I caught a cat stalking my young (5-6 weeks) chicks out in the new pen. It butts up against a "coop/shed" that is missing a wall and part of the floor (this weekend! repair time!), I went out to the pen and as I went to go in the door, the cat jumped up through the hole in the floor and shot out the wall and took off. It had been crouched under the shed, watching the chicks through the pen fencing.
About gave me a heart attack.
I kept the kids inside for a few days while I did some minor adjustments to the top of the pen and staked down part of the wall that I found moved slightly if you pushed at the bottom (only existing fence from the original structure). Haven't seen the cat back since. I assume a full grown rooster worth his tail feathers would give a cat enough of workout to avoid problems. Anything younger, smaller, weaker or without a good roo to protect.....would concern me. I had a tomcat in the suburbs who took on a full sized intact Akita.....and while he did not win, he come out uninjured and the Akita's face was shredded. I think he could take down a chicken.
About gave me a heart attack.
I kept the kids inside for a few days while I did some minor adjustments to the top of the pen and staked down part of the wall that I found moved slightly if you pushed at the bottom (only existing fence from the original structure). Haven't seen the cat back since. I assume a full grown rooster worth his tail feathers would give a cat enough of workout to avoid problems. Anything younger, smaller, weaker or without a good roo to protect.....would concern me. I had a tomcat in the suburbs who took on a full sized intact Akita.....and while he did not win, he come out uninjured and the Akita's face was shredded. I think he could take down a chicken.
