Does anyone keep chickens?

[Catswhiskers8]

I’m looking at adopting three rescue hens but I already I have three cats. Does anyone have any experience of this? Any tips on helping them all get on?

My cats were very curious obviously when the chickens arrived. As the chickens are almost as big as the cats, I never worried about the cats harming them. If anything the chickens have a little squawk and wing flap if a cat comes near and they’re not in the mood to socialise, usually sends the cat off to sniff at something else.
Cats often sit in the chicken pen (waiting for mice I expect) and chickens mooch around in the vicinity. All appear to co exist just fine 😊

My cousin has always lived on farms or smallholdings, and always had cats and farm birds. She's only had one cat who was ever "interested" in her hens, and he was an ex-stray who adopted her and had been living off whatever he caught before that.

She's managed to persuade him that even half grown bantams aren't for kitties, and are different from the wild birds he unfortunately slaughters by the dozen. Apparently he did once look at some goslings out of the corner of his eye, but the parents very quickly disuaded him from that & he never tried again.

Our cats have never shown any interest in our chickens and they are very wary of our docile ex-batts... Even those laid back ladies will easily see off a normal domestic moggy, especially if there's a clash over food!