Dogs as Part of Free-Range Chicken Keeping System

Neighbor with free-range chickens to north came to front door with firearm after a dog came in killed two of his birds. Birds where part of a long-term breeding project so more lost than immediate worth of birds. I have birds of similar value. Dog involved lives at northwest corner of my property and has history of human aggressiveness towards me which I have reported to county police on two separate occasions. I put up cattle panels specifically for that neighbors dogs to keep them out. This one of those dogs that is penned 99% of time and causes more trouble than the free-range dogs that otherwise just crap in everybodies yard. This dog is a pitbull. Not all pitbulls are bad but dogs this particular neighbor have are.

Looks like neighbor with pitbull has 30 days notice with respect to eviction and will be fined $100 w/ court date. Slight problem is that I am neighbor pitbull owner credits with all of his troubles.

We are currently experiencing a very heavy storm event. Female that is lightening shy has taken to cowering under cover. Male is barking at lightening and thunder and both went nuts just before weather hit. Shortly I will have to go out with dogs to survey damage. It does not take much of a tree branch to negate my fencing and charger seems very vulnerable to ground strikes even with surge protector.

My birds will be increasingly spread out as season progresses and most will either juveniles or represent a breed (American Dominique) that cannot fly well. I use extensive cover patches that make predators job of detecting chickens more difficult and for aerial predators in particular, the attack run more complicated, and where predator must be immersed in the cover reducing its mobility and ability to see other predators.

Here are examples of what about 1/3 of my ground used for free-ranging chickens looks like currently.






It also has wild rose patches and brambles.






Soon the plant communities will leaf out making so seeing chickens from a distance will be very difficult. Operating in such a situation for a predator, even one like a fox, will be very dicey when someone that responds to chicken alarm calls can run as fast as you and uses your sounds of movement against you. That someone is a dog. We have killed two red foxes now and at least one was caught because it did not realize dog was coming up from behind. Fox was too focused on quarry. Can you see dog? Think about what another predator thinks if something like dog might also be lurking in patch with chickens or comes rapidly every time chickens get riled. Now think about two dogs where one likes to go around perimeter while the other charges in after you. .


Less than a 1/4 is the short mowed grass but is is very important source of vegetative greens which chickens consume a lot of. The grassy areas are similar to areas most use for keeping chickens and they are also where chickens are most exposed. The balance of the area is simply tall grass that provides limited protection from ground predators but is a very important reservoir for animal forages preferred by chickens.

My son and I took a short walk in the company of the dogs. On the way back I spotted a large black snake (Black King Snake) crossing drive up ahead. I wanted to show Trueman a snake up close so hurried in that direction. Snake crawled into thick grass and head its head about a foot above it as we approached. Dogs read my interest and pulled ahead where male picked up snakes scent and quickly tracked it down. Female read his interest and picked up scent as well. Scoob held point just until I got their then attacked. Both dogs attacked from different directions with one taunting head and other delivering very rapid crushing bites to the body. Snake attempted to switch back and forth to defend it flank but it was dispatched in less than 30 seconds with both dogs taking turns at delivering death shakes. Less than 2 minutes after initial contact snake was dismembered and consumed by both dogs. Snake was nearly 6 feet long. I have seen dogs eating snakes numerous times while I have been mowing. My assumption was they scavenged carcasses hit by mower but putting 2 and 2 together it appears the dogs are taking advantage of snakes scared from cover by lawn mower. Attack method would be affective against local pit vipers (Osage Copperheads and Timber Rattlers). Scoob has also demonstrated the ability to dispatch 15 lb snapping turtles which are not a real problem. The killing of reptiles is something I will try to suppress.

Last night a raccoon came in and tried to catch a dominique hen. Hen lost some feathers out of deal but dogs did not allow raccoon to pursue chicken. Raccoon lost dogs in very high weeds long enough to get into brush pile down in draw. Tonight we will try to intercept raccoon by coming up draw between it ans its refuge. Based on what I could here raccoon ran almost as soon as chicken squalled so it may not have realized how close dogs got to it which mean it may try again.

centrarchid said:

Tonight we will try to intercept raccoon by coming up draw between it ans its refuge.

Click to expand...

Perhaps raccoon won't try again. Raccoon may have babies to feed and thought they found an easy meal. Hope everyone stays safe.

All is going well except raccoon wound up being a Great Horned Owl. Bugger had escape route that explains difficulty dogs had with it. Three failed attacks in as many nights were required before owl gave up. Result was no chickens are roosting on pens, rather they got smart and began roosting under cover. Owl comes in about 6 month intervals so will not be back if typical until next fall. Key is not to have smaller birds roosting exposed as owl can fly with those straight off ground or even roost reducing the dogs ability to interfere. Dogs love to interfere.