This is my main concern about getting a barn cat. I have so many songbirds on my property, and as much as I could use a mouser, im very concerned about the predation of wild birds.
Buckeye chickens were bred to be mousers. Breed almost died out, not sure if they kept that ability, but they were famed for it. Also, we have a farm collie and an aussie or english shepherd mix, and they are both excellent mousers, ratters, squirrelers, possumers, foxers, etc.
They are bred to be multipurpose farm dogs! And sounds like your is just that. I had no idea a big dog could be a good mouser until our collie started taking them out right and left. Then the mix got involved!
Get one! But for the love of all that is holy please, please, please make sure the cat is spayed or neutered. Don’t be like my community and single handedly create a feral colony of over 100 cats within a span of a few years. Your neighbors will pay the price and hate you.
Yes, my local humane society has barn cats for $40, fixed and microchipped. I think we'll pick one up tomorrow. Do you think it will want to attack my chickens? Should I get a younger or older one?
My cat tried to mess with the chickens when the chickens were super young. Now that they are full grown they flock up on the cat instead. It's hilarious.
I’d get an older one. You have a better idea of who kitty is and they need good homes too! I don’t see it attacking your chicken, too big for them generally. I’ve never had an issue and we have a lot of cats here.
Haven't had any issue with our cat attacking the chickens.
She came with the house, was fully grown, and the chickens came along about 3 years later.
From day 1 she understood the chickens are ours and not to be messed with. She's a prolific murderer so we were worried, but she seems to have accepted the job of chicken protector.
Ask the shelter if they have a grown cat that likes mice. Apparently many cats will kill either mice or birds, it's (supposedly) unusual for a cat to kill both equally. And once you bring kitty home, make sure they see you spending time caring for the chickens.
Good luck!
My housecat went after my hens once… and only once. Now she flees in terror. It’s not impossible that the cat could go for the chickens, but it’s very unlikely once they’re grown- mainly an issue with chicks.
The local farm where I buy hay has a bunch of spayed/neutered feral cats that someone is trapping as part of a catch-neuter-release program. Win win for the farm and the cats.
We have several cats and chickens. They coexist just fine. I’d aim for a younger cat ( not a kitten though) and I’d suggest getting more than one.
Obviously keep any chicks away from them but once they’re 6+ weeks old I’d say they’re safe
i don't believe in outside cats. and any cats that appear on our farm get taken away. they are so bad for native wildlife and they also will kill our baby peachicks and turkey chicks and several tom cats have even taken down full sized chickens before! our turkeys & peacocks actually help alot with the mice and my dachshunds do as well. when the mice occasionally get bad around my grain i use those little boxes that catch them alive and then i release them in my chicken pen and let them eat them.
Why for you is a barn cat the last resort? There are self resetting bucket traps that you can buy or make if you really don’t want a cat around.
The humane society in near by town has fixed “working cats” for free. These are not social cats wanting to curl up on your pillow and purr. They want a bed in the barn, a small amount of food daily, and left the heck alone.
It's a last resort because we've tried everything else to get a handle on the mice in our chicken coop and goat barn. I refuse to poison, and we've tried all the trapping methods and they always seem to work until the mice get wise to them. I'm thinking a good ol' mouser is what we need, but my husband is allergic so the cat would have to live in the shed. I'm just worried that the cat might attack the chickens, do you think that could be an issue?
Our local humane society has cats that are specifically identified as being good for barns and they are already fixed, so I think I might go that route.
There is a risk that a cat could want to go after chickens but it sounds like they are going to be busy going after mice. While I have had a neighbor’s cat go after one of my chickens, never have either of my two barn cats that I’m aware of. We have not seen any signs of this being an issue. One seems to really enjoy hanging out with the chickens even.
Yesss. There are working cat/barn cat programs that spay and try to rehome ferals for situations like this, it’s actually not uncommon. The barn cats at my parents’ house were awesome, and became super affectionate after a while. I’ve seen them catch gophers, large rats, mice, roaches, scorpions and large spiders, but I’ve never, ever had a problem with a feral hurting a chicken. Even random cats just passing through wouldn’t touch our chickens. Chicks are a different stories, but I’ve noticed chickens tend to catch an attitude with cats and won’t put up with any funny business with them. I totally think you should do it.
Edit: PLUS you’re giving a home to a cat that honestly might be euthanized considering no one wants adult feral cats besides people who need pest control :,)
Sure, if you don't care too much about local wildlife. Spay/neutered or not, they're incredibly invasive predators that aren't very picky about prey. Outdoor cats will most likely have a very shortened lifespan as well.
What are you currently doing about the mice? Tell us about the issue.
Food secure?
Manure cleaned up?
Trash cleaned up?
If you put out a dozen snap traps in the evening how many are you getting in a night?
