Barn Cats

[NightskyeB4Dawn]

I had brothers (lost one) for about 5 years now.  
1) Try to get them from a farmer that had barn cats with kittens.  They make the best barn cats.
2) Getting them as kittens, with adult chickens, is a good way to start.  Never lost one chick to my cats, and they lay out in the run with the chickens.
3) I have never provided a littler box for them.  They must go somewhere outside, as I haven't seen a "pile" anywhere in the barn, and ours has a dirt floor.
4)  I feed our remaining boy 1/2 a cup a day of dry food.  He still tears up the mice, and sometimes baby bunnies.
5) Yes, getting them fixed is a must.

The one we lost, grady, was not real friendly, but you could pet him while he was eating.  His brother, Lester, is a beast.  And super friendly, to the point that he follows our twin grandsons when we go for a walk in the woods, like he is protecting them.  He will come out if I'm in the garden, and try to lay all over me to be petted.   Not fun on 80F days!

Oh, and for those in cold climates, like ours in MI, we put a whole bale of straw under the nesting boxes outside the coop, and lester made himself a nest.

My neighbor just gave me a kitten from his barn cat. Spot was given to another, but she wanted a cuddle cat, and Spot doesn't like to be held, and he is not fond of being petted, so she rejected Spot. They were afraid Spot, the only one that looks like the mother, would be as nonsocial as the mother. 

The mother is pretty mean, and is not crazy about people. Spot isn't mean, but he does not care for holding and cuddling. 

I think he will do just fine with me and the pack. Spot is used to being around dogs and my dogs grew up with a cat, so after a slow introduction period, all should be fine.

Pic if  new member of the homestead.