Rabbit in love with my chicken

[usnimtz]

This is not a joke. I have 6 free range chickens. Recently our domestic rabbit got loose and decided she loved it. She now hangs all day with the chickens and acts as though she is one of them. Unfortunately she has recently fell in love with one of them and to our surprise Rapunzel is not a female. She has been mating one of my hens. I thought this was just very strange but now I'm finding some of those eggs with blood in them. I have read up and understand this is a fertilized egg and there is not a rooster around my house anywhere. What can be the explanation for this? Has anyone had this problem too. I have read on here that people keep rabbits and hens together but cannot find another post like this.

 

[jeepgirl13]

Blood does not mean fertile eggs. There are many reasons for blood in your eggs. The rabbit could be hurting your hens. I would start by searching "fertile eggs vs infertile pics" here on byc so you get an idea of what a fertile egg really looks like. Then I would start reading everything I could find on blood in eggs. Perhaps from here you can figure out what is causing it, but I feel the rabbit is inflicting pain on your hens

 

[usnimtz]

Thank you. I had only searched on line and not on this site. I don't understand why my hen does not peck her to keep her away. They actually let her eat with them and wander around together. The rabbit is very docile and will even come up to be petted. Not sure how I can keep her away from them. I didn't think the rabbit would last out on it's own but it has been for a couple of months now. Although we live in the woods with plenty of rabbits, he has not found a rabbit mate.

 

[jeepgirl13]

I would separate them and see if the blood in the eggs stops. If it does you now know why. Do you have a cage for it?

 

[KatieKitt]

Thank you. I had only searched on line and not on this site. I don't understand why my hen does not peck her to keep her away. They actually let her eat with them and wander around together. The rabbit is very docile and will even come up to be petted. Not sure how I can keep her away from them. I didn't think the rabbit would last out on it's own but it has been for a couple of months now. Although we live in the woods with plenty of rabbits, he has not found a rabbit mate.

Wild rabbits and domestic rabbits cannot breed. Their chomosomal counts are different. For the sake and safety of your domestic rabbit, I would get him an appropriate cage/pen and allow only supervised play time out of that pen. A loose domestic rabbit is easy prey for a predator and it's simple luck that you haven't lost him yet. Rabbits are territorial and he would probably appreciate having a safe home of his own.

 

[chickenpets786]

just neuter/spay your rabbit.I have 3 chickens and 1 rabbit and they are good friends most of the time.

 

[lazy gardener]

Your rabbit IS hurting your hens. Their anatomy is vastly different. Roosters DO not have a penis. Any animal that does and breeds your chickens is capable of killing them. If you intend to keep this rabbit, and your chickens, they will each need their own separate housing. Sorry it's not working out to let them live together, but for the safety of your hens, that's not possible. It might be successful with a female rabbit.

 

[chickenpets786]

well its my chickens that give him the occasional peck but are good most of the time and stay together outdoors and the don't hump btw.

 

[keesmom]

Zombie thread. The OP first posted almost 3 years ago.

 

[lazy gardener]

TY. I did not look at date!