Our Australian Shepherd is wonderful with the chickens. She and they have been kept in the back yard together since we first got chickens. She never chases the chickens and only snaps at them when they try to climb on her back rather than walk around her. Once she did go to check out what that noise was with a broody hen and chicks, but she got her nose pecked and came out of the coop much faster than she went in! She does like to eat eggs, though, and any egg that is on her level is fair game. We have caught her sneaking out of the coop and will call her over. When she comes slinking over, we just hold a hand out and she will usually put the egg in our hands, unbroken.
Another thing she does - if a hen screams when a rooster catches and mounts her, Ruby will run over to them and knock the rooster off the hen!
We have had Ruby for 14 years and the chickens for 8 years and never has she injured any one. As she is getting up in years (18 years old now), I would love to find another dog that we could trust, but I'm afraid it won't be possible. Ruby is the best!
Another thing she does - if a hen screams when a rooster catches and mounts her, Ruby will run over to them and knock the rooster off the hen!
We have had Ruby for 14 years and the chickens for 8 years and never has she injured any one. As she is getting up in years (18 years old now), I would love to find another dog that we could trust, but I'm afraid it won't be possible. Ruby is the best!
