Almost two decades ago I was given a rabbit hutch. Free! And so I got a rabbit – how much could a bunny cost? It turns out, a lot. I fell in love with a huge blue roan rabbit at the animal shelter, named him Cinder, and brought him home. He was too big for the hutch, and so I purchased a new hutch, various bottles, feed, etc, and had Cinder neutered. That “free” rabbit cost several hundred dollars. Cinder was an indoor bunny. They’re easy to litter box train, and he had a charming personality. Rabbits do shed and chew, but Cinder was worth the trouble. After Cinder passed, we got Spot, and then Candy, a lop-eared female, who was quite sociable and loved my son, who’s room she stayed in.

I tried to deny it, but I was allergic to the fur. It was finally decided to put Candy outside with the chickens. Many people are adamant that pet rabbits should be kept indoors. I agree that it is a terrible life for a rabbit to be isolated outside in a hutch. However, that’s not what I do. I’m not a rabbit expert, I keep only one at a time, and Phoebe, the current resident, is only my fourth. But, how I keep a rabbit in with my flock has been successful, and I’ve heard from many who have modeled their animals’ care after what I do, and that they’ve had happy, healthy and joyful situations as well. So, I’ll tell you here how I keep a bunny in with my hens.

I wouldn’t do this if it weren’t in my rabbit’s best interest. From what I’ve observed, a rabbit will adopt a flock as her own. Candy enjoyed the company of hens, (she would seek them out and park herself in their midst) as does Phoebe, seen here with her flock.

 

Phoebe is mild-mannered, but Candy would tease the hens. Numerous times, I saw her gallop through a group of dust-bathing hens, just for the thrill of making them scatter.

There are so many benefits to living outside. My rabbits have had goats to converse with,

 

and dogs to tease. There’s dirt to loll in,

 

and something interesting going on all of the time. It was fascinating to watch Candy’s transition from indoor to outdoor bunny. Although she was attached to my son, she clearly blossomed outdoors. It was heartening to watch her interact with other species, and to be able to do bunny activities, like digging snow tunnels. My rabbits respond to the weather. I’ve seen them get gleeful, kicking up their heels when the cool spring breezes blow, and luxuriating in a sunny patch during a cold spell. An outdoor rabbit has much to sniff, and can have a long hop-around as night falls (their favorite time of day.) It was obvious that Candy loved being outdoors. My vet (who has a side-specialty in rabbits) told me that Candy was the happiest and healthiest rabbit he’d ever known.

But, I wouldn’t toss a rabbit into any coop. My chicken pens are kept clean. The pen is kept raked to keep manure to a minimum. The coop is skipped out frequently. I wouldn’t keep an outdoor rabbit in a muddy, dank, or manure-laden pen. Also, a rabbit is not a chicken, and she requires her own food and hay, and a place for her to retreat to, separate from the hens.

Candy had her own hutch, which she did not allow the hens in. She was quite the Empress.

 

After 9 very good years, Candy passed on and I got Phoebe. Bunnies can be quite opinionated. Phoebe insisted that she didn’t want to sleep in the hutch, that she’d rather be in the coop with the hens, so I created a cozy nook under the nesting boxes for Phoebe that only she can fit in.

 

What’s important is that in both of these set-ups, the rabbits have had an inside place to stay safe from predators at night. Each of my rabbits were taught to come inside at dusk (a banana chip does the trick) so that I can latch the door to keep out raccoons and other animals. I have other predator protection as well. Because rabbits burrow, the fence is dug 8 inches down, so she can’t get out and predators can’t get in. There’s hawk netting above. When the chickens are allowed out to free-range, I close the rabbit up in either the coop or the hutch. Unlike the hens, my rabbits have not been trained to come when called. Besides, it would take just one loose neighborhood dog to lose the bunny. It’s just not worth the risk.

I provide hay, rabbit pellets and water. Phoebe, who sleeps in the coop, uses the chickens’

. In the winter, it’s , and she appreciates that. A rabbit might eat from the chicken feeder; mine have. That doesn’t worry me too much, as the bulk of her diet comes from her own pellets, as well as fresh vegetables, and in season, handfuls of clover and parsley. Because rabbits love to chew, I provide apple branches, and other sticks. If you do have electrical wiring, try to keep it out of reach of the rabbit, and definitely protect it with conduit. One other caveat – rabbits love to gnaw on foam insulation. If you have it, cover it with plywood.

An outdoor rabbit gets lots of exercise, and will dig and scratch. I haven’t had to trim my bunnies’ nails, because they wear down naturally. Candy did had sensitive lop-ears, which I would put ointment on when they became dry and sunburned.

