We haven't had a barn cat for quite a while and I started seeing rats in the barn, so we got a couple of adult barn cats from someone who needed to rehome them. They're both fixed and really sweet.
Today the weather was nice so I let the bigger flock out for a few minutes at the end of the day, while I tended our meat bunnies, and the older cat went after a hen. I was there to intervene, but now I don't know whether the cat was in earnest and would have hurt the hen or if she was just messing around. I sent a note to the previous owner asking if they ever had any incidents with their chickens.
The cats had just been fed, and supposedly they were around bunnies and chickens at their previous place, so I was really surprised at what happened. One of the bunnies got out of her cage the other night and the cats didn't hurt her. They were all just hanging out together in the barn when I discovered the bunny was loose. I would never let the cats around chicks or baby bunnies, but I was hoping the adults could free range.
The roo with the flock that was loose today is a real weenie; he's an older Polish mix who's on the smaller side. We have another one that we were going to get rid of because he's so mean, a big young Buff Orp, and I imagine he'd have attacked the cat, not the other way around. I was planning on switching the roosters around soon, and hatching some offspring fathered by the big meanie, so I'm planning on keeping him around for a few months longer at least anyway.
I wonder if I could try letting the meaner rooster teach the cat not to mess with the chickens?
Today the weather was nice so I let the bigger flock out for a few minutes at the end of the day, while I tended our meat bunnies, and the older cat went after a hen. I was there to intervene, but now I don't know whether the cat was in earnest and would have hurt the hen or if she was just messing around. I sent a note to the previous owner asking if they ever had any incidents with their chickens.
The cats had just been fed, and supposedly they were around bunnies and chickens at their previous place, so I was really surprised at what happened. One of the bunnies got out of her cage the other night and the cats didn't hurt her. They were all just hanging out together in the barn when I discovered the bunny was loose. I would never let the cats around chicks or baby bunnies, but I was hoping the adults could free range.
The roo with the flock that was loose today is a real weenie; he's an older Polish mix who's on the smaller side. We have another one that we were going to get rid of because he's so mean, a big young Buff Orp, and I imagine he'd have attacked the cat, not the other way around. I was planning on switching the roosters around soon, and hatching some offspring fathered by the big meanie, so I'm planning on keeping him around for a few months longer at least anyway.
I wonder if I could try letting the meaner rooster teach the cat not to mess with the chickens?
