My neighbor, has a lot of cats who wander through r yard. I'm afraid they will do something to my flock of 6. Can cats claws penetrate through the feathers and harm my flock? 6 Chickens VS. 1 cat, who will win. Any reply's will be appreciated!!!!
Chickens VS. Cats?
- Thread starter Peep-Chicken
- Start date
Cats can kill chickens, but I don't think it is a particularly common thing. Stray and feral cats are much more likely to go after them, pet cats, in my experience, not so much. How old are your chickens? We have two cats and they get chased by our chickens, even though they're very good hunters and have brought us rabbits and other fairly large "presents"
- Thread starter
- #3
My chickens are 4-5 month olds, I always have a eye on them either way, just in case.
My cat is an avid hunter, but she is small so she doesn't bother them. The tomcat from down the road is a different story. He is huge and he could do some damage I'm sure. The BB gun has kept him away for a while. I tried water first but he didn't mind that at all.
- Sep 12, 2012
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I wish I had a camera handy a short while ago...
I give my chickens canned cat food every once in a while as a treat. They tear it to shreds and leave almost nothing behind. But my sister picked up two kittens recently and they stay outdoors. As I was feeding the hens the canned food, the cats picked up on the scent and found it....
My youngest hen (also the tamest) didn't care. The three of them shared the plate. I was afraid she would actually peck the cats for getting near it, but she didn't. They left her a spot to eat from, and she left them spots to eat from, and they were all happily gulping down the food!
Now the reality of it - it will depend on the cats and your chickens. My chickens were raised around kittens. But the 8-week-old chicks that roam the yard aren't too keen on the kittens or the full grown cats. The baby chicks that are only a couple of weeks old would probably be instant dinner if the cats got hungry enough. Thankfully, my cats are always VERY well-fed indoors, so they don't look for hard-to-catch meals like that. Even the full-grown cats have almost no interest in the smallest chicks.
But there is always that one chick who is small enough, or that one cat who is bold enough. Bantams are probably at more risk simply because they are smaller. Large fowl very rarely have problems because they are bigger than the cats, and tend to scare them.
The first time I ever had chicks, I had two 10-week-old kittens. The kittens WOULD chase the chicks around the yard, but I made sure I was always there to stop them. And I did have one neighbor's cat get into my coop and had a chick disappear. But eventually the chickens got used to cats, and started to complain and throw a fit when the cats got near them or their food. The first day I saw one fluff her neck up at a cat and peck at it, I knew they were fine.
If your chickens stand their ground when a cat gets near, you're fine. If they are full-grown large fowl, they'll probably be okay. Or if the cats are scared to come near your yard, you will be ok. Chickens aren't as "fluttery" as wild birds, which works to their advantage. But it all depends on how your chickens and those cats interact with each other when they are close enough.
These days, one of my adult cats will try to sneak up on my main rooster and run up to him. He turns around and flaps his wings, and the cat tucks her tail and takes off back into the woods. He stares for a moment as if to say "thought so" and then goes right back to foraging!
I give my chickens canned cat food every once in a while as a treat. They tear it to shreds and leave almost nothing behind. But my sister picked up two kittens recently and they stay outdoors. As I was feeding the hens the canned food, the cats picked up on the scent and found it....
My youngest hen (also the tamest) didn't care. The three of them shared the plate. I was afraid she would actually peck the cats for getting near it, but she didn't. They left her a spot to eat from, and she left them spots to eat from, and they were all happily gulping down the food!
Now the reality of it - it will depend on the cats and your chickens. My chickens were raised around kittens. But the 8-week-old chicks that roam the yard aren't too keen on the kittens or the full grown cats. The baby chicks that are only a couple of weeks old would probably be instant dinner if the cats got hungry enough. Thankfully, my cats are always VERY well-fed indoors, so they don't look for hard-to-catch meals like that. Even the full-grown cats have almost no interest in the smallest chicks.
But there is always that one chick who is small enough, or that one cat who is bold enough. Bantams are probably at more risk simply because they are smaller. Large fowl very rarely have problems because they are bigger than the cats, and tend to scare them.
The first time I ever had chicks, I had two 10-week-old kittens. The kittens WOULD chase the chicks around the yard, but I made sure I was always there to stop them. And I did have one neighbor's cat get into my coop and had a chick disappear. But eventually the chickens got used to cats, and started to complain and throw a fit when the cats got near them or their food. The first day I saw one fluff her neck up at a cat and peck at it, I knew they were fine.
If your chickens stand their ground when a cat gets near, you're fine. If they are full-grown large fowl, they'll probably be okay. Or if the cats are scared to come near your yard, you will be ok. Chickens aren't as "fluttery" as wild birds, which works to their advantage. But it all depends on how your chickens and those cats interact with each other when they are close enough.
These days, one of my adult cats will try to sneak up on my main rooster and run up to him. He turns around and flaps his wings, and the cat tucks her tail and takes off back into the woods. He stares for a moment as if to say "thought so" and then goes right back to foraging!
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