If you have an indoor rabbit that you want to move to outside quarters, you need to wait for the appropriate season. You can’t put an indoor rabbit out in the winter – they haven’t grown their thick, warm coat. Conversely, rabbits get heat stroke, so a bunny used to air conditioning should not be suddenly asked to live outside. Spring and fall are better times to introduce a rabbit to the outdoors. I always keep a close eye on the temperature. Rabbits do just fine in very cold weather. My current rabbit, Phoebe, has no issues at all with staying warm. However, Candy was a lop-ear, she couldn’t pin her ears to her sides to keep them warm, nor put them upright to cool off. Long ears that drag on the ground will get frostbit, muddy, and infected. An especially long-earred rabbit is not a good choice for an outdoor bunny. On the other end of the weather spectrum, rabbits suffer from heat stroke. So, think carefully about where to put the hutch. In the winter, Candy’s house was positioned in the sun, and in the summer a shade tarp was installed overhead.

It is not a big production to introduce a rabbit to the flock. Keep her in her hutch for a week, where she can watch the hens, and they can see her. Then, close the chickens in the coop and let your rabbit out to explore the fenced yard. Have her practice going up and down the ramp. Then let out the chickens. They might be a tad surprised! But, soon, everyone should mingle happily. If there is plenty of space, this should all go smoothly.

Candy was a neutered female rabbit. I’ve heard about intact males that try to mate with the hens. I recommend neutering for many reasons, including improved health and calmer behavior. I would not keep breeding rabbits and tiny babies in with the chickens.

 

Having a rabbit in with the hens adds to the fun of chicken keeping. I love observing the interspecies interactions, and a rabbit galloping around the pen is a joy to watch. I can’t guarantee that you’ll have the same experience I’ve had, but it’s worth a try!

High temperatures can be lethal to chickens. When the thermometer rises, chickens cope by holding out their wings and panting. Egg laying productivity decreases. But all too quickly, these coping strategies fail and your hens will succumb to heat stroke. You’ll know your hens are struggling when they are panting with wide open mouths and are listless. They stop eating and drinking. If you see that, they’re in immediate danger.

 

But, don’t despair, good management can help them cope with heat. There are things you can do for so that you don’t have to bring your hens into your air-conditioned living room!

Cool, fresh water is the most important thing to provide your flock. If your waterer is in the sun, or across the yard and in the coop, your hens won’t use that dispenser and they won’t get get enough to drink. Put a waterer in the shade where they hang out. If it’s so hot that even that water is too warm to drink, then chill it off with this trick: fill the waterer halfway and freeze it. Then top it off before setting it out for the hens.

 

Providing juicy fruits and vegetables also keeps your flock hydrated. Watermelon and cucumbers are especially good, Don’t cut them up. Leave them whole so that it will last.

 

Frozen blocks of vegetables and fruits are also good for pecking at. This is a good time to clean out your freezer.  Freezer burn? The chickens don’t care!

 

When temperature rise into the high 90s and it’s so humid that it feels hard to breathe, I’ll dump a bin of ice cubes into the pen. The chickens drink the water as the ice melts. I know people who live in hotter climes than here, who provide

 for their chickens, and cool off their coops by spraying water on the roofs. I don’t have to do that where I live, but when it’s in the high 90s, I’ll hose down the dirt in the run, which brings some relief. Besides, the chickens are fascinated by running water!

Your chickens must have shade. My hens hang out in the compost pile, which is shaded by the barn and trees, and where the dirt is moist and cool. If you can’t site your coop in a shady spot, put a shade awning up. I also put up a

 over a portion of the run.

 

Provide an area with dry, loose dirt where the hens can take dust baths. They’ll wallow down until they reach cool soil.

 

Your coop should be well-ventilated. A cupola that pulls hot air up and out can cool the building down by 15 degrees. If your coop didn’t come with one, you can buy a

 and install it. Windows that open help air flow. Even small coops should have windows and vents and headroom so that hot, moist air isn’t trapped near the roof where the chickens roost.

 

Even with the heat, the hens will need to go inside to lay their eggs. I’ve hung an old fan to make it bearable near the nesting boxes.

 

Finally, if you live in areas that see long stretches of triple-digit summer days, consider getting heat-tolerant breeds. Leggy, trim chickens with mostly hard feathers, like Leghorns and Andalusians, are designed for hot weather. These are called Mediterranean breeds, and they don’t have the fluffy, heavy, soft feathers of heavier hens like Cochins and Orpingtons. They also have large, floppy combs that help to dissipate heat.

