Are there any diseases chickens can catch from cats or vice versa?

[DarleneFrances]

I live in an urban area and want to use my side yard that is fenced with Cat Fence In (it keeps my own cats in and neighborhood cats out) as a secondary, supplemental forage area for my future chickens. Is there any problem with diseases between cats and chickens? Can I plant forage crops for my chickens and will it be safe for the chickens to eat these crops? My two cats spend most of their time indoors and have three litter boxes which they use, but they also use the dirt in the yard when they are outside. Is this OK or will that harm the chickens?? Appreciate any help anyone can give me. Thanks!

 

[PeppermintHen]

I have this problem. My chickens will eat cat feces like its the best thing in the world. Really, it grosses me out. Eating eggs from chickens that eat manure. Yuck! Your garden will be a litter box regardless. Attempted a lot of things, sticks pointing out of he ground, bricks, rocks, wet dirt, chicken wire on the dirt, sprinkling pepper and none of that works. What I find that works kind of is an outside controlled litter box. I put carpet grass (real grass) on everything that is bare dirt except a little area I left for the cats to dominate as their area, before I let the chickens out I go to their area which is small patch of loose dirt for them to use as their litter box and I clean it every time before I let the chickens loose. I have controlled the areas where the cats poop outside. I personally don't like rock gardens. As far as diseases? Some cats have worms when they poop, and if the chickens ingest the poop, they keep the worms then you will have to deworm the chickens. So far thats all I have learned.

 

[DarleneFrances]

Good Suggestion. Thanks for your help!

 

[bryan99705]

I don't know if worms would be a issue or not as we see that a lot of people free range their birds and who knows what has left their marks on that ground? If chickens were suseptible to worms from feces we would hear a lot more about the issue.