Which breeds are most likely to stand up to predators?

[pko]

Hi,

I am not yet a chicken owner. I am currently in the process of planning how to lay out a new property I've purchased. My wife is from China and always told me stories about her family's chickens during the famine. They were apparently crosses between an egg laying breed and a fighting breed. She claims, completely in seriousness, that her uncle was able to ride one of these chickens when he was 3-4years old. My question for the forum relates to her other claims. That the hens were so aggressive they would challenge cocks, humans and cats..and with the exception of the 2 legs come out the better. The accuracy of her story I don't care about. What I am interested in is finding a breed in which the hens will harass strangers. I will have a LGD or donkey or geese guarding them from larger predators..but I would love to have a chicken that seeks to deter children or small stray cats/dogs from harassing the coop. Do you know of any such breed or is it fantasy? I don't really want to have a rooster unless a neighbour has one (semi-rural residential area, dont want to make a lot of noise) but a super angry hen would be fantastic.

Also I am concerned about rats/mice. I've read that they will almost certainly show up near a coop. Being that I'm in Australia and even our sheep are venemous, I don't really want to rely on snakes as my deterrent. Are there any breeds of cat that can be trained to hunt the rodents and leave the chicks (if I do get a rooster) ?

 

[AHappychick]

sorry cant resist just picturing an attack hen

I think at the end of the day all chicken is a good meal, but I am sure there are some breeds better at flying and keeping themselves safe. certainly not silkies thats for sure

 

[ACA]

Roosters vet people avgresive and torwds all. But will not be able to protected from your neihbors dogs trust me had 5 adult roosters all knew pecking order have lost 17 chickens in a month. Down to two adult roosters they try just don't happen. Good old shotgun and paitence is all that will do trick

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Velociraptors

 

[pko]

Quote:
Its not that I want to use chickens as the only defense. I will have probably have aMaremma that Im sure will bark all large predators away. But for instance, lets say my dog is in his yard away from the coop and some children sneak on the property for mischief. If the hen puts up a helluva fight they will decide to not do anything silly. I remember when I was in school, the grade above me went to a petting farm. They grabbed the baby chicks and threw them in the pig pen. They also tried smuggling some to the croc pen (not the entire place was a petting zoo). This is not the only instance of stupid brats (that I knew) messing with animals that I can think of. Hens that attack people would be handy in that scenario. So long as they dont hurt the egg layers and meat chooks they'd be perfect even if I had to wear body armor (I kid) into the coop. It is a sad reality that in the area I live in, there really are a lot of kids with absolutely no respect for animals or property. Also my niece and nephew. Somehow they managed to make the most gentle dog in the world angry. Not to mention throwing things at a bull. Hopefully nature will run its course >_>

 

[WoodlandWoman]

It sounds like sturdy pens, good locks and a camera that would take pictures of the offenders might be a better way to go in your situation.

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

I don't know about where you live but any animal that attacks a kid...even one on your property and trespassing...puts you in the position of being sued. Look up 'attractive nuisance' ordinances. I can think of a lot of things to do to nasty children, but unfortunately all of them are illegal.

It would be a special kind of cat that could be trained to be a predator but leave chicks alone. I don't think there is such a thing. Chances are a hungry cat is going to eat the thing easiest to catch. If I were a betting woman I'd bet on the cat over a protective mother chicken any day. Even a large, very nasty rooster will come out on the short end of most confrontations with an armed child (think baseball bat) or a larger predator...one with teeth. Chickens have none.

If I were serious...a large pen and coop totally enclosed by heavy fencing with an electric fence some distance away surrounding that.

 

[Dust Bunny]

Quote:
our cats are little killers but leave our chickens alone, they bring endless dead mice but never touch the chickens, not even the peeps

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

I bet you feed your cats. They bring you little presents because they like you. Hunting for them is just a hobby.
If you wanted a trained hunting cat then you'd probably not feed it.
If and when it ran out of mice and rats, and it was hungry...it would go after chicks.

 

[Dust Bunny]

my mom loves to tell me about her childhood nemesis, her grandmothers tom turkey, she said it would chase her down, knock her down and spur and peck the crud outta her, she hated that mean old tom, she says that was the best thanksgiving meal ever! its not often you literally get to "taste" sweet revenge