I'm just wondering if I need to worry about my neighboors cats? Anyone have experience with cat hassling chickens/ being around and not bothering them? I didn't know if they would or not... Please advise...
Are your chickens adult birds or chicks? If they are adults, cats usually are not a problem. I have 2 cats and I have 3 that pass through from my neighbors. My cats don't bother my birds, but the neighbor cats have to be watched when I have chicks that don't have a mother hen. I have heard of stray cats that are really hungry will kill a grown chicken, but I've never seen it.
For the most part no. I had two cats that ran with my free ranging chickens, and they never even bothered my (super tiny) bantams. They DID get into the coop and pig out on the chicken feed(???). You need to keep any chicks and possibly even juveniles locked up tight if cats are around, though. And I would imagine as implied above a cat who is hungry enough may try to get a chicken, so if they are well fed house cats you're probably fine, but if you have any starving strays you may need to watch carefully. I do know cats are hard to keep out- mine would climb the fence of my run like it was nothing, at least when they were small.
We have two full grown hens and two 4 wk olds that have only been out a couple of times supervised. I've been letting the hens free range in our fenced (6') yard during the day and locking them up in the coop at night. The only cats I've ever seen around are my neighbors two male cats. I know she feeds them well, but they are outside alot too. The other day one of them was in our yard. I think he was just curious but am not entirely sure and boy o boy did our girls tell us all about it! That's how I even knew he was out there, I had to go see what was going on and why they were freakin out.
I don't trust cats around small and bantam chickens. I have 2 out of 4 cats that stalk my little bantam. I would not put it past them to attack. I'm always shooing them away from the flock while free ranging. It depends on the cat. My dogs never hurt my chickens either, but they too, are untrustworthy. I can have them together, but under a watchful eye.
I have 9 barn cats and they have never been a problem with my free range chickens. Of course they will try to kill chicks though- it is their nature. But as long as the cats are well fed they probably won't even mess with the chicks or bantams. See the cat that thinks she is a chicken? Most of my cats sleep with my chickens
