Cat in the barn

[starjj]

I have (had) about a dozen bantams which I have just left to themselves to free range and at night they go in the barn and sleep.
Unfortunately a barn that has a gate in the front for access. Ayway I have been loosing them slowly sometimes one a week then skips for 2 weeks. This week I lost two. Friday night I saw a opposum in the barn and since I don't have a gun YET there wasn't much I could do.

I bought a trap Saturday thinking I would catch him last night. Guess what I caught? A VERY large black and white cat. It is scared of course but doesn't seem to be feral. Nice and fat too.

Would you all be of the opinion that this is what is killing my bantams? I know I lost one to a hawk but that was in the daytime.

They roost on the hay bales very high up but I know that wouldn't stop a cat as they can climb up and snatch them when they are sleeping.

It would explain how one was eaten in the fenced backyard because a fence would have had to be jumped and I am pretty sure I haven't ever seen a possum that could jump a 4 foot fence lol.

My laying hens go in the coop at night.

[FlagWaver]

I had a coon scale over 12' up the side of a barn to a partially open window to kill three laying hens one night. A coon or opposum can easily climb hay bales or over a 4' fence. I don't think it's the cats killing your banties.

[Danaus29]

Cats can kill and eat chickens. If this one is killing yours, I don't know. Possibly it's looking for mice. Chicken tastes better.

[jil101ca]

We get alot of strays dumped off here (of course *roll eyes*) and some of these poor things look straving but non of them have ever bother the chickens. Keep in ming though that we have chickens alot bigger than bantams.

[Bearfootfarm]

I am pretty sure I haven't ever seen a possum that could jump a 4 foot fence lol.

It could climb the fence with no problem.
Although a cat CAN kill a chicken, they seldom do unless starving, and even then it's mostly babies

[Minelson]

I have 10 little Bantams and 5 cats that live with them. Never had a problem. I even put one of the cats in the coop last night for the night to catch a mouse that has moved in there.

[NCLee]

We've never had a problem with cats and free range chickens. It's more likely a wild animal, such as a racoon, weasel, that's getting your chickens. Around here, we've always had to protect chickens at night. Once in a while, a hawk or a dog would kill one during the day, but night is a different story. The chicken coop had to be closed up critter tight at night.

Lee

[jen74145]

I brought my twenty pound tom (huge cat, not fat, just huge) out with me one day. He saw my black jersey giant hen and he absolutely wanted to eat her. I captured him mid-run towards her. Uh, he didn't come outside after that.

OTOH, my others are either scared of chickens or could care less. But banties... yeah, I doubt a cat would differentiatie between songbirds and small chickens.

[Maura]

Cats usually leave chickens alone, but there are exceptions. Let the cat go. The experience of being trapped may be enough for him to stay away- it was enough to keep the neighbor's pretty orange marmalade cat away from our place. It's not like the cat is starving. Put the trap out again for the oppossum, or whatever else may be out there.

[starjj]

Originally Posted by Maura

Cats usually leave chickens alone, but there are exceptions. Let the cat go. The experience of being trapped may be enough for him to stay away- it was enough to keep the neighbor's pretty orange marmalade cat away from our place. It's not like the cat is starving. Put the trap out again for the oppossum, or whatever else may be out there.

Yeah I let him go after I let my 4 little dogs scare him a bit in the cage and I banged on the cage also. He took off like a streak. I will set the trap again and hopefully he will not be dumb enough to come back.

[65284]

Originally Posted by Danaus29

Cats can kill and eat chickens. If this one is killing yours, I don't know. Possibly it's looking for mice. Chicken tastes better.

Please tell us how you know chicken tastes better than mouse.

[starjj]

Quick update. Went to the barn this morning and I thought I had caught the same cat BUT it was a different one. This one was just as fat and healthy looking but was solid black the other was a black and white. Gave this one a second chance too after scaring it by banging on the trap.

Hope not to see their furry butts again. Of course they may be more new ones out there.

[Danaus29]

Weeelllllll, chicken smells better anyway. Never had mouse although I've eaten my fair share of the rodent family. But you would think that if mouse tasted good to cats someone would have come up with mouse flavored cat food.

I had a cat that would rather have chicken than mouse, but the chicken was cooked and he didn't have to catch it.

[tamsam]

Coons are smart and learn very fast. Take a can of smelly cat food or tuna and punch holes , or partly open it and wire it to the back o the cage. This will cause the coon to go all the way in instead of just getting in far enough to reach the bait. Then dispose of it as it will come back. I use a 22 trap here and have no come backs. Good luck getting your problem critter. Sam

[hugh]

Originally Posted by tamsam

Coons are smart and learn very fast. Take a can of smelly cat food or tuna and punch holes , or partly open it and wire it to the back o the cage. This will cause the coon to go all the way in instead of just getting in far enough to reach the bait. Then dispose of it as it will come back. I use a 22 trap here and have no come backs. Good luck getting your problem critter. Sam

Second that with the tuna, works great. And a 22 in the face they won't be back.

[DW]

We had a friend turn loose a couple dozen small pheasants...our little pet cat brought us a pheasant!!!
We had a feral cat that used to put her kittens in the chicken coop to raise. They would hide behind the feed barrels and eat the scraps we fed the chickens. Eventually we tamed the mama, had her spayed and she was with us 21 yrs...have no idea how old she was.

[mnn2501]

Originally Posted by tamsam

Coons are smart and learn very fast. Take a can of smelly cat food or tuna and punch holes , or partly open it and wire it to the back o the cage. Sam

Course that'll draw more cats also.

[starjj]

Well I have been baiting the trap with a bit of brocolli smeared in canned dog food. Since I saw a opposum Friday night in the barn and the trap instructions said vegetables and cat food to attract them (had to use dog food since I don't have a cat) I figured I would catch an opposum not two fat and sassy cats.

I almost caught my dog tonight. I had baited the trap and he smelled the dog food. I wasn't paying attention and I looked around and he was about a quarter of the way into the trap.