chicken question

[marvun22]

just last year i had to wait 15 weeks before my chickens could start living outside the coop because of cats. i am wondering since my cats are used to chickens i might be able to let them out sooner. also, i do not have them yet just wondering for the future.

 

[macdoogle2]

Not sure on your question. What is it that you don't have? I just recently placed 2 4 month old kittens in with my chickens. I want the kittens to learn to hunt mice. Not sure who was more scared, the cats or the hens. All calmed down quickly. Now chickens and cats get along great and...no mice to be seen.

 

[starkiller8]

how many chickens do u have because if u have like 8 then the cats and chickens should wait to be put together. the reason im asking is cause cats will target smaller groups of chickens and cats will be dimmid if their is a large group.

 

[hen101]

do you have a coop cus you can but them in with the attached run and what i do is put i extra chicken wire around it all cus of coytes and foxes

 

[maidenwolfx80]

The amount doesnt matter much. The size of the bird matters. I have 3 outside cats who hunt mice and rabbits and wild birds. If you have6 week old chickens they would look too much like the birds they hunt and kill. The older buffer chickens will stand up for themselves and if you have a roo he will run a cat off. The only birds I have ever been worried about are my small ones. They live in a grow out area until they are bigger.

 

[hen101]

yes the amount of the chickens has no effect if wild animals or househeld pets get to them

 

[starkiller8]

apperantly it does with my flock haha

 

[maidenwolfx80]

apperantly it does with my flock haha

Oh no did you have a predator issue?

 

[marvun22]

would a rooster help. i'm getting 8 chickens this spring. some possibilities of the breeds: jersey giants, wyandottes, leghorns, barnvelders, plymouth rock. would it help if if my rooster was a jersey giant. my older rooster doesn't protect my older hens but they didn't grow up together. and just to make sure if i got a jersey giant rooster. he would be my biggest chicken in the whole flock when he's done maturing. he woudn't beat up my older hens and rooster when he is big enough would he?

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Yes, some roosters are better leaders than others. I have 10 rooster and 3 of them are the best whole flock protectors. They split up into groups once they are let out each morning. There are 3 groups with a head roo in each and then underlings that serve him, it is pretty awesome to see the dynamics of flocks. When they all come together at night they all roost together and no fighting. There are lookout roosters and then my turkeys do a SUPER job at watching for flying predators. They alert everyone and they all listen. Size doesnt matter though, my biggest alerter is a bantam EE. What matters is the personality or the bird.