Please help! Cats and adult chickens?

[VeganWoolfe]

Hey all!
I am from Sydney Australia in the suburbs so luckily the predators are slim!

I am adopting 8 adult chickens from a battery cage company, these poor girls have lived the worst life and now they would normally be killed so instead I am saving as many as possible to put in the alleyway beside my parent's house... 7 x 2 metres

My question relates to predators, particularly CATS. We have foxes in the area as well but the whole alleyway is concreted on the floor and the only bit of soil I will place pavers under so that nothing can dig through. The fence is completely closed... Foxes will not be a problem

However, do I need to cover the entire top of the alleyway as well to protect the chickens from cats????

I know that cats can eat baby chicks but can they and will they harm or eat a fully grown 2 year old chicken? It would help a lot to hear the experience of others. I have a friend whose mother raises chickens and he insists that cats aren't a concern to adult chickens but I need other opinions before I am sure.

Thanks guys!
Marcel

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

If you have raccoons at all (yes they are in the cities over here) they can climb the fence.

I have had 2 cat attacks on my chickens but they were not successful as the chicken flew into the air and the other attack we saved the chickens.

My big fluffy Buff Orpingtons don't have problems with cats...only my smaller hens, say 3.5 lbs.

I hope this helps. You might just give it a go and see if you have a problem, but having chickens is always risky unless they are totally sealed up in 1/2 inch hardware cloth, all the way round and over the top.

Rats and weasels also kill chickens.

My approach is to have a fence around everything but then at night close them up in a shed so they are safe. Make sure you have ventilation.