RAISING POULTRY & RABBITS TOGETHER ?

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Quite some time ago, back when "Mother's Earth News" was a viable homestead magazine, I recall an article on raising chickens & rabbits in a colony situation together..both species in the same building & outside pen area...bales of hay scattered around & basically these animals lived free with the exception of food/water...I think the people just went in when they wanted eggs, meat for larder..can't recall the details.

I was wondering if anyone else has raised them together in some sort of manner. I am getting ready to build a shelter & was considering trying the above method. Appreciate hearing the pros/cons & anyone's experiences with such.

Layne from the Adirondack Mts.of NE NYS

-- Layne Cosgrove (adirondackwoman@westelcom.com), January 26, 2002

Answers

I've raised them together with no problems - however the rabbits were caged, and the chickens could not get on top of the cages or into the rabbits feeders. I've read that rabbits can catch diseases from chicken poop, so as long as there's no contact with the poop, there shouldn't be a problem. It never was a problem for us! :-) Gotta love them bunnies.

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), January 26, 2002.

Hi Layne,

If you haven't heard of Joel Salatin, you should research him. A very successul 'alternative' agriculture farmer in the State of Virginia, USA, Joel primarily does Pastured Poultry.

I have a copy of a monthly alternative ag newspaper (focusing on organic farming) that has a cover story on Joel's son Daniel, and his rabbit business. The title of the story is "16-Year Old Nets $5,000 on One Acre of Rabbits."

Daniel breeds his own rabbits. He keeps his does in cages at chest height (up off the floor) and has 18-inches of carbonaceous bedding on the floor. He keeps chickens on the floor. With 18-inches of bedding, there are insects, always. The chicken scratching and gleaning the insects and spilled rabbit pellets keeps the rabbit manure and urine stirred into the bedding, reducing the smell and virtually eliminating disease in the rabbits and the chickens also. Symbiosis with these two species has proven to work very well for the Salatins. A shed the size of a two-car garage provided Daniel with a $5,000 net income for his own summer business, at age 16.

This is discussed, with photos, in his father's book, You Can Farm, by Joel Salatin, which is available from A.C.R.E.S. USA. See their website, or call 1-800-355-5313 to order.

Bob Addison, a.k.a. FarmerbobMO St. James, Missouri

-- Robert J. Addison (FarmerbobMO@netscape.com), January 26, 2002.


Layne,

I forgot to mention that Daniel Salatin's rabbit system breeds the does in the two-car garage sized shed, but raises all the weaned meat bunnies on pasture in portable, bottomless pens called rabbit tractors. A large roll of chickenwire is laid out for a permanent pasture floor, and the portable pen is moved once daily to the next fresh (clean) spot. The pasture grows up through the wire, and the wire keeps the bunnies from digging out from under the pen walls, also covered in chickenwire over framing.

Funny thing. Running the rabbit pens down the same permanently floored strip of pasture year after year, Daniel has noticed the topsoil has deepened in that spot so much in 5 years, that the rabbits can again dig out, so he has to put down a new strip of chickenwire in the same spot, for a new floor. Imagine that, creating several inches of topsoil in a 5-year period, as a BYPRODUCT of a $5,000 net income for a part-time business.

Bob aka Farmer Bob

-- Robert J. Addison (FarmerbobMO@netscape.com), January 26, 2002.


Thanks Cheryl & Bob. You've given me alot of food for thought. I've heard the name "Joel Salatin" somewhere..maybe in CS or BWH. Will start researching. Layne

-- Layne Cosgrove (adirondackwoman@westelcom.com), January 27, 2002.

I to have benn warned about any bird manure being bad for the bunnies. However chickens under the cages is wonderful for keeping it all turned up, bugs eaten, smells reduced or gone and if this is all outside then I never even had to shovel as the chickens spread it out and away so well!

-- Novina in ND (homespun@stellarnet.com), January 30, 2002.


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