Waklert 150mg: Boosting Wakefulness and Focus

[BethK]

As you all may know by now, what with my numerous questions, we're getting 3 Chickens, similar to a Rhode Island ranger.

 

We also have 2 cats. One cat is a small female tortie, she will kill anything that's pretty small and slow. I don't think she'll go anywhere near the hens.

 

The other is a huge male, he's not so interested in hunting now but he does still catch the odd rat. In the past he's caught rabbits and pigeons and was desperate to get at some ducks we had in the garden the other week.

 

He's very big, strong and fast. I'd love my girls to be out in the garden but I'd be devastated if he ran off with one!

 

Any ideas of how to take that step and see if the cat will leave them alone?

[counturchickens]

We and our neighbours have cats and our only experience has been the cats give the hens a wide berth. I would supervise the introductions to be absolutely sure but they should be ok.

[LunaKiw1]

The general opinion, and certainly our experience, is that cats stay well clear of scary hens! I think even one that tries its luck won't repeat it after being pecked or chasded with flapping wings. But maybe watch carefully to start with, if only for your own peacve of mind. We never had any other cats visit our garden after getting our girls and our cat is terrified of them.

[Cat tails]

My neighbours red tomcat still will have a go at my ladies. He's quite the determined type. (Tries to move into my house, but that's besides the point.)

He will chase them around the garden. Ladies will cluck and scream and most of all, flap about and try to fly away. He hasn't actually made real contact with them. He might be distracted by their screaming and flapping.

Luckily my own cat is teritorial of the garden and the chickens and will chase him away. But I don't really trust him. Do love him to bits, he's really handsome and affectionate.

 

I would definately supervise the first contact and maybe clip their wings, to prevent them flying off. If they're still young and not laying, they might well be capable of flying.

[Olly]

Supervise the first meeting, but my money would be on the hens - my hunting cat is terrified of them and won't go near them.

[Jenthelibrarian]

We have a fierce, bad ginger cat

 

When we first had our hens, and they spent their initial week shut in their run, he was fascinated and spent much his time right outside the wire, staring in.

The girls soon got used to his being there.

Then he came into the house looking as sheepish as a cat can look, with a mark on his nose that looked like a peck to us

 

Once we started letting the hens out we kept a large water pistol [our kids' old 'super-soakers'] at each end of the garden and soon he would run just at the sound of them being pumped up. I'm sure a hose would do the trick, or a plant spray bottle if you can get the range.

 

Two years on he mostly ignores the hens, our two new girls have mostly stopped making alarm calls at him, and the odd skirmish, when he seems unable to resist stalking them if their backs are turned, ends in the cat being seen off.

[BethK]

Thanks everyone.

 

I will keep the hens in the run for the first week, it's a good sized WIR anyway, about 9m2 so they should be ok in there.

 

This will hopefully give my cats time to get used to them and i'll make sure we're there all the time if they're let out.

 

The water gun idea is a good one, i'll definitely keep them filled and ready.

 

I wouldn't put it past my large male to at least give it a go