Rabbit killed my fav chick Venting

[JupiterFarmer]

Okay when we got the rabbits we were suppose to build their own coop for our pair. Sister veto'd it saying they could stay in the hutch together. T

he doe gave birth and then poor bandit was homeless so I put him in the coop yard intending to let him start digging underneath the coop. Dad sees and Sister scream at me about even though they're only like 2.5 inch gap under the coop He's not safe out in the open and sticks him in the coop. I tell my dad sticking him in a cage would have him getting pooped on so he was loose and had free access to hay and a bowl of his rabbit food.

Today I find a black thing in the corner. Picking it up I find that Its a headless black austrolop with feathers missing on its side. I freak out trying to figure which one it is and its my diamond that I lost.

My mom as always blames me for this happening saying I should've kept him caged. I'm distraught over this because I read about some one finding their chicken feathers chewed on.

I know it was him because he didn't beg for more rabbit pellets when I saw him or run out to graze on the grass.

RIP Diamond

it seems the worst of things happens when I have plans to be cheery

 

[The Chicken Lady]

I'm sorry the rabbit killed your chick.

I guess you were caught between a rock and a hard place, huh?

What can you do to help your parents finish the coop?

 

[JupiterFarmer]

Sister absolute refuses to have the rabbits in their own coop and yard preferring to keep them in a hutch which they mess up in a short while.

We're giving back the rabbit to my friend or finding a new home for him once my mother calms down. She wants to eat him but yuck, hopefully I can find him a new home.

 

[MysticScorpio82]

Omg! I am so sorry for your loss! I am also sorry that your dad and sister put you in this situation and that your mom is blaming you... ugh

. I hope you have luck rehoming your rabbit and that your sister learned a lesson from all this (take care of her animals or don't bother having any.)

If you your friend cant take the rabbit back, perhaps you can place an ad in the newspaper or on craigslist? There is also a section on BYC to "trade/sell/buy everything else", maybe someone local will want him?

 

[Bizzybirdy]

>>Picking it up I find that Its a headless black austrolop with feathers missing on its side.<<

Hmmmmmmmmmm....I thought rabbits were not carniverous!

You think maybe it could have been a racoon that got in and killed your chicken? Never heard of a rabbit eating a chicken and racoons almost always decapitate one.

He may not have been so hungry because he was stressed out by what happened to Diamond.

Maybe put the rabbit up and see what happens in the next few nights.....

 

[Bizzybirdy]

I did a search online and all I found out was that chickens can peck a rabbit to death. I really doubt your rabbit killed Diamond, especially since the chicken's head was missing. Did the rabbit have blood on it?

My rabbit never bothered my chickens....and she was one of those HUGE white rabbits and a bit mean to people. lol

Just my opinion here.

 

[deerman]

not sure your rabbit killed your chicken, would think not. They will eat meat like some does will eat their own young. But just cant see one attacking and killing a chicken. They have no way of grabbing ahold of one. May chew on one dead, they just dont have anyway to kill one.

 

[mikescanlon]

rabbit stew time.

rabbits < chicks in my book.

hate those creepy creatures.

 

[JupiterFarmer]

The bite marks on the body matched what he did to the other buck we had before rehome him and none of the other animals had a feather missing.

Rabbit wasn't stressed until I picked him up and the chick's body was cornered. This chick was one of the ones that didn't fight much when you wanted to hold her or check on her feathers.

I doubt a coon would pass up a larger rabbit or the turkey poults we got. Or one of our leghorns pullets that were low to the ground and have their wings clipped. We even have a few roosters with cuts on them from them pecking on each other. There's better prey for a coon especially when most of the little ones were huddled up together. I usually see coons taking a pullet or a hen. Not one chick's head when its in the coop and the coon would've been stuck inside the coop since the only way to get into the coop is like a 3 inch gap near the cleaning off of smooth walls. And the doors to the coop are tightly fitting and lock.

Something that gotten in would've been stuck there unless it can scale 4 feet of smooth wall climb onto a perch another two feet up the smooth wall. And I think the mice are more interested in the chicken food and oats that are outside.

Its not logical with the way we built our coop for it to be anything but a rat, mouse, or the rabbit. This coop is built for hurricanes, people proof and has a nice overhang that keeps anything from easily getting into the coop vents.

And the rats had plenty of left over outside like oats, moisten food to keep them from wanting to be in with the chickens that run them off in the afternoon.

Edit:
We're going to try to find him a new home but since he's so old it might be tough. He's at least 5 years since the friend got him then from another person. She doesn't want him back since they might be moving. So if we can't find him a new place he might get buried or might end up mom eats him. Ima get a picture of him and put him up everywhere I knew I can or get him sent to the pound. He's a sweet but his scent marking has us gagging and since little sister won't let a colony start setting, that's gunna be his only choices