Rabbits and chickens

p00rstudent · « **on:** October 28, 2008, 10:38 »

I was hoping some of you fine people could answer a couple of questions for me.

1/ Can you keep chickens and rabbits in the same run??
2/ assuming the answer to 1 is yes, how much run space would be needed?

As i have put aside a 10m x 10m area for an enclosed run for the chickens, i was thinking about having about 6 as layers and ideally try and raise a few for meat birds, but as its on an allotment surrounded by houses i dont know how practicle this will be with out a cockrel, so i was thinking about breeding rabbits for meat as well/instead of but ideally kept in the same pen, whith the exception of the male rabbit which will have a pen of his own.

does this sound like a sensible option or should i build a seperate rabbit area?

any help will be greatly appreciated.

muntjac · « **Reply #1 on:** October 28, 2008, 10:52 »

provided that the rabbit and chickens grow up together id say yes .but i wouldnt mix adults of iether unless in a pie. 10msq is fine for both to go into together speak to grannie annie about getting meat bird chicks ... werked fer us

WR1 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 28, 2008, 10:53 »

Yes they can be together as mine are .

They bigish room just incase they dont get on .....................sorry dont now exctly how much someone will come along and tell you

sorry i cant help that much

WR1 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 28, 2008, 10:56 »

We must have clicked submit the same time :oops:

And muntjac ours never grew up together they just got on ............. thankfully other wise we would have to have kept it in a small run while the chickens have got a very very large run

muntjac · « **Reply #4 on:** October 28, 2008, 11:04 »

i had chucks and grew rabbits for the table and unfortunatly the rabbits didnt like the chucks when i put the adult bunnies in with them. they used to terrorise em .but they got on fine with the babies ......i just ate the adults

p00rstudent · « **Reply #5 on:** October 28, 2008, 15:25 »

well the intention is to eat the rabbits, and the meat birds, though i must admit to not being entirely certain of how to go about it, is it possible for rabbits and chickens to share the same housing as well as run? or will they need seperate hutchs as well, the male rabbit will obviously have his own hutch and seperate run from the others.

Vember · « **Reply #6 on:** October 28, 2008, 15:31 »

I kept mine separate at night, I was worried the rabbits would disturb the hens

Sarah

WR1 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 28, 2008, 17:21 »

I could never eat something iv raised :oops:

tam · « **Reply #8 on:** October 28, 2008, 21:57 »

Rabbits vary in size so that would effect accommodation requirements. The bigger breeds can get to the size of a small dog.

Coccidiosis from chicken poop can effect rabbits. In babies it's fatal and can go through the adult population too. I thinks that's the main reason against keeping them together that I've heard.

Also rabbits dig so the accommodation would need underlaying with mesh.

peewee_lane · « **Reply #9 on:** October 29, 2008, 15:11 »

Dont forget rabbits hump almost everything! They might try getting the leg up on the chucks.

ness · « **Reply #10 on:** October 29, 2008, 21:15 »

I have kept rabbits and chickens together for a while but free range in my garden never in a run.
I find they mainly get on but I did have a grumpy elderly rabbit that was in the wrong place as far as my broody was concerned. The fight which ensued was pretty horrific and they never really got on after that.
You maybe lucky - go for placid (non broody) breeds in both rabbits and chooks.
Do you know anything about nutrition? I've tried to find out whether its ok for rabbits to eat chicken food( they love it) but haven't so far.
Hope this helps.
Ness x

tam · « **Reply #11 on:** October 30, 2008, 01:26 »

What's in chicken food? I know a bit about rabbits but nothing about chickens.

Adult rabbits require a high fibre low protein diet (approx. 19%+ fibre, 12% protein), mostly hay/grass based. Breeding females/growing youngsters higher protein.

p00rstudent · « **Reply #12 on:** October 30, 2008, 08:54 »

well the plan as far as food goes is to feed rabbits the rabbit food and the chickens layers mash etc, but i cant imagine that it would do the rabbits much harm to eat,

if it comes down to it, i could always use the balfour method and put the rabbits in one half and the chickens in the other, but that would defeat the point of letting the grass recover as well as reduce the amount of space they would have in the run at any one time.

violet · « **Reply #13 on:** November 03, 2008, 16:38 »

I have rabbits and hens together, they are free range in the garden with the hens locked in an eglu at night... The rabbits may or may not go into their hutches to sleep. We have two ducks also, they refuse to go into the duck shelter at night but sometimes sleep in the rabbit hutches!

I know this is not a fox proof garden... It has a 6ft chain link fence around it and two 6ft solid wooden gates.... I have never seen foxes but I am sure that one day I will be posting my tale of woe when I discover we DO have them in the area.

Regarding chickn food...yes our rabbits love it! Don't know what the long term effect will be on their health... they also have continual access to grass and if they go into their "house" there is always a plentiful supply of hay as well as commercial rabbit food pellets.

I did find one rabbit dead the other week, but she was old and had shown no signes of illness..just went to sleep in her hutch and didn't wake up?

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Rabbits and chickens

Vember