Rabbit living in the Coop

[lauranickerson]

Backstory: I have a very lonely rabbit in a hutch behind my house, and I recently got chickens/ducks and they are out in my coop I already had from years ago.

Has anyone had good luck letting the rabbit live in the coop with the birds? I figure that the coop and run are just about as secure as her hutch, plus she has about 100x more room to run. I've seen some people put them together, but anyone have experience?


Any input would be great. THANKS!

 

[AussieHens96]

Backstory: I have a very lonely rabbit in a hutch behind my house, and I recently got chickens/ducks and they are out in my coop I already had from years ago.

Has anyone had good luck letting the rabbit live in the coop with the birds? I figure that the coop and run are just about as secure as her hutch, plus she has about 100x more room to run. I've seen some people put them together, but anyone have experience?


Any input would be great. THANKS!

Not that this would be a help but I did hear a story where a flock (a relatively large flock, I'm told) was discovered with a rabbit (wild) carcass inside...I think the chickens did it. I'd be careful. Just introduce them slowly and watch them. Any signs of aggression, pecking (especially where blood is drawn), remove immediately.

 

[LBsYardBirds]

I have 9 rabbits in with my 18 hens. They love living together but there is always plenty of forage for both species as well as water. I have not any problems so I'd say they can coexist well.

 

[lauranickerson]

Haha. I'm more afraid of the rabbit hurting them. She's a big rabbit - bigger than a fat cat. She always seems playful when she's outside of her hutch, so I don't think it would be a problem...but who knows. The only thing I'm concerned with, that I literally just thought about, is when I open up the run to let the chickens free range in the yard, will the rabbit come back in the run if she free ranges along with them? She managed to jump out of the hutch when it was left open one night and stayed on the deck close to the house.
??

 

[daoustaj]

Ive never housed them together but i had a rabbit dig thru cement to get out of her run. Her run was dirt and grass, but the adjoining shed had a brand new fement floor. She got thru it. She always xame back at night.

 

[graciesmum]

My rabbits and chickens free range together, they seem to just ignore each other lol I have only been doing this for a week as the rabbits ate young, only problem i have found is that my chickens eat the rabbit food, so i have to put up out the way lol

 

[BrendaJ]

This is Reggie ( reggie the chicken - is his complete name) He lives outside with the chickens off & on all year. He loves the flock but they don't always love him lol. Im pretty sure he thinks he is a chicken. Does not care for other rabbits - kinda nutty. The chickens will peck him sometimes but im pretty sure he deserves it - he trys to play tag & other games with them. They get along very well most of the time though

 

[lauranickerson]

My rabbits and chickens free range together, they seem to just ignore each other lol I have only been doing this for a week as the rabbits ate young, only problem i have found is that my chickens eat the rabbit food, so i have to put up out the way lol

So do your rabbits always come back? When I let the chickens completely free, she will obviously be free to the world, too. I let her hop around without her leash with my supervision, and doesn't do too bad. Maybe I'll at least keep her hutch in the run so it will be 1, safer, and 2, faster and easier to close up all the critters for the night.

 

[lauranickerson]

This is Reggie ( reggie the chicken - is his complete name) He lives outside with the chickens off & on all year. He loves the flock but they don't always love him lol. Im pretty sure he thinks he is a chicken. Does not care for other rabbits - kinda nutty. The chickens will peck him sometimes but im pretty sure he deserves it - he trys to play tag & other games with them. They get along very well most of the time though

AWW! Reggie is so cute! My Alice needs a buddy, but she doesn't like other rabbits much either, especially when I put them in her hutch. I tried getting her a buddy rabbit, but I ended up returning it back to Tractor Supply after she terrorized it. Do you let your chickens truly free roam in the yard or just in a run?

 

[BrendaJ]

AWW! Reggie is so cute! My Alice needs a buddy, but she doesn't like other rabbits much either, especially when I put them in her hutch. I tried getting her a buddy rabbit, but I ended up returning it back to Tractor Supply after she terrorized it. Do you let your chickens truly free roam in the yard or just in a run?

I tried to get Reggie a buddy as well - He wasn't having it ( we had someone dump about 12 0f them by my house - only able to catch 1 ) . If its not a chicken it better not try & interact with him lol. Reggie & the Chickens get to roam Some times Reggie is naughty & doesn't want to be caught. He always goes back to the hutch by morning though. I tell him not to be dumber than the chickens - don't want a predator to get him.