Poultry or Rabbits?

[moonwolf]

As much as I enjoyed having poultry for eggs, food and manure I am having second considerations about planning to get them again.
This Avian Influenzae may, or may not be something to worry about. Already one area I am aware in the Fraser valley a couple years back was an order to destroy millions of birds, and the fear continues about migratory fowl that could infect domestic poultry flocks.

As much as I've considered raising rabbits less before, I am changing my minds direction in raising them for several good reasons besides the high quality protein food they deliver. Along with vermiculture and the high quality manure droppings and easy containment systems for keeping a number of rabbits compared to chickens sways my balance to consider raising rabbits over fowl.

yup, that chicken coup and barn space just may have a makeover from feather to fur critters. The only thing I would miss is fresh eggs.

How about you poultry raisers? Rabbit Raisers?
any comments?

[LittleJohn]

Why not raise quail inside instead then you wont have to worry about them getting something from wild birds.

[TerriA]

I have buff orpington chickens and various "wooly breeds" of rabbits. I like French Angoras best because not only do I get all the benefits of a meat rabbit (IF NEEDED.. right now, I rather eat dust <G>) but I can sell the wool too...

Housing.. chickens need just a small building for a coop.. I have an OLD nestbox with 8 holes that I use but you could use 5 gallon buckets turned on their sides or boxes, etc. They like to "roost" so keep that in mind. Feed is fairly easy depending on if you are "free ranging" or total containment or something in between. We free range but give grains etc if there isn't much out there.. laying pellets when needed only. The problem with free ranging is that the chickens lay eggs ANYWHERE.. so we periodically lock them up and feed the laying pellets, veg. peelings, etc to the laying hens until they have gotten used to laying in their nests again.. takes 2-4 weeks depending on how determined they are <G>. At least mine always go into the coop at night so it is easy to just keep them in there the following morning if there hasn't been any eggs found for a while.

Rabbit housing.. well, there are LOTS of ways to house a few rabbits.. wire cages being the best way since they are easier to keep clean, allow plenty of ventilation and can be various sizes. There are ways to stack them using "litter trays" and metal legs, or hanging them up (easier to raise worms under them of course). Bottom cages could be used for raising worms and the upper cages with litter trays will allow more rabbits per square foot of a building. Feeding pellets is a given. Some will protest here and say that you can raise rabbits on greens and grain.. and your "could", however the health of your breeding rabbits would be compromised in the long run (Unless you research and get a GOOD mix of grains and vitamins, salt, etc.). While some people claim that rabbits need alfalfa, if they are being fed pellets, then I would recommend grass hays.. for roughage and actually, price <G>.

Have you read the chicken and rabbit forums here? There are lots of hints and tips.. figure out where you want to house your "critters". Myself, I couldn't do without either very long, but chickens are MUCH easier to raise. Rabbits should be groomed or they will ingest the wool causing wool block (a potentially fatal condition since rabbits can not "vomit"), and their toenails clipped (or they can tear their nails on the cages.. causing pain and bleeding).

One other note.. some of the chickens have been inbred for so long they have lost their natural "broodiness" so if you want to reliably replace them, figure on either incubating the eggs yourself or buying replacements.. I was sooo lucky to find a hen sitting on her eggs and when we had to move her and the eggs, she successfully hatched out 13. (Down to 10 due to our cats). I don't think any of the other chickens have tried to sit very long. Rabbits can normally breed when you want them to. Except when the bucks have gone sterile due to heat and they may or may not "shoot blanks" for several weeks of temps over 80... younger bucks "bounce back" sooner.

I urge you to read the forums, ask as many questions as you can before investing in either one.... but I would also wonder why you could not have both???

HTH!
Terri

[moonwolf]

The main point of interest to me is that avian influenzae....if there was to be a massive outbreak...is not transmissable to rabbits.
Keeping quail, or any other fowl inside wouldn't necessarily alleviate the problem if authorities demanded eradication of fowl flocks EVERYWHERE within an entire district if they determined the possibility that the virus was around.
This has, and is being done.

I raised rabbits as a youngster successfully in hutches outside in a warmer climate. Up here would require a few adjustments because of the harsher climate. I have visited nearby rabbit growers to become familiar also.

If you noticed above in my post, I mentioned that I enjoyed raising fowl inclucing muskovy ducks, khaki, and several breeds of chickens, bantams and turkeys. That was several years ago. There is a coop already that is to be utilized for next years 'planning'.

thanks for the advices and information so far.

Terri A. Yes, I have participated on the poultry forum and it's a good one.
I will tune more into the rabbit forum as my interests in meat rabbits increases.

[Christiaan]

I raise both and both are susceptible to government ordered eradication. I live near Arlington Washington, so I'm quite near the flu outbreak in BC. It is not something I worry about from the financial point of view. Any farming endeavor, no matter on what scale, is always a risky undertaking. Thirty years ago I got to participate in the Newcastle's erradication while in the Air Force in California (I was in the Veterinary Service) and really felt sorry for the people who lost all their birds. But, we had a more humane government at the time and there was help for those who wanted to raise birds again.
From the health standpoint I prefer "watchfull waiting". I could get rid of all my chickens and be free of the flu danger and get hit by a truck coming home. Also, rabbits can pass on some nasty bugs to us humans just like the chickens. Take precautions, but don't get paranoid about it.

[Meg Z]

Moonwolf,

I've had the same thoughts as you, and wondered, too. I decided to do both poultry and rabbits. If I have to get rid of my chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys, then I'll expand the rabbits. In the meantime, I'm going to eat eggs and poultry, and go on as if there is no avian virus out there. Why quit before it comes? That won't stop it!

If I was looking at which to get into for commercial production, that would be a different story, but for home use, I see no reason to give up my birds.

And, just to add to the mix, there's a fairly new rabbit disease making the rounds, too. Pat put up a warning on the rabbit forum a few weeks ago. I don't see you much over there (yet!) but you can hunt it down if you're interested.

Ain't life great!
Meg