Freeranging-Will cats kill chickens?

[RestlessCrow]

I can't speak on authority, but I have a two year old cat who will "stalk" my girls. The one girl I call "HB" (short for HBIC) will see the cat stalking and literally chase her off. She's only 12-23 weeks old too! So far I've had more of a problem with my dog than my cat.

 

[tristancolli]

i have two barn cats and they don't even try they acually play with the chickens.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
A cat that's a year old is no longer a kitten. That's a full grown cat.

You're right though, it depends on the cat.

Most house cats, even most that live outside, or barn cats, won't bother them. I have 9 cats, several hang around the coop to hunt mice. A couple like to run through groups of chickens and scatter them sometimes, (and then watch and snicker, "ha ha, made you jump!") but these are also the same cats that don't want to go out the back door if there are chickens gathered there. They run from the chickens more than they run at them.

I have about 30 chicks of various ages running around the cats aren't bothering them either. However, these have had mama hens to protect them, too. When I incubate chicks, and they don't have a mom to protect them, I keep them confined, away from cats and everything else, until they're at least fully feathered out. Then they seem just fine. I would bet on even my cats not eating a brand new fuzzy chick.

I have heard of cats that will attack and kill a full-grown chicken. So You just have to see what your individual cats do. They'll most likely be just fine, but test them out and see, is all you can do.

 

[PortageGirl]

I have had a local feral cat TRY to get mine, but they either run in squawking flapping terror as soon as they spot it stalking them, (and they always have spotted him) or one time the 'head hen' charged it. After a couple attempts, this cat now just gives them a dirty look as it uses a path through our woods to get to another area.

I don't have a rooster yet, but if I had one, (and I hope to again soon) I'd feel even better, but as it is, I feel ok about my free rangers.

I'd keep a sharp eye on things at first but probably try it myself. All up to you though.

 

[txchickie]

Our barn cats stay far far away from the chickens

They are pansies.

I have a few chickens that will attack the cats if they see them with a mouse

 

[JJMR794]

So Far The Nieghbor Is Down 3 Cats In The Past Week, But I Havent Lost Any Stock Recently.....

Seems A .22 Rifle And A 20 Oz Pop Botlle Works Great For Quiet Discrete Intervention...

And To Bluntly Answer Your Question Yes! Cats Can And Will Kill Chichens! As Will Dogs Coyotes Racoons And Even Skunks

 

[Emzyyy]

I had to bantam Cochins my neighbor's cat got. I don't think a cat would get get full grown chickens unless they were very hungry.

 

[jerseygirl1]

I waited til my chicks were biggerbefore I let them free range, the cats could care less about them, they stare, but that's all

 

[phoenixmama]

What saddina said...

I wouldn't feel comfortable with my cats around anything smaller than a full grown chicken.