4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

[cochins1088]

dogs can be so strange... i have read a lot of post about people with dogs that are 'chicken hungry'. My dog couldn't be more different she loves my chickens. She doesn't both the free ranging hens, she will come into the pens will me and just sit there while the chickens mill around. We even have pictures of the chicks sitting on her back with they were little. She is a 2 year old yellow lab, i guess we just lucked outt

Yeah, we have 2 chocolate labs that get locked up before we let our chicken free range. In fact, we lock them up twice. They each go in large dog kennels which are in a dog run with the 6 foot high chain link pannels. So if the dog kennels fail, then we have yet another barrier. When we brought home our first chickens, the dogs went nuts and even looked rabid. They foamed at the mouth, had and extremely high pitch voice and one of them was able to chew through the wire to get out of her confinements, they really wanted those chickens. If any of them ever got out, I wouldn't expect much of anything left. In fact one did, some how a bantam got out and all we found was a pile of feathers. Now don't get me wrong, these dogs are absolute sweethearts, just not to the chickens.

There are a lot of dogs that love chickens too like yours. I really wish ours would get along, it would be nice to able able to let the chickens out more and not have to lock up the dogs. In fact, I once had ours out and the dogs were locked up when the neighbors dog came over, I was kinda freaking out trying to herd the chickens back in before it was too late but when he finally came, he didn't care about the chcikens, he just wanted some attention. He even walks into the coop with me and no problems, doesn't give the chickens a second glance. My friend was telling me that her dog sleeps with her chickens to keep warm. I guess it's just some dogs. They are all labs but 2 are chicken hungry and 2 are chicken lovers.

 

[beehappy4ever]

 Yeah, we have 2 chocolate labs that get locked up before we let our chicken free range. In fact, we lock them up twice.  They each go in large dog kennels which are in a dog run with the 6 foot high chain link pannels.  So if the dog kennels fail, then we have yet another barrier.  When we brought home our first chickens, the dogs went nuts and even looked rabid. They foamed at the mouth, had and extremely high pitch voice and one of them was able to chew through the wire to get out of her confinements, they really wanted those chickens. If any of them ever got out, I wouldn't expect much of anything left. In fact one did, some how a bantam got out and all we found was a pile of feathers.  Now don't get me wrong, these dogs are absolute sweethearts, just not to the chickens.

There are a lot of dogs that love chickens too like yours.  I really wish ours would get along, it would be nice to able able to let the chickens out more and not have to lock up the dogs.  In fact, I once had ours out and the dogs were locked up when the neighbors dog came over, I was kinda freaking out trying to herd the chickens back in before it was too late but when he finally came, he didn't care about the chcikens, he just wanted some attention.  He even walks into the coop with me and no problems, doesn't give the chickens a second glance. My friend was telling me that her dog sleeps with her chickens to keep warm.  I guess it's just some dogs.  They are all labs but 2 are chicken hungry and 2 are chicken lovers.

My sister dog (RIP) loved her chickens, they roosted on top of her in the dog house during the winter. She was a bull mastiff English mastiff mix, my English mastiff Annie (RIP) was fine with chickens but would eat a chick or pullet given the chance, my other English mastiff tucker is scared to death of the chickens, and my shitzu Zoey loves the chickens and going to the coop. Mainly because they forage together and she likes layer crumble as if paying for feed for the birds isn't enough!

I think most retrievers are going to struggle with birds since it is in their DNA from years of being breed to hunt and retriever ducks, whereas herding dogs that where breed as guardians and protectors are usually much better...like Anatolians, great pyrenees, mastiffs, etc....at least that is what I have found....of course the food bill dwarfs chicken feed bills!

 

[ImpulsiveFarmer]

Quote:
My shepherd/beagle mix LOVES chickens. They are his babies and when the fox started getting in our backyard he would refuse to come inside if the chickens were out so he could protect them. This is a picture of him with one of the roosters we had, and yes he is missing a leg (the dog not the chicken).



I was really worried about him trying to eat the chickens when we first got them, but other than chasing them around at times he is fine. My other dog (a mutt) will and has eaten a chicken, in her defense the chicken jumped into her pen so I can't blame her. My husband's chihuahua is smaller than the chickens so I've never had to worry about her.

 

[ImpulsiveFarmer]

Has anyone ever ordered eggs off from ebay before? Any sellers to avoid? There seems to be more of a selection on there right now than on BYC.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

we sell on there from time to time and take the same care with those eggs as what we do any other order. Black Copper Marans and Ameracuana eggs should be avoided as most AM eggs are EE and every brags about having the best BCM lines, but MOST arent directly from those lines so shouldnt be claimed.

 

[cochins1088]

Has anyone ever ordered eggs off from ebay before? Any sellers to avoid? There seems to be more of a selection on there right now than on BYC.

I have odered once and it went very well, but there are plenty of sellers that you may regret ordering from. Purchasing eggs online and having them shipped is always a gamble, but sometimes it's the only way to get the breed you want. Just look at the feedback. Find someone who has sold lots of eggs before with good feedback in return. I personally purchased cochin bantam eggs from luckypickens and I couldn't be happier with the purchase.

 

[ImpulsiveFarmer]

Quote:
I have a batch of bantam cochins in my bator right now from Lacrystol so I'm looking to hatch out some LF for NYD.

 

[janelle18]

My sister dog (RIP) loved her chickens, they roosted on top of her in the dog house during the winter. She was a bull mastiff English mastiff mix, my English mastiff Annie (RIP) was fine with chickens but would eat a chick or pullet given the chance, my other English mastiff tucker is scared to death of the chickens, and my shitzu Zoey loves the chickens and going to the coop. Mainly because they forage together and she likes layer crumble

as if paying for feed for the birds isn't enough!
I think most retrievers are going to struggle with birds since it is in their DNA from years of being breed to hunt and retriever ducks, whereas herding dogs that where breed as guardians and protectors are usually much better...like Anatolians, great pyrenees, mastiffs, etc....at least that is what I have found....of course the food bill dwarfs chicken feed bills!

Yeah, my lab IS a hunting dog too. She just knows which birds she is supposed to retrieve and which she isnt allowed to touch i guess!!

 

[chicken fever]

Well I may not make the hatch along. ;-( dog attack this afternoon there's only 2 BO pullets and their roo left from that pen and I don't know if they will make it through the night.....

I'm so sorry Mary! I've been kinda going through the same...I got a deer cam out and a live trap. It wiped out half my flock again, I'm so sorry for you!!

 

[Buddyfarm11]

Thank you; four birds are looking much better this evening, at least moving a bit and eating and drinking on their own. The jury is still out on the pullet with puncture wounds on top of her head; they might have got her brain; I have decided to give her until Sat morning and if she is not perking up at least a little bit I will put her down. In the meantime I'm looking for layers and hatching eggs.

I Hope The Pullet Gets Better