What do I need to know about large felines if I keep chickens? - My Pet Chicken (2024)

FAQs

What do I need to know about large felines if I keep chickens? - My Pet Chicken? ›

Protecting Your Flock

If you already have a cat or dog you can still keep chickens. If you have cats or dogs, free-range hens may prove a bit of a temptation, but they will probably get used to each other, and if not you will then need to provide a sturdy chicken coop and run space that keep chickens in, and larger furry animals out.

Lynx and cougars are uncommon predators of chickens in urban and suburban areas, so you are unlikely to have predation by these creatures unless you live rurally. Cougars especially tend to avoid areas of human habitation, but there are always exceptions, and bobcats can sometimes make incursions.

Well not to worry - it is very rare for cats to attack fully grown chickens. The birds are much too large and might even be able to fight back against a cat attacker. However, chicks and younger chickens may be a tempting meal for a cat.

Cats don't commonly attack chickens, but they may be tempted to pounce on them, which can harm or severely stress your hens. Large-breed chickens are the best choice if your flock will be sharing a space with cats, as your felines will be less likely to test their luck with larger birds.

Can other animals, such as cats and dogs, get a Salmonella infection from backyard poultry? Yes, cats and dogs can get a Salmonella infection and become sick. They may also carry and spread the germ without showing signs of illness.

Domestic and feral cats are predators of poultry, especially young chicks or small bantam breeds. The way cats kill and eat their prey (your birds) differs depending on the size and age of the bird. If the attack is made on chicks, usually the cat will eat the whole little bird.

Discouraging Bobcats from coming into your yard cont'd Precautions for your Pets Bobcat Behavior Page 2 What do Bobcats eat? Bobcats eat a variety of animal species, includ- ing mice, rats, squirrels, chickens, small fawns, wild birds, feral cats and rabbits.

For free range chickens hot wire (electric fencing) is the ticket. There are many hot wire options out there, see the pictures to view a successful free range chicken coop and pen. Wild animals will not be able to climb over the wire and the chickens will learn not to touch it.

If birds are dead and not eaten but are missing their heads, the predator may be a raccoon, a hawk, or an owl. Raccoons sometimes pull a bird's head through the wires of an enclosure and then can eat only the head, leaving the majority of the body behind.

What animal will protect my chickens? ›

Geese are good guard animals and an effective way to protect your chicken flock. They are incredibly noisy and have no problem giving quick chase to small predators. Geese are great at flapping their wings, causing all kinds of loud noises and commotion.

Originally Answered: Who would win a fight, a cat or a roster of equal size? Chicken, most of the time. Why? Chicken tend to react to hostility with extreme and unexpected violence.

So, cats will rarely attack adult chickens (though it's always a possibility), but it's wise to keep them far away from baby chicks.

Install Wire Enclosures

Wire enclosures are quite effective in keeping predators such as cats away from your chickens. There are two options available: commercial, prefabricated chicken runs that often come with everything your birds need to enjoy their environment and DIY fences you can build yourself.

The first time you let them out, make sure to distract both with food, toys or other curiosities to draw their attention away from each other. Once you're confident that your cat will leave the flock alone, you can switch to short unsupervised periods.

Hens and chicks (Sempervivum tectorum) are fun and easy succulents to grow and they are safe plants around dogs, cats and horses. Hens and chicks have only low toxicity in children and adults.

So, cats will rarely attack adult chickens (though it's always a possibility), but it's wise to keep them far away from baby chicks.