Keeping a barn cat in the chicken coop?

[peepblessed]

I guess I'm the only one that's had a cat kill a grown chicken. We had a feral cat hanging around for a few days and I went out to give the chickens some scraps and saw white feathers everywhere. I followed the trail of feathers that lead under the porch and there was that cat munching away on my poor white leghorn. That cat carried that chicken over a 2 1/2 foot gate too! Don't like to kill anything but my husband did dispatch that cat. None of our own cats have ever bothered our chickens.

 

[greenacresinNE]

Bubba the Barn Cat came with the acreage, and as far as I know had never seen a chicken before we got there. He seems to know the difference between the chicks and the wild birds, and DEFINITELY is a great rodent hunter. He actually will run out to protect the older hens if he hears any hub-bub outside when they are free ranging. We free feed dry kibble and it hasn't stopped him from exterminating the rodents. He is great with the babies as little as 2 weeks old.

 

[frstchknz]

I think that getting a kitten and raising it up with the chickens is a good idea.
PLEASE feed your cat. I have read a post that says not to feed barn cats because they will kill more. That is simply NOT TRUE. Cats don't kill for food. They kill because it's their instinct. If you don't feed your cat it will not have the strength that it needs to hunt and simply won't. I've had barn cats all my life, they were always fed and we never had a rat or mouse problem.
The healthier your cat is the more productive it will be for you

 

[jettgirl24]

We have a big orange barn cat... It hunts EVERYTHING. Birds, moles, even a red squirrel the other day... But that cat does not go after my chickens and I haven't had any problem with my Banty cockerel or my Wyandotte pullets. They are far from full grown and I've seen the cat get other birds of the same size but I think it knows that they are mine and not for touching. I don't trust that with my little chicks but once they are 6 or 7 weeks old they're out of the brooder and I've never had a problem.

 

[ridgefire]

I have large male barn cat, who sleeps in one of the nest boxes. The hens kick him out to lay eggs. He has never bothered with the hens and the hens really don't mess with him.