Do Rabbits and Ducks Get Along?

No, rabbits and ducks won’t usually get along. They aren’t a compatible species to live together and have entirely different ways of living that clash – their food, environment, and cleanliness are opposites.

Differences in Rabbits and Ducks Lives

Rabbits and ducks are massively different creatures that have different requirements to be happy and healthy.

Check out some of the biggest differences where the two animals differ and why they don’t tend to get along:

Food

As herbivores, rabbits eat a specific diet that includes hay, fresh vegetables, a small amount of pellets, plenty of drinking water, and occasional treats. Amongst the vegetable and fruit part of their diet, there are certain harmful foods that they should avoid, and most need to be washed and prepared before the rabbit can eat it.

Ducks, on the other hand, eat grass, aquatic plants, fish, and insects. They can also eat duck feed from the store.

A rabbit would get sick from eating a duck’s food. They could develop blockages, diarrhea, and get stomach pain.

Cleanliness

Rabbits are sticklers for themselves and their surroundings to be clean and tidy.

You’ll often see them washing their faces and grooming their partners. They tend to use one place in their cage to wee and poop and keep the rest clean

While ducks aren’t particularly fussed about their environment and will often poop anywhere and everywhere. This can stress the rabbits out and may also contain bacteria that’ll make the rabbit sick if they eat it.

Environment

It goes without saying that ducks need water (usually a pond). Though rabbits can swim, they don’t like to be in the water and can cause extreme stress – potentially leading to shock or death.

Ducks should also free-range in the water and land around it. Rabbits shouldn’t be left unattended when outside, especially around water. On the flip side to that, ducks shouldn’t be cooped up in a small enclosure.

Adding in territorial behavior and the potential of fighting means that they need their own, individual living conditions and shouldn’t be kept together.

Infection

Rabbits and ducks could pass diseases between their species. With ducks especially, they can easily catch infections from in the water and are more likely to catch diseases than a rabbit who stays in their cage or their owner’s yard.

Reproduction

While rabbits can give birth every 4 weeks, ducks lay eggs between 100 and 300 times per year. This can cause problems with the rabbits becoming outnumbered and they might destroy the duck eggs.

Aggression

Within any group of adult animals, there has to be one dominant leader, regardless of the species. Both are known to bite, kick, and fight and can be territorial over their homes. One animal could get hurt and suffer severe injury.

The Only Way to Keep Both Rabbits and Ducks

If you do have both ducks and rabbits and want to have them living close together, there are a couple of things you can do to make it easier (though it isn’t recommended).

• Introduce them when they’re young: If different species are introduced together when they’re babies, they’re more likely to be comfortable and won’t have developed defensive attitudes with new animals.
• Put them in separate cages: To ensure that they each have cages that are tailored to their needs and give them their own safe space.
• Spend time with both: Make sure both the rabbits and the ducks are cared for and you spend equal time with them. Having undivided attention builds a bond with them, prevents boredom, and gives them a happier life.
• Feed them completely separately: To avoid either animal eating the wrong type of food and risking becoming sick, keep their foods entirely separate and clean up after they’ve finished eating.

There are examples of rabbits and ducks getting along just fine, but this is not the norm. You should be prepared for problems that mean you have to separate your rabbits and chickens.

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