Cat attacking our hives

[Erichalfbee]

My chickens shelter under my hives all day, or preen on the roof. No problems yet!
E

Not at the moment, I hope
Mind you, just driven down from Cumbria and there are chickens out and about in fields and gardens all over the place

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A lot of people think that because they consider them pets they're exempt from the lockdown.

Back to bees and chickens - the bees would regularly help themselves to water from the chickens' supply, but once a few years ago we lost three hens when a queenless nuc tokk exception to me having a look and took it out on the chickens.

 

[GaryB]

When we lived in our last house...there were lots of cats in the area....I didn't mind them yowling at night but I did object to them pooping in the flower border under my bedroom window. Every spring when I dug it over...it was full of cat poo...uuuuggg!
We lived in a bungalow so the smell was horrible too. I tried sprinkling with stuff from the garden centre but it didn't make any difference.
I had the idea of putting fencing around the border after I dug it over...I used some left over electric posts and wire...lots of strands with the idea they wouldn't want to get through it...nope...they just carried on.....so I brought home the electric fencing pulsar. Attached it late in the afternoon.
I like cats...but I don't have one as they always eventually get run over.
That night there was much screeching and scrambling and hissing. The next morning...the fence looked a little rearranged!...no cat poop....ever again. Eventually I removed the fencing and they never returned. Possibly, it was only one cat....he sure didn't like the sting the fence gave him!

I am not a cat lover, each to their own, don't hate them either, but. If you where a dog owner, and allowed your dog to crap all over someone else's garden, you would have some recourse possibly in law, by dragging the dog owner through the courts. Let's face it, if a dog craps in your garden, the dog owner is usually in tow, usually because they have the dog on a lead, and therefore they are culpable. In the case of cats, they are semi feral, can jump walls, fences etc, and the owner doesn't "take them for a walk". Therefore in my book, keeping cats that **** all round the neighbourhood, but not in their own backyard, because they never do, is highly controversial. As they are not licensed, as opposed to dogs, I suppose you could shoot them if they are on your land.... Just saying.

 

[GaryB]

A lot of people think that because they consider them pets they're exempt from the lockdown.

Indeed they are not. We only have a few, and they been in lockdown since the notice was issued, and as we have seen there is already a breakout of Avian flu in Lincolshire only this week.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

A lot of people think that because they consider them pets they're exempt from the lockdown.

Back to bees and chickens - the bees would regularly help themselves to water from the chickens' supply, but once a few years ago we lost three hens when a queenless nuc tokk exception to me having a look and took it out on the chickens.

The lockdown is supposed to apply to all but I really doubt the backyard rescue chicken enthusiasts with three or four hens kept in a coop on an allotment little bigger than sleeping space and a laying box will follow the diktat.
On a realistic level the only way those hens will get infected is via the local wild bird population and losing that small number isn't a commercial issue. We're fortunate in being able to keep our birds inside but if there's any real point is debatable.

 

[psafloyd]

I am not a cat lover, each to their own, don't hate them either, but. If you where a dog owner, and allowed your dog to crap all over someone else's garden, you would have some recourse possibly in law, by dragging the dog owner through the courts. Let's face it, if a dog craps in your garden, the dog owner is usually in tow, usually because they have the dog on a lead, and therefore they are culpable. In the case of cats, they are semi feral, can jump walls, fences etc, and the owner doesn't "take them for a walk". Therefore in my book, keeping cats that **** all round the neighbourhood, but not in their own backyard, because they never do, is highly controversial. As they are not licensed, as opposed to dogs, I suppose you could shoot them if they are on your land.... Just saying.

You can't shoot cats because they are on your land, because they are not classed as vermin.

There is already a relaxation in the laws of the road because cats are free to roam, so that if you knock one down, you are not obliged to stop to try and find the owner.

Many people do allow their dogs to crap all over the place, even when attached to them with a lead. Are you as worried about horses crapping on the road and their owners not stopping to bag it? What about cows being brought back for milking?

All animals ****, so get over it. Or do something to prevent it happening in your garden.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

You can't shoot cats because they are on your land, because they are not classed as vermin.

There is already a relaxation in the laws of the road because cats are free to roam, so that if you knock one down, you are not obliged to stop to try and find the owner.

Many people do allow their dogs to crap all over the place, even when attached to them with a lead. Are you as worried about horses crapping on the road and their owners not stopping to bag it? What about cows being brought back for milking?

All animals ****, so get over it. Or do something to prevent it happening in your garden.

Got any views on a nice plump pheasant sitting among your brassicas?

Your mention of cows being brought back for milking made me think of childhood in the village I grew up in. Cows went through the middle twice a day and you had to keep the front gate shut to avoid deep footprints all over the garden. That was pre TT days and the farmer brought milk out in a churn with a half pint ladle and sold it into customers own jug around mid morning, 7 days a week.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The lockdown is supposed to apply to all but I really doubt the backyard rescue chicken enthusiasts with three or four hens kept in a coop on an allotment little bigger than sleeping space and a laying box will follow the diktat.
.

To be fair to them they probably are the most concietious - I follow a rescue hen group on FB and most have gone to great lengths and expense to shut them in.
I think the problem stems from the usual hippy dippy back to the land crowd who think just because they subsist on vegetables and 'farm' a handful of acres they are exempt from most things.