Are chickens smart enough not to try and jump into the dog yard?

[PaleMelanesian]

Another option would be to string some twine or light string above the fence to extend it taller. It's not strong enough for them to land on so they'll be less likely to try, and it's higher. Once they're trained it's less of a problem - they don't consider going there because of habit.

 

[chicmom]

I have to respectfully disagree. I have appx 19 chickens, and I live on six wooded acres. I have two dogs, and they are house dogs, but we have a fenced in yard for them that they can run around in. The hen house is on the outside of that fence. They have a nice, covered run, but they do free range all day. They know the dogs are dangerous, and they do not go into their yard. I don't keep dogfood outside, but our veggie garden is inside the dog's yard, with a smaller, chicken wire fence around it to keep the dogs from trampling the plants, and keep the bunnies from eating the veggies.....

Anyhow, my neighbors also have dogs that are chained up, and they seem to sense that they shouldn't go near those dogs, and so far they never have. I've had chickens for three years now. The older ones seem to teach the younger ones about the safe boundaries, or maybe they do have some instincts.......I am not sure, but the fence is 4 feet high, and we haven't lost a chicken yet because one flew over. They do seem to know better.....

That is just my personal experience.

 

[PaleMelanesian]

It probably depends on the size of the dog yard. Mine is big - it has places where the dog can be 100+ feet away and wraps around the house where she's not visible at all to the birds. Even if they had instincts that a dog means danger, no visible dog means no danger... until she comes running.

Mine is a 4 ft chain link fence.

 

[chicmom]

Also, having the woods around the house gives my hens lots to do......Maybe that's why there is no interest in the fenced in dog yard, even with the big garden inside it. I also want to mention that, I have lost about 1 chicken per year to hawks. I think that freeranging just keeps them happy and I would never stop them......I think the freedom they get is worth the risk.......They are super happy chickens! I think that's what I'd want if I was a chicken....

 

[chkn]

Chicmom you must have happy chickens who are happy where they're at! My chickens have a big run but that was never enough. It was much more exciting out in the yard (we have about 2.5 acres fenced). Much more greenery and bugs and fruit and things to do out where my german shepherds nabbed them. Some of those chickens would come up on my deck and be eating the dogs food with the dog standing right over them not knowing what to do (chicken horning in on their dinners). Everything would seem fine for awhile but sooner or later my sheps would go into predatory mode. Loved, loved those dogs but I also liked my chickens so I had to treat everybody like little kids. You must have a lovely place for your chickens!

 

[Saltysteele]

all it takes is the first time.

a lot of dogs are smart enough to not just sit and bark at the edge of their boundary. they'll sit quietly, hunkered down, until that chickens gets close enough.

my cousin/roommate had a malamute, same thing, except it wasn't my chickens (i didn't have any at the time). it was the neighbors chickens. i would come home and the dog would be sitting (actually laying) across the street (in a driveway to field; neighbor with the chickens was to the side of us) with a dead chicken between its feet. as soon as you'd step foot out the door, like a flash she was running across the field not to be seen for a couple days.

in her defense, though, she would have never snapped her leash if the chickens hadn't come onto our lawn. she couldn't see the neighbors yard, because there was a barn that blocked her view. every time the chickens would come over, though, she'd snap that leash. i WAS there a couple times she did it.

of course, my cousin was never home when the neighbor came to yell about the dog

 

[merry hens]

I've lost several chickens by having them fly in with the dogs. And its usually the perky curious ones that end up in the dog yard. Keep their wings clipped.

 

[Patricia Jane]

Clipping their wing may help but don't think they can't fly because they can. I clipped my leghorn and she still was able to fly over my 4ft fence. Mind you she was alittle cock-eyed but non the less she did it with no trouble. Just a word of warning. Better be safe than sorry.

 

[hcppam]

yes the dog is just there, and not attacking them, the chicken will think its OK. I had to make my fence 6ft high and run fishing line across the top. 2 of my dog would kill them if I wasn't there.

 

[mandelyn]

I had a Bantam rooster crawl under a gap in a 6ft stockade fence (for drainage off the driveway, so couldn't block the gap) and my Doberman helped relieve him of his tail feathers. Luckily didn't kill him, but yeah, 5 dogs behind a fence and he really did crawl in there to check the place out.

A neighbor rooster routinely flew over the 6 ft stockade fence to see about stealing some girls. Too flighty and quick to get caught by one of my dogs. My coop and run was in the backyard and the chickens only ever got let out if I had the dogs put up. Didn't stop that neighbor rooster from trying though, dogs or no dogs.