Ground cover for rabbits

I help a small group of friends with training, mostly spaniels. We have built a rabbit pen in a corner of the shoot, but we are having trouble with ground cover. The rabbits just eat everything that we try to grow — apart from meadow grass and some rush, nothing else survives. This affects the rabbits, many of which we lose and keep having to re-stock. What do you suggest?

I found that elder was excellent; it can be strategically planted in clumps to form islands of thick cover among the open grass. You may need to add peat or manure where you intend to plant the elder, but once established it is very hardy and rabbits do not eat it. Twice a year top it with a hedge trimmer down to knee height so that you can see your trainees working through it with ease. I have also tried many other plants and ground cover shrubs, but nothing else has survived for very long apart from trees, with good protective guards around the trunks, which afford essential shade.

Rabbits must have shade from the sun and plenty of food and water if they are going to remain healthy. They should also have a means of escaping from a determined dog. I use buried boxes with entrances made from old drainage pipes just big enough to allow the rabbit to get to safety. Make sure the corners of the pen are wired over because wild rabbits will climb 6ft wire mesh with ease, as I found out to my cost when I first introduced them into my pen. Maintaining a healthy population of rabbits is a skill in itself and they need to be treated with as much care as your dogs. Do not overuse the pen as stress will also kill, but used sensibly, it is an excellent facility. PR

Elder will provide plenty of cover for your rabbits as well as shade — and they won’t eat it