Wanna Free Range My Roo's, But---

[krazeepolack]

I have two roo's out of a flock of twenty six hens (24 hens, now) I'd like to place shelter for them out of the coop & run, maybe in a couple enclosed cat litter boxes, w/thier own food/water supply. I have a hunting cat! He brings home anything from tarantula's, snakes, lizards, rabbits, & a few other things.

If I turn out my roo's, what are thier chances fending off my cat?

The roo's are presently13 weeks old. The cat, 3 years- anyone????

 

[PineappleMama]

Don't have a roo or a cat, so I'm no expert but I haven't heard of too many stories of housecats taking on full grown hens... much less a roo. Chicks, yes... or at least a maybe... but full grown they're smart enough to know that beak will hurt.

 

[krazeepolack]

I know about the sharp beaks!!

I've been "beaked" a few times already. Just that this cat seems to know no bounds. One of the snakes was four feet long (luckily for me, no rattles, 'cause that fool brought it IN THE HOUSE-TWICE)

Will they want to fight between themselves on the outside, w/o access to the hens?? The roo's will just have to take whatever comes along in the big outdoor world, I guess.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Why do you want to keep them outside of the coop & run? At 13 weeks they're still very vulnerable to a number of predators. Even when full-grown they'll be vulnerable to predators, especially at night. They will need their own coop, or let them bunk with the hens.

 

[krazeepolack]

I want to collect eggs, not little chicks.

I got the two roo's as an added feature from an un named hatchery, well disguised as hens!

OOPS!

 

[LilBizzy]

Those 2 roosters could live happily with the hens. As long s you collect eggs every day, and don't let any of the hens set on them for 21 days, you won't get chicks.
If they are to be seperate from the girls, they should have a safe secure structure to go in to at night. If they are not penned, you can expect tragedy at some point. And it's one heck of a horrible sound and sight when a raccoon is attacking.

But, to answer your question- We've lost 2 that jumped on to the neighbors dog pen, and 2 others to the other neighbors dog. We have 5 outdoor cats ( not mine, but neighbors cats) that have never bothered the chickens. In fact, the chickens have bothered the cats. We also had a stray kitten that came to us and lived in with our chickens( and he killed and ate mice and birds but never went after a chicken- although we did have a baby chick disappear, and it may have been him). So, it's been my experience that cats don't mess with the full grown chickens. But even though we have had no problems with the cats in 2 years- I get a little nervous when they come around the chickens. Because you just never know

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Roosters will just make the eggs fertile, they won't develop into chicks unless they're incubated by a broody hen or put in an incubator. There's been lots of other discussions on eating fertilized eggs, they're really no different than sterile ones. Just a tiny microscopic dot of difference. But if you still don't want the roosters with your hens, then eat them or give them away to a person, not to a predator.

 

[krazeepolack]

PREDATORS? You bet!!

I'm waiting until they're ready to start "bothering" my hens.

ANYONE?? Price? Close you eyes & what do you see?? Perhaps, hopefully someone reading this might want them?? One is a BR, while the other is a NHR-

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Thank you. Finally.

Having a rooster around will not harm anything, you won't get baby chicks. That takes a broody hen to sit on the eggs for 21 days.

Also, most hatchery based hens aren't very broody at all anyway. I've only once had a broody from my hatchery flock.

 

[Whimsy]

The Roo's actually are helpful. They will alert the hens of danger ( mine lets me know someone is here way before the dogs!) When and if you free-range your birds he will find treats keep them all close. My cat who has a huge prey drive has never bothered any of my chickens. The neighborhood cat comes and watches them too. I guess they like Chicken TV too.