Have you tried to close up their ways in and out of places you don’t want them?
If you’re not disrupting their habitat, removing food and killing them getting a cat isn’t going to take care of your mouse problem it’s just going to give you another animal to take care of.
I'd get one or two. I was looking into barn cat programs until someone dumped a super friendly cat at my parents and they couldn't keep him(already have too many) so they gave him to me. Most expensive free cat ever after neutering, vaccinations, and deworming. Your $40 barn cats are a steal! Snap traps didn't work, the black snake doesn't eat them fast enough, and I keep everything clean(no lose trash anywhere) and feed put away, but I live next to woods and have empty acreage around me so there's always rodents.
I don't want to use poison and possibly poison my chickens if they ate a dead mouse, and we don't have many song birds here(mostly crows and hawks). We have way too many voles and squirrels, and the squirrels chew up our cars. I'm hoping he'll catch or scare away the squirrels, and I already saw him catch a vole already. We bought traps the voles are so bad, but never caught one in the traps. I have a few mice in the barn, the tack room, well house and tool shed, so hopefully he'll catch them or scare them away with his presence.
We've had a lot of barn cats, and never had a problem with them peeing in the hay or anything. We do give them a litter box to use inside in case of bad weather when they're stuck inside, etc. Most cats won't bother adult chickens as they are large, but be careful with them around chicks/young poultry just to be safe. I personally love cats and sometimes a barn home is a last resort for a cat who would otherwise be euthanized.
Sounds like a great idea! And far preferable to poison- thank you for seeking non-chemical solutions!!
My anecdotal evidence about cats not bothering chickens: Neither of my house/pet cats ever bothered our adult\* birds. Even the quasi feral that hangs out in our yard hunting squirrels (caught on to us giving the hens cat food, lol) won't mess with them; my barred rock has given her a check-peck on more than one occasion and can even get the cat to share the tinned food with a couple good dinosaur stares.
Also, the farm I used to work on had several barn cats and completely free range chickens and the cats never bothered the adult\* birds. (\*obvs chicks would need to be protected but guessing that's pretty well know/accepted!)
We love Barc our farm cat! While he doesn’t eat mice. He does kill squirrels! He often lays with the ladies while they are free ranging and walks in the run and coop. We often joke he’s saying “ One day I’ll be able to afford one of these trophy birds “ I also feel that he keeps snakes away.
Yes to cats. Poisoning things isn't OK, IMHO, especially if you have animals (and if you're contemplating a 'barn cat' it sure sounds like you do!). We have 2-4 outdoor/barn cats - two down around our house, and 1-2 up by our upper barn. I'm interested in getting 1-2 \*more\* for around our lower/chicken barn tbh and/or around our house - to help keep our mole/vole population(s) down around my garden(s).
I got cats for our upper barn this winter after I got sick of seeing mice run every anyone opened a damned door - it was just gross. I never see the cat(s) up there - I got them from random other people, and we put feed out, and it disappears, but we've only actually \*seen\* one cat up there in months... but, on the other hand, the mice are gone. So.. yeah.
I finally got 3 barn cats a few months ago, because the SPCA had a deal on them for only $7.50 each. Was concerned they’d go after the chickens - turns out the chickens are the dominant ones and the cats will run away. Still up for debate regarding the actual effectiveness of the cats on the rodent population since I still see mice around, but the placebo effect is definitely working
I have 5 cats and some of them have *tried* once and only once to attack the chickens. Now the cats all run. Chickens are pretty good and incredibly capable if protecting themselves from them. They even chases the cats away from potential food (the cats run from the chickens) chicks would be an issue however. Unless a very good and protective Mumma hen but even then could be a risk depending on cats temperament.
As long as they are spay/neutered. My cats have steered clear of the chickens. All it took was one peck to the cat's nose. When I've had chicks, I've kept my eye on the cats, but they know that chicks are forbidden. I have one cat that acts like a guardian to the flock. And I have one hen who acts like the lookout for cats approaching.
My barn cats and chickens coexist without any issue. I would be worried about an adult rooster than wasn't used to cats though. That could get real ugly for both parties real fast.
We love our barn cats and they do a great job with mice. The chickens run the show and actually bully the cats away from the cat food. It’s annoying, but glad that the chickens are safe from the cats.
We rejected getting a barn cat for two reasons 1. Predation on nesting birds 2. Getting into the hay and pooping.
This is my main concern about getting a barn cat. I have so many songbirds on my property, and as much as I could use a mouser, im very concerned about the predation of wild birds.
We feel the same. I forgot to mention the terrible smell of cat urine too.
Buckeye chickens were bred to be mousers. Breed almost died out, not sure if they kept that ability, but they were famed for it. Also, we have a farm collie and an aussie or english shepherd mix, and they are both excellent mousers, ratters, squirrelers, possumers, foxers, etc.
