Do dogs hurt chicks-- or do CATS hurt chicks???

[nzpouter]

you can train the dog... the cat, you'll just have to take your chances.

 

[horsejody]

A cat will normally leave a full grown chicken alone, but chicks would be another story. Very few dogs can be totally trusted with chicks or full grown birds.

 

[dancingbear]

Just about any meat eater will eat chicks, given the chance. Dogs can be trained to leave them alone, cats, not so much.

As I said before, here's why: "PEEP PEEP PEEP PEEP PEEP PEEP PEEP!!!!!" Translation: "I'm alone, come and eat me, I'm alone! Come and eat me....!!!!"

But since chicks are little and fairly easy to contain, I just keep mine protected in a pn until they get about pigeon size, at which point both my dogs and cats ignore them.

My cats are a little afraid of the grown chickens. When I open the back door to let one of the cats out, and there are chickens around the back door, the cats freeze, crouch way down low, look around nervously, then run past the chickens, and look fearfully back over their shoulders.

Today, I looked out my window, and saw the neighbor's German shepard in my driveway. Then I saw three of my guineas rundown the driveway toward him, the dog's tail went between his legs, and he turned and ran away from those scary birds.

Other dogs, and I've heard of a few cats, would go after the chickens as well as the chicks. You just have to watch your own animals, see what they do, and act accordingly. The Cesar method works, it's what I used to get my Lab mixes to leave the birds alone.

 

[redhen]

Does a bear poop in the woods??

Yes, they can hurt them...i have 7 indoor cats and they all think they are fun little peeping cat toys..i always have to have a solid secure lid on my brooders...

 

[johnmayersquare]

Yes on both counts.........I've had my cat go after and kill the chicks(not the full grown chickens).

I have also had dogs kill my chicks AND full grown chickens........be very, very careful to protect them against not only your own pets, but also wandering neighborhood pets and other wild animals....they are very tempting to them!

 

[nzpouter]

caught a feral kitten today.... p-me-off those people that breed and dump....

 

[nzpouter]

either that.... or people that caught these predators and letting them go somewhere else....

 

[domino7]

My neighbor keeps bringing cats home and letting them run the neighborhood. I don't know if I should start shooting cats... or the neighbor! After repeated complaints they don't let their dog run any more, but they think that's what cats are supposed to do.

 

[nzpouter]

It's probably worse where I am... the law actually allows them to roam free as long as they don't exhibit any mischiveous tendency... a cat... go figure that out...