SSeveral years ago I was approached by one of my children, with huge watery blue eyes, and a post-Easter live bunny in her arms. “Can I keep it?” Of course the answer was yes, but we had no cage, no food, no “bunny stuff.” It was late afternoon, and I was scrambling for a solution. Out of desperation I stuck the rabbit in the chicken coop, with the idea that at least the predators would have to get past the rooster first. Maybe the rabbit would survive.

 A year later I had 36 rabbits – 8 does and a plethora of baby bunnies running in and out of the chicken coup. The first doe had been pregnant, and well rabbits being rabbits, they multiplied exponentially. My rooster marked each new baby who ventured into “his side” of the 5' by 12' coop, squarely between the eyes with a single peck. His rabbits were allowed in the hen's nests, and in with the chicks. When someone brought over a strange bunny the rooster would puff up and chase it into the “rabbit side” of the pen. For the most part, the rabbits and chickens got along well.

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