Cats and Chickens!

[sammi_lynn12]

Hi there,

So we have three barn cats. One of them doesn't care about the chickens at all, the other is interested in them but doesn't seem to want to hurt them (just curious), and the other definitely wants to eat them.

With that being said, I would love to let my chickens free range when I get home from work so they aren't stuck in their pen 24/7. They are currently roughly 10-12 weeks old. I know they have a lot of growing to do and currently don't look very big or intimidating to the cats. Has anyone had any luck with their cats losing interest once the chickens get bigger?

My back up plan is to make a little chicken tractor in the summer so they can explore different parts of our yard safely.

 

[Sussex19]

I have, kind of. Not that my cats were ever *that* interested, but they certainly were keeping an eye on them. (and these all also farm cats, and they do catch fully grown wild ducks sometimes) Now that chickens are fully grown, and there has been some broody hens which definitely helps, most of the cats avoid the area, and certainly don't think about chicken dinner.
If, a young chick gets separated from its mother though, I think the cats may catch and eat it. (I lost one, it may have been bird that took it, or it may have been a cat)

 

[sammi_lynn12]

I have, kind of. Not that my cats were ever *that* interested, but they certainly were keeping an eye on them. (and these all also farm cats, and they do catch fully grown wild ducks sometimes) Now that chickens are fully grown, and there has been some broody hens which definitely helps, most of the cats avoid the area, and certainly don't think about chicken dinner.
If, a young chick gets separated from its mother though, I think the cats may catch and eat it. (I lost one, it may have been bird that took it, or it may have been a cat)

I am hoping when they get larger and a little more confident in themselves they can intimidate the one cat enough for him to decide it's not worth it. The funny thing is, his mama and sister are twice his size and are cool with them! We call him string bean cause he is just a skinny little guy but when I open the coop door to open their door to their outside pen or get them food/water he tries to sneak in and he has his eyes on the prizes, he goes into total hunt mode! I almost wish I had a rooster who would get after him just once but also the cats are part of our family and I would hate for him to get hurt.

 

[Sussex19]

I am hoping when they get larger and a little more confident in themselves they can intimidate the one cat enough for him to decide it's not worth it. The funny thing is, his mama and sister are twice his size and are cool with them! We call him string bean cause he is just a skinny little guy but when I open the coop door to open their door to their outside pen or get them food/water he tries to sneak in and he has his eyes on the prizes, he goes into total hunt mode! I almost wish I had a rooster who would get after him just once but also the cats are part of our family and I would hate for him to get hurt.

I should say that there's a very good chance that once they are fully grown he will lose interest.
One of our cats is the smallest, but its like she's made of muscles and is the best hunter, so I don't think cats think that size is any restriction!
And what you want is not a rooster, but a broody hen, there's nothing like them for teaching manners.

 

[AnnPann]

I have 2 barn cats. They are interested in my chickens, but seem to really just enjoy surprising them and watching them squawk and scatter. Never really going after them. I’ve watched the cats hide in the bushes, waiting for the hens to wander over, then jump out at them, and then just stand there watching the chaos.

Now the chicks… VERY interested in those, and I wouldn’t let the cats anywhere near them right now (currently 6 weeks). I’ll be a lot more relaxed when the chicks are too big/strong for the cat to bother.

 

[sammi_lynn12]

I have 2 barn cats. They are interested in my chickens, but seem to really just enjoy surprising them and watching them squawk and scatter. Never really going after them. I’ve watched the cats hide in the bushes, waiting for the hens to wander over, then jump out at them, and then just stand there watching the chaos.

Now the chicks… VERY interested in those, and I wouldn’t let the cats anywhere near them right now (currently 6 weeks). I’ll be a lot more relaxed when the chicks are too big/strong for the cat to bother.

I was cleaning the brooder when the chicks were roughly 4-6 weeks old and I completely forgot he was outside still. (I normally only switched things around or cleaned when I would throw him in the house) And out of the corner of my eye I saw him down in the prowl position on a mission and he jumped at them and spooked one out of the crate I had them in. He was on it like white on rice, jumped right on it, luckily I was right there and I grabbed him as fast as I could. Had I not been right there, he would of 100% took off with her. I felt so horrible for that little baby, she acted totally fine though like nothing even happened. Now, they were a lot smaller when that happened and they are growing like weeds now so fingers crossed they get bigger and he gets over this obsession with them. Lol Crazy thing is, my blue heeler loves them. She is kind and gentle with them and kind of acts like they are "hers".

 

[Ponyiqandhens2]

I have multiple barn cats,3 are superb hunters, having taken down prey much larger than them as well as crayfish ( ok they play with crayfish never had one killed..or cat injured, snakes,etc) there are 6-8 spayed/neutered mousers..three sleep in the coop and come running when the roo alertstoapredator..they have been known to sleeping the nesting box with hens on hens eggs next to hens

 

[sammi_lynn12]

I have multiple barn cats,3 are superb hunters, having taken down prey much larger than them as well as crayfish ( ok they play with crayfish never had one killed..or cat injured, snakes,etc) there are 6-8 spayed/neutered mousers..three sleep in the coop and come running when the roo alertstoapredator..they have been known to sleeping the nesting box with hens on hens eggs next to hens

I hope mine end up like this!

 

[1cock2hens]

I've only ever had 1 cat that was Interested in my chickens, she was prowling around by them one day and a pair of gamehens jumped her lol she lost Interest