Predator eyes

[chiknhurder]

Young should never be left out in my eyes and since we watch them when free ranging I'm not worried about the crows...the adults make the crows move away anyway. My chickens will chase the local feral cats, it can be amusing sometimes as the cats freak out when a doz chickens come running at them.

Sounds like you know what works best for you. Good luck.

 

[fenwickchic]

Young should never be left out in my eyes and since we watch them when free ranging I'm not worried about the crows...the adults make the crows move away anyway. My chickens will chase the local feral cats, it can be amusing sometimes as the cats freak out when a doz chickens come running at them.

That had to be quite funny to watch the chickens chase cats away. I love cats and have 5 (always indoors) but I wondered what they would do when we brought home chicks. We had a brooder box set up in our foyer with a large window screen over it (just in case) but the cats only seemed curious. After a while, as long as we were around, we didn't use the screen. We only did that if we were away or went out. Now that the chickens are grown, if I bring one in for any reason, the cats are very cautious, but still curious. One cat will look out the window into the chicken tractor and watch them. I guess he likes "chicken tv" too!

 

[otis7]

I had a security breach in my brooder. One of my house cats pulled out a chick when we weren't home. My boyfriend found her glossy and hiding under a radiator. She is now named Scratch and she is a huge austrolorp. My little housecoat has met her at her full grown, healthy age, she put things in order. . My cats don't care much about the chickens, and my chickens don't care much about the cats.

 

[otis7]

Bloody

 

[fenwickchic]

Bloody

I'm assuming you meant bloody instead of glossy? That was awful. I'm glad she survived!! Obviously, the cat didn't want to actually kill it or it would have been dead as a chick unless you had to keep them in your brooder box as long as I did because the coop wasn't finished

Love the name she got, Scratch! Wish I had taken pictures of my cats looking at the chicks. It was too funny. Just like the dog knew he had to leave the cats alone, the cats knew the chicks were ours and that they HAD to leave the chicks alone.

 

[otis7]

We had the chicks in the laundry room behind an old door, which doesn't always shut all the way. Someone (ahem....boyfriend) didn't shut it all the way. He called me at work to tell me the story and said the chick had a tiny "scratch." (he didnt want to worry me, lot of good that did) I came home to a pretty large wound. She miraculously healed just fine. My guess is jasper was "playing" with her but "playing" quickly leads to death for the mice in this house. I am forever thankful she scurried under that radiator. She's an awesome chicken. Next time we raise chicks they will be under lock and key!!!

 

[chefman4u2]

Update on the Predator eyes.....Last week a coyote walked right past them several times...never paid attention to them at all. The only predator that hasn't done that are the foxes and they are scarce around here.

 

[kconley]

My hens were not happy about the fake owl we got at first, but then they warmed up to him. The moving head helps a little with other animals that aren't constantly around it, but I wouldn't rely on it as the only way.