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beeliz

loose rabbit with hens

19 years ago

Hi,One of my lops has the run of the chickens area...it's a huge fenced in outdoor space,and he has a doghouse with straw for nighttime and warmth when needed. Does anyone else have the same setup? I just want to know if this will be ok for him. My females are all in hutches but this guy seems SO happy running around and twitching his feet up! It's so funny to watch him. Is this a good idea,and does anyone else have the same thing? thanks..:)

Comments (8)

  • 19 years ago

    I don't have chickens, but every now and then I'll let me rabbit run around with the ducks. They don't really like him, and they'll peck him, but he has lots of room to get away from them. I think as long as they get along, and neither one picks on the other, then they should be ok. just be sure the little rabbit has a nice spot to sleep and be safe from predators.

  • 19 years ago

    Our chickens grew up with a litter of tiny kittens and now that the cats are almost full grown, they are part of the whole chicken family. Every now and then we see a cat chasing a chicken or a chicken chasing a cat and we know they are playing because they always end up side by side. I don't know how the chickens would react to a cat that isn't one of "theirs" though.

  • 19 years ago

    Yah,I put in a doghouse with loads of straw if he needs to go be warm...and access to many hiding places in case. Other rabbit websites say that it's cruel to keep them like that,but I really don't see how it can be cruel when he's provided with all the right things...more fun than being in his hutch!:)

  • 19 years ago

    Oh, I agree. He probably has lots more room if he's in with the chickens than in his hutch. I would think he would like it better anyway.

    I'd keep my rabbit out all the time if I had a bigger pen built, but the pen I use to keep the ducks in broke, and Cadbury just wouldn't be safe running around outside without anyone watching him.

  • 19 years ago

    We had that set up. It really worked well for us. The only thing, and you probably already know this is that wherever a rabbit is they kill all the grass. We had to send our bunnies away, because they were given to us by a relative that just decided it would be fun for my girls to have bunnies and were assured they were both male. Well Guess what, it was a miracle, I was cleaning the pen one day when I looked in a hole in the ground and Whadda ya know out popped a baby. LOL We managed to find good homes for all seven of them, then we had to send mama and papa back to the relative.

    It was really comical to watch the hens chase the bunny then the bunny would have enough and turn and chanse the hen LOL. i wish we could have kept them. They kept each other on their toes.

    I don't know why it would have been considered cruel to keep them on the ground in an inclosure. We have a pen that is over 100 feet long and almost as wide they had plenty of grass we fed them so well and they were safe inside a fence and could dig burrows to nest in. we had them a few months and they never made an attempt to burrow out.

    good luck,

    CI

  • 19 years ago

    Thanks ci and Gennym..they really are so much happier out there..occassionaly one will go outside the 'run' but has a way back in again,then they find a hiding place for the night,it's so cool that they have these instincts.
    so fun to watch!

  • 19 years ago

    We have chickens, 2 rabbits and a tom cat that are best of friends.
    The rabbits run circles around the cat and the chickens run circles around the rabbits. They all will lay side by side.
    The black rabbit is constantly grooming everyone.
    The cat, a beautiful tom, is the real chicken of the bunch... everytime I go out to feed them, he runs off, and is real skiddish about coming to eat.
    He actually eats the rabbit's alfalfa pellets, the black rabbit and chickens will eat just about anything.
    The other rabbit is a true vegetarian.
    Will post a pic next time I see something cute out there and have the digital nearby.

  • 19 years ago

    When animals grow up together they become a family. Our kittens (cats now) grew up with the chickens and they all take care of each other. Two of the kittens were "play fighting" as they always do and one of the roosters came by and broke it up. It is very cute to watch different animals (and birds) coexist with each other. Your bunny is much happier than he would be in a cage!