Barn Cats and Black Labs

[avictoriam2014]

Hello!

I currently have three Cochin Bantams, and I want them to be free range during the day. I am a little worried since they're smaller, because I have barn cats and stray cats wandering my property a lot. I also have two labs, who naturally want to chase them. The labs I think I can train to keep away, as they do well with everything else I've introduced them to, but what do you all do about cats? I know chickens can fight and protect themselves, but these are smaller.....any suggestions? Or will I always have to have them caged in? Thanks!!!

Ariana

 

[AK Chick]

Hello!

I currently have three Cochin Bantams, and I want them to be free range during the day. I am a little worried since they're smaller, because I have barn cats and stray cats wandering my property a lot. I also have two labs, who naturally want to chase them. The labs I think I can train to keep away, as they do well with everything else I've introduced them to, but what do you all do about cats? I know chickens can fight and protect themselves, but these are smaller.....any suggestions? Or will I always have to have them caged in? Thanks!!!

Ariana

It's not just terrestrial predators you have to watch for. Owls, hawks, eagles, even large ravens can be a real problem. In my humble opinion, chickens do best when protected from above as well as from the ground. What works for us is a fenced chicken run, with netting over the top to keep the aerial predators out. We keep the run nice-smelling with hay or sawdust on the ground. With all the loose dogs in my area, I've got to keep them contained. I lost an escapee to my neighbor's chocolate lab last summer, and had to demand payment or replacement, which I got. Good luck.

 

[SueT]

There is a good forum on Keeping Chickens Free Range, which addresses all these questions and more. There are over 250 pages chock full of info:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/897953/keeping-chickens-free-range