Angry chicken needed. Roosters need not apply.

June 15, 2010 8:50 PM

I have a lot of wild birds in our garden because I have five birdfeeders year round. The neighbor's cat likes staking out the birds and killing whatever he can catch. I'm thinking about getting a chicken or two to help clean up the extra bird food and possibly keep the cat out of the garden. Good idea or no?

We have an indoor only siamese, so it's not that I hate cats. I've tried coyote urine all over the yard and there's one dominant little guy that could care less. He's the only cat that continues to come into our yard.

I also have a slug problem this year so I figured a chicken or two could help take care of those too. Oh, and all the birdfood that lands on the ground because the nuthatches like to pick everything out of the birdfeeder to find peanuts.

If this is not a completely crazy idea, is there a certain breed of chicken I should get? Could I borrow someone's angry chickens, or do we need to have them around all the time? Can chickens eat regular bird food?

We have no kids, only animals and none of them are regularly outside.

posted by fiercekitten to Pets & Animals (32 answers total)

Cats can catch and kill chickens. Is your yard perimeter-fenced?
posted by annathea at 8:56 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]

Geese might be a better choice.
posted by buggzzee23 at 9:02 PM on June 15, 2010

Backyard Chickens is one of the go-to sites for info about raising chickens. It's a real commitment to raise chickens. The chickens themselves may not cost much but the items necessary to keep them properly can be fairly costly.

Before going the chicken route I'd ask the owner of the cat if they'd mind belling the cat or if they would allow you to do so.
posted by deborah at 9:21 PM on June 15, 2010 [3 favorites]

I second belling the cat- if he can't sneak, he cant catch. As for the chickens, I have no idea.
posted by shesaysgo at 9:26 PM on June 15, 2010

Raccoons will kill chickens. Chickens need a safe coop at night.
posted by salvia at 9:51 PM on June 15, 2010

Also, they can get cold if they get rained on, and they need a place to lay eggs. So, you have to build them a coop for sleeping in, with a little nesting box, and then you have to let them out in the morning and close the gate at night. You probably have to feed them corn and your kitchen scraps. And then yes, you get delicious eggs.
posted by salvia at 9:53 PM on June 15, 2010

Not every town or jurisdiction will let you have chickens. According to that page, my property is too small according to the county ordinance.
posted by crunchland at 9:53 PM on June 15, 2010

Best answer: I used to have 3 hens in my backyard and they stared down cats all the time. I don't think these were feral cats, just roaming pets (some wore collars). Roosters will agressively chase predators away, but hens just stand their ground. So although hens wouldn't keep cats out of your yard, they might sound an alarm for other birds - mine used to make a particular "danger!" squawk when the cats came around. They were silver-laced Wyandottes, big birds that made cats think twice about approaching. I'd recommend a heavy breed like that, because they look formidable to cats and also they can't fly away once they're fully grown. You want a heavy breed (see the McMurray Hatchery descriptions - it's a fun site to browse!) but not a meat breed. Cats and hawks are not a problem for big breeds, but you have to protect your hens from raccoons at night.

They'll definitely eat slugs and snails, regular birdfood, grass, flowers, vegetables, table scraps, insects - nearly anything. To improve egg production you can feed them "laying pellets" and crushed oyster shell, but the eggs will taste better if they forage freely in addition. They scratch vigorously to find food and will reduce a lawn or flower bed to bare dirt in no time, so keep that in mind.

I'd recommend 2 or 3 hens. They are social birds, accustomed to living in flocks, and a single hen is an unhappy hen. Also, more eyes looking out for cats = more safety for all birds.

I don't know how borrowing chickens would work - the problem would be rounding them up when it's time to return them. They'll go into their coop all by themselves at sundown, but trying to catch them is hard. They can run faster than you think, turn on a dime, and fit into places you can't. If your next-door neighbors have hens and you can let them wander into your yard, that would work - they'll find their way home at night. (You might have to shoo them through the gate a few times to help them figure it out.)

