Cats And Chickens

[manticle]

I'm interested in getting a couple of chooks.

We have a reasonable size suburban backyard, a large supply of grain and need for good eggs.

However we have two adult cats - well fed and tend to eat a mouse of bird about once or twice a year. I've heard cats and chooks can get along but would really like some feedback from anyone who has both or has had both.

Thanks.

 

[brettprevans]

Andy ill get info from my missus and provide. Her family had both. We.have cat and.dogs. So long as they grow together it doesn't sem ti be a prob. But old cats r set in eays... Mind u.chooks r vicious

 

[manticle]

Had a rooster when I was a kid that was a vicious and scary *******. Me or my brother would distract the ******, while the other would run in to put grain etc in its food tin. Usually a project that took at least 30 mins. Never been more scared of an animal than that one.

Met two chooks (hens) today that were as gentle as you could wish for.

They were ex-battery hens which is what I'm hoping to find if I can. Don't know if that influences their behaviour(although I'm sure it does) but cat 1 adopted us, cat 2 was adopted from the lort smith so it would be nice to assist in the rescue of the chooks from nasty land if possible.

Anyway cheers for checking for the info. Might bring surplus eggs to meetings.

 

[drsmurto]

I have 2 cats and 8 chooks.

The cats wander through the chook run occasionally but never hassle them.

But then my cats leave the magpies and sulphur crested cockatoos alone that spend a lot of time in the backyard. Smart cats. They catch a bird once or twice a year but rats and mice are at least once a day. Next house wont have a cat door.

If i stand still for too long in the chook run the chooks will have a peck at my feet but that could be them letting me know it's been too long between brewdays and they want grain :lol:

We got the cats as kittens from the Animal Welfare League and they lived inside for the first 6 months of their lives. We introduced them to the chooks once they were about a year old and they immediately started to stalk them. The chooks didn't take much notice of them until they got a bit closer and then every chook turned and walked towards the cats like an army platoon. Cats stopped and then backed away. I still can picture them ripping a mouse to shreds that escaped the cats only to run straight into the chook run. It lasted 10 seconds.

Our next door neighbours both have chooks and dogs and they all get along fine. Our cats wander through the neighbours yards all the time too.

 

[Fodder]

You should be fine as long as you've got enough chooks that they can team up and fend for themselves, especially if your not getting a roster to look after the girls. Which if you're in suburbia I doubt you will. They are flock birds so you'll want at least 2 minimum so the poor buggas arent lonely too...

Unless you had a really nasty cat that was keen to take down a chook, I cant see there being to many issues. The first few introductions may need supervision though just to be on the safe side.

I'd be really interested to see a cat take on a few chooks, they can be vicious when they want to be and will happily gang up to take something out. I've removed many a pigeon carcass from our pen when they get in for a free feed and are to dumb to get back out.

 

[manticle]

Great info, thanks guys.

I was looking at 2, hopefully can get my hands on some that have been rescued from a battery.

 

[Dave70]

Great info, thanks guys.

I was looking at 2, hopefully can get my hands on some that have been rescued from a battery.

That's a nice sentiment, but remember depending on the age of the chooks, you may end up with nothing more than 2 fertiliser producing, spent grain disposal units.
Which in itself isn't a bad thing. Unless you were looking forward to soft boiled egg and toast soldiers for your brecky..

 

[manticle]

Bloke I mentioned above got both of his from a neighbour who has around 10, all gathered in this way. The 2 my friend has lay a couple of eggs every two days which is more than enough for my consumption.

If they end up laying nothing after recovering, then it'll be chicken soup for me and the lady for a while and I'll look for some more.

Gotta have a crack.

 

[bcp]

Bloke I mentioned above got both of his from a neighbour who has around 10, all gathered in this way. The 2 my friend has lay a couple of eggs every two days which is more than enough for my consumption.

If they end up laying nothing after recovering, then it'll be chicken soup for me and the lady for a while and I'll look for some more.

Gotta have a crack.

We've got four now (sshh!). Neighbourhood cats have the run of our yard, but it was only when they were very young that we had to watch them. The backyard has become vegetables (including heritage tomatoes - nothing comes close), hops, chickens, my brewing/woodwork/painting shed, and our beer garden. Bloody civilised life, if you ask me.

Some breeds are more prolific with eggs. When my wife gets home I'll ask her. I can only remember rhode island red, which we don't have from quotes like this
Lookit here son, I say son, did ya see that hawk after those hens? He scared 'em! That Rhode Island Red turned white. Then blue. Rhode Island. Red, white, and blue. That's a joke, son. A flag waver. You're built too low. The fast ones go over your head. Ya got a hole in your glove. I keep pitchin' 'em and you keep missin' 'em. Ya gotta keep your eye on the ball. Eye. Ball. I almost had a gag, son. Joke, that is.

 

[drsmurto]

We've got four now (sshh!). Neighbourhood cats have the run of our yard, but it was only when they were very young that we had to watch them. The backyard has become vegetables (including heritage tomatoes - nothing comes close), hops, chickens, my brewing/woodwork/painting shed, and our beer garden. Bloody civilised life, if you ask me.

