Dogs and chicken feed

[EggsnQuackers]

Does anyone else have trouble keeping their dogs out of the chicken feeder? Our birds free range during the day and our Min Pin uses the opportunity to sneak through the pop door of the coop and help herself to chicken feed. We use a hanging 5 gallon pail as a feeder. We feed ducks and chickens so it has to be fairly low to the ground and any opening large enough for a chicken is large enough for the dog. Specifically, I'm wondering if any one has tried adding cayenne to the chicken feed to keep the dog out? Any other suggestions are welcome.

 

[centrarchid]

Cayenne may work but using it long-term will increase feed-bill. Try mixing up a lot of about 1% cayenne or paprika. Dogs will certainly taste it and be able to smell it. Then you are down to individual dog preference. One of my dogs is repelled by smell of cayenne alone but knows when it is added and goes for untreated feed. The other dog appears to have acquired a taste for the stuff like many humans. I have used the stuff at much higher rates in fish feeds (~10%) and one of the dogs seems not put off even by that.


My intended use for cayenne was not as a dog repellent which put me in a situation to see impacts. I do not like dogs eating a lot of feed because it does not agree with their digestive tracts causing loose stool.