Free range chicken/bunny lawmoving operation

[Matija]

Because i think my parents wont let me keep big pasture animals i thinked of putting chickens(maybe instead turkeys,what you think is better) and rabbits in movable fence (like one justin rhodes has)it will maybe be a 20 square meters of space or more.on day they will be in this movable fence and "lawmoving" my property so i dont have to and on night i will put them in their separate coops (if it is possible with rabbits).idea is that chickens will eat bugs and some grass after bunnies finish)

 

[Aerliss]

I have a few rabbits who free range in the day time, and I never have to mow my lawn. However, they do dig holes, and chickens dig even more holes, looking for grubs and dust bathing. Mine only range a couple of hours a day but they've put lots of small holes in the lawn. They're not really ideal if you want a perfect lawn.

Both animals also poop a lot. Rabbit poop is great for the lawn, but does take a while to fully decompose. Chicken poop attracts flies like you would not believe.

If your goal is to raise chickens and rabbits and make compost, it's a good plan. If you just want to avoid work... you'd be making more work for yourself. Animals need far more care than a lawn.

 

[Aerliss]

Oh, also, you can't keep rabbits and chickens together. They eat different foods, and if they eat each other's food they will get very sick. It only takes a few mouthfuls of chicken food for a rabbit to get what is called gut stasis. Basically constipation, and it can kill them in 24 hours. Chickens will be malnourished if they help themselves to the rabbit food a lot. So you'd need different pens.

A minor consideration is disease transmission. I always poop scoop after the chickens have been out, before letting the rabbits back into that area. Otherwise they hop through the chicken poop, and then lick themselves clean and that is NOT healthy.

 

[Matija]

Of course i will feed them different foods and i dont want perfect lawn.i need them to eat grass so snake doesnt appear.

 

[Aerliss]

They need to be kept separate though, as they will just eat each others food. And believe me, those rabbits will do anything to get at the chicken food.

I think you need to do some research on how much work will be involved in caring for these animals. You'll have work to do several times a day, every single day if you're moving them around. And you can't skip a day. You need to know how to care for sick animals, or be able to either pay a vet to treat or euthenise, or euthenise them yourself. You need to buy or make their coops and runs.

 

[lazy gardener]

You would do better with a goat. Chickens will eat selectively, leaving behind a lot of the greens that they don't like. Over time, this will result in a very patchy lawn, made up mostly of noxious weeds.

While your argument to support getting chickens and rabbits is commendable, your parents will most likely see it for what it is: a creative way to get the "pets" you would like to have. You would be more successful if you convinced your parents that you possess the maturity to take care of a small flock of chickens. This includes not only providing for their daily needs, but earning the money to buy their feed, and being able to build their housing. This is not outside the capabilities of most teen agers.

I started my first flock when I was 12 years old. My dad was instrumental in this. But, within several years, I was earning all of my personal money, even buying or making most of my clothing.

Does your family keep a garden? If so, chicken and rabbit manure make great garden amendments. Eggs can also be sold to cover the costs of the chicken feed. You could also sell chicks, and possibly baby rabbits depending on the market in your area. If you do not have a family garden, perhaps you could put in a couple of small garden beds, and sell extra produce to cover the cost of your animals.

Do you have the time to undertake the work involved?

 

[llombardo]

I have rabbits in hutches with extended runs in the chicken/duck enclosure. They do poop a lot. They see each other but that is where it ends.

 

[aart]

While your argument to support getting chickens and rabbits is commendable, your parents will most likely see it for what it is: a creative way to get the "pets" you would like to have.

...or get out of mowing the lawn!

i need them to eat grass so snake doesnt appear.

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[Matija]

I did