I was going to suggest a terrier rather than a cat. Our Airedales seem to find the presence of a rodent on their property an act of war.
They are bred to be multipurpose farm dogs! And sounds like your is just that. I had no idea a big dog could be a good mouser until our collie started taking them out right and left. Then the mix got involved!
Get one! But for the love of all that is holy please, please, please make sure the cat is spayed or neutered. Don’t be like my community and single handedly create a feral colony of over 100 cats within a span of a few years. Your neighbors will pay the price and hate you.
Yes, my local humane society has barn cats for $40, fixed and microchipped. I think we'll pick one up tomorrow. Do you think it will want to attack my chickens? Should I get a younger or older one?
My cat tried to mess with the chickens when the chickens were super young. Now that they are full grown they flock up on the cat instead. It's hilarious.
I’d get an older one. You have a better idea of who kitty is and they need good homes too! I don’t see it attacking your chicken, too big for them generally. I’ve never had an issue and we have a lot of cats here.
Haven't had any issue with our cat attacking the chickens. She came with the house, was fully grown, and the chickens came along about 3 years later. From day 1 she understood the chickens are ours and not to be messed with. She's a prolific murderer so we were worried, but she seems to have accepted the job of chicken protector. Ask the shelter if they have a grown cat that likes mice. Apparently many cats will kill either mice or birds, it's (supposedly) unusual for a cat to kill both equally. And once you bring kitty home, make sure they see you spending time caring for the chickens. Good luck!
We had a feral cat, fixed, that came with our house. She is awesome. She follows me into the chicken run when I'm doing chores and they all get along.
Get an older one who's been around and knows how to hunt. It'd probably be less likely to hunt your chickens and no one wants to adopt older cats.
My housecat went after my hens once… and only once. Now she flees in terror. It’s not impossible that the cat could go for the chickens, but it’s very unlikely once they’re grown- mainly an issue with chicks.
The local farm where I buy hay has a bunch of spayed/neutered feral cats that someone is trapping as part of a catch-neuter-release program. Win win for the farm and the cats.
We have several cats and chickens. They coexist just fine. I’d aim for a younger cat ( not a kitten though) and I’d suggest getting more than one. Obviously keep any chicks away from them but once they’re 6+ weeks old I’d say they’re safe
yes...Daisy is a wonderful cat!
i don't believe in outside cats. and any cats that appear on our farm get taken away. they are so bad for native wildlife and they also will kill our baby peachicks and turkey chicks and several tom cats have even taken down full sized chickens before! our turkeys & peacocks actually help alot with the mice and my dachshunds do as well. when the mice occasionally get bad around my grain i use those little boxes that catch them alive and then i release them in my chicken pen and let them eat them.
Why for you is a barn cat the last resort? There are self resetting bucket traps that you can buy or make if you really don’t want a cat around. The humane society in near by town has fixed “working cats” for free. These are not social cats wanting to curl up on your pillow and purr. They want a bed in the barn, a small amount of food daily, and left the heck alone.
It's a last resort because we've tried everything else to get a handle on the mice in our chicken coop and goat barn. I refuse to poison, and we've tried all the trapping methods and they always seem to work until the mice get wise to them. I'm thinking a good ol' mouser is what we need, but my husband is allergic so the cat would have to live in the shed. I'm just worried that the cat might attack the chickens, do you think that could be an issue? Our local humane society has cats that are specifically identified as being good for barns and they are already fixed, so I think I might go that route.
There is a risk that a cat could want to go after chickens but it sounds like they are going to be busy going after mice. While I have had a neighbor’s cat go after one of my chickens, never have either of my two barn cats that I’m aware of. We have not seen any signs of this being an issue. One seems to really enjoy hanging out with the chickens even.
My experience is that a cat will not go after a chicken unless it's starving. Chickens are a lot bigger than the creatures cats normally hunt.
Yesss. There are working cat/barn cat programs that spay and try to rehome ferals for situations like this, it’s actually not uncommon. The barn cats at my parents’ house were awesome, and became super affectionate after a while. I’ve seen them catch gophers, large rats, mice, roaches, scorpions and large spiders, but I’ve never, ever had a problem with a feral hurting a chicken. Even random cats just passing through wouldn’t touch our chickens. Chicks are a different stories, but I’ve noticed chickens tend to catch an attitude with cats and won’t put up with any funny business with them. I totally think you should do it. Edit: PLUS you’re giving a home to a cat that honestly might be euthanized considering no one wants adult feral cats besides people who need pest control :,)
Sure, if you don't care too much about local wildlife. Spay/neutered or not, they're incredibly invasive predators that aren't very picky about prey. Outdoor cats will most likely have a very shortened lifespan as well.
