Two cats just showed up!

[ekofke201]

My dog just went crazy at the door... he seems protective of his chickens though I have never allowed him near them once they left the house (he growls at the woman who lives above our barn when she is near them, though he loves her normally)...

Low and behold there were two healthy looking cats creeping along the fence toward the chickens. As I ran out there they moved a little further into the woods, but the CHICKENS continued to follow them. I threw rocks and the cats ran off...

Will they come back and eat my girls? They are six months old. But I have a polish and a hamburg (which are smaller).

I am concerned! Thoughts?

 

[Pullet Surprise]

That's all going to depend on the cats and the chickens. As far as the cats go, how much hunt/kill instinct they have and how much danger instinct the chickens have and how big they are compared to the cats. We had our neighbor's old cat wander through the yard the other day. He was not interested in the chickens at all...too big and too fast, plus my chickens are pretty good at flying. Another cat came through yesterday...again no interest in the chickens. It is something to watch. I have had cats around that could not catch anything, let alone sneak up on anything...and there are others that are 'natural born killers' and decimated populations of anything that moved. I would guess they will be back, traps might be in order. Also allowing your dog to be outside would help. You said your chickens followed the cats...were they driving them off or wanting to flock up with them?

 

[ekofke201]

They looked like they were curious about them. There was not any wing flapping or noise coming from the chickens. They seemed completely unconcerned about the cats.

 

[Pullet Surprise]

Oh dear! LOL well, maybe they did not read anything threatening from the cats....hope they were right.