Will cats kill chickens?

[chickengeorgeto]

.....Enough is enough I live in Alabama and have every right to protect my livestock"

I live in Alabama also, so Rammer Jammer Yellar Hammer and give um (uh....) heck WAREAGLEPOULTRY. Tide Roll!

Oh, BTY welcome to Back Yard Chickens.

 

[Transform987]

Try a rooster they can scare the cats or even a goose might help

 

[CrazyTalk]

I guess the plain simple answer is "yes, yes they will.".

Like most simple answers - it's wrong a lot.

Cats can kill chickens - but it's really rare, and really an odd case for a cat to kill a large fowl bird - they just don't have the equipment to kill something that large without putting themselves at significant risk of injury. Bantams are a bit more risky, but they're still larger than the prey that cats evolved hunting - a bantam rooster will give most cats more than they're willing to deal with (and I mean rooster here, not cockerel) . Chicks are at huge risk - but only if they're not being raised by a hen - the hen alleviates a lot of the risk - as a 5lb ****** off hen is way more than most cats want to deal with.

I have a whole bunch of cats - a pair that were found on the side of the road at about 4-6 months each, who are fantastic mousers but don't bother the chicks/ducklings in the house/garage in the spring, some straight up house-cats that get to go outside occasionally (and are terrified of the birds), and some relocated ferals that we use for rodent control around the farm - and typically the only interaction they have with the poultry is getting chased around by my rooster.

I'd trust a feral cat in my yard before I'd trust 99% of trained dogs. Yes, things could go wrong, but it's rare - the cats have better things to do than risk getting spurred. I trust my dogs, but that's only after a ton of training - way more than most people are willing to go through.

 

[Zoomie]

Agree, CrazyTalk - I think dogs are a worse threat. Nevertheless I've known cats that killed chickens. So in my own life experience - cats will kill chickens if they have the chance. They are opportunistic and will kill (usually) young chickens if they can. And again - as I said before - this doesn't mean that all cats kill chickens, or that they always kill chickens - but they will, if they think it will work out well for them. And again I've personally owned a cat that regularly brought down full-grown cottontail rabbits.

I guess I think of it like coyotes. We have a ton of coyotes here but they spend all their time digging up pocket gophers and prairie dogs. Every time I've lost an animal people want to blame the coyotes; every time, it's been domestic dogs. But just because these particular coyotes don't kill chickens, it doesn't mean that coyotes don't kill chickens; they sure will, if the circumstance is right.

 

[Prairie Home]

Hi! My name is Connie and we have had a pretty big flock of chickens until lately. I have two collie dogs who have been free to go in and out of the barn with the chickens or just meander around while the chickens are free ranging until......the last two to three weeks. We have been missing more and more chickens and thought it was our collies. Today my husband caught a young kitten and two male cats in the barn with the chickens having a feast. He had caught one of our collies in the barn about 2 weeks ago and found 2 dead chickens so assumed it was her. The next morning the two dead chickens were not in the closed up barn. It appears that the cats are digging underneath the chicken wire to get access to the chickens. For years the chicken wire worked as it was buried but this summer I have noticed "holes" where the chicken wire is not working and have been trying to fix this. I am still afraid my dogs may have acquired a taste for the chickens, also.

 

[2003ChickenZamon]

It entirely depends on the cat. We once had a cat that would often take out wild ducks and I'm pretty sure would mess with Canada geese. Most of ours leave the chickens alone being used to them from kitten hood. But some have taken out full grown chickens.

 

[Prairie Home]

It entirely depends on the cat. We once had a cat that would often take out wild ducks and I'm pretty sure would mess with Canada geese. Most of ours leave the chickens alone being used to them from kitten hood. But some have taken out full grown chickens.

We have had both cats and chickens and the same dogs for a few years....so upsetting that this is happening. Have never had to worry. Cats and dogs would wonder in and out when the door is open during the day. I feel that I can't trust any of them anymore so will have to keep the chickens inside.

 

[Compost King]

I have had feral cats kill and eat chickens, eat a drumstick and thigh and leave... I have also had chickens run off cats. Cats pretty much win in a fight with a chicken but if they do not have to they won't fight a chicken. My male cat catches wild animals bigger than chickens and even himself, but he will not touch domesticated birds (not even chicks) and he will not even touch escaped domesticated baby rabbits. And cats love the taste of wild rabbits. I just would not worry about cats unless you have feral cats or extremely hungry strays wandering around. I actually welcome cats because they keep down the mouse and rat populations which keeps down the copperhead populations. If I lose a chicken to a cat on occasion I figure its a sacrifice to the cat gods who keep the venomous snake demons away.

 

[Alexandra33]

Very interesting to compare experiences. What I don't understand is how the average feline could take out a full grown chicken of similar size (not that I don't believe some accounts, it just doesn't make sense to someone who's had cats all her life). I've only known them to kill songbirds, mice, moles, baby rabbits, ect..; all of which are considered small prey.

Personally, I've NEVER ONCE had a cat make attempts on any of my birds, regardless of age or size. Same goes for everyone I know in the area who keeps poultry. Let's just say I raise all chicks in an enclosed room with my two house kitties, with no resulting issues. Keep in mind said feathered babies frequently escape their brooders. Same goes for our barn cats, visiting neighbors' cats, ferals, you name it. None have so much as touched the tiniest of OEG bantam chicks. They seem to inherently understand fuzzbutts aren't theirs for the taking.

You want to talk about predators? Mention hawks, raccoons, and dogs to me!

~Alex

 

[Sweet_Chickies1018]

Have been letting my hens free range in our fenced in backyard for a year & never had any incident. Last week, our Silkie got attacked by a cat & got killed. I was shocked. I've only ever seen cats watching my hens curiously, never attempting to get at them. The cat came back a few days later, but thankfully, I was watching out the window & shooed it away. It looked ready to pounce off the fence after my other 3 hens. They are full grown hens, Barred Rocks & an Americauna. So, bigger than my Silkie. I havent seen the cat again. Just wondering how I can keep it away. Im afraid it found my yard & wants my chickens.

My hens are safely locked away in their coop at night. So not worried for them at night.