Housing a feral cat inside the chicken run for rodent control?

[dearmeghann]

We didn't let our outside cats near the girls when they were chicks/pullets. But the second they fluffed out and got big enough we let them interact. The cats are the sweetest and are more curious than anything. All they needed to do was get pecked at once for getting too close, and they back off. They've even helped me corral the girls back from the woods when they got too far. Plus, they're great mousers!

I'm sure folks have had trouble with feral or hungry cats, but all of our animals are spoiled and well fed. Our girl cats love to go in the run when it's open to sneak a few bites of the chicken scratch. Haha!

 

[bswim]

We took in a tabby cat that was dumped in our neighborhood this winter. Took a few months to break the ice with him but he's now pretty loving, when he wants to be HAHA. I've never seen a cat with the hunting instinct that he has, not just rodents and birds but neighborhood cats as well. There's now nothing that comes around our place.
He was already neutered when he showed up.
I wouldn't trust him with any chickens, baby or full grown. He'll attack a computer monitor to get at the birds on it LOL

 

[StacyT]

I have several feral cats. None of them bother the chickens. Chicks I don’t put out until they’re big enough not to be tempting for the cats. I’ve never had a cat bother any of the chickens. In fact the opposite occurs a lot my chickens chase the cats I also know a few other farmers around that do the same thing. I often rehome feral cats to other farms. We have a horrible mole infestation and the cats keep them under control.

 

[dearmeghann]

I have several feral cats. None of them bother the chickens. Chicks I don’t put out until they’re big enough not to be tempting for the cats. I’ve never had a cat bother any of the chickens. In fact the opposite occurs a lot my chickens chase the cats I also know a few other farmers around that do the same thing. I often rehome feral cats to other farms. We have a horrible mole infestation and the cats keep them under control.

We're clearing out some of our property, and the number of mice we've been finding from our little mousers has been insane! They caught 4 in two days!