Cats/run design

[opie4]

We have a new urban chicken set up. Small coop and then an out door run area. This is fenced with 4 foot netting and no roof.

The chickens cant get out but yesterday there was a cat just casually lying in the run, it hadn't attacked and 2 of our birds are 5 months old and pretty big so I'm not sure it was going to but don't like seeing it in there...

I'm loathed to put a roof on the whole run as then I will have to crouch when I go in.

Any thoughts on cat proofing it? Was thinking about running another level of mesh around the top to make it 7-8 foot total height?

Thanks in advance.

 

[sourland]

Putting an outward facing flange on the top of the pen may exclude the cat. Hot wire is a guaranteed mammalian deterrent.

 

[nuthatched]

You can make the fence higher, your birds can fly over a 4 ft fence easy as pie. As long as your birds are adults, I wouldn't really worry unless you have big feral cats.

 

[opie4]

You can make the fence higher, your birds can fly over a 4 ft fence easy as pie. As long as your birds are adults, I wouldn't really worry unless you have big feral cats.

Thanks for the reply.

2 are 5 months old but are already pretty big. The other 2 are around 2-3 months old. The cat wasn't going for any of them, just lying in the run. Quite bizarre.

I will build an extension on the fence today and at least net the sides, will make it so I can add a roof if need be. Good project for the holidays, it's mid summer here!

 

[TXchickmum]

-might want to extend it (taller) and net the top. I don't know what type of aerial predators you have, but we have a healthy hawk population in the 'burbs. I'd be more worried about that than a cat (provided it was domesticated) with a group of large fowl. Best of luck to you with your birds and adventure in chicken-keeping!

 

[SourRoses]

2 are 5 months old but are already pretty big. The other 2 are around 2-3 months old. The cat wasn't going for any of them, just lying in the run. Quite bizarre.

When we still had our barn cats, they were quite happy to lounge around near the chickens. I think they got jealous of the sunbathing spots the hens find.

Also, other small critters are attracted to chicken areas for the feed - including small birds and brave rodents. So, kitty could simply be parking it in an interesting traffic area.

Because our cats were raised around chickens, we could trust them. It's harder to trust a strange cat especially because they're known chicken predators.
I could really use a new barn cat myself, but everyone wants money for kittens around here lately (weird). And I wish I could trust an adopted cat, but you never know.

A roof is really the only sure solution, sorry! Cats so easily climb fences.

 

[drangle]

I have a lot of feral cats in the area and was wondering if they would attack full grown chickens. I wansnt worried about it until a few days ago when I came home and there were three different cats from three different directions stalking up on my chickens.