Can rabbits and chickens populate together ? In the universe of farm animal , volaille are the easiest animal to raise on the farm or homestead and usually the start point for most squatter . One other homestead fauna that rivals the volaille in ease of attention is the cony .
In universal , lapin care is quite easy , and we ’ll explore the details of tending to these adorable critter in this article . The dependable word is that chickens and rabbits can — and often do — cohabitateon a homestead harmoniously . With a few precautions , of course , you’re able to reap the reward of caring for both on your land .
Plucky Personalities
At the risk of sounding obvious , think back that chickens are birds , and rabbits are part of the animal familylogomorpha . ( They were previously considered rodents , but that was updated in 1912 ) . This quite simply means that the needs of these two mintage are dissimilar — sometimesverydifferent . While they can survive together copacetically , we must never forget that they have different instincts , behaviors and social structures , and this fact alone will watch how we best care for them .
With that said , there is one very clear-cut difference and one very important law of similarity between the two upon which we can base most of our decision . The difference is that unless they ’re mating or raising a litter , rabbits are mostly lonely animals .
Does ( females ) and bucks ( male person ) left together will mate forever , so the two must be keep separate until you are ready and capable to prepare for kits ( young bunny ) . A pair or trine of just does , or just sawhorse , might coexist blithely if raise together as kits and as long as the does are n’t raising a litter of kits themselves .
Chickens , on the other mitt , are very societal and must be hold back in family unit groups — mickle — or they ’ll be terribly unhappy . Typically , a flock comprises a turn of hens , with or withouta single rooster . rooster also couple day by day with hen , but because hens lay eggs ( and presumably you collect them daily ) , chicks wo n’t hatch unless you let a broody hen sit on fecundate one for 21 days or you raise the eggs in an incubator .
The big similarity between rabbits and Gallus gallus ? They are both vulnerable prey fauna , with comparatively few defenses . This is an absolute that we can always take on , and it will serve you , the keeper , well . money box on the fact that they will be hunted by any and all predators in your region , and they know this , so they represent consequently . This is quite maybe the fact that most informs the behaviour of chickens and lapin . Why is this so important when it get to rabbit maintenance ? How they respond to stress or fear is how they oppose to you , and that ascertain how we provide rabbit care , tribute and housing .
Can Rabbits and Chickens Live Together? A Hutch Is a Home
Like chicken , rabbits require specific trapping that meets their needs . You might notice many chicken coops and rabbit hovel are betray by manufacturers interchangeably , and confessedly one could sub for the other in a collar . On our homestead , we ’ve used a rabbit hutch as impermanent housing for a sick or injured hen , and even a brooding hen ; this is for certain a professional to keeping both metal money .
If you already keep chickens , you know that a vulture - proof chicken coop is an infrangible must . A engage door with a door latch that is secured at night , a firm roof , hardware cloth mesh across doors and window , and good ventilation are but a few undeniable requirements of a practiced coop . And you may go for all of those feature film to a rabbit hutch as well .
If you plan to have a doe elevate kits , you ’ll even require her to have a nest boxful . A bighearted deviation between Gallus gallus and rabbits regarding the henhouse is that chickens roost at dark up high while rabbits ’ instincts tell them to burrow low . you’re able to also count on lapin and chickens depositing their wasteland in a predictable place : Chickens usually crap the most at night , while roosting . Rabbits break up a favored spot , either in the hutch or in their own run , to do their commercial enterprise . This predictability facilitate with our killing efforts , too .
Lefebvre Alain/Shutterstock
So when considering can rabbits and chickens live together , where do we start manufacture lodging ? What should we look for ? When shopping for or devise architectural plan to progress a rabbit hutch or a Gallus gallus coop , appear at how each is made . point out the differences : You ’ll see how each is design with the instinct of the animal in mind . Lefebvre Alain / Shutterstock
Hutches are typically put up off the earth to keep cony safe from predators . The floor is part solid and part interlock . With furred , cushiony foot , cony get along better on interlocking floor than their domestic fowl counterparts , which are more prostrate to pes ailments as prison term goes on . But they also take something firm upon which to catch one’s breath those feet and to give them the sense of security measures similar to a dark burrow .
Chickens and cony have incredibly sensitive respiratory systems , and rabbit urine is particularly acerbic . If the hovel is located within a closed b or gravid chicken coop , first-class ventilation ( and consistent cleaning ) must be one of your top priority .
Lefebvre Alain/Shutterstock
Once the fundamental physical needs of each separate animal are met , it ’s important to look at the behavioural need . Rabbits need to crawfish to a dreary , snug space that is private and good . But they also love to elongate their legs and frolic . How can you well cope with those pauperism in your frame-up and also accommodate your chickens?Much depends on your own homestead and the structures you figure out with , but remember that right lapin tutelage requires a safe haven . They should have the freedom to move but availableness to their own hutch to hide at all sentence .
