Chickens & Rabbits

[rainnotebook]

Okay so I got a very cool cage type thing that is 4' by 6' and divided into two, which makes each section 2' x 3'. Perfect for my new chicks to grow up and mature. It is about 18" tall. Anyways its so big that I definitely couldn't keep both sides occupied with birds so my honey suggested we put rabbits in the cage next to it. I thought it was a great idea until I got to wondering if rabbits carry any diseases that could be harmful to my chicks. If rabbits were caged right next to my chicks but couldn't get to them to bite... would that be safe to have?

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Chicks grow really fast, compared to other species. For 25 chicks, I think you might want to keep the entire area just for them. Unless you are going to finish brooding them in their coop.

 

[rainnotebook]

I only have 10 chicks... the other "25" are my adult chickens.

 

[Southernbelle]

Quote:
Still, they grow fast!

But to answer your original question: No, rabbits don't carry diseases that will affect your chickens, BUT rabbits are highly sensitive to cocci and chickens often carry it, so the rabbits are more likely to get sick from the chickens. I keep chickens and rabbits in the same building, but I keep the rabbits in hanging wire cages well away from the chicken poo and I've never had a rabbit with cocci. At one point, I had the rabbit cages IN the chicken pen and the chickens would dig through the rabbit poo and kept it nicely mixed for me. I just covered the rabbit cages with a piece of wood to keep the chickens from pooping on the rabbits.

Keeping chicks and rabbits side by side should be fine since all poop would fall stright through the bottom.

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

I have 6 chicks in a 40"x25" Chick-n-Hutch from TSC. They are 4 weeks old and I don't think they will be able to stay in it much longer BUT we do not have the coop and run ready.

I have a 9 week old Mini Rex bunny in a 24"x18" cage which does not give her much room to move around while our older bunny is in a hutch that is 40"x36" which gives her plenty of room but I would not put more than one to the hutch.

If they are crowded, you are more likely to have problems with picking among the chicks.