Will chickens use a cat flap?

[Thomzo]

Hi
I'm in the process of building a new hen house which will have a fox-proof run attached. Rather than fitting a pop hole that needs to be opened and closed manually, I was thinking of putting in a clear cat flap. The reason being that it will stop draughts and rain getting in the hen house and the hens won't need to wait for me to get up before they can head off outside.

Has anybody tried training a chicken to use a cat flap?

Thanks

Zoe

[oldjerry]

Don't know if that would workbut it's got to be worth a go(maybe encouragement with 'grain-training'..!..).You can buy timer devices but they aren,t cheap.You could probably rig up your own with a kichen timer attached to a counter balnce weight.BW.

[Milims]

We have a cat flap and our chickens have never attempted to use it, despite the fact that they've watched the cats going in and out of it and know that there are cat biscuits (which they love and will sneak in at every given opportunity to snaffle!) on the other side of it. But as OJ says I'll bet they could be trained! Let us know how you get on.

[red]

why not just leave the pop hole open?

ventilation is important for chickens anyway, and a cat flap would not stop a fox or other predator if it were to get that far.

[oldjerry]

Good point. But here's another thought....you can get Catflaps(why does that word make me grin?)that operate off an electronic tag that the cat wears round it's neck,so............!

[baldybloke]

If it does work, it will no longer be a catflap, becoming a chickenflap, which I would of thought came naturally to them.

[sarahkeast]

I just leave my pop hole open, no one has complained yet.

If you do try and train them, and when they do master it, please PLEASE get video footage put up on uTube. I would just love to see chooks being trained.

[boboff]

I wonder if my cat will lay eggs?

[Annpan]

I don't think they would do it Zoe.... would love to be proved wrong though



@Boboff...... um..... well..... no....

[Thomzo]

It's such a good job I didn't read this at work. I was laughing out loud at some of your replies. So now I've just got to give it a go.

I was thinking of leaving the pop hole open all the time but was a bit worried that it might encourage mice to wander in during the night.

Zoe

[Milims]

If your chooks are anything like ours, if a mouse does wander in thru the night it will probably end up as a midnight feast!

[boboff]

If you have a problem with mice you need a cat, don't flap.

[crowsashes]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKhoIBEGLY4

[jampot]

i hope our chickens never learn to use the catflap, its all i can do to keep them out of the kitchen as it is, if the door is open they will peck at the dogs and cats to get them away from the food bowls ,stupid dogs run off terrified of tiny bantams!

[bikinigardener]

would imagine they could be trained to it, tho mine would probably eat the flap!