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Barnyard Buddies:  Cats vs chickens.....who will win?  |
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one_dog_per_acre
True Blue Farmgirl
1572 Posts
Trish
Sandpoint
ID
USA
1572 Posts |
 Posted - May 29 2012 : 06:16:00 AM
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I read tooooo much about chickens on the internet, where most statements are someone's opinion.
I have read that a large hen will fend off a cat? Really? What about a feral cat?
The question is to free range, or not. It seems like a chicken might be able to stand up to a pet cat, but not a feral cat, right?
“It always looks darkest just before it gets totally black.”-Charlie Brown |
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Melina
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Melina
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2012 : 06:49:47 AM
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In my personal experience, a hen, especially one with chicks, will chase a cat away. Actually, I've free-ranged chickens and they are in much more danger from wildlife and loose dogs. I've lost hens to coyotes, hawks, lost chicks to crows, but never a cat. Feral cats might be more bold and desperate, but they're just one more hazard in a long list of predators who will help themselves. If you have a feral cat problem, maybe you need to humane trap them?
The morning breeze has secrets to tell you. Do not go back to sleep.
Rumi |
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2012 : 07:03:50 AM
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My rooster chased off a bobcat once. Boy was he strutting around after that. We get stray cats around here from time to time and they have never harmed my chickens. Poor things will starve to death if we aren't able to catch them and rehome them or leave cat food for them, but then we do live a long way out and if one lives closer to town then the feral cats might be more aggressive I guess. Its actually beneficial to me to have a few barn cats around to kill the mice. By barn cats I mean wild enough to leave us alone and not want to live in the house. But even barn cats should be caught and taken to the vet to get shots so they won't spread disease to pets etc... My opinion would be that your chickens would be ok with the feral cats. If you get one that is starting to get them then trap it and get rid of it. Cats are easy to trap in a plain ole live trap. However you don't want to haul off the neighbors cat especially if it's innocent or even unsuccessful so you would want to be sure.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - May 31 2012 : 03:38:54 AM
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It all depends.
We've lost chickens due to ferrel cats, so it depends on how sneaky the cats were and what direction they came from.
Our own cats do not bother the chickens, but they were each flogged by aggressive roosters in the past and know better. Might also depend on flock size. As in safety in numbers and too many to bother or too much noise when the first one sounds off and alerts the others. That can be annoying enough to drive anybody away! We have about 30 hens, so the racket is very annoying.
Last night there was a hawk that was too close to the coop and caused everybody to get noisy. And then a few minutes later thay started sounding off again......due to svsrybody getting ready to roost and jockeying for their evening positions. But I wnet back outside......again no matter the false alarm, cause you just never know. |
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one_dog_per_acre
True Blue Farmgirl
1572 Posts
Trish
Sandpoint
ID
USA
1572 Posts |
Posted - May 31 2012 : 06:13:47 AM
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I have let them out all day, in the sun, for the past two days. My not-so-dear neighbor feeds all the feral cats, and now I see a juvenile raccoon running across my yard everyday, to the neighbors shed. Everyone is well fed, but I am still going to start taking the dogs out to pee where I see the raccoon. We are planning on taking care of the raccoon with a live trap. I check on them at least every hour. I have also made Tina the pug, raccoon window sentry.
I realize that bird brain isn't such a put down after all. They are so good at looking out for themselves. I have Black Copper Marans. They are from the marshes of France, so I will see if they want out in the mist today.
“It always looks darkest just before it gets totally black.”-Charlie Brown |
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - May 31 2012 : 07:24:37 AM
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Sounds like you have your work cut out for you what with varmits and the cat lady. Good luck to you Trish.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jun 04 2012 : 04:00:27 AM
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If it were me (and I can get really sneaky sometimes becasue our neighbors live far enough away) I would purchase a Hav-a-hart trap and relocate all the potential troublemakers and just keep it quiet.
Relocate like 10 miles away and not say a word!
Problem solved.
Our neighbors around the corner have un neutered tom cats (and EXTREMLY WILD!!) that have killed our adult chickens and eaten new biddies. I had to slam my mouth closed the other day when he said something about having lost a lot of cats.
If your neighbor does not vaccinate , that's very dangerous and super unhealthy anyway. |
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one_dog_per_acre
True Blue Farmgirl
1572 Posts
Trish
Sandpoint
ID
USA
1572 Posts |
Posted - Jun 05 2012 : 05:46:35 AM
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The worst thing that happened so far is that the chickens went through the long grass into the neighbors yard, who is addicted to Scott's fertilizer.
“It always looks darkest just before it gets totally black.”-Charlie Brown |
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Barnyard Buddies: Cats vs chickens.....who will win? |
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Cats vs chickens.....who will win?
