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Mixing different animals is often problematic. Think about the different needs. Chickens need other food than the rabbits and guinea pigs. The digging instinct/ needs of rabbits and scratching needs of chickens make it difficult to make a good, safe and solid run with enough scratching space for the chickens.

Hope you can work it out somehow.
 
janiedoe said:
Welcome to BYC! I've never had guinea pigs or rabbits. Are you planning to keep them in the coop with your chickens?
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Yes that is the idea. But I'm trying to think of a way to make daily chores as easy as possible. Is it practical to think we could build a 100 x 40 ft inclosure, hot wire the bottom for ground predators, aerial predators...still thinking on that....nest boxes, roosting areas and ground cover for the rabbits and guinea pigs to hide under and not put them all in a coop at night?
 
Debbie292d said:
Hiya, and welcome to BYC!! :frow

There are a lot of considerations to be made when mixing animals as even different ages of chickens takes some planning, but all the resources and help is here! Good luck with your plans!!
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Thank you...here is my early thought.....I'm trying to think of a way to make daily chores as easy as possible. Is it practical to think we could build a 100 x 40 ft inclosure, hot wire the bottom for ground predators, aerial predators...still thinking on that....nest boxes, roosting areas and ground cover for the rabbits and guinea pigs to hide under and not put them all in a coop at night?
 
pnweingart said:
Thank you...here is my early thought.....I'm trying to think of a way to make daily chores as easy as possible. Is it practical to think we could build a 100 x 40 ft inclosure, hot wire the bottom for ground predators, aerial predators...still thinking on that....nest boxes, roosting areas and ground cover for the rabbits and guinea pigs to hide under and not put them all in a coop at night?
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If your run/enclosure is hot-wired at the bottom and protected from ariel predators, but hooked to a coop, plus your ground cover, it'd be their choice to go in the coop or not. Chickens would most likely. The others probably happy to stay outside underneath or inside something to feel secure.

I'd be sure no dogs, cats, fox, weasels, or other predators can get at them though by using 1/2" hardware cloth.
 
pnweingart said:
Yes that is the idea. But I'm trying to think of a way to make daily chores as easy as possible. Is it practical to think we could build a 100 x 40 ft inclosure, hot wire the bottom for ground predators, aerial predators...still thinking on that....nest boxes, roosting areas and ground cover for the rabbits and guinea pigs to hide under and not put them all in a coop at night?
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It is, but it will be expensive. My runs are predator proof (thus far) I leave my coop doors open to the runs. I've thousands invested in my chicken habitats, everything is covered in 19ga, 1/2" hardware cloth from top of the roofs to the bottoms. I don't put hardware cloth on the ground of the runs, but I do put dig proof wire in the ground and around the base.
 

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