Chickens and rabbits.

[PaperChicken]

I have a fenced off area (my old garden) that my chickens stay in and they have 2 coops and runs in the middle. The 2 coops are together but can be separated with the close of a door. I'm thinking of getting meat rabbits which I've never done before.

Can my white leghorns and meat rabbits intermingle in peace in this arrangement or do they have to be separated? What kind of problems can arise from doing this?

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

You would definitely want to raise them together as chicks. Full grown hens could have issues. If you want to breed your meat rabbits, I would never let a chicken get near a nest of kits...

 

[PaperChicken]

So the chickens may peck or kick the kits to death then.

 

[PaperChicken]

I've also heard the white meat rabbits are bad to eat their young ones.

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

So the chickens may peck or kick the kits to death then.

Yes, possibly.

I've also heard the white meat rabbits are bad to eat their young ones.

Californians? I'm a bunny breeder, so ask me all your questions and I will be glad to help. I would suggest doing 1 of these three rabbit breeds for meat:
Flemish Giant - Popular and would sell well as pets, 4h projects, and great for meat, they take longer to mature due to their size.
Silver Fox - Lovely rabbits that are great for 4h kids and grow nicely. Invest in good breeding stock with pedigree!
Creme D'Argent - Rarer, but also good for 4h and excellent for meat.

I only suggest 4h, since you may want to try to sell some and get your money back or make more for fees costs.

 

[PaperChicken]

What do you mean "Californians"? Is that a breed? Not sure which white rabbit they were refering to.

I know nothing of rabbit breeds so thanks for the suggestions.

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

What do you mean "Californians"? Is that a breed? Not sure which white rabbit they were refering to.

I know nothing of rabbit breeds so thanks for the suggestions.

Californian's is a popular meat rabbit breed, it is white, so I figured you were talking about that breed.

Absolutely! Let me know if you have any questions!

 

[Ridgerunner]

So the chickens may peck or kick the kits to death then.

I feed my chickens mice that I get in a snap trap. Full grown mice, they eat them. When I fine a mouse nest with babies they feast on the babies. I've killed female possums with young in a pouch, the chickens feast on those babies. I found a nest of wild rabbits with small kits in my garden and fed those to the chickens. The chickens will not peck or kick the kits to death, they will eat them until they get to a certain size.

I'm a bunny breeder, so ask me all your questions and I will be glad to help.

Wouldn't you want to isolate the doe while she is birthing and raising the kits to a certain size anyway? I haven't raised rabbits so I don't have first hand knowledge of the details but I have a hard time imagining that you would want other adult rabbits around too early. I don't know how big kits would have to be so they are safe from being eaten by chickens, but I'd think bigger than mice.

Can my white leghorns and meat rabbits intermingle in peace in this arrangement or do they have to be separated?

I have not done this myself but there have been posts on here where chickens and rabbits have been kept together. I can't remember if that was only in the run or if they also shared housing.

 

[PaperChicken]

So sounds like the chicken and rabbit housing needs to separted somehow but they can share the garden area which is planted in ladino clover. Kinda like a prison yard.

Not sure how I can accomplish keeping one out of the others housing area automatically. I could manually close the rabbits or chickens up while allowing the other to free range the clover but that sounds like alot of work. Suggestions.

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

I feed my chickens mice that I get in a snap trap. Full grown mice, they eat them. When I fine a mouse nest with babies they feast on the babies. I've killed female possums with young in a pouch, the chickens feast on those babies. I found a nest of wild rabbits with small kits in my garden and fed those to the chickens. The chickens will not peck or kick the kits to death, they will eat them until they get to a certain size.


Wouldn't you want to isolate the doe while she is birthing and raising the kits to a certain size anyway? I haven't raised rabbits so I don't have first hand knowledge of the details but I have a hard time imagining that you would want other adult rabbits around too early. I don't know how big kits would have to be so they are safe from being eaten by chickens, but I'd think bigger than mice.

They would be just fine in a colony style. If she's doing meat breed, those things should be pretty big. But one peck to the eye and you have a blind kit.