My rabbit might be killing my chickens

[Zark32]

This is a bizarre scenario. I’ve had chickens for almost 4 years and would lose one every once in awhile to a coyote or hawk. About a year ago I got a pet rabbit and it quickly become the wild/domesticated rabbit of the backyard. She’s always been very sweet and docile. She would follow the chickens around and it was really cute. All of a sudden about month ago one after another my chickens would get lethargic and die out of nowhere a couple days later. It seemed to be the chickens that our rabbit would take a liking to. Which made me curious but thought it was just a dirty coop which I later cleaned and the chickens seemed happy and healthy and started laying again. However today I found one of chickens dead in the run. Luckily I installed a nest cam in the run to keep an eye on things. As I started watching the video it appeared the rabbit was getting a little too close to the chicken. Then a few moments later it looked like the rabbit was humping the chicken. It went on for a few minutes until the chicken collapsed and the rabbit basically laid on top of it for awhile until the chicken stopped moving completely. This was extremely disturbing and my fiancé is in shock. Can some please explain what the hell is going on? Is this rabbit spreading diseases or is it literally taking advantage of my chickens until the die?

 

[cooingdove]

hi and welcome too BYC ,_
OMYGOD that is so wierd! i really wonder whats going on. i have NO exprience with anything like this @the_peanut_coop might be able to help. @Happs is an expert in wierd/creepy chicken behaviors. Actually, one time we had a lonely duck, his mate had recently bean eaten by a fox. he took advantage of hens. espially the broody ones. so wierd. perhaps you could get your rabbit a mate?

 

[Mamatomany123]

I would take a closer look at your chickens that have died. Rabbits dont mound to only mate but also to assert dominance. They have claws and can get pretty vicious.

I think it would be best to keep them seperate

 

[the_peanut_coop]

Thanks for the tag, cooingdove. I find it highly unlikly rabbit would be kulling your birds. However, the proof is there and this rabbit is trying to mate with your birds, making them sick, or just outright kulling them. Do you have an alternate cage you can keep your furry friend in? This is a problem, keep them seperate. Your rabbit is a hazard to your birds. Is your rabbit a standerd size, or a dwarf? My rabbits are dwarfs, and the most they can do to my chickens is headbutt them, and I keep them seperate anyway.
~ Peanut Coop

 

[Coops Dad]

We had a domestic rabbit that took up residence in our backyard when we lived in the city. My wife's dog at the time, a small, short-legged thing, would nap in the sun. The rabbit would wait until the dog was asleep then the bunny would mount the dog and hump it until the dog would turn to attack it. This went on for months until the rabbit mounted our Belgian Malinois while she was asleep.

The dog was a problem solver. You need a problem solver.

 

[Mamatomany123]

We had a domestic rabbit that took up residence in our backyard when we lived in the city. My wife's dog at the time, a small, short-legged thing, would nap in the sun. The rabbit would wait until the dog was asleep then the bunny would mount the dog and hump it until the dog would turn to attack it. This went on for months until the rabbit mounted our Belgian Malinois while she was asleep.

The dog was a problem solver. You need a problem solver.

I'm assuming you mean the dog killed the rabbit. OP bought this rabbit as a pet. I'd rather she rehome it instead of letting a dog kill it

 

[aart]

Can some please explain what the hell is going on? Is this rabbit spreading diseases or is it literally taking advantage of my chickens until the die?

Chicken might have had a heart attack....or was already ill and too weak to get away.

 

[Coops Dad]

I'm assuming you mean the dog killed the rabbit. OP bought this rabbit as a pet. I'd rather she rehome it instead of letting a dog kill it

Yes, our Belgie killed the rabbit. In the OP's situation, the rabbit is killing her chickens, so either the rabbit goes or the chickens do, or the bunny gets penned. Rabbits can get violent and I've seen one fight and win against a cat. I've also seen one eat a bird carcass.

 

[the_peanut_coop]

Rabbits are creatures with a base function of mating. If they have exposure to other creatures they will obey that function...

 

[TheOgdensmenagerie]

Rabbit could be crushing the chicken depending on type of rabbit and chicken. Could be heart attack also.
My blood hound followed a chicken around the backyard for about 15 mins very slow and never even touched it until it had a heart attack.
Best to keep them separate given the behavior. I'm sure the killing isn't intentional but none the less it's there.