ANOTHER HAWK ATTACK!!! I'm getting a dog, but is this the right breed?

[RW19290]

Quote:
I have a rooster already, but I free range them so they are often far away from the chick.

I don't have a run; they go crazy if I don't let them out each day. Yes, they're spoiled.

 

[Brindlebtch]

But the dog still needs to CHASE. It would be an exceptional Corgi that would keep chasing hawks. You may be better off with a flock guard like an Anatolian, Pyranees, or Kommodor. Something along those lines. If you let the puppy grow up with the chickens the dog will feel the responsibility to protect the flock against all comers except family. The important part would be to leave the puppy with the chickens, like he would have to sleep in the coop at night and free range with them during the day. He needs to literally grow up with the chickens. I think a Pyranees would also be a good choice.

 

[Cetawin]

First of all, I am sorry you lost your chicks.

Secondly, do not waste your money on a fake owl...2 reasons for this. First, the hawks are smarter than that and learn quickly it is fake and is no threat. Secondly, Owls are not daytime hunters like Hawks so putting an owl out during the day like that is very unnatural which aids in them learning fast it is no threat.

Corgis are great dogs but will give up the chase too soon. They will not stop a hawk if it attacks and the hawks will still be getting birds. If you can confine mama and chicks until they are bigger, the the Corgi may work for you. if not, then look for a Great Pyrenees or Anatolian Shepherd. They are very very protective of their charges. They are both big dogs so be prepared for that. You often see crosses of these two (GP & Anatolian) and they are excellent dogs. My Great Pyrenees/Lab puppy is very protective of the yard and the boundaries, as well as the girls. Nothing goes near the chicken run or coop...he chases it off immediately. Squirrels, deer, cats, dogs whatever. he is only 6 months old and is over 60 lbs already.

Here is some information for you on the two breeds:


http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/anatolianshepherd.htm

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/greatpyrenees.htm


This is my "puppy" Casca and I could not be more pleased with him. He shows no excitement over the girls flapping or running...he still has a lot of puppy bounce so I will not let him out with the girls unsupervised or off lead unless they are inside their run. He would bounce playing and hurt one of them if he landed on one. But he lets nothing near them.

 

[nzpouter]

Quote:
After a while, a dog will gave up chasing hawks, they know they can't catch them.

I just want a dog that will scare away the hawks when they come. I don't care if it kills it or not.

at first it will chase them, after a while it will get bored and leave the hawks alone...

 

[Brindlebtch]

Nice big pup Cetawin! I have a friend with a Pyrenees/border collie cross that is a fine dog.

 

[emvickrey]

I have a full blooded Yellow Lab and she is 4 years old. Then there is the mix that i'm not so sure what the mix is. Now that she is old she looks like a small Chow. She did look like a Finnis Spitz when she was younger. I don't know why she ended up with all the hair but she is 13 now and then there is the chihuahua/feist mix that is about 2 years old and last but not least there is beauregard the St Bernard that is the biggest but youngest of just about 16 months old. All but Beauregard will leave the chickens alone. The lab fought off a skunk to keep it away from the chicken coop one night. OF course she got sprayed but the skunk left with no dinner.

Anyway, none of these dogs where raised around chickens except for beauregard. And all he really wants to do is play with them. The chihuahua wants to heard them, which is very funny to watch.

So what ever you get if they are trained they will be great guard dogs. Other than barking ans scaring away a hawk I really don't know what they can do to fend off a flying object though.

I have been concerned about the owls that have decided to hang around at night here. I'm worried they will try to get in the pens I have my youngsters in. I went outside a few minutes ago becuse of all the racket and it was the owls. Normally to see or hear an owl is rare but this spring they are everywhere. Maybe it is the massive mouse populaiton, I don't know but it makes me uneasy.

They can't carry off the big chickens but the youngsters they can. They are in locked pens but when I let them out I only do it when I can sit outside with them to watch over them against the flying preditors. At lwast until I get the covered runs built.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

If you truly want to protect your chickens from flying preditors that are getting a nice meal at your place, you need to put in a covered run and use it.

You are your pet's best advocate.

 

[MRW]

We've got a fake owl....haven't had any attacks yet....in 6 months.....

 

[CMV]

A few weeks ago I had a hen wounded in a hawk attack. I thought the hens were perfectly safe because there were 2 adults, a child, 2 dogs and several chickens in the same area. It happened so quickly and quietly not one of us ever saw the attack and we never heard a peep. I would have sworn before this incident that the dogs would have protected the chickens, but now I know that hawks are so stealthy that the dogs are useless against them. Dogs are great for deterring ground predators, but aerial ones are out of their league.

 

[Chicken Fruit]

I would stuff that corgi in the chicken coop, or in the kitchen with a chicken or two as soon as you get it. Sit there with a chicken and the dog and tell it to be easy with the chicken whenever you catch him being rough. I am a swatter, if I catch a pup doing something it ought not to I fly up out of no where and swat its butt and say NO! really loud. The swat doesnt hurt, its just shocking. Its the same effect as other pack members roughing them up when they get out of line. Except they actually bite them.

Make a huge-butt deal out of anything good it does. If he's gentle with the chickens tell him thats a good job he did. When he's not easy, tell him no and shame on him. They'll pick that sorta thing up wicked fast.

I had a 2 year old lab/husky rescue that I taught to catch my free range chickens for me. She'd just pin them down with her front feet and hold them there without using her mouth until I got there to pick it up. She did it on command and otherwise was never allowed to touch the chickens. You can train a smart dog to do anything. Corgi's are pretty intellegent, any herding dog is. Theyre problem solvers.