The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Hevxxx99 on March 20, 2016, 08:36:27 pm
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I have a very playful young cat who thinks it's great fun to chase the feather dusters that roam freely in my garden. it scares the bejesus out of the hens, but she doesn't otherwise harm them.
I could confine the hens to barracks - they have a nice big run - but I'd rather not. can anyone think of some method of discouraging the cat from chasing the hens? >:(
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Let a broody hen rear some chicks, she'll soon teach the cat the rules of etiquette around chickens!!
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One day that cat will have a mouse, and the hens will take it. After that, there will be respect. Ask me how I know ;)
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I've 3 cats who were all adult when the first hens arrived - there has never been any question who is top of the pecking order from day one. So no idea how it happened but it does happen somehow.
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ours grew out of it.
get a cockeral
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and talking of cockerels I have one for sale atm, free to good home, can't say fairer than that ;)
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Bit of a stretch from me sadly...
Thanks for the ideas. No broodies at present, but I may be able to borrow one, or a cockerel.
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Get a cockerel around two years old, preferably a large fowl, that's used to running with hens.
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I'm going to have to do something serious! She came home with a pheasant last night! :o
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You could just get rid of her and buy in a castrated male cat instead. I know it may sound harsh but she sounds terrible the way she is terrorizing stuff. On the other hand you could buy a kitten or two and bring them up with the chickens so theyre fine with them? I have a cat and he is an absoloute darling! I hope that you can resolve this soon :hug:
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I'm going to have to do something serious! She came home with a pheasant last night! :o
Well that's Sunday dinner sorted isn't it? ;D
Sorry don't really have a solution, as mine are in a run and all (adult neutered) tomcat does is stare at them from the outside...
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Mine are in the run for the time being. I'm going to try to find a big grumpy cockerel, but I suspect even then she'll simply avoid him and still chase the hens.
She isn't a big cat at all but was from a feral mum. Wish she'd stick to the job of hunting mice and rats!
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I have two cats and 3 dogs. The hens chase them if they even think of stepping out of line and that includes my Jack Russell. ;D
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You could just get rid of her and buy in a castrated male cat instead.
Had a neutered male cat that started taking half and 3/4 grown chickens... Along with moles, squirrels and rats. Rehoming your cat may or may not be an option, but I'm not sure a male will be less likely to get at them :-/ That said, I think it's quite rare for cats to have a go at chickens. See if you can borrow a cock and I hope it works out for you.
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I'm on the lookout for a fiesty cockerel to borrow now. The only problem being that the last one we had attacked us more than anything else. Ecept perhaps full feedsacks. He hated them.
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I have a feisty scots grey if you want him?
he does a good running kick... :roflanim:
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We trained our cat to a lead..... I'm not talking going for walks like lassy mind.
we have a washing line tied between 2 concrete posts with one of those extendible leads tied to it with a garden tie. just tight enough so it slides nicely but doesn't jerk. we put the cat in a harness and clip it to the extender lead.
She goes hunting for frogs, rolls in the sand does every thing a cat normally does but cant get close enough to the chickens to do them any harm.
Took about a month of sitting out with her in harness an hour a day just to monitor de-tangle etc. before she learnt what can and cant be done.
MUST use harness though NOT clipped straight to collar. Clip the lead straight to the collar the cat will escape or worse break its neck. The worst that will happen if she forgets she is on a harness and dashes headlong after something is a server winding. She'll suddenly find her horizontal momentum has become vertical preform a quick bit of acrobatics and if she is anything like my cat will sneak a peek to see if she can see you. EVERY time this has happened when I'm in the garden or the field there have be melodramatics but when I've been spying from the study window she simply picks her self up turns and scrapes the dust as if she was covering up a poo and sulks in a sunny spot for a few minuets.
It's been a year on the lead now and the cat loves it she will come running from the remotest corners of the house if you shout "walkies", she even brings me her harness and leaves it by the back door accusingly if i have been out for the day and haven't given her a "walk"
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I hope to have solved my problem by tomorrow: I'm getting a Jersey Giant cockerel tonight! :excited:
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I'm going to have to do something serious! She came home with a pheasant last night! :o
We had a cat who regularly brought home Koi Carp. Couldn't find out where he got them from but tied one around his neck (my dad's trick) until it was stinking. That stopped him. A pheasant hunting cat though would be welcome!