Thursday, March 25, 2010

The cat came back.

Yesterday I brought the girls out into the yard for a field trip. They peeped around enjoying some bug snacks. Then came the neighbor's cat. I could see the cat stalking them from under the fence which divides our yards. I shooed the chicks closer to me and away from the fence and resumed my reading. When I looked up again the cat was in the yard giving my chicks the stare down. I was so torn. I watch my cats stalk things all the time. They are so cute attacking their toy mice or bottle caps or whatever happens to fall on the floor. It was hard to watch a cat do what comes naturally when it was doing it to my chicks! I couldn't be mad but I was extremely uncomfortable. Of course all I had to do was stand up and take one step toward the kitty and it was off like a flash of lightening. I wonder if the cat will pose a problem with the chickens are full grown. With no rooster will they be able to defend themselves? Will I have have to be on edge the entire time they are in my backyard. Being a chick mom can be so stressful.
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2 comments:

  1. KimberlyMarch 25, 2010 at 11:52 AM

    I can only imagine! I would think that a hen could defend itself pretty well, but the rooster is defintely the protector. My hens were taken by a fox years ago...I wouldn't take the chance. It's heartbreaking!

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  2. Curbstone Valley FarmMarch 25, 2010 at 12:37 PM

    In my experience, it varies from hen to hen. House cats aren't the problem here, Bobcats are. I've noticed when 'Bob', or a coyote comes around and the hens are in the run, one of two things will happen. The savvy hens will jump up into the coop, or run underneath the coop back where the predators can't see them. The, well, less-than-University-Material hens will freeze in place, making themselves unbelievably easy targets. As such, our hens are only allowed out if we're there to watch them. Otherwise they're in a predator-proof outdoor run. That said, with a house cat, I think an savvy adult hen would have no problem pecking a cat, hard. The question is, for that cat, is that enough? That rather depends on the cat.

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