chickens and cats?

[my three chickens]

I have the same original question (which I haven't seen an answer to yet): Clearly cats and chicks don't mix, but how old/big is old/big enough to mix? Mine are mostly large-breeds, and I have a troop of six, all currently 12 weeks old and about three pounds. The cat wants them, but I wonder if they could fend her off?

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Cat died of a severe case of lead poisoning.

That is not right!


I have 3 cats and 1 stray/feral cat that comes around. They do NOT bother my chickens or ducks at all. My cats love to lay next to the chickens as they dust bathe.​

 

[mtnchicks]

I think you have to know your cat, but you always run the risk of a neighbor's cat or feral one trying for a chicken dinner. I have 4 indoor cats, and one outdoor cat. The outdoor one has brought home critters as large as a pack rat ( I thought it was a chinchilla at first!), but he leaves the chickens alone. It helps that a couple of the hens "stalk" him when he walks by. I never let him near them as chicks, but as adults, they have been safe. I have both standards and bantams. I think it's not just size, but attitude. Chicks tend to act more as prey, easily frightened and quick. The adults act as though they couldn't care less about the cat, or will take him on if he tries anything. The same with our rabbits. The cat has caught wild rabbits, because they run from him, but our pet rabbits pester HIM and he leaves them alone.

 

[Pike's Peeps B&B]

Our chickens are 16 weeks old and our cats are afraid of them. Our cats will climb up on the chicken wire to the top and walk on the board that the chicken wire is attached to and watch the chickens, but won't go after them. Actually when the cats are outside and a chicken walks up to them they will dart away in the opposite direction.

 

[khrysoula]

I have 8 outdoor cats. Some are true ferals and some not. They seem to 'know' not to touch the birds. I don't know exactly how many weeks they are when I let them go, they free range, but of course they are fully feathered and a good size. I do watch for awhile to make sure none of the cats gets ideas. Some of my hens will chase the cats too and that helps.

I do feed my outdoor cats though. I have neighbors who tell me they don't but I think that is nuts only because I have the cats to keep rats and mice away and it is working. I had rats eat up part of my truck engine. Seems to me if you don't feed them, they will leave.

Ingrid
Sandy Hills Alpacas
Harwood, TX

 

[mom wewantchicks!]

well so far so good! my chicks are now about 9 weeks old. the cats seem to not care, yes when we first brought the chicks home they where a little to interested. but as some of you have said, i think the chicks are big enough know that they dont run from,rather pester the cats!! we have one cat that is always just laying around w/ them idk, she must be in loooovee!!!!!

 

[chickenzoo]

My cats are afraid of my grown chickens. My bossy hens will go right up to them while they are laying in the yard and peck them in the nose. They try to keep as much distance between them and the chickens. My cats are hunters and I would not trust them with chicks, but my neighbors bunny got loose and the cats just watched it.
Guess they thought it was a Silkie. My emus keep any strays away, it's funny watching the strays face when an emu comes running at them full speed hissing and stomping -LOL

 

[skysabloo]

Hey! I a newbie here, but my cat has never really been outside I had the chicks inside in a lovely cage, she was very curious and they were tiny they pecked her every time, now she doesn't even go near the cage. I have serious doubts that she would even GO near the chickens now especially since they are bigger then her and she's been pecked repeatedly but she's an inside cat. I did however have one of the chickens injured by a feral cat. My kids were very upset of course as was I but I have her the hurt chicken inside and she's barely limping now and it's been 2 weeks she couldn't even walk. I live in the great state of NC there's a ton of feral cats. My neighbor lost 4 chickens, saw the feral cat, leaving the scene. and I was told that by him that that particular feral cat wouldn't be a problem anymore.
There's no telling what he did to save the other 20 chickens, I don't want to know but I feel a lot safer now about my ladies.
I hope you have your's safe now too.

 

[A Carolina Chick]

We have a siamese cat and she protects our birds! We had chicks in an open rubbermaid container and would leave her at home with them 9 hours a day with no problems. We also had quail. One of the quail had a foot wound and the other quail kept on pecking at it, so we had to remove the baby quail out of the covered container. We placed it in an open box with a light because at the time it could not fly. Well, it learned to fly within 2 days and got loose over night. We could not find it anywhere....we thought the cat got it. Well, we went to work and when we came home the cat was snuggled up to the baby bird keeping it warm. The cat was curled up and the bird was sleeping in the middle. I wish I had thought to have taken a picture of it. She woke up and licked it like a kitten and the bird did not care. It was sweet!

 

[ruth]

It really does depend on the cat. Take your cat out to be around the chicks and watch and see what happens. Initially I was not letting either of my four cats near the chicks, the German Shepherd, Rex guarded them and wouldn't let any cat near them either. I don't know if it was his contanstly jumping them if they got near them or what but after a while they lost all interest. I still used to keep the babies behind fenced run and would watch my younger, once feral, kitten try to chase them. But now, a year later, he nor any of the other cats bother the chicks or the chickens. I let my baby chicks start free ranging around the fenced run at a week old. Fenced by short picket fence any cat could easily jump but doesn't - nor do they show any interest in the chicks. At 6 weeks old the gate to the run is left open and anyone who wants to go out and free range is free to do so. Again, in one year, neither cat has bothered them at all. The other day one of my babies escaped the coop and I couldn't find it. My feral cat came up while I was out looking and I was sure it had killed the chick. I had to apologize to cat the next day when I found the dead chick floating in duck pool - turns out my ducks killed it. I have one cat, Morris, who truly seems to love hanging out with the chickens. He can be found sleeping with them, in coop with them, sleeping in nest box next to one. We call him Guard Kitty.