[francais]

My girls live in a lovely safe pen, and while the pen is a good size, I like to let them free range while I am in. However this is getting harder to do. There is this big black cat (not ours!) who stalks them, now I have sent it packing acouple of time (I started off just by making a noise and the hose pipe etc) but today it had my smallest (a little bantum) pinned. Lucky for us our dog (who was out in his day run) started going mad. Hubby just had chance to clear the low wall in a single leap and managed to grab the cat before if got the chicken.

It gave hubby a nasty bite and some impressive claw marks (brave hubby!  )

Anyway, any ideas of how to deal with the cat if it comes back or our my girls free range days over?

Not sure if this helps or not but I have 2 cats myself (who don't even bother with the girls) and I heard that having cats of your own deter other moggies, but not in this case - this black one is the bully type!

Thanks for any help!

[joyfull]

get one of those powerful water guns and spray it everytime it comes into your garden - whether your girls are out or not. Hopefully your little bantam and hubby are ok - has OH had a tetanus jab recently?

[francais]

Thanks joyfull, I know it sounds daft, but I don't actaully "see" it that often. It hides in the school grounds (behind our house) but makes a b-line for the girls when they are playing out!

Just asked hubby about a tetanus jab, and he says "years ago I had one" - so going to take him our walk in centre tomorrow - Thank you for that - I never gave that a thought!

[Craig69]

I agree with what Joyful said!
I had a problem with the cats round by me, but kept on with the hosepipe each time i saw them. It took a while but eventually i stoppped them coming in.
They just sit at a distance now, but disappear when they see me 

[Catsmuvva]

Odd though, isn't it - I've got 5 cats and, if anything, the girls keep them in order! Other cats do come in but they don't seem to bother each other at all. I've seen one of the visitors slink along like she's stalking one of the girls but she always backs off if they make a move for her.
Good luck with the neighbourhood bully...

[joyfull]

Tom, your post has been removed as we don't like that type of method. Please remember over half of the people on this forum own cats.

[Lindeggs]

From what I have heard (note: I don't have chooks so this is just hear-say) it seems some breeds of chicken are much more "assertive" than others and will take to a cat, wings flapping and claws flying. 

What breeds do you keep?  Is there any chance you could add a hen of a more aggressive nature to your flock as part of the solution?  Or even a rooster?

I was speaking to a local gent the other day who has an Australian cattle dog, and he recently started keeping hens.  The dog rushed at his hens and most of them scattered but one turned around and ran at the dog, squawking and flapping.  The dog ran off and hasn't bothered the hens since.

[dennis]

do what i  do and leave the dog roaming loose in the garden the cats sit on the fence and watch but don't come in the garden

[francais]

Thanks for all the replies. I have a wide mix of chooks - 2 Wyandotte’s, 3 LS, 2 Hybrids, 1 ISA & the (I think it's called) a silver dutch wing bantee. The little dutch wing being more than able to hold her own with them  .

As for letting the dog roam, in an ideal world would love to but the yard is open, we put a length of weld mesh up to "block" the gap but would not hold the lab back  (he's 3 years old and still in the idiot Labrador faze!)

[dennis]

 :lol:yes we have a lab i know what you mean ours is 11yrs old and at times she  thinks she is still a puppy 

[jinty1911]

I have a wee pomeranian bitch.  Just need to say "Cats", open back door and she goes tearing round the garden chasing them, which is funny cos the chicks and rabbits chase her back into the house   

[dennis]

 :lol:nice one jinty1911

[Haychee]

take said cat and hold it under water til bubbles stop ......  that should do the trick!


(ok, ok, I AM only joking)   

[Aunt Sally]

Not a joking matter    Posts like that have start wars on here before now.

So no more comments like that please. ( I got twitchy with fear just reading it. )

[CluckyChicken]

I have two cats and the chickens treat each one completely differently-with one, they keep out of his way, but If he gets too cloce they tell him what they think of him!!
With the other one, he can get as close as he likes and they dont take a blind bit of notice! 

If they all just look scary then he will soon run away!  But its hard to make chickens scary, they are just too sweet!!