Advice on introducing bird dogs to baby chicks

[hjkr1130]

I have two wonderful bird dogs, blood hound and a lab.. Lab seems ok with my 4 wk old baby chicks, but I haven't let them out with her around, problem I have is the blood hound, how can I get him to accept our new chickens?? We have had them since hatching, but have limited contact with the dogs... I have tried once, but the blood hound goes rite to the cage and is almost hearding them??!! Poor babies already have the "Chicken lickin gang" that comes by every two days for a lick (wild dogs) so any advice??? I'm afraid once they are out rangeing my dogs will try to have chicken nuggets for lunch..

 

[FlockEweFarm]

Bloodhounds arent really known for being birddogs, mine is a lion hunter by trade, but mostly is a porch potato. The lab is a different story, they are actually bred to retrieve birds that have been hunted. I would err on the side of caution and prudence and just not expose them to each other unnecessairly. I can tell you from experience that bird and dog runs ins do not often end well for any involved, and if you punish the dog, you are just being unfair. I was lucky enough to find a bird hunter to adopt my ex's GSP after he went ,"away" and I made sure that they knew she was a bird killing machine, and that was just being true to her nature.

 

[monarc23]

My cocker only comes incontact with my quail if I get one loose and myself cannot catch it he does a great job retrieving it for me. I would never even hope to make him make friends with my birds...it's just not in his nature....i know people who try, my friend esp with her two labs and then calls me crying cuz her lab pounced her baby bunnie to death.

 

[tackyrama]

Obedience training will make everything easier. Dogs CAN be trained, chickens can't. My smallest house dog had no training so I had to go through a couple of dead chicks before he finally got the idea with the help of a paint brush. (sort of a smaller version of a attitude adjuster) If I had been thorough with obedience training as I have been with some of my dogs a simple NO or STAY would have done the trick. I have trained retreiver type dogs but have no idea what would work with a bloodhound. Probably not that much different. If the worst happens try to remember they will not know what you are so angry about unless you catch them in the act.

 

[monarc23]

I personally think no matter what training your dog has if left to it's own devices it can revert back. Which is why i think it's silly when people get upset that their dogs that they let just roam their property un-supervised suprisingly murder a chicken or two.

 

[Sugar Sand Farm]

I have a golden retriver and when the chicks were babies he showed much too much interest in them. We limit his contact with them completely. He has his yard they have theirs. Once he did catch a bantie who just happened to fly into his yard, he didnt hurt it I am so very glad they have soft mouths. I still wouldn't trust a bird dog too near the chickens.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

My advice?

Just DON'T do it.

 

[hjkr1130]

Thanks for the help !! Both of the dogs live in doors, neither have ever hunted before, the bloodhound is trained sar dog, hunted people not birds. LOL They are never left outside unsupervised, so I will make sure they stay away from my girls area !! Thanks again (now all I have to do is get rid of the "Chicken lickn' gang".

 

[cmom]

I have been lucky our daughter had moved to a place where she couldn't have animals, so we inherited her dog. The dog was a10 yr old Walker Hound. It would walk by and glance at the chickens but never tried to make contact, in fact it would avoid them. Recently it died at 15 years okd. We have had critters around and she was a barn dog. She did not come into the house. She would wander the property day and night. I think that is why we never really had a preditor problem. I have seen plenty on the property but nothing has bothered the birds.

 

[rebbetzin]

Quote:
I agree, my dog is VERY obedient, but...

When the chicks are out in their tractor, I have to constantly tell him to "down, stay." He wants to "play" with the chicks. I wouldn't dare attempt to introduce them at this point. He is 160lbs of pure muscle, he could probably hurt them just licking them with his tongue!!

The chicks are not afraid of him, they come right up to him and he "sniffs" at them through the wire. I am just not up for a "close and personal encounter" at this stage of the game.