I would definitely vaccinate. Having seen rabbits with myxi in the wild in Yorkshire - :cry: - I would never risk my future rabbits' health. It was a while ago that I saw those poorly rabbits and it's a sight I've never forgotten.

Yes; that's exactly the kind of of pond we've been researching. :) So it would indeed have gently sloping sides for anything to get out of etc.
 
No problem, I think it sounds like a great idea. You'll get all sorts of wildlife :)

We have a 10x8 ish pond in the garden about 6' away from the rabbit run. They don't usually have access as there is a wall between as are gardens on different levels but there has never been any problems. The occasional escapee hasn't fallen in.
 
We too have a small pond in our garden. Its still water, and we've never had problems with midges :? Though last year we did have a tiny water fountain thing in it... havent switched it on yet this year.

Ours is only tiny though, probably about 2ft x 4ft if that :) We have had escapees before (ronnie :roll: ) and he never went near the pond.

Hope you manage to sort something out :) xXx
 
Thanks for the other posts - I feel very reassured! I will keep you up-to-date when we finally get the pond dug out! :D
 
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