Unsecure chicken perches

[sezra]

I am starting as a chicken owner in the next couple of weeks (when OH has built the run!) but I am a bit concerned about cats. We own a cat and initially the advice that I read suggested that cats and chickens aren't a problem however I have now seen some concern from others about cats attacking chickens. I just wondered if anyone had any experience good or bad, or advice that they could give me? Many thanks.

[squidsin]

My cat Missy loves chasing mine. But it's just a game, they barely even bother to cluck at her any more, let alone actually move. She's a small cat but they are bantams! We haven't had any trouble from any other neighbourhood cats either. I'd just keep an eye on it at first until they all get used to each other.

[chicken bark]

I think that as long as you are with the hens and cats first time they meet, and that the chickens are a decent size then there should be no problems.

 

Mine haven't batted an eyelid. My cats have just sort of rolled their eyes at me as if to say 'and what are you up to now mother?'...

[sezra]

Thank you, I did think they should get on initially but thought I had better check. As a newbie who has not even got her chickens yet I keep learning more and finding new things to consider/worry about.

 

I even thought I had decided on the chickens I was getting until I spent an hour online this morning looking at rescue hens. Yet another dilemma!

[Tutti Frutti]

I have three cats and we introduced them carefully to the chooks. One cat loves them and treats them as her pets, one cat is a bit dim and got two pecks on the cheek before she figured out that it's best to just stay away , and the third cat went into SAS mode, hiding under bushes but he got bored after a couple of weeks and now prefers to sit in the sunshine with me. We have more interest from the neighbours' cats, who sit on the roof of the run so i shoo them away. My chooks aren't at all bothered, even the new girls ignore them! So I'm sure yours will get on fine The chooks can stand up for themselves!

[migsy]

I've got 2 cats. One is terrified of the chooks and won't go in the garden when they are free ranging. The other cat is curious and wants to be their friend but the chickens don't want to be his. The local cats sit by their run but don't come close when the hens are out.

[sezra]

Thank you for you advice. I think I will introduce them carefully. My cat (Milly, he's a boy, dont ask!) has always been a good hunter but is getting on a bit now. I am hoping that the chickens will warn him off if he does get too close but I am hoping that as I am getting Hybrids and not Bantams they will be big enough to put him off! I am so excited about getting the chickens, we are off to Homebase today to get bits for the run and then I just need to get the Eglu.

[honorandkit]

Until my lovely Oliver went missing, we had 2 cats. Oliver was a fantastic hunter - he could catch anything from a small adder to rabbits, wood pigeon, rats...

However, he never touched the 6 chickens that live in the garden backing on to ours. They freerange all day and I have watched other neighbourhood cats chased off by the chooks!

 

Our remaining cat is a useless hunter - he has never caught ANYTHING (that's how I like my cats!).

[JulesL]

We've got 2 cats and I was really worried about introducing the chickens. We first let them out to free range in the garden and the cats could see them through the french doors. Our one cat didn't bat an eyelid but my other launched herself at the french doors! I supervised them when they were let out and did find the cats and chooks nose to beak a couple of times but I think the cats then realised that the chooks were are big as them! My cats don't bother them at all and they live in complete harmony now.

[Cazx]

Ive got 4 cats, 2 of which are outdoor cats. George, my Abyssinian, loves the girls. He comes with me to get them up and to say 'goodnight' to them every day. He chases them, but has leaqrnt the hard way that they wont tollerate any 'funny' business when he tried to 'capture' Hetty and she pulled his whisker out! Dont think hes been in so much pain before.

 

They have a healthy, mutual respect for one another which is quite sweet

[CR666]

We have had our 3 girls for just over a week now and have 3 cats, at first the cats were very wary and stayed well out of the way, they are getting braver now and approaching the chickens but we have had no fights/arguments yet. Our male cat did run up behind 1 of the chickens in 'pounce' mode but stopped very bemused when the chicken just ignored him. At present they seem to have healthy respect and we have had no problems

[mabelandflosmum]

My 2 hens chase off the local cats, it's hilarious to watch, the chickens make themselves very big and charge at them. The cats look very embarassed to be running away!

[the bradley bunch]

Thank you, I did think they should get on initially but thought I had better check. As a newbie who has not even got her chickens yet I keep learning more and finding new things to consider/worry about.

 

I even thought I had decided on the chickens I was getting until I spent an hour online this morning looking at rescue hens. Yet another dilemma!

 

Dear Sezra,

 

Please please do consider re-homing some ex-batts! They are just the loveliest the girls, and so deserving of the lovely home I'm sure you have to offer them.

 

I have only had my trio of ex-batts for 2 days, and I'm already smitten they have already laid us four beautiful eggs for which my hubby (who original wanted a more 'ornamental' breed of hen) was extremely grateful!

 

The littlest girl who is completely bald on her legs and body (don't let this put you off - the feathers all grow back in a couple of months) is so inquisitive and has certainly stole my heart. Last night, worried that my presence might frighten them, I snuck over to freshen their house up whilst they were in their run distracted by some meal worm I'd thrown over, and she came trotting into the house and looked right at me, then began mimicking what I was doing by moving the straw around with her beak. When I think of the sorry state she was in just 24 hours before when we were expecting her not to survive her first night, it was such a rewarding moment. And it's the many moments like these that make re-homing rescued hens the most rewarding choice you can ever make.

 

The British Hen Welfare Trust carry out rescues all over the country every month, and they support you throughout the whole process and will continue to offer advice as long as you need it. As first time chicken keepers we felt very safe in their hands!

