A friend of mine had rabbits with a trough-style automatic waterer that ran alongside the outside of the pens. Her rabbits came down with a terrible attack of coccidiosis. Her vet said it was because her free-ranging poultry were using the troughs as well. She eliminated that possibility, and never had trouble with coccidiosis again.
Tell me about chickens in the rabbitry. Pros? Cons?
- Thread starter KelleyBee
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That sounds about right. I'd never mix the 2 but ppl do it...I can only imagine how hard it is to keep clean thats mybworry
We mix them with no problem. We have coverings on the pens to keep the chickens from leaving droppings in the pens. Bunny water is in each pen, away from the poultry. Deep litter removes the issue of messy poultry manure on a bare floor. No issues.
I've got my weird looking raken house... My solution was not cheap but works well and solves most of the mentioned problems. My cages are effectively chest high hutches with their own roof. They are above/inside the chicken run attached to my coop. My goal was predator proofing, and making care more comfortable for me (I have a roof in the rainy months, and I don't have to bend).
This is not a cheap build, but space in my yard is at a premium. Maybe some clever people here can use the concept for an economy version.
The highest perches are in the large box on the left, and are used exclusively. Chickens have the full run of the yard during the day, but still keep the area under the rabbits churned up.
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This is not a cheap build, but space in my yard is at a premium. Maybe some clever people here can use the concept for an economy version.
The highest perches are in the large box on the left, and are used exclusively. Chickens have the full run of the yard during the day, but still keep the area under the rabbits churned up.
.eco2pia, that's a fascinating solution. Predator-proof is so much more important in many areas than rabbit-proof. Where predators are not an issue, a loose rabbit is inconvenient, not a disaster. Where predators are prevalent, it can truly be a disaster. The smaller mesh, heavier wire you used for your enclosure wouldn't have been cheap, but priceless when it thwarts an attack on your beloved bunnies and chickens. Great design!
Heartbased Homestead
Well-known member
Yes! Water has to be tended to. I put iodine in my water, as it helps keep any metal toxicity at bay, and keeping the water supply itself clean. (WARNING: Iodine can be easily over-dosed when taken internally so if anyone uses this method only use a tiny amount!)
HOWEVER, I read this info when I first started researching rabbits and it wasn't exactly accurate, in my short experience, it's another myth. I have a small space and there is a lot of chicken poop, but only where they roost. The bunnies naturally avoid these spaces anyways, and prefer to hang out in the cleaner main areas. Every few days I can get in there and cover the poop with old hay, every few weeks I scoop it all out and add it to the compost or mulch directly into the garden. I haven't seen any issues with this 'deep litter colony on-ground' method! Just had to add my experience.
The main issue, I have concluded, is the toxic commercial chicken feed which would be both dangerous when wet, and would render the dried poop's dust extreme volatile. This isn't a danger from the actual bacteria though, rather it is the bacteria/"parasite" which become present in toxic diets, consuming and cleaning dead cellular tissue - rather than "attacking" living healthy cells.
Having a deep litter method controls dust extremely well, as it keeps moisture and a cooling/heating effect which naturally circulates the air, catches lingering dust, and integrates it into the system.
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