Did you mesh the floor of your run? (If it's not on concrete etc)

In the bun's current run we've meshed the bottom so they can't dig out (it's sat on just grass) but the mesh seemed to kill the grass and so it's now just dusty dirt and hay. We do also put a sheet over the top for shade and to keep the rain off, so there's also a chance the lack of rain/light killed the grass

However, we're currently building them a new setup in our new house. My first idea was to put mesh down under the turf before we laid it, but then a landscaper advised against this as he thought it would negatively impact the drainage and we might end up with a bog.

So, we've laid the turf and the run is almost completely built. It's sat on concrete blocks, but only for stability, the inner area is just grass.

If we lay mesh on top of the grass, has anyone got tips to help keep the grass alive? Did you use wider gauge mesh? I know the buns will devour a lot of it, but so many of you still seem to have grass in the runs, and I need to know your secrets :lol:

I think the advice is usually to bury the mesh under the turf, so it doesn't hurt the rabbits feet.

They don't have to have their hutch and run on grass - paving slabs can be better as it prevents them digging out and predators digging their way in.

I did and the grass is very short under it because the bunnies have 24/7 access but it's not died.

I only did it so they could always have access to the run even at night

I haven't meshed under the grass, but there's mesh on top of the grass outside the run to make it harder for them to dig out, and wooden sleepers

My bunnies haven't learned to dig yet - they're one so in hoping they stay that way!! If they did, or there was any signs if digging outside the run, we would look for an alternative alternative solution

Yes, my run is completely underwired with thick security fencing. I laid the fencing on the dirt (having turned all the dirt over first so it wasn't a compacted base), then threw down some more soil to cover the wire and THEN I turfed over the top. In subsequent years I've returfed several times so there's now about six inches of soil over the wire. It does dry out quickly in summer so I keep it watered and I leave it long in autumn so that it's well covered in winter and doesn't get too muddy.

I've used pieces of those metal runs that are supposed to peg into the ground. I replaced them with stronger, safer wood and mesh ones and used the original ones as dig proof flooring.
The grass has grown through nicely where the sun can reach it. In the shady bits it's just dusty ground but the buns still happily sit on it and I've had no problems with sore feet

All three of my runs are meshed with weldmesh. Two of them are bald and one has grass growing ...

I've meshed the floor of my run, then put playbark on top. If you want to use bark it must be playbark, as the ornamental stuff has chemicals in it. I've done this because grass won't grow very well there as it's too shady, and I couldn't persuade OH to slab the run after we built it as it's too big.

I don't see how mesh would effect the drainage, the water has plenty of space to filter through unless the landscaper was imagining some very fine mesh.

You can go wider on the floor mesh, but not too wide as it's important they can't get their heads stuck through.

Pinning in tight to the ground with wire hooks will help it sit flush with the soil which is what you want. It shouldn't really have any impact on the grass. I would think the more likely issue is rabbits over grazing it, a lack of water if you've got a roof, lack of fertilizer (if your buns are litter trained), and if it's very shady a lack of sun/wrong type of grass.

You'll need to treat it like any new turf and water regularly until it's grown in. You might also consider leaving part of the run unroofed - unless you've got elderly/infirm rabbits they don't melt in the rain

Lay turf over the mesh. It won't cause any problems

We had a rabbit for 10 years with a meshed run and 24hr access to the lawn: he wasn't neutered so his wee killed the grass in spots but in general the lawn was always fine: we had about 3-4 diferent places to move the run to and moved it every 3 months or so. He didn't eat much grass though, preferred hay! Current rabbit prefers grass and we're moving him every 2-3 weeks at the mo, but he's bigger and has a much smaller run too. His new run will also be underwired: my Dad makes heavy runs so foxes can't get into them and move them about and so they keep the mesh flush. Neither lawn is particularly flat and perfect but there were never any raised areas of mesh and I could crawl over it fine without hurting my hands and bare knees!