Chickens and rabbits in the run together?

[dulcimer lady]

I have 6 chickens (not sure yet on ratio of girls to boys) and I'm planning on getting two rabbits. The rabbits will have their own hutch but I'd like to let them roam around a bit too in the confines of the run. Has anyone put rabbits and chickens together? Do they get along? How long until the chickens get used to the rabbits and don't see them as some type of threat? Because I'm thinking at first when first introduced to each other, the chickens will freak out. Thoughts?

 

[Shady]

I let my Guinea Pigs out with the 8-9 week old chicks. They seem OK.

 

[harley]

I have had rabbits in the same pen as the chickens but after a little while they dont seem to mind each other.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Personally, I wouldn't do it for the health of the rabbits. Chicken feces can carry salmonella and other bacteria and you really don't want the rabbits grooming it off of themselves or eating vegetation that has been contaminated by chicken feces. Rabbits have no immune system to speak of since if they get sick or injured they tend to be eaten pretty quickly. Really! I work for a vet that sees rabbits frequently and we see rabbits with abscesses that have ruptured and are threatening to eat away the bone...clearly a raging infection...yet when we do a CBC on them they have a perfectly normal white blood cell count. The only rabbit I've ever seen with a high white blood count was dead within the hour. I imagine that both of them being prey species they would get used to each other pretty quickly, or at least avoid each other, but from a potential disease contamination issue I still don't think I'd do it myself.

 

[phore]

I have had chickens and rabbits together for several years (both living in chicken coop) no problems to date. Though some of the baby chicks will mistake a rabbit for their mother. They snuggle under the rabbit for warmth.

 

[kota1369]

Quote:
I agree with this poster. I have both chickens and rabbits. They are all in a back corner of my property and the rabbits are in hanging cages so they are NOT in contact with the chickens. The chickens go under the cages and clean up left over food, scratch through the poo and help compost it by working it in. They seem to love it and everyone co-excists without the worry of sickness.

The lady w/4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 4 meat rabbits, their kits and a lizard.

 

[4theloveofhens]

Had it for years, chickens with goats, ducks, rabbits, etc. No problems whatsoever.

Edit that

I did have a few ducks murder a chicken...

 

[noodleroo]

I'd just watch to make sure that the chickens don't peck at the bunnys' eyes, at least until they get used to each other.

 

[rodentdrem]

I had two silkies in the rabbit pen for a while and they helped keep it cleaner by scratching through dropped poo and eating spilled food. They all got along great until the rooster figured out he could roost on top of a cage and he pooped on a rabbit. I moved the silkies out after that. Just my 2 cents.

 

[LyonFuzz]

My rabbits and chickens have been cohabitating for years without any problems. The chickens have a coop and the rabbits have their own "house", but can come and go around the pen as they please. They can often be found all lying down in the straw together in the sun. However, you must keep the rabbits out of the chicken feed. I keep mine elevated in their coop. Neither species has ever gotten ill from the other.