My hens were very entertaining and laid tasty eggs for several years. They lived long happy lives (the oldest one died peacefully at 11 years old) and I miss their silly antics.
posted by Quietgal at 10:02 PM on June 15, 2010 [4 favorites]

Echoing crunchland. Mr. ambrosia has been wanting to get chickens for a while but our town requires that chickens have a coop (which they need anyway) and said coop must be located at least "35 feet from any dwelling", which in our backyard is a place that does not exist in this dimension. And chickens will attract their own set of predators to worry about.

Belling the cat should be the first step, although growing up we had a cat that figured out how to muffle it, so it's not a sure fire bet. Would a motion-activated sprinkler be an option? Most cats loathe unexpected bursts of water.
posted by ambrosia at 10:04 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]

Chickens are the stupidest creatures on Earth and the messiest. Whenever I hear someone say that only Man fouls his own nest, I point to the nearest chicken. They crap in their food, their water, their nests, and everywhere you want to walk. They need their own coop and you'll have to clean it out regularly. They'll destroy your garden, one seed, one plant at a time.

Further, ambrosia is right about chickens attracting their own set of predators.

I hate chickens and don't even want to eat them, or their eggs, anymore.

Bell the cat.
posted by bryon at 10:16 PM on June 15, 2010

Chickens are a whole huge thing. The vibe I'm getting from your question is that you're looking to solve a specific problem*. As opposed to casting about for an excuse to get chickens and thereby live out your long-held dream of chicken ownership.

In which case I - as a chicken owner - cannot overstate how little you want to do this.

I think you would find the chicken experience overwhelming, surprisingly expensive, ridiculously complicated, loud, unsatisfying, and disruptive in pretty much every possible way.

How about a combination of the motion-activated sprinkler for the cat, and a separate peanuts-only feeder to keep the nuthatches happy?

* I love my chickens, but the only problem they solve is "My yard is way too green and lovely, help me find a way to have something tear it up and crap all over its remains!"
posted by ErikaB at 10:39 PM on June 15, 2010 [7 favorites]

Chickens will stare down a cat. We have a lot of wild chickens living on our property (and everyone else's property). They live under the mango trees. They go up into the trees at night. It is really kind of cute.

The cats don't have a chance to catch them. Roosters chase the cats away, hens just stare them down. My husband hates chickens, he grew up on a farm. He says they are dirty and yuchy. My sister has friends who have chickens and love them. If you do get chickens, just get hens.

In a cold climate, chickens will need a heated coop for the winter. If you have loose dogs in the area, they can be a problem.
posted by fifilaru at 11:22 PM on June 15, 2010

Can you move the feeder away from any cover (bushes, leafy plants) that the cat can hide in. They like to lunge at their prey. If the bird can see the cat easily, it will usually have time to fly away. We had a former stray that loved brightly feathered birds and just had to keep an eye out anytime she was hanging out in the bushes. Trying to convince a cat to let go of a bird is skill. Distraction is key.

Belling the cat helps sometimes but it depends how light footed the cat is. If you have the time, a few days taking shots with a super soaker or hose should help discourage the cat (I didn't try this but my grandpa did, better than the bb gun he wanted to use though).
posted by stray thoughts at 12:39 AM on June 16, 2010

Seconding seeing if you can have a bell put on the cat

Bells sorta work. My cat now walks sufficiently smoothly that she doesn't tinkle. I've had other cats that could be prolific hunters at times in spite of their bells.

