Cats and Chickens?

[FromChictoChick]

There's a local program that relocates basically feral cats already spayed/neuterd as barn cats...would such a cat serve as a deterrent to predators (owl/hawk or weasel) or would it likely harass the free ranging hens? What about raising an outdoor kitten?
Whatever my predator is, it doesn't seem to bother the heavier bodied hens

 

[Bunnylady]

I'm not sure that a cat would be a very effective form of predator control. In fact, a large enough predator would take out your cat!

We have a cat around here that works very hard as rodent control, but we have lost many birds to hawks, owls, foxes, etc, during the years she has lived with us. She has shown no interest in the adult birds (even the bantam breeds) but chicks are another story!

 

[Chicken Happy]

Our cats eat anything catchable...small birds, squirrles, slugs (eeeeewwwwwie), etc....but hang with the chickens. We have a bantam that is in their "kill size," but leave her alone. Our dogs, who also hang with the flock, keep critters away. Very protective. So maybe both?

 

[chfite]

It seems unlikely that a house cat would try to take on anything its size or larger. If you are dealing with a predator, prevention would be foremost, defense in the form of a good rooster or dog, next. Some report success with llamas and donkeys, but that is somewhat out of my league.

Between my rooster and Aussie, we manage to get by.

Chris

 

[mscallisto]

My cats are indoor cats, but we have a neighborhood cat that frequents our back yard. He's not really interested in the hens, but he hasn't been much of a deterrent for predators either.

 

[GroveChickerynz]

We live on a farm that has about 4 cats ... they never bother our 9 shavers up by the houses, infact one of our young shavers pecked one of our nicest cats, pebbles, on the head - pebbles ran off. Another one, Virgil, hangs out by the coops, but we've since realized he has no interest in our hens, but he is after the sparrows and rats that eat the feed.

I think litte baby chicks could get picked off, unless the hen is sharp and formidible, however, we've never had an issue with our cats and the chickens.

 

[15shenyl]

Our cat is friends with our hens. They cuddle right up to each other. All the stray cats look at the hens, sometimes even stock, but my largest hen Eggy chases them off, sometimes even our house cat, she is very territorial.