Some breeds are more prolific with eggs. When my wife gets home I'll ask her. I can only remember rhode island red, which we don't have from quotes like this
Lookit here son, I say son, did ya see that hawk after those hens? He scared 'em! That Rhode Island Red turned white. Then blue. Rhode Island. Red, white, and blue. That's a joke, son. A flag waver. You're built too low. The fast ones go over your head. Ya got a hole in your glove. I keep pitchin' 'em and you keep missin' 'em. Ya gotta keep your eye on the ball. Eye. Ball. I almost had a gag, son. Joke, that is.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Pure comedy gold! I miss watching that show after school back in the day.

My chooks are ISA brown. Apparently bred to be the most prolific layer averaging in excess of 300 per year. With 8 chooks i sell 2-3 dozen per week at work and still have plenty leftover for my weekend breakfasts etc

 

[seamad]

We have 3 isa browns and get 3 eggs a day. Nearly all commercial chooks are isa '. They are kept for @2 years as egg rates drop off and are not commercially viable after that i think. Still will get enough for two people. They are a very friendly breed and not that skittish so make good pets, mine come when called and often follow me around the yard.
As kids we always had chooks ( usually ex battery chooks ) and ducks, also had a savage cat that killed possums/ rats/ birds etc and it never looked at the chooks. Always had bull terrier dogs who were terrifyed of the cat ( used to jump on their heads and rest claws on dogs nose),, Came home one day to dead dying half eaten chooks and ducks so built a secure run then to keep dogs out.
Cheers
sean

 

[jlm]

Back in Brisbane we had 2, the local cats (which used my backyard and frontyard vege garden as a toilet, I hate the *******s when they are left to free range......that is however another topic) never had a go at them, and they were rarely couped up. Thing to be aware of is that if you do have a vege patch they more than likely will destroy it given the chance, all those worms in the ground must be eaten and **** all the plants that stand in the way. Have 8 now were in Tas and have some land......waiting for spring to bring a indian game rooster up here to put over my dorkings for some meat bird production. Then the quail....8 weeks from egg to table.

As a quick edit I will say it depends on the level of evil in your cats (all of them containing at least a minor level of hate and malice). I have friends who breed chickens and they will not let their cat outside for the fear of him killing their stock. He is however a particularly evil cat who has killed a truly large number of wildlife I didn't know even existed in Brisbane and now wants to continue his evil feline ways back in his homeland.

 

[freezkat]

corn brooms do wonders to adjust the attitudes of cocky roosters. PETA would disapprove


we have all sorts of predators: eagles, hawks, owls, wildcats, coyotes and falcons. The free ranging foul don't last long up here. Oh egg suckers too: racoons skunk, fisher, mink, snakes and crows.

Our cat stays inside. Too many bugs, rash inducing plants and mean critters outside

We had a flock of Guinea Hens till they collectively decided to protect the yard from a passing lorry on the highway. You wouldn't believe the feathers...

 

[manticle]

Mine catch a couple of mice and maybe one bird between them per year. Pretty well fed, pretty good natured.

I'm going to take the punt. Cheers for all the replies.

 

[Whiteferret]

Mine catch a couple of mice and maybe one bird between them per year. Pretty well fed, pretty good natured.

I'm going to take the punt. Cheers for all the replies.

1 peck from a hen and a cat will back off. Dogs are a different story my whippet went through 2 hens before she got the idea that they weren't playthings. She still runs through the flock to make them scatter just for the fun of it, Bitch!

 

[Wolfy]

If they end up laying nothing after recovering, then it'll be chicken soup for me and the lady for a while and I'll look for some more.

Let me know if you end up looking for more.

My sister's hens are very good layers (we have 3 dozen eggs in our fridge here from them).
She got them through some tree-hugging nature hippie co-op type group she belongs to.
On Thursday I'll be going to teach them all how to make beer, so I presume asking for a chicken or two will not be a problem.

 

[Maheel]

do chooks stay in the yard ?

i have a 5-6 foot timber fence all round the yard

would chooks jump it during the day if left to their own devices out of the "hen house" ?
i also have a pool with a standard ally pool fence, will they crap all in the pool or keep out of it ?

my little one wants a pet, i wouldn't mind 2 or 3 chooks...

 

[freezkat]

do chooks stay in the yard ?

i have a 5-6 foot timber fence all round the yard

would chooks jump it during the day if left to their own devices out of the "hen house" ?
i also have a pool with a standard ally pool fence, will they crap all in the pool or keep out of it ?

my little one wants a pet, i wouldn't mind 2 or 3 chooks...

if you have scorpions chickens are like ninjas

 

[newguy]

I grew up on a farm, and we usually had a minimum of 500 chickens. We also had plenty of cats and usually 2-3 dogs. Never had an issue with the cats going after the chickens, but the dogs were a different story.

Regarding roosters being mean.....Anyone ever raised geese? They're vicious *******s.....They'll beat you with their wings. It's just like being hit with a hockey stick.

 

[pk.sax]

Everybody knows kittens don't like chicks...

Just do it