Cat is killing my chickens, what can I do?

[mstricer]

I also, am having problems with coons. Cats usually won't open a door. Set up a trail cam and u will be able to see what is in ur yard. I have trapped 3 coons and have seen skunks and 2 cats. I lost 3 chickens yesterday and another 3 last night. I'm pretty sure the coons are. The killers. Just haven't caught the big mama coon. Good luck

 

[CatDaddyAlbert]

I have been doing the bird thing for a very long time and have never seen a cat go after a full sie chicken. My experience has been it is the other way around. Can they...yes....will they...not likely. A baby chick probably but not a full size bird.

In my humble opinion you have something else getting in you coop/run area.

 

[turbodog]

That doesn't sound like a cat. Have you seen it doing this? I agree with the others that it sounds more like a coon.

 

[YoYofranko]

Wow that is some cat!! my cat brings home all sorts but wont go near the chickens, she runs half a mile if my RIR cock comes near. If it is a cat, as much as i love cats, it needs dealing with. Do you have no idea who it belongs to? If its a stray i would just shoot it or at least relocate. If its a pet i think you should try find the owner, they definately owe you. Sorry for your loss

 

[mommas chickens]

Must be a big cat...my cat stalks my chickens but thats as far as she gets even my EE who is smaller then the others doesnt tolerate it and chases her outta the backyard!

 

[WKYChick]

we have stray cats all over the place and every single one of them have been chased clean clear out of our yard by our hens, the cats now avoid crossing into our yard for fear of the hens, even when we had the chicks out the cats showed no interest at all.

Unless you have witness the cat in the act, I would agree with the others as it being a coon, some feral cats do get more aggressive for food but I couldn't see it go for a full grown chicken

Sorry for your loss

 

[kjdchickens]

Thank you everyone for all your helpful advice.

We have now secured the coop better and have added to it, and my 5 remaining chicks ( now 10 weeks old ) are growing very well now that we have trapped the cat, (yes it was a CAT) and this animal has been taken to the shelter.

We have now added to the flock with 11 more chickens. - 4 light Sussex, - 4 Maran's and 3 others that I can't remember the name of.

Once again thank you for all your help. xx

 

[Nicole01]

I doubt it's the cat. My cat is a great bird killer and she does not touch the chickens. The chickens are able to defend themselves from a cat. They work together as a group. A raccoon would be the culprit. You need to secure your coop. Chicken wire is worthless. You need hardware cloth. Cover any holes with wood or hardware cloth.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
I think that now you have referenced their age, and that they are chicks, not grown chickens, the comments on "it's not likely to be a cat" will die out. I have had cats that open doors, but not ones that latch. It generally takes a "hand" to open latched doors. Once your birds are grown, as others have indicated, cats are rarely an issue.

 

[DvanderSlik]

We need to stop condoning the killing of cats on this site. There are other options!

Directly from the ASPCA :

Does Eradication Work?
Eradication, the deliberate and systematic destruction of a feral cat colony, by whatever method, almost always leads to the “vacuum effect”—either new cats flock to the vacated area to exploit whatever food source attracted the original inhabitants, or survivors breed and their descendants are more cautious around threats. Simply put, eradication is only a temporary fix that sacrifices animals' lives unnecessarily, yet yields no psitive or beneficial return.

What Is Relocation and Why Doesn't it Work?
Many communities have rounded up colonies of feral cats for either euthanasia or to relocate them to another area. This never works. Feral cats are very connected with their territory. They are familiar with the food sources, where to find shelter, resident wildlife, other cats in the area and potential threats to their safety—all things that help them survive. “Relocation of feral cat colonies is difficult to orchestrate and not 100-percent successful even if done correctly. It is also usually impossible to catch all of the cats, and it only takes one male and one female to begin reproducing the colony,” Oldham states. “Even when rounding up is diligently performed and all ferals are removed, new cats will soon move in and set up camp.”

http://www.aspca.org/adoption/feral-cats-faq.aspx#eradication

Chicken coops should not be designed to keep your chickens in, but to keep everything else out. I would suggest looking into changing the door latch.