I think your two best options are looking at the siting of your bird feeders and/or securing the garden.
posted by MuffinMan at 1:38 AM on June 16, 2010

The thing about chickens is that unless you have very reliable chicken-sitters, you can't ever leave. Otherwise, you can't go on a two week vacation, or even for the weekend, because someone needs to feed the chickens. Chickens are a serious commitment.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 1:48 AM on June 16, 2010

Best answer: Belling the cat seems like a more practical option. But as for scaring cats away, geese are often used as "guard animals" on farms. They're bigger, meaner, and noisier than chickens. I'm not sure how well a goose would do in an ordinary backyard, though.
posted by emd3737 at 4:41 AM on June 16, 2010

How about a peacock? And if my own cat is any indication, this sound effect of the bird's call completely freaked her out.
posted by crunchland at 4:52 AM on June 16, 2010

Nthing that chickens are a huge time commitment, will turn your yard into a war zone, and may not enjoy being your cat deterrent. If you really want to go down the animal route, geese will definitely see the cat out of the garden, as well as the postman, UPS, Mormons, newspaper boys and so on, and will give every appearance of enjoying the process. They won't scratch your yard to pieces, but they will mow your lawn to within millimeters, might attack your flower beds for tasty plants, and will cover everything in noxious green crap. You also need a fair amount of space.

You might try a water scarecrow or maybe a bell (they don't work as well as they might be expected to). Or resite the feeders on a very tall pole away from a cat launch point.

Personally, though, I'd get a dog.
posted by cromagnon at 5:16 AM on June 16, 2010

I can't speak to chickens in particular, although my understanding is that they are not easy to keep. But as for deterring the cat, belling might not be a good idea: cats with bells often figure out how to stalk without jingling. And I've heard arguments that bells can annoy the shit out of the cat and make him easier for predators to spot; I'm not sure how much of a concern either of those are, but your neighbor might be resistant to the suggestion for one of those reasons. I've seen two cats scale five-foot chain link fences, so that might not be the best idea either. The motion-activated sprinkler is probably your best bet.
posted by Metroid Baby at 7:03 AM on June 16, 2010

Best answer: We had chickens. I've known aggressive and unpleasant chickens, so I got three chicks and handled them daily to make sure they weren't scared of or aggressive to people. (I have livestock, so putting in time for chickens wasn't a huge deal--I wouldn't recommend it for someone who doesn't already spend a lot of time outside.) Two of them were pretty passive and almost cuddly.

One got sick right after we bought them. We had, in fact, bought three in case one died; we'd still have two to keep each other company. But we nursed that one back to health, because we couldn't stand it let her die if we could help it. She got so much handling, and we literally saved her life; we thought she'd be almost a lapdog. Boy, were we wrong. She was an aggressive, angry, bratty thing. She bit and she tried to spur (hens don't have spurs, but she tried anyway). She made it unpleasant to go out in our own pasture.

We eventually gave all the chickens to someone who would use a chicken tractor instead of letting them roam free, so that she wouldn't be able to attack people anymore.

So hey, you might end up getting a chicken aggressive enough to fight off cats. You just won't be able to go into your own backyard anymore.
posted by galadriel at 7:11 AM on June 16, 2010

Oh--and while they did eat bugs and spread the livestock manure, they also pooped ALL over our barn. Horrible mess. I wouldn't want that in my backyard.
posted by galadriel at 7:12 AM on June 16, 2010

Response by poster: The birdfeeders are placed well enough that the birds that go to them are safe. The problem is the ground-feeding birds that also hang around are not. I'm not completely out of ideas yet, but I wondered if I could accomplish multiple goals in one with the chickens.
posted by fiercekitten at 7:23 AM on June 16, 2010

Not sure how practical this would be in your circumstances, but I've seen a cat-proof fence constructed that was about 4' tall, surmounted by a smooth metal tube of about 1' diameter. Obviously the fence was tight and continuous. Apparently cats won't jump onto that surface, because it's curved and they can't get purchase on it.
posted by adamrice at 7:43 AM on June 16, 2010

Best answer: I've recently read a possible solution to the ground feeding bird issue. Don't buy mixed bird seed. A lot of the stuff that ends up on the ground is the less choice feed, they sort through it then the less choice stuff ends up getting eaten either later or off the ground as the season progresses, if you give them nothing to sort, less will end up on the ground.
posted by stormygrey at 8:18 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]

If you have bluejays in your area, you could try putting out a tray feeder with food that they like, as they are aggressive and good about warning other birds when danger is around. They love peanuts in the shell, and corn. A drawback of this plan though, is that squirrels and other pests also love peanuts and corn.

