Keeping Chickens Free Range

[K Epp]

Hello! I have another Free Range question...

One of my neighbors has an ungodly amount of cats - last count was 14. A few days ago, as I was sitting in the run with my chickens just observing and trying to assess their pecking order, I saw one of the cats walk right up to the run (didn't even notice me until I stood up, it was so fixated on the chickens). I believe the cats have also been trying to claw their way into the coop - it is 100% secure (in fact, I think they have given up trying), but it makes me nervous to let them free range. Will chickens (I have 10 hens and 1 rooster) defend themselves ok from cats (normal house cats, not feral cats), or is it best to forget about free ranging?

The cat will jump in the middle of the chickens get flogged and never mother then again. I have a cat who catches squirrels, rabbits, snakes, etc. Even he runs from the chickens. Chicks are safe here to as long as they have a broody to protect them.

 

[LanceTN]

I'm looking for hens that won't jump a fence. Preferably can't jump a fence 3 to 4 feet high. Any suggestions?

Get a heavy breed like a Buff Orp then clip a wing

 

[islandgirl82]

Thank you, Lazy Gardener. I enjoy writing about them almost as much as I enjoy observing them. They are quite the little muses. When I made the decision early on this year to expand my flock and started looking into various, I read about Hamburgs and based on the reviews, decided they would not be a good fit for me. I'm so glad I didn't remember what I'd read the day I picked up what were supposed to be 3 EE pullets because as soon as I saw her, I was captivated. I traded one of my reserved pullets for her and she has shown me just how wrong I was about them not being the breed for me. I wouldn't however, recommend Hamburgs to anyone who wants cuddly chickens. She's a bit of a loner with the rest of the flock (I think their personalities seem a little too "bubbly" for her liking at times) but she's friendly with me, always at my feet, waiting to see what delicious tidbits I find in the gardens to give her and if she finds I've left the door open she'll come in to find me and nestle down beside me while I'm working. When I do hold her, it's always after she's gone to roost. She will protest only when I try to put her back on the roost and inevitably the following day, she's stays even closer to me. My children and I have spent a tremendous amount of time with her specifically because of the reviews and she was already 10 weeks old before we got her and hadn't had any handling before. It took her longer to warm up to us than any of our other new additions but it's been well worth our efforts and having a little patience has gone a very long way.

I've been reading up a lot on their history and have decided that I'll be refining my flock to mainly the Golden Spangled variety and possibly keep a few Silver Penciled Wyandottes, although, I'm not entirely sure I could really do without the EE antics. Maybe just one.

You are correct about them being the nicknamed "every day layer". My girl, aptly named Amelia Earhart, has certainly proven that.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

Hello! I have another Free Range question...

One of my neighbors has an ungodly amount of cats - last count was 14. A few days ago, as I was sitting in the run with my chickens just observing and trying to assess their pecking order, I saw one of the cats walk right up to the run (didn't even notice me until I stood up, it was so fixated on the chickens). I believe the cats have also been trying to claw their way into the coop - it is 100% secure (in fact, I think they have given up trying), but it makes me nervous to let them free range. Will chickens (I have 10 hens and 1 rooster) defend themselves ok from cats (normal house cats, not feral cats), or is it best to forget about free ranging?

NV, I have had MANY cats & MANY OBSERVATIONS, over the years.
********I WOULD KEEP A WATCH over chicks for a while!*******
Cats like to play. Chicks are on the bigger size but none the less, they 'move all by themselves' as a cat would/could be quoted to say. Only twice out of the few months I had chicks, the cats tried to 'play' & I was close by. Even a well fed cat will be intrigued with ANYTHING that wiggles.(think cat toys in stores) IF they are feral, THEN I may be worried. As we all know, chickens can fly, cats cannot! Oh, and many are correct in saying a Roo will protect others...
Good luck with it!

 

[Sylviaanne]

We have cats here but none "belong" to us. They were here when we moved in and people have dropped others off out in front of our house. Unfortunately, my daughters snuck around and fed them behind my back so they are here to stay.

I have watched them with my older chicks and they don't bother them but there is no way in heck that I would trust them with newborn babies. I don't even put the chicks outside until they are too big to go through the chain link fence. The cats watch but don't touch. I have a cage of 1/4" grid that they can go outside in and when they are big enough I put them in cages that is wire and the grid is about 1x2 inch size. I figure that a raccoon might be able to reach in through that grid but the chicks are big enough that the cats won't bother them. I have sat and watched to make sure. I didn't leave their sides until I was sure of it.

 

[k626]

I have a barn cat that had brought me all manner of dead presents, but she's left the roo alone. I'd be a bit worried if I had chicks, but with the full grown chickens, she knows their pretty much bigger than her.

 

[heiditam]

I love my silly girls-they are so much fun to watch and they come running to me every time I step out the door lol! They are lazy, but if forced they are foraging! HA!

But lemme tell you...they got to get off my front porch and walk...seriously!!!!!! We have alot of land-choice woods-full of critters. Why do they like to hang out on the few places I DON'T want poop! My husband came home from lunch and one of the girls was lounging on the welcome mat. They are killing me! lol

 

[islandgirl82]

I love my silly girls-they are so much fun to watch and they come running to me every time I step out the door lol! They are lazy, but if forced they are foraging! HA!

But lemme tell you...they got to get off my front porch and walk...seriously!!!!!! We have alot of land-choice woods-full of critters. Why do they like to hang out on the few places I DON'T want poop! My husband came home from lunch and one of the girls was lounging on the welcome mat. They are killing me! lol

Poop happens.

The thing is, they know we're a food source and if they were hand-raised (especially being hand-raised), we're also like mother, so they want to be around us. What's theirs is theirs and what's yours is theirs.

 

[ChickyChickens]

Some pics of my free range flock! (SORRY FOR CHANGING SUBJECT)

 

[QueenBubbles]

I'm looking for hens that won't jump a fence. Preferably can't jump a fence 3 to 4 feet high. Any suggestions?

My Light Brahma cannot jump over any fences. No wing cutting necessary. In fact she can't get into the raised bed (3 feet) without a step stool. She just sits next to it when all the others are up there.