Keeping rabbits and chickens together!?!

[Sylvia Moon]

Our bunny hopped into the hen house tonight instead of going back into his hutch- (they share a pen area, but have separate sleeping quarters- 1 bun & 5 hens)
I thought he might want to be warmer with them, but after reading these posts I went back out to check, and he was happy to be let out after 15 minutes shut up with the girls- after dark, too, I had thought they might sleep through it, but they were grousing.
No harm done.

 

[cat1994]

My bunny lives with my chickens all the time. They are great together. One time my mean roo tried to pick on him, but my bunny just truned around and kicked that roos butt. That roo never tried anything ever again. When the chickens go to bed in their coop my bunny goes up in his hutch and sleeps there. He even likes eating chicken feed more then his own feed. He likes to lay in the nest boxes with the hens when they lay their eggs. He dose dig out of the big run some times, but I just walk up to him and pick him up, put him back and fill in the hole. Other then that he dose just fine with the chickens and they like him also.

Here he is (FuFu) and my RIR (Henny Penny)

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

What Chinbunny says is generally regarded as the indisputable word when it comes to chickens and rabbits, but due to my set-up I have had to try some different things.

Through trial and error, I have discovered that:

1) Rabbits can and do just fine living in a colony setting in the chicken yard. You're biggest issue will probably be dig outs. I deal with this by having a large dog that patrols the perimeter every time she is let out and she reminds the bunnies where they are safe. I have also reinforced certain areas that were especially tempting to the curious bunny. The girls have a warren dug under a plywood platform and are able to snuggle up and stay warm and dry. More so, I would say, than the rabbits in the cages.

2) Depending on what you feed your animals, you may not have an issue with keeping your bunny healthy from a dietary perspective. Currently, my yard rabbits are by far my best conditioned animals. They get their pellets in a bowl hidden from the chickens, but also eat the grains, BOSS and calf manna I feed as treats to the chickens. I feed my chickens whole grains, kelp and fish meal. Fish meal is the only thing that wouldn't be good for the rabbits, but they are utterly disinterested in it, so no worries.

3) SOME rabbits will be especially susceptible to the dust that chickens kick up. This is by far your biggest concern. Even though my set-up is open on two sides, my Thriantas still get allergic reactions and I am trying to figure out a way to move them away from the chickens. The Flemish Giant and Silver Fox on the ground show no symptoms, nor did the Rex rabbits when they were the yard bunnies.

Basically, I feel like the colony method of keeping rabbits and chickens is better than keeping cages above the chickens. If you do that, you have to worry about chickens kicking up dust and the rabbit having no way to get away from it, and you also have to find a way to prevent the chickens from roosting on the cages. The free range yard rabbits are so much easier.

As for coccidia, I have heard mixed reports. I was very worried about it, but I check my rabbits frequently, handle them daily, and they are fat and sassy, NO symptoms of illness, no dirt or poo on their feet. I don't know, but it may have something to do with the fact that I keep ACV in all the water. It might also have to do with the fact that I have heard from several reputable sources that coccidia strains are species specific.

 

[Country Dreamin']

I am very interested in this thread as i would love to keep all my animals together. We have not moved to our new property yet, just in the planning stages.

I would like to have a 1/3 acre fenced and keep chickens, rabbits and miniature goats together. Chickens will have their coop, bunnies will have their shed as will the goats. I would like the female bunnies to roam and the males in closed cages within the fenced area.

I would like to provide lots of things for them to scamper around and hind in to keep everyone happy.

It seems like many people have done this successfully as long as you have enough space.

I guess it also depends on how many animals you have. I would begin with one buck and two does. And as for chickens, to begin maybe 4 laying hens and some meat birds. Goat will come later.

What type of fencing would i need to keep everyone safe? What about electric fencing?

 

[Tressa27884]

I've read through the posts, and I'm a bit confused. I have two male bunnies that I've recently accuired and they live in a tiny rabbit hutch in the back yard. I feel sorry for them and would like to move them into the chicken run. Can I or can I not do this? Thanks.

 

[hencam]

I have a FAQ about this.
http://www.hencam.com/henblog/rabbits-and-chickens/

You can see my rabbit, Candy, in a the chicken run with the hens at www.HenCam.com.

Worry about predators! I wouldn't let my rabbit roam without overhead netting to keep out hawks, and worry about them tunneling out. My fence is 6 inches below ground. That said, my bunny has a very good life with her hen friends.

 

[Dutchgirl]

We do keep our rabbit in her little cage inside the coop, but not running with the chickens.

That rabbit's father who we no longer own used to be housed in a dog pen with a blind rooster and a duck. He got along pretty well. The rooster tolerated him -- the rabbit would use him as a practice mating target -- and the duck disliked him but never did anything about it.
We kept him running in there in the daytime, and at night we locked him up in his small wire cage inside the pen.

 

[LyonFuzz]

I have kept my 2 flemish giants and small flock of hens together for many years without any problems. All get along well and seem very happy. I put rocks/boulders around the perimeter of my pen to keep the bunnies from digging out. I think if you are out there on a daily basis, which you should be, you can inspect to see if anyone has started an escape hole and fix the problem. I keep the chicken feed in their coop where bunny cannot get to it though. I truly cannot imagine keeping my rabbits in a wire hutch where they are denied all things rabbit Mine love to dig, run, and hop....it's only natural.

 

[Tressa27884]

So health-wise it's ok for the bunnies to spend the day in the chicken run? They have a small hutch with a run, but I'd prefer to let them in the big run. I've heard that the bunnies will get sick from hen feces, I keep my run pretty clean - but......

 

[hencam]

If there's too much manure, anyone will get sick. But, coccidia, external parasites, most internal parasites and respiratory diseases are species specific. However, all animals have E. coli and salmonella - so remove the manure frequently and you'll lesson the load.