A lot of people think of bluejays as pests too, but back when I had birdfeeders in my yard, I always loved watching them. They are beautiful and intelligent birds. :)
posted by cottonswab at 8:32 AM on June 16, 2010

Best answer: Things that are less trouble than chickens:

1. Fencing out the cat
2. Getting the neighbor to keep his cat inside.
3. Getting the neighbor to bell the cat.
4. A dog.
5. A motion-sensitive water shooter (very entertaining also, my inlaws use these for deer)

Not to rile the cat-lovers, but free-roaming cats can devastate local bird populations. I don't hate them or blame them for following their instincts. They make nice pets. But they are a problem.

Anyhoo, chickens are not your answer, seems to be the consensus. Me, I like options 2 or 5.

For the love of God, don't get geese. At least not if you ever want to go in your backyard again.
posted by emjaybee at 9:55 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]

Build a wire-fence enclosure (sides and top) under the feeders with big enough holes in the fencing to lets birds in and out freely but small enough to keep cats out. The seeds will fall into the box, the birds will dart in and out safely, and the cats won't get them as they feed. (I have thought of building something like that around bird houses and feeders and baths to keep the larger birds off and let the smaller ones have a shot at things.)
posted by pracowity at 10:23 AM on June 16, 2010

Following on adamrice's comment, check out "coyote rollers." Here's an example made with PVC:
http://www.huskycamp.com/security.htm
posted by galadriel at 10:51 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]

Having mulled this overnight, I think you just need to buy better bird feeders. The initial expense for a no-spill bird feeder may give you pause, but I assure you, it's by far the cheapest and easiest solution!

And I'm pretty sure crunchland was kidding, but no, for the love of all that is holy, do not attempt to keep a peacock in your backyard. The question there is which will kill you first: sleep deprivation and PTSD brought on by the peacock's screaming, or your neighbors.
posted by ErikaB at 12:05 PM on June 16, 2010

Do you want to be a chicken owner, or do you just want to protect your backyard birds? This is the question you need to answer. If it's the latter, you need to go the bell route -- or, better still, ask the neighbor if they'd mind putting a cat bib on their cat.

However, if you really do want chickens and are framing the question this way because, hey, cleaning up bird seed is just another reason to get chickens, go for it. Yes, they will eat your slugs and seed spillage. (Mine love hanging out underneath the bird feeders.) You would still need to buy food for them, though. A 25# bag of Layena pellets lasts me about three or four weeks and costs $6.50 at my hardware store.

I have two chickens. They free-range during the day, and I shut them up at night to frustrate the marauding raccoons. The coop cost me between $200 and $300 when I built it 6 or 7 years ago. There are many different ways to build a coop. You can be as simple or as fancy as you want. You just want to ensure that predators can't get in at night.

Cats won't be an issue once the chickens reach pullet-size. My neighborhood cats won't go anywhere near the chickens. The chickens are taller than the cats, in fact.

You wouldn't need a specific breed. Read through the list here and determine which qualities are important to you. Be sure to take your region's extreme weather conditions into account. Heat and cold tolerance vary by breed.

You'd probably want to stay away from bantams (i.e., the chickens who are half-sized when full-grown). Not only are they not as intimidating to cats, but they have the tendency to want to roost in trees rather than their coop.
posted by mudpuppie at 12:12 PM on June 16, 2010

If I had that problem I would try this fencing: http://www.catfencein.com/brochure3.php

It works to keep cats in or keep them out.
posted by free pie at 7:19 PM on June 17, 2010

buy better bird feeders.

From the looks of them, the next askme question will be all about getting rid of the squirrels.

I'm pretty sure crunchland was kidding, but no, for the love of all that is holy, do not attempt to keep a peacock in your backyard.

They make great burglar alarms, don't they?
posted by crunchland at 9:05 PM on June 17, 2010