Picture Of The Week (POW) Information & Submissions

[SwampPrincessChick]

I would trust cats ~ even the loose ferals around my hens before any dog (& I love dogs). I have a respect for dogs' possible sudden boisterousness where they possibly think a mad hen is great fun to engage with. I've seen cats smart enough to back off from a mad hen rather than engage in battle.

I have noticed that the average chicken trusts a dog better than they trust a cat. They are much more wary of cats. I believe it is because dogs have been used to guard livestock for hundreds of years, while cats are not bred for that due to their sport-killing behavior.

 

[alinas2010]

I would trust cats ~ even the loose ferals around my hens before any dog (& I love dogs). I have a respect for dogs' possible sudden boisterousness where they possibly think a mad hen is great fun to engage with. I've seen cats smart enough to back off from a mad hen rather than engage in battle.

We’ve had a lot of cats come by our chicken run and just watch our chickens but not in a prowling kind of way, more like a curious but I would not attack those because they’re too big kind of way. I trust them a lot more than our own dogs, that’s for sure! We’ve have some incidents with our own dogs, unfortunately.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

We’ve had a lot of cats come by our chicken run and just watch our chickens but not in a prowling kind of way, more like a curious but I would not attack those because they’re too big kind of way. I trust them a lot more than our own dogs, that’s for sure! We’ve have some incidents with our own dogs, unfortunately.

I am sorry to hear that! Dogs are prone to thinking chickens are toys, while most cats just like to hurt every prey-like moving thing they see.

 

[RememberTheWay]

"You Gotta Problem With Me?"

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

"You Gotta Problem With Me?"

Yes, I do. You are too cute.

 

[RememberTheWay]

View attachment 2002654 One of my new broiler chicks I’m raising for show!

Look at that chubby little thing! Love the wide stance it's already expressing though!

 

[RememberTheWay]

Yes, I do. You are too cute.

Bird still has an attitude now! She (he?) Is 17 wks now, small for that age though. Leaning female but not entirely sure yet. Lol

 

[alinas2010]

I have noticed that the average chicken trusts a dog better than they trust a cat. They are much more wary of cats. I believe it is because dogs have been used to guard livestock for hundreds of years, while cats are not bred for that due to their sport-killing behavior.

I would so love to have a good livestock dog! We do have one dog I trust more than the rest around the chickens, he’s a gentle giant I’m sure he’d never do anything.

 

[Gill-b]

Double date night in the Black Copper Marans flock View attachment 3855144

Congrats on the POW

I adore the caption. Awesomeness.

 

[Sylvester017]

I have noticed that the average chicken trusts a dog better than they trust a cat. They are much more wary of cats. I believe it is because dogs have been used to guard livestock for hundreds of years, while cats are not bred for that due to their sport-killing behavior.

I speak of dogs/cats where we own neither of our own. So if a feral or neighbor cat wanders into our yard our hens can hold their own & have actually chased off cats.

But a loose stray dog we are not trusting ~ over the years we have had a stray neighborhood German Shepherd, a Poodle/Shi Tzu, a fluffy Terrier mix, & a yappy Chihuahua break into our yard & they all were merciless chasers after our hens.

Your dogs are pets & trained w/your birds. I was speaking of the trust we have for stray cats preferred over stray dogs of any size/breed & those dogs are a natural danger to hens. Even the tiny loose Chihuahua who squeezed into our yard was a danger whereas stray cats of the same size were not aggressive & had good sense not to challenge any hens. Even stray ferals have the good sense not to engage the hens & flee rather than battle. Not so w/ stray canines.