Rabbits & Chickens together

[NewHopePoultry]

I was wondering if you could keep rabbits with your chickens.
I have a whole barn set up for my rabbits,but my husband has brought home a few more rabbits and I dont have room for them in the rbbit barn currently.
I was wondering if I could let these rabbits free range inside the chicken coop?
I have a gate thing on the bottom to keep the rabbits in,but it will still let the chickens out.

I want to let the rabbits free range inside becouse I know if I put them inside cages,the chickens will roost on the cages and end up pooping on the rabbits.

 

[MagsC]

I remember a friend of mine when I was growing up had a big pen with both chickens and rabbits. That said, I cant remember where I read it (sorry,just one of those random facts that stuck in my head) but its not recommended. Hopefully someone else can get on and tell WHY.(I would like to know too!)

 

[Fay at Frizzled Feathers]

Well i had always been told never to keep rabbits around chickens because the rabbits can catch things from the chickens . Then on the other hand i know a poultry breeder who keeps chickens in his rabbitry to clean up all the feed that drops on the floor and has had no problems doing so.

 

[Overeasyplz]

No. It isn't recommended for the health and safety of both species.

 

[lovesduckies]

idk.. i know my duckies HATED my big bunny and i haven't let them near my little bunny. my duckies don't like anyone but me really. idk if chickens are the same, but the way bunnies poo and how chickens eat everything, i wouldn't recommend it either.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

Whats the health risks for them?
What if I keep them apart but still in the same shed?

 

[geepy]

I have 2 rabbits and 1 chicken(my favorite broody hen) in a 10 x 10 pen and never had a problem. I had three rabbits but one died of old age (about 10 years old).
I do know with the chicken in the pen the rabbits never get warbles.
I feed them alot of greens out of the garden.

 

[chinbunny]

They can pass coccidia back and forth to each other. i have been told this by an expereinced poultry breeder, who also raises rabbits. Plus there is the issue of the difference in nutrition in their feed. Rabbits will die from the bloat by eating too much corn. Which is what chicken feed is loaded with. Its also low in fiber. I would keep the rabbits in some carriers until you can them cages, butcher, or resell them.

Rabbits are also very territorial. they will fight with each other. And they may try to hurt the chickens too. They tend to bit e and kick at things they don't like, or understand.

Greens from the garden are not good for them. If you chose to feed them greens be very careful because those can also cause runny stools and all kinds of nasty gastrointestinal things that can harm the health of the rabbit.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

These rabbits have been housed together in the same cage their whole lives & are bonded,so fighting isnt an issue with them.
I actually feed my chickens rabbit pellets,since alot of chicken feed dead ground up chickens and who knows what else.

My only concerns are the health of the animals , everything else is covered.

 

[chinbunny]

Some rabbit pellets also have animal meal in them too. Have you tried flock raiser made by purina? I don't think it has any animal by products in it. Its really good stuff. It sof rall poultry. I feed it my pigeons. They love it. I raised chickens years ago. Rabbit pellets worked great as a conditioning food for them, but shouldn't be used as the main source. I don't think chickens were designed to digest alfalfa and soy hull products either like rabbits can. I would check the labels on the feeds. Some of them don't carry animal meal products.