 

Go to www.bhwt.co.uk to find your local rescue co-ordinator or for more information.

 

pm me if you want to talk more about re-homing ex-batts!

 

ps. and I wouldn't worry about the cat thing - we have a cat and all the neighbourhood cats use our garden as a cut through to some woods on the other side, and so far they are not bothered by each other's presence in the slightest.

[welovemarmite]

I have three bengals and a moggie. All are hunters and one in particular regularly comes back with rabbits. We supervised the free ranging to start off with and now all cats and chickens are fun. My money is always on teh chicken. One pecked my mog while she was minding her own business drinking out the bird bather the other day.

[*mummy_hen*]

When i first got my girls i was a bit concerned about cats as they seemed to attract attention from some of the locals.

 

I obviously would never trust them totally but in my experience the cats are certainly more scared of the chickens than the other way round. My cat loved them at first and kept looking like she was trying to stalk them....should one come near her though she was absolutely pettrified and would soon be nowhere in sight!

[THF Nick]

We have 3 cats and one of them is pretty fearless and territorial (he used to chase dogs at our old house) and he once made the mistake of attacking one of our girls.

 

He only ever did it the once, chooks can really handle themsleves and now they ignore each other.

[sezra]

Please please do consider re-homing some ex-batts! They are just the loveliest the girls, and so deserving of the lovely home I'm sure you have to offer them.

 

As a first time hen owner I am quite daunted at the thought of rehoming ex batts but we are taking the plunge and I am hoping there might be four available at a local rescue this weekend. I am just waiting for confirmation. I have been reading a lot on the forum about caring for them but any advice that you can give me will be gratefully received.

Many thanks.

p.s not quite the hang of quoting other peoples messages yet!

[Millie-Annie]

I had 3 ex batts almost two years ago, I have one left. I also have one hybrid girl, but getting three more ex-batts this weekend.

 

The cats were scared of the ex-batts, but that was nothing compared with the fear of a black Suffolk Noir coming towards them with her neck feathers over her head and her tail like a fan. Even I thought that was scary

[Mollie333]

Sezra- I hope you consider rescuing some ex-battery hens!

 

Hello all,

i have three cats. They ignore the chickens, accept Ollie, he gets bullied by our Pekin bantam, Blanche!

Although Ollie is about ten times the weight of deardree and 4 times as tall as her, he is petrified of her sqworking!

 

Ollie is a ginger persian!

[Debby Tutton]

I have three bengals and a moggie. All are hunters and one in particular regularly comes back with rabbits. We supervised the free ranging to start off with and now all cats and chickens are fun. My money is always on teh chicken. One pecked my mog while she was minding her own business drinking out the bird bather the other day.

 

I agree we had hens and cats in uk together and for a while our "hunter cat" stalked them but the girls just looked as if to say "try if you think you're big enough". The cat got a peck on the nose once for getting too close which put him off. They were fine.

 

(Love the name welovemarmite by the way - had to say it !)

[rachael_farnsworth]

I've got a 12-1/2-year-old moggy who thinks she is Rambo and two chickens and they all get on fine. Chickens can handle themselves surprisingly well!

 

(Interestingly the chickens kick off if they see a cat that isn't Elphie)

[sezra]

Thank you everyone. I feel very reassured and I think it will be quite interesting seeing the cats reaction!

I am waiting to hear whether I will be getting the ex battery hens this weekend. If we cannot get the ones from this rescue we will be buying them from our local breeder, my 11 year old daughter will burst if we make her wait any longer! OH is out in the garden right now constructing a fox proof (I hope ) run for them. Its not quite a WIR but as I am only short I will only have to duck a little! Fingers crossed all goes to plan.

[the bradley bunch]

Sezra - Good Luck this weekend! I really do hope you are able to get some ex-batts. If you do manage to re-home some girls I will advise that you shouldn't take less than three. We were told that this was a minimum because in the unlikely, but unfortunate, circumstances where 1 bird might not make it, it would be extremely distressing if 1 bird was left on her own for even a short period - therefore you should always re-home at least 3 where rescued ex-bats are concerned.

 

Please don't let this put you off though - I just thought it important advice to pass on but I don't want to worry you. We were told that only 1% of ex-bats don't survive the re-homing process, and the British Hen Welfare Trust reassured us that even in these unfortunate and very sad cases, 'every single second of your kindness or a minute in the sun is more than they would have had if it was some other transport crate they were loaded into' .

 

If you do get some ex-bats and need any info please do pm (private message) me, and I will happy to pass on any advice/info that I have been given.

 

OH is out in the garden right now constructing a fox proof (I hope ) run for them.

 

Also - make sure the run has a fox proof roof as well as sides! Apparently foxes will use anything they can (garages/trees/fences, etc.) to get high enough to be able to jump into the run So even if the sides are too high to jump over they can still find ways to get in, so put wire over the top as well! (You may have already done this, but just in case).

[jomeena]

I have 2 cats and the chickens chase them and the dog. Im not sure if this is normal or if I just have bossey hens.

[the bradley bunch]

I forgot to say a final Good Luck!

It's clear from your forum posts and all the research that you have been doing that you already care a great deal for these birds and that you are going to make a great chicken mummy!

Let us know how it all goes!

Everyone from The Bradley Bunch

the girls - dorris, lulubelle & boo

our kitty - max

and me & hubby

wishes you all the best! Lol