New member introduction

[monica.stromberg]

Hi!
I am a teacher in Paradise, Texas. We have a lovely backyard with huge oak trees that offer a lot of shade. I have an old playhouse of my daughter that I am going to turn into a coop. I would like to have 6-8 chickens for eggs, since my family eats a lot of them, and I love to bake! My problem is my husband! He insists that I have to get rid of my dog (lab) and all the outdoor cats before I can get chickens. I think we will be ok- of course, I will keep the chicks in a protected place until they are almost full grown, and then introduce them to Gatlin and the cats. To be honest, my cats are not hunters. Every once in a while they catch a tiny grass snake and play with it, but there are moles and toads all over the place, and the kitties just ignore them! Gatlin is very calm and does not bother the cats at all, although he does chase off strange cats and skunks. What do you think? My gut feeling is my chickens will be ok, but my husband is sure there will be a huge slaughter, and I will slide into a huge decline.
Any advice?

Monica

 

[dawg53]

Welcome to BYC. Build your coop and run like Ft Knox and you'll get your eggs eventually.

 

[schellie69]

from Kansas. I would make sure to start training your dog from day one. Most cats will not mess with a full grown hen I know mine won't. I would build a good coop/pen and only let them out to free range while your there have a water hose ready and if the cats go for the chicks hit them with the hose works really well. Good luck.

 

[JulieNKC]

. We have a couple stray cats that don't bother my girls. You know your dog, if he is calm and laid back he probably won't bother them, although it would take awhile before you could be sure.

 

[weimarmama]

&

from Alabama. Our cats try to steer clear of our chickens & even the ducks. We make sure not to let our weims around them & our standard poodle has been fine with them so far.

 

[Wild Trapper]

from John in Ohio

Having a bird dog and also trying to have birds might be a learning experience for the dog. Just saying! The cats should be fine, once the chickens are old enough.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

and

from Ohio. So glad you joined. My weims are great with the chickens as long as they don't run. They one will pin it to the ground and I have to tell her it is OK, I am not trying to catch them.

 

[kla37]

You'll have to convince your dog that the chickens are part of his "pack" and he'll probably be OK. Cats don't usually bother full grown chickens. Good luck!

 

[zookyla]

Hi Monica,

Welcome to BYC from a fellow Texan! I live in Santa Fe, TX. I would build a protective run and only let the chickens free range when you can watch them. I think the dog could be trained to accept the chickens as members of the "pack". Don't have much advice for you about the cats, but I like the water hose idea. There are many things you can do to protect your chickens. This forum is a great resource.

Carolyn

 

[Attack Chicken]

from Indiana!