What Comes First - New FR Chickens or Getting Rid of Feral Cats

[Wisc Joe]

Hello Everyone! We are new to the possibility of raising chickens--next Spring we want to add eggs (and possibly whole chickens) to our successful CSA here in SW Wisconsin. We have a little over an acre that is an old fenced pasture. The pasture is away from our house, and we definitely want free range chickens. We will line the inside of the fence with chicken wire, and expect to eliminate/reduce raccoons with an electrified fence, 2 strands along the outside, that will be energized at night. Because of our almost three acres of good veggies we have attracted many hundreds of mice, three types. One type may actually be a vole. We 'control' them with trapping, housing for a barn owl, and the many feral cats that have found our property. The chickens-to-be will have a low overhead shelter where I expect they will roost for the night. This should eliminate problems with the barn owls. I think we have an effective solution for the raccoons. What experience does anyone have with feral cats? Thanks in advance!

 

[SteveBaz]

Ferrel cats are a fierce hunter and survived all kinds of completion out there to stay alive. Having free range chickens out there for targets is a recipe for disaster I would think. You may need to address the cats by killing or trapping and disposing of prior to getting your chickens going.

Your idea for the coop sounds good and secure but that is not free ranging and allowing them to run free with wild cats to chase them around is not a good chance to survive with everything else out there trying to get them. JMHO

Welcome to the BYC

 

[feathers_3]

If you don't want to get rid of the wild cats then you would need to keep them in the fence at all times. I have pet and feral cats, none of which have attempted to eat or catch my chickens. But I have to keep my chickens fenced in because we have a Jack Russel and a Black Lab who is a bird dog. The Jack Russel has already killed one of my chickens. If you don't want your chickens attacked by anything keep em fenced in because just about anything will try to get a chicken.(foxes, stray dogs, bobcats, coyotes, raccoons, opossums, and whatever else y'all have around there)