A Dog For Me And My Flock

[gstuartw]

No he didn't grow up around them. We are finishing up the run today, so hopefully they can coexist together in the backyard. Hopefully after a while they will live together nicely.

 

[ButchGood]

Man I hope so too. I really like the Heelers and the border collies. Such smart, fun dogs. Im hoping that growing up together the can be like pals. Id like to eventually train her to put the birds in their coop.

 

[ButchGood]

Laying under the coop watching the chickens.

 

[ButchGood]

OK Now I see where the problem lies with raising these dogs with chickens.

 

[Aeropennchick]

Sky is adorable! Good luck with her - I think thinks will work our for you, since you are raising her around the chicks like that. I will be checking for updates!

 

[centrarchid]

My heeler just killed 13 of our 15 chicks Thursday. He didn't think they belonged in our house. He didn't eat any just killed them.

I take him with me everytime I go out to the chickens and let him know they are our friends, but it didn't work.

He has killed mice in the fall and is protecting the garden and killed 3 rabbits already this year. I just don't know what to do.

That picture is great, makes me jealous.

My livestock guardian is a German Short-haired pointer, a breed typically used for bird hunting in the U.S.. He is very intelligent and athletic, both characteristics needed to deal with foxes which are handily my most problematic predator in respect to there abundance and efforts. He also dominates local coyotes which have yet to target my birds but by himself can not repell dogs larger than 60 lbs so a second will be acquired to increase pack mentality. He is charged with guarding chicks as well which he is very good at. As a pup, he initially killed a couple chicks but now can even be trusted in incubator room and free ranges with flocks all day without supervision.

To get him into reliable mode I actually increased exposure to flock, not decreased it. Goal was to get him bored with antics of chickens. Still used supervision whenever situation changed. He can now at 18 months of age interact even with flocks not of my own and does not pose a threat although such are often scared of dogs regardless of threat posed. He does get into fights with one of my hens when she is broody but they also are the two most likely to be together during heat of day. They seem to fight over access to shade of front doorway.

 

[centrarchid]

OK Now I see where the problem lies with raising these dogs with chickens.

Mine did same. It does not agree with their digestive tracts.

 

[ButchGood]

Mine did same. It does not agree with their digestive tracts.

I figured, I snatched her away from the food as soon as I got the picture.

 

[ButchGood]

My livestock guardian is a German Short-haired pointer, a breed typically used for bird hunting in the U.S.. He is very intelligent and athletic, both characteristics needed to deal with foxes which are handily my most problematic predator in respect to there abundance and efforts. He also dominates local coyotes which have yet to target my birds but by himself can not repell dogs larger than 60 lbs so a second will be acquired to increase pack mentality. He is charged with guarding chicks as well which he is very good at. As a pup, he initially killed a couple chicks but now can even be trusted in incubator room and free ranges with flocks all day without supervision.

To get him into reliable mode I actually increased exposure to flock, not decreased it. Goal was to get him bored with antics of chickens. Still used supervision whenever situation changed. He can now at 18 months of age interact even with flocks not of my own and does not pose a threat although such are often scared of dogs regardless of threat posed. He does get into fights with one of my hens when she is broody but they also are the two most likely to be together during heat of day. They seem to fight over access to shade of front doorway.

Thats what Im hoping to do with her. Make it old news, nothing to speacial about those old birds. Ill just keep visiting the chicken run everyday. I sit and feed the chickens treats while shes in there with me.

 

[centrarchid]

Thats what Im hoping to do with her. Make it old news, nothing to speacial about those old birds. Ill just keep visiting the chicken run everyday. I sit and feed the chickens treats while shes in there with me.

As a pup, this most recent LGD actually shacked up with some juvenile dominiques. As pup grew he got aggressive as in dominance related and humper mode. It was not planned but when he tried same on free-ranging game rooster, the pup got flogged pretty good which seemed to stop most of such interactions. I say most. Dog as adult still spends more time with birds he was raised with. I do not know how he tells them apart. He is also better than I am at determining when the chickens ruckus making means predator versus somebody within flock is causing trouble. He can do same even with neighbors geese even though dog has spent very little time with them other than when he goes over to chase off whatever is causing ruckus.