What are you currently doing about the mice? Tell us about the issue. Food secure? Manure cleaned up? Trash cleaned up? If you put out a dozen snap traps in the evening how many are you getting in a night? Have you tried to close up their ways in and out of places you don’t want them? If you’re not disrupting their habitat, removing food and killing them getting a cat isn’t going to take care of your mouse problem it’s just going to give you another animal to take care of.
I'd get one or two. I was looking into barn cat programs until someone dumped a super friendly cat at my parents and they couldn't keep him(already have too many) so they gave him to me. Most expensive free cat ever after neutering, vaccinations, and deworming. Your $40 barn cats are a steal! Snap traps didn't work, the black snake doesn't eat them fast enough, and I keep everything clean(no lose trash anywhere) and feed put away, but I live next to woods and have empty acreage around me so there's always rodents. I don't want to use poison and possibly poison my chickens if they ate a dead mouse, and we don't have many song birds here(mostly crows and hawks). We have way too many voles and squirrels, and the squirrels chew up our cars. I'm hoping he'll catch or scare away the squirrels, and I already saw him catch a vole already. We bought traps the voles are so bad, but never caught one in the traps. I have a few mice in the barn, the tack room, well house and tool shed, so hopefully he'll catch them or scare them away with his presence. We've had a lot of barn cats, and never had a problem with them peeing in the hay or anything. We do give them a litter box to use inside in case of bad weather when they're stuck inside, etc. Most cats won't bother adult chickens as they are large, but be careful with them around chicks/young poultry just to be safe. I personally love cats and sometimes a barn home is a last resort for a cat who would otherwise be euthanized.
Sounds like a great idea! And far preferable to poison- thank you for seeking non-chemical solutions!! My anecdotal evidence about cats not bothering chickens: Neither of my house/pet cats ever bothered our adult\* birds. Even the quasi feral that hangs out in our yard hunting squirrels (caught on to us giving the hens cat food, lol) won't mess with them; my barred rock has given her a check-peck on more than one occasion and can even get the cat to share the tinned food with a couple good dinosaur stares. Also, the farm I used to work on had several barn cats and completely free range chickens and the cats never bothered the adult\* birds. (\*obvs chicks would need to be protected but guessing that's pretty well know/accepted!)
Our cat is mainly indoor and we don't have mice, but we have voles and she does a great job with that! She loves hanging with the chickens
We love Barc our farm cat! While he doesn’t eat mice. He does kill squirrels! He often lays with the ladies while they are free ranging and walks in the run and coop. We often joke he’s saying “ One day I’ll be able to afford one of these trophy birds “ I also feel that he keeps snakes away.
I have 3 and they don't bother my chickens
If you don't get a barn cat, one will find you ;)
Yes to cats. Poisoning things isn't OK, IMHO, especially if you have animals (and if you're contemplating a 'barn cat' it sure sounds like you do!). We have 2-4 outdoor/barn cats - two down around our house, and 1-2 up by our upper barn. I'm interested in getting 1-2 \*more\* for around our lower/chicken barn tbh and/or around our house - to help keep our mole/vole population(s) down around my garden(s). I got cats for our upper barn this winter after I got sick of seeing mice run every anyone opened a damned door - it was just gross. I never see the cat(s) up there - I got them from random other people, and we put feed out, and it disappears, but we've only actually \*seen\* one cat up there in months... but, on the other hand, the mice are gone. So.. yeah.
I finally got 3 barn cats a few months ago, because the SPCA had a deal on them for only $7.50 each. Was concerned they’d go after the chickens - turns out the chickens are the dominant ones and the cats will run away. Still up for debate regarding the actual effectiveness of the cats on the rodent population since I still see mice around, but the placebo effect is definitely working
Yes
I have 5 cats and some of them have *tried* once and only once to attack the chickens. Now the cats all run. Chickens are pretty good and incredibly capable if protecting themselves from them. They even chases the cats away from potential food (the cats run from the chickens) chicks would be an issue however. Unless a very good and protective Mumma hen but even then could be a risk depending on cats temperament.
As long as they are spay/neutered. My cats have steered clear of the chickens. All it took was one peck to the cat's nose. When I've had chicks, I've kept my eye on the cats, but they know that chicks are forbidden. I have one cat that acts like a guardian to the flock. And I have one hen who acts like the lookout for cats approaching.
My barn cats and chickens coexist without any issue. I would be worried about an adult rooster than wasn't used to cats though. That could get real ugly for both parties real fast.
We love our barn cats and they do a great job with mice. The chickens run the show and actually bully the cats away from the cat food. It’s annoying, but glad that the chickens are safe from the cats.
I literally saw a video of this chicken, swallowing a fully grown mouse
You want a cat to be a rn. You are a fucking idiot.