The Poultry Keeper

ftm · Joined: 13 Sep 2006 Posts: 1 Location: Cambs

Hi Guys

I was reading through your forum, this is my first post as a new member.
My wife and I are hoping to get 4 hens fairly soon. We're worried about the cat next door who seems to catch and eat every warm blooded creature we can think of. Ranging from birds, mice, rats and even squirrels.

I noticed the previous posts where most people seem to say that cats aren't really a problem for large hens (we're hoping to get Black Rocks). However I wondered if anybody ready this had had a problem in the past with a cat?

I'm guessing that Mr Fox will be our number one problem, so I intend to make sure our new coop is as fox-proof as it can be.

Many thanks in advance for any feline advice you can give.......

debcat · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 6:43 pm Post subject:

One idea is to get a water pistol and squirt the cat if he goes near,
I started with 6 blackrock sized hens 4 years ago,
the first day I let them out to wander on the yard one of the cats went to investigate,
he soon turned tail and ran after getting pecked Very Happy

he must have told the others because none of them have ever gone near them since
I have bantams as well as large fowl and can let young growers out without the cats going near them even though they still try and catch seagulls Rolling Eyes

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2211 Location: North Cornwall

We have a little wild tortoiseshell cat running about the farm that comes and goes.

Caught it tonight having a go at my Guinea Fowl and they're as fat as butter and not what you would call small Shocked

Bhindi · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:20 pm Post subject:

I have 2 cats and also in my last house there was no end of cats, in fact on one day I remember counting 7 in my garden. All new visiting cats seemed to like to reckon my chooks were fair game, but not for long, my girls were never sitting targets, and it was entertaining watching the cats scarper --- they had to settle on fantasizing on the tops of the fences. Very Happy

Clucky · Joined: 22 Jul 2006 Posts: 2187 Location: Shropshire

It was a concern when we got ours as the neighbours cats walk along the full length of our 100ft length, 6 ft high fence. I haven't seen any since we got the hens (3 large fowl) but for safety we had our run enclosed even from above so they couldn't get in. When they are more used to the surroundings I will let them out of the run but we will be around then to keep an eye on them.

Our dogs help a lot too Whistle

We met another member on here a while ago and she had a cat and I queried it....they said that their cat doesn't dare walk on the ground cos of the hens....theirs were bantams too, the cat walks along the tops of the coops and along the window sills Laughing

Tensing · Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 8:11 am Post subject:

We have a cat (11 years old now), he used to be a bit of hunter/killer. We now now also have 5 Bantams and 5 Ducks, the cat has tried stalking the bantams, but they always gang up on him and he runs off with his tail between his legs.

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

If you were to introduce a kitten ~ do you think it would have the same response from the chickens, or would they give lee way because it was a baby?

rubychik · Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:05 am Post subject:

my cat integrates with my chooks! eats their food, sleeps in their nest box, dustbathes and sunbathes, they all seem to tolerate each other!

mojo · Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:49 pm Post subject:

we have both a cat and a dog(granted he is a shih Ztu and small)but both step aside for the chooks and that includes bantam pullets.......a peck on the nose and once bitten twice shy

Issy · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Posts: 371 Location: somerset

My cat was a pest when he first met our bantams but as soon as I brought my ''big girls'' up he instantly changed his mind and now tries very hard to avoid them.

El Pollo Diablo · Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 1:42 pm Post subject:

My cat is a killer of furry things on a regular basis and when we first got the hens he did make initial pouncing gestures. I supervised him and made sure he never got the chance to have a go by shouting at him and chasing him off, and now he doesn't even try: he sometimes gets chased by them in fact.

He is more interested in them going off for a wander down the garden and then he can get in their run, eat their food and snuggle down into their nestbox Rolling Eyes

I must say I do still keep my eye out for him around the cockerel who is a little bantam, but am not in the slightest worries about my big fat bruiser Blue Belles who are nearly as big as he is!

NannyP · Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 7:10 pm Post subject:

We have 3 cats, one of whom has attacked a dog, far bigger than himself in our garden. The cats have never been a problem with the hens, the big one (who attack the dog) looked interested a few times. Eventually the hens always won when there were titbits thrown down, which was quite funny.

We had 2 lots of chicks in the garden at various times, I watched the cats watching, but as soon as the chicks were balckbird size, the cats knew they were off the menu Very Happy

El Pollo Diablo · Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 6:17 pm Post subject:

OK so maybe I spoke too soon - my enormous mog leaves the chickens alone but the newly moved in miniature tiger up the street had a right go at them yesterday - I chased him off but his mum says he is a serious hunter, brings rabbits and so on so I am keeping an eye...he is smaller then the chickens I swear but he had murder in his eyes! After the dog tragedy I am not taking any chances!

emarelle · Joined: 06 Sep 2006 Posts: 19 Location: Lincolnshire

Yesterday afternoon I found my 8 y.o. little partridge bantam hen dead down by stables where she free ranged with 3 marans, a silkie cross and another bantam. (1.5 miles from home). Found feathers near to yard gate and she had been dragged about 30 feet and killed - def not a fox -she had some scratches on her, her neck looked broken and it looked as though bits had been pulled off her. Lady next door just had 2 farm rescue cats about 12mths old - part Siamese - who I keep chasing out of the paddock. I've never had a problem with losing hens to predators in 9 years there. Next time I see them on my property, I'll just let my 2 dogs go - I usually keep them back. Crying or Very sad

debcat · Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 6:48 pm Post subject:

sorry about your hen Sad

could you talk to your neighbour about the cats or are they really feral?