Want to own chickens again after 6 years…

[Brummie Pekin]

Hi this is my first post after about 6 years, just about remembered my log in details lol. Used to own chickens around 7-8 years ago they were small pekin bantams raised them from chicks and had them for around 3-4 years until unfortunately they died after we introduced new chickens to the flock and some sort of disease spread. I’m 22 now and since then have not thought about owning chickens again until now.

Since I last had the chickens I have kept 2 parrots (both died yeah I have terrible luck) and a tabby cat that isn’t dead thankfully. My only question now is what chicken breed is best to get? I moved into a new house so I have medium sized garden (I live in the UK) and I have one cat that is not familiar living with any other animals, will my cat kill the chickens? Any help would be appreciated, I’m not looking for egg layers or for their meat just as pets.

 

[User690263]

I think that it is fairly likely that your cat will try to hunt the chickens if it has not been properly introduced to them.
Welcome back by the way!

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Hello and welcome back! You will get lots of opinions but the best chickens are the best for you and your climate. I would steer clear of feathered feet and birds with large combs (so no Cochins or Leghorns, for example). Also with less space don’t get something that prefers to free-range like an Ancona or a Buckeye. Plenty of birds are docile, have smaller combs and make good pets!

 

[Brummie Pekin]

Hello and welcome back! You will get lots of opinions but the best chickens are the best for you and your climate. I would steer clear of feathered feet and birds with large combs (so no Cochins or Leghorns, for example). Also with less space don’t get something that prefers to free-range like an Ancona or a Buckeye. Plenty of birds are docile, have smaller combs and make good pets!

My garden isn’t too small 6 meters x 7 meters, they will be free range in the daytime and in the coop at night

 

[Brummie Pekin]

I think that it is fairly likely that your cat will try to hunt the chickens if it has not been properly introduced to them.
Welcome back by the way!

My cat is quite small for an adult cat, most likely smaller than a few chicken breeds. Below is a picture next to a normal sized football. If I get a bigger chicken breed surely it won’t attack it right?

 

[User690263]

My cat is quite small for an adult cat, most likely smaller than a few chicken breeds. Below is a picture next to a normal sized football. If I get a bigger chicken breed surely it won’t attack it right?
View attachment 4116190

I think it really depends on the individual cat. I've had cats stalk and attack fully grown turkeys that were twice their size.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I have had a lot of outdoor cats and never had one go after a full-grown chicken. I think my last cat might have thought about it once when they were pullets but the chickens kicked up such a fuss it freaked her out and she never tried it again. Unless your cat is starving I very much doubt it will go after a chicken.

 

[Mill Chick]

Orpingtons are fairly friendly (they are also good egg layers) and are large so maybe less likely for your cat to attack...?
Silkies that I have had tend to be very sweet also but are smaller and need a little more maintenance but are very cute little balls of fluff and very good mamas but they themself don't lay very many eggs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You do not get guarantees with living animals. Under what appear to be identical circumstances you can get different results. I don't know what that specific cat will do under your circumstances.

For thousands of years farmers have had free ranging flocks of chickens hatching and raising baby chicks and keeping free roaming cats (basically feral) to help with rodents. The baby chicks are generally more appealing to a cat than the adults. What typically happens is that the cat leaves them alone to start with. But if a cat shows an interest in hunting a baby chick the mama hen usually adjusts its thinking. She defends her babies.

If you get baby chicks I would protect them from the cat until they grow. Once they reach close to adult size they will probably be safe. The larger the chickens the more likely they are to be safe.

You may notice I use a lot of "weasel words" like more likely, generally, typically, and such. I cannot give you any guarantees as to what any living animal will do. In your circumstances I'd avoid bantams and expect success.

Which breed to get? We all have our own personal favorites but my goals are different from yours. My suggestion is to go through "Henderson's Breed Chart"

Henderson's Handy Dandy Chicken Chart (sagehenfarmlodi.com)

and select something that you think suits you. These are just one person's opinion on the different breeds. Each individual has its own personality and can vary from breed tendencies dramatically but I don't have anything better to offer. Just like a human, two individual chickens can vary a lot even if they are the same "breed" or even raised together.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hi, welcome (back?)
We have cats and do not have problems with them going after the adult chickens. While they are little, we do keep them away from the cats, at least until they no longer look like baby birds - about four to five weeks at least. At eight weeks I feel they are completely safe from the cats.