Nutrition Basics
Now , permit ’s mouth nutrient . think back that we ’re combine species from different walks of liveliness , artificially , on the same land . While ground domestic fowl and crazy hare forage for their meal , what they forage for is sometimes quite different . chicken leave to free - range look for the juiciest , tastiest , bouncing bugs ; as omnivores , chickens forage for a fairish amount of creature protein in addition to the Green River they seek on pasturage . lapin , on the other hired man , are purely herbivore . They eat mostly grasses , semen and fruits .
The tame variation of these beast naturally want dissimilar diets , too . What we feed them is determined by their life degree and destiny . domesticate crybaby are often fed a commercial ration design for their need : unseasoned chicks , sum birds andlaying hen have somewhat dissimilar nutritional demand and must be fed accordingly .
On a perfect homestead , the mess has unlimited access to rotating pasture lands that make up the bulk of their diet . Treats are pop the question in moderation , and postscript , such as huitre shells for the extra calcium that laying hens call for , plus grit , for help to break up predigested food , are at the ready .
Nearly all domesticated rabbit , whetherraised for fiber , meat or as favorite , can be fed roughlythe same commercial ration : a high - qualitypelleted provender designed for rabbits . As with all animals , smorgasbord is a key to optimum health , so supplement that feast with day-after-day greens ( such as lettuce ) , unlimited Timothy hay availability , and a few fruits and other goody in moderation . If you put up rabbits for meat , you ’ll plausibly want to be choosy with the character of feed and supplements you offer ; you are what your animal eats , after all .
There ’s one more important element of rabbit care to discuss . Like Caterpillar , rabbits continually dress themselves , and , also like cats , they take in a bit of their own fur . Unlike cats , however , rabbits are not subject of cough up any ingested fur that gets stick around or hinder in the manakin of a hairball . This is one of the main considerations of fear for your hare , and many rabbit - custodian utilise dry out pineapple and papaya fruits as a supplement to help their rabbit in lapse the supererogatory pelt .
Blockages can happen cursorily and be quite life-threatening , so induce these supplements on hand at all times is a overbold preparation . Pineapple and papaya tree fruit contain enzymes that help coney break down the fibers of their own pelt — helping it to snuff it successfully . Many times , cony opt the dried version ( without sugar , of class ) , and it keeps longer , too . If you elevate rabbits for fiber , this is twice important — as is a good grooming routine on your part . The animals ’ accept approach to Timothy hay daily will help here as well .
Most importantly , crybaby and rabbit food should be kept separate and only accessible to the species it is meant for . One way you may manage this is by save the chicken feed set aside in a fall birdfeeder , at the peak approachable for adult domestic fowl . weewee should not be share between the species , so keep these face freestanding and only accessible to the animal it is signify for .
Health Considerations
It ’s lovely and idyllic to imagine frolicking rabbits and sweetly clucking biddy coexist in a seeming homestead Sion , but there arehealth risksto keeping these two species together . Pasteurella multocida , streptococcosis , coccidiosis and , most concerning , salmonella , represent the high possibility of sharing disease between coinage . Salmonella , in particular , can make your rabbits very sick . Chickens will probably take a shit in the rabbit ’s food or water at some point if kept house together , so fresh apparatus and cleanliness are critical to keep disease at bay .
When thinking about can rabbits and chickens live together , remember that fold of flat coat fowl and burrowing animals carry very otherwise . Chickens might see a wayward cony as a threat ( especially a fast , highly strung rabbit ) and might attempt to harm it or drive it forth . Chickens can be quite brutal to outsider or anything they perceive as a scourge , and it ’s possible that a flock could belt down a rabbit . low pet rabbits ( vs. big meat breed ) are particularly at risk here and should always have a dependable blank space disjoined from the chickens — if they ’re not housed separately all the time . No matter your frame-up , rabbits should be observe disjoined from very small , fragile chicks .
As unfermented as it seems , allowing rabbits to pasture is not the same as allowing chickens to graze untethered . A flock of chickens always comes home to roost and does it so predictably that you could go under your clock by it .
lapin , on the other manus , are not so reliable , and if you entrust them to spare - range you might get hold yourself chasing distressed rabbits at nightfall every night . These behavioural trend are worth look at as you set up housing . Most rabbit shack are open along the bottom , give up access code to sens below . Much like a volaille tractor , you could move this hutch daily to give your rabbits ample metre on grass .
A fence in run could also be extended from the coney shanty and might or might not admit the chickens while rake . As always , more space is better than less for chickens . But if you give rabbits more blank space than you have eyes to grapple it , you might leave your bunnies susceptible to predator flak or escape the inclosure .
Always keep rabbit in some type of fenced enclosure , even while they ’re ranging . One undisputable fact of both chicken and rabbit care : A gamy degree of serious hygienics on your part always benefits both mintage and drastically reduces chances of illness and the spread of disease .
Chicken & Rabbit Manure
As a fertilizer , poulet manureis “ hot ” and need to better down before you use it in the garden . Rabbit manure , on the other hand , is “ cool , ” which is to say that it can go directly into the garden . Both manures make great appurtenance for gardening when composted aright , such as acompost afternoon tea .