So, when it gets dangerously hot, keep an eye on your flock, keep them hydrated, provide shade and airy accomodations. Good advice for anyone, animals or human alike.

An average chicken has 8,500 feathers. That makes for a warm coat. Like her wild bird cousins, a chicken will fluff up, trap air under her down, and stay cozy, even in below freezing temperatures. However, a sharp, cold wind that ruffles the feathers can sent a chill to the skin. Icy rain on a hen’s head and mud frozen on legs can chill her to the bone. So, although that fine-feathered garment can keep a hen plenty warm even in the coldest weather, there are some things to do to keep your chickens comfortable and healthy in the winter.

Chickens do not need insulated houses. (Although coops in extreme temperatures, like those found in North Dakota and Alaska will benefit.) But, poultry do need shelter that is out of the wind and free of drafts. At the same time, it shouldn’t be at all damp. Manure contains a lot of water, and in the winter, when  the coop is closed up, this can make the air unhealthy and the hens prone to respiratory illness. I keep my coops shoveled out weekly and bedded with fresh pine shavings. Also, good ventilation is a must – it’s best to have vents high near the roof.

Most chickens do not need heat lamps. In fact, if you have a spot heater in the coop, the hens will huddle near it, but when they move away to eat or to roost, they won’t have their feathers fluffed out, and they’ll be cold. It’s not good for them to go from one extreme temperature to another. So, you can keep the coop closed and heated, or totally unheated. If you have only one hen, do her a favor and get another. They need to huddle on the roost with each other to stay warm at night. A few breeds are not cold-hardy. Silkies and frizzle-feathered birds can’t stay warm in a winter wind. Also, their feathers don’ t shed water and so it is lethal for them to get wet and damp in the winter. Standing in mud can kill them. It’s best to provide Silkies with spacious, dry, ventilated indoor housing for the winter.  Also, some hens, and more often roosters, have big combs, prone to frostbite. Slather on some vaseline if you know the temperature is going to drop.

Chickens appreciate a bright and sunny coop. Here’s my aged Eleanor, who has claimed a toasty place in a patch of sun.

In the winter, sunlight ebbs and some people chose to use a lightbulb in the hopes of increasing egg laying. I’ve written a post about that here.

Chickens need to be high and dry. If your run gets muddy, dump in a few bags of coarse sand to give the hens a place to roam above the muck. Outside roosts are welcomed by the flock. I also give mine some logs to stand on. Chickens have scaly, bare feet. They don’t like walking on snow or ice. They’ll do it, but they won’t be happy. So, take a moment and shovel a clear area for them in their run. If the snow is too deep and icy, put down some hay.

One of the most important things to give your chickens in the winter is fresh water. If you have electricity in the barn, get one of these base heaters for the waterer.

Otherwise, you’ll have to replace the frozen water a few times a day. (And, yes, I know the directions on the box say not to put a plastic waterer on the heater, but these are sturdy and I’ve never had a problem. Note, too, that the cord goes directly to a safe outlet. Always be a bit neurotic about watching out for fire hazards in your barn.)

In the winter, chickens will expend extra calories staying warm so give them an added ration of cracked corn or scratch grains. Also, if your hens free range in the summer and eat lots of bugs (protein!), be aware that their diet changes in the winter, when all of their nutrition comes from you. Make sure you’re feeding them high-quality laying hen pellets.

Greens are important in the winter as much as in the summer. My girls get bored all cooped up, and so I hang a cabbage in the pen. They peck at it (they do like a rousing game of tetherball) and so don’t peck at each other. The added benefit is that they’re eating greens. I also put treats in a suet holder installed inside the coop.

Hens need 14 hours of sunlight to lay. You can increase the light using a 40 watt bulb on a timer, and you’ll bring production up. (However, they still won’t lay as much as in the summer.) I don’t use a light because it only makes a difference with pullets – your older hens will be molting the first part of the winter and will need a rest until February, when they’ll start laying again, anyway. If you do decide to use a light, turn it on in the early morning. Do not use it at night – if it’s dark out and the light suddenly goes off, the hens won’t have a chance to settle into their roosts for bedtime. They’ll be miserable stuck on the ground.

There are usually a few weeks here when the temperature doesn’t rise above 0 degrees F. Each morning I hurry to check on them. The wind will be biting. I get chilled making my way across the icy, snowy yard to the coops. My eyes water from the cold.  I expect to find the girls frozen stiff, but they’re fine. I toss them some grain. They look cheerful. It’d be nice if they worried about me as much as I worry about them.