EmmaJC Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Firstly, hello everyone! I'm rather new to chicken keeping having only collected my ex-battery hens this afternoon. I have a very large, very territorial tom cat who has spent the best part of the day crouching by the eglu glaring with some menace at the poor girls. When we put the girls to bed and dragged him into the house he did everything in his power to return to the eglu and monitor the hens. My two queens were slightly shocked at the arrival of the bizarre feathered creatures but seem to have chosen to ignore their existence but my tom seems like a man obsessed. I presume when I let them free range and they come into close contact that they will gang up on him and give him a good pecking to put him in his place, but should I be concerned by his attentions or will he eventually bore of stalking them? Many thanks! - ex-batt, Clarissa - ex-batt, Jennifer - ex-batt, Nigella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saronne Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Hi, Welcome to the forum! There have been lots of questions on the forum about hens vs. cats. Most cat owners (myself included) have found that cats either lose interest, or are chased off by hens! So very slim chance of Mr. Tom harming your chooks. More likely to be the other way around! Saronne x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Hi Emma Welcome to the wonderful world of ex batts. We only have two left now and although we don't have any pet cats, we now don't have any cats coming into our garden as the neighbourhood cats are afraid of the chickens. I'm sure someone will be along soon who has cats themselves but I would think he will bore of them soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 I've allways found a blast from the hose pipe works well don't stop the cats coming into my garden but most don't hang around once they know I'm about unfourtunatly my garden is the only one that gets dug so it the local cats litter tray next door is the fight club Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purrplekat Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 I have 7 cats, a few of whom are real killer types, always bringing stuff home to disembowel under the sideboard. I was a bit worried and when i brought our 5 brahmas home the cats reacted in various ways, some wouldn't go anywhere near, but we had one who was transfixed by the sight of them. I was a bit worried so the first few times they free ranged I stayed aroud ready to intervene iof anything happened. I only had to tell my big tom "NO" once, I don;t think he was serious but the girls were boxing him into a corner and he looked rather panicked, since then the cats have shared the garden nicely with no fuss, iun fact the chickens rule the roost so to speak. And the cat who was totally obsessed is still totally obsessed, he lies in the grass where ever the chickens are while they cluck about within inches of him. He did go theough a phase of reaching out with his paw and toughing their feet, then running into the house, but the novalty of that has worn off. Oh and we have to carry him out of the WIR in the evenings..... So I would say just see what happens when the fences are no longer in the way and be prepared to jump in, I was pleasantly surprised, even tho my Brahmas are big girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarahsausage Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Hello there, I have 3 ex-batts and they are adorable, you'll really enjoy having them! I have two cats and they just ignore the chickens so hopefully you will be fine. Maybe when you let them free-range you could be in the garden too, for the first time at least just to make sure all works well!? I did have a neighbour's tom cat attack one of my chickens so just a warning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franksmum Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Hello! In my experience the cats will soon get bored and eventually be terrorised by the chooks, mine certainly are One of them has decided he couldn't beat them so he's joining them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Both of my furry predators are scared witless of the hens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmaJC Posted August 17, 2009 Author Share Posted August 17, 2009 Thank you all very much for your advice! I'm sure he'll settle down eventually, and if not I shall just have to introduce him to the hose pipe ex-batt, Clarissa ex-batt, Jennifer ex-batt, Nigella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
