We have a stray cat roaming around our farm that we see on occasions.
I have a small temporary rooster pen set up in the back yard. The coop is a hutch with small windows that are covered with heavy fencing wire and poultry wire. One of our dogs is usually outside over night in nice weather but several nights ago they decided that the AC was more attractive than chasing critters all night. I woke up two days ago to find my two extra cockerels roaming around the back yard. When I examined the pen, I discovered a LOT of feathers, both in the hutch and in the pen. One corner of the pen was pushed out from the inside. I figured the stray cat paid a visit to the coop that night and while the birds were roosted, reached in and tried to grab one of them, setting off a melee of panic. The birds managed to push out the corner of the run wire in their desire to get away from the cat in the middle of the night.
I don't underestimate feral cats any longer. I covered all the windows with half inch hardware cloth and set up the game camera. So far, no pictures of the predator and even if we do see what it is, if it is a cat I don't know what we will do about it other than letting the dogs keep it at bay. We have a live trap we could use but unfortunately all the types of bait that will catch a cat will also draw in raccoons and possums. With new chicks and their broody hen mother that is the last thing I want.
We love cats. We have 5 of them in the house and they are members of the family. But they are in the house where they are not a threat to our flock. Frankly I think the the best defense is to have your birds penned up where they are safe at night. But as I pointed out with my experience. Sometimes that isn't even enough.
I have a small temporary rooster pen set up in the back yard. The coop is a hutch with small windows that are covered with heavy fencing wire and poultry wire. One of our dogs is usually outside over night in nice weather but several nights ago they decided that the AC was more attractive than chasing critters all night. I woke up two days ago to find my two extra cockerels roaming around the back yard. When I examined the pen, I discovered a LOT of feathers, both in the hutch and in the pen. One corner of the pen was pushed out from the inside. I figured the stray cat paid a visit to the coop that night and while the birds were roosted, reached in and tried to grab one of them, setting off a melee of panic. The birds managed to push out the corner of the run wire in their desire to get away from the cat in the middle of the night.
I don't underestimate feral cats any longer. I covered all the windows with half inch hardware cloth and set up the game camera. So far, no pictures of the predator and even if we do see what it is, if it is a cat I don't know what we will do about it other than letting the dogs keep it at bay. We have a live trap we could use but unfortunately all the types of bait that will catch a cat will also draw in raccoons and possums. With new chicks and their broody hen mother that is the last thing I want.
We love cats. We have 5 of them in the house and they are members of the family. But they are in the house where they are not a threat to our flock. Frankly I think the the best defense is to have your birds penned up where they are safe at night. But as I pointed out with my experience. Sometimes that isn't even enough.
