We have two resident cats in our yard, and a few strays that pass occasionally. Normally my cats and chickens get along great, eat from the same dish etc. However, egg season has started here already and I know chick season will start soon. Though my cats are lazy and spoiled, they do go after little birds - and though they've never actually caught one, chicks are much easier prey and I'm under no illusion that the cats won't go after them.
Mother hens are usually very protective of their brood, but can I count on them to keep the cats away? It only takes a second to snatch a chick. Therefore it seems I had better have a separate enclosed space for the mother hen and chicks, right? Up until what age are chicks in danger from cats? We only got the kittens at the end of last summer so it wasn't a problem then - we didn't have chicks, only bigger pullets who were fully feathered and quite good at looking after themselves.
We could also consider giving the cats away, but our children would be heartbroken, and besides, then we might have a lot more strays (our cats are territorial, so mostly they keep strays away) who wouldn't be this nice to our chickens.
Mother hens are usually very protective of their brood, but can I count on them to keep the cats away? It only takes a second to snatch a chick. Therefore it seems I had better have a separate enclosed space for the mother hen and chicks, right? Up until what age are chicks in danger from cats? We only got the kittens at the end of last summer so it wasn't a problem then - we didn't have chicks, only bigger pullets who were fully feathered and quite good at looking after themselves.
We could also consider giving the cats away, but our children would be heartbroken, and besides, then we might have a lot more strays (our cats are territorial, so mostly they keep strays away) who wouldn't be this nice to our chickens.