Can a tabby kill a chicken?

[SilkieAustralorpCrossKing]

We had 3 chickens go missing and feathers everywhere and we caught a stray tabby in our live trap. One of the turned up but with being bitten on the rear. Could a tabby kill some big 5 month old chickens

 

[cherrylimeaid]

yes

 

[FarmerGirl1010]

A stray cat could kill a chicken but wouldn’t pull out lots of feathers.

 

[FeatherTay]

We had 3 chickens go missing and feathers everywhere and we caught a stray tabby in our live trap. One of the turned up but with being bitten on the rear. Could a tabby kill some big 5 month old chickens

100%. But feathers everywhere… probably not. Could be a fox or raccoon.

 

[yakitori]

yes, but unless they’re desperate they wouldn’t go for such large prey. my cat will only hunt up to chipmunk sized prey. Any larger and they run a much greater risk of being hurt.

 

[Mtnboomer]

Ferrell cats are ferocious predators and will most certainly kill a chicken. If they feel they are safe after the kill they may play with it explaining the feathers.

Foxes and coyotes are often smash and grab kind of killers grabbing a bird and running to cover to devour it without a trace left behind at the scene. Foxes will also kill everything they find at once and then take 1 bird away to eat before coming back for the others.

Lots of feathers with the body is ofren a hawk or other bird of prey or smaller ground predators like a skunk, opossum, etc.

Lots of feathers and no body has to be something large enough to carry off the corpse. So a stray dog fits the bill, bobcat, fox, coyote, or cat.

 

[cmom]

Yes

 

[Chuckie chicken]

When we were preparing for chickens, I was a bit concerned about this. Our neighbor puts some food out for a cat (or two) that otherwise acts feral. They regularly prowl the perimeter of our field looking for mice, etc. (which I appreciate). The current one has a litter under one of their outbuildings, but historically, they have all stayed away from humans.

I see the current one walking by on the coop trail cam at night and wandering around throughout the day. It pays no attention to the chickens, and they aren't alarmed at the sight or proximity of it.

An adequate food supply that doesn't include my chickens may be the answer, and a hungrier cat may choose differently, just relaying my experience.

 

[NatJ]

Foxes and coyotes are often smash and grab kind of killers grabbing a bird and running to cover to devour it without a trace left behind at the scene.

That may often be the case, but I am positive a fox pulled lots of feathers out of two of my chickens. I saw the fox with his mouth on a hen, I found bite marks on that hen and another hen, and there were at least 4 piles of feathers in colors that matched those hens. It was broad daylight so I was sure of what I saw, and there had been no feathers when I let the hens out of their coop just a few hours earlier.

So I think it would depend on the individual fox, and also the chicken. My hens may have been too big or strong for that particular fox to catch neatly, although I'm sure he could have killed them eventually if I hadn't come outside and chased him off.

We had 3 chickens go missing and feathers everywhere and we caught a stray tabby in our live trap. One of the turned up but with being bitten on the rear. Could a tabby kill some big 5 month old chickens

I think the cat could have done it, but several other kinds of predators also could have done it. So even though you trapped the cat, I would not assume that the other chickens are safe.