whitebarrow Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 My friend would like to get a few hens but is concerned about how they will get along with her rabbits. They'll have seperate houses and runs but she'd like them to free-range together. Does anyone have any experiences or advice to share? Thanks Debs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 My best friend has rabbits and when she moved out of her house back home the rabbits went and lived in her boyfriends mums chicken run (own hutch) complete with 10+ chickens. After the initial squabbles they got on fine, or rather kept out of each others way. Both chickens and rabbits can stand up for themselves quite well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budgies Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/2007/03/halt_chicken_po.html Don't know if this is typical, but chicken police?! Sue Budgie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 thats fab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budgies Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 I don't know who's more scared, there's a lot of posturing going on there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 My chickens and rabbits don't get on too well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 Mine are 'ok'-ish the chooks will deliver a quick peck if they think that the bunnies are gettign too close. havign said that, bunnies can deliver a hefty kick; I've never seen mine do this to the chooks, but they did it to one of the cats once and it was winded! I'd say to have a go and keep an eye on things until they're settled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 OH's childhood rabbit could see off all cats from the garden. Are you worried for the chickens or rabbits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 I have a friend who has the most fabulous chicken and rabbit run . It's a large fenced off area with a variety of hutches and just a few burrows, and rabbits and chickens seem to live in there in perfect harmony. I was amazed when I saw it myself for the first time, but I was assured that they all tolerate each other beautifully, and I've seen them several times since and they always seem calm and quiet. That said this is a large area, but there's lots of rabbits & chickens in there- too many for me to have counted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynn in Bristol Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Our (sadly missed) Miss Pepperpot, Pepper, following a fox attack on the Eglu one night (all chickens were safely shut in, lots of feathers scattered round), refused to lay in the nest box for a while. Instead, she elected to nest in the rabbit hutch. Our rabs have an open run, and I leave their hutch open during the day so that they can hop in and out at will. Pepper used to snuggle into the corner of their bedroom, and stay there for hours (she always made a bit of a performance out of it). THe rabbits continued to hop in and out, and quickly learned to keep out of pecking range. All three seemed quite happy with this arrangement! Finding eggs in the rabbit hutch always used to tickle me. Lots of jokes about the Easter Bunny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 That's a lovely story Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ieuan Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 we've got two chickens a rabbit and two cats - I've spent most of today Enjoying the spectacle of the rabbit chasing the two far bigger cats, followed by the cats trying to sneak up on a chicken, before being chased off by either the chickens or the rabbit, then finally the rabbit stealing the chicken food, before being pecked by the chickens – All in all, they all get on great with each other Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfamily Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Our Hunny Bunny and Chooks get on OK - only a quick peck if hunny bunny startles them by running up behind them. Hunny really used to like to snuggle next to our Gingy(and she didn't mind) and looked quite lost when Gingy died last year - none of our other chooks would put up with her snuggle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 You've got a 'Hunny Bunny' as well Pam - we have Hunny Bunny and Cupcake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfamily Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Well it's a good name for a bunny Love the name Cupcake Clare - so adorable especially for a Lop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 When she was a baby and fawn and fluffy, she looked delicious just like a cupcake, so the name stuck. See here for a picture of them as babies with their mummy Iona Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfamily Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 Awwwwwwwwww.............she's beautiful Clare.........now I want another little bunny Love, love, love, love, love Lops. Hunny Bunny is a dwarf but her predecessor was a white mini called Kevin and he was gorgeous and his predecessor was Flopsy (dwarf) and she knew how to use the cat flap so became our first house bunny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 My girls are supposed to be mini-lops, but I think that the dwarfing gene must be recessive in them as they are quite large; just like big cuddly toys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
