Are Dogs Always Predators to Chickens?

[Chicksy]

This is actually such a great thread. I have 3 dogs and a cat. All indoor companions. The dogs have a fenced in back yard they pop in and out of and that is where I plan on putting the coop. (Preparing for chickens! Yay!) However, until I know that the chickens would be safe there will be a temporary divider between the coop/run area and the rest of the yard. So happy to see that they can get along!

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Any stray dog- especially a pitbull that even looked at my kid would have to go. I have nothing against the breed- just Bad owners!
As far as my daschund goes- I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I still wouldn't trust him even if I trained him for months & tied a dead chicken to his neck for a year. Daschunds are so darn stubborn and he would probably be right back after them. So is it cruel & unusual to tie him up all day or would it be better to rehome him at this point. I'm struggling for the right answer!

Personally I would find a way to contain him, I agree a kennel seems kinder. At his age rehoming would be hard and he probably regards you as family, so hard on him too. But dogs are not super hard to contain (I find containing chickens harder :/ ) and it does not need to be a lonely existence for him.

 

[csneill]

Thanks so much for that. My update this evening is that I am keeping my naughty dog. I had arranged this morning for him to go to another family that had a farm w no chickens where he could free range with some other dogs & cats. As the time got closer & closer to meet the guy, I started feeling more & more emotional & physically nauseous about giving up my dog. He's been with us for 12 years after all. So I texted the guy & said I just couldn't part w Kirby. He completely understood & wished us luck. We are now making plans to build him a pen & in the meantime he'll be tied up until we get some fencing in. I felt complete relief after making my decision & calling off the re-homing. Oddly enough Kirby doesn't seem to mind being tied up. My other dog comes over to keep him company & mostly he just lays around & sleeps in the sun- except when he gets the urge to chase a chicken, I guess. Hoping for the best here on the farm

 

[Chicksy]

Thanks so much for that. My update this evening is that I am keeping my naughty dog. I had arranged this morning for him to go to another family that had a farm w no chickens where he could free range with some other dogs & cats. As the time got closer & closer to meet the guy, I started feeling more & more emotional & physically nauseous about giving up my dog. He's been with us for 12 years after all. So I texted the guy & said I just couldn't part w Kirby. He completely understood & wished us luck. We are now making plans to build him a pen & in the meantime he'll be tied up until we get some fencing in. I felt complete relief after making my decision & calling off the re-homing. Oddly enough Kirby doesn't seem to mind being tied up. My other dog comes over to keep him company & mostly he just lays around & sleeps in the sun- except when he gets the urge to chase a chicken, I guess. Hoping for the best here on the farm

Just make sure he has a nice shelter, plenty of slack to stretch his legs, and fresh water in the mean time. A comfy bed helps too. So glad to hear you kept him.

 

[csneill]

Thanks- will do!

 

[yellowherb]

I would have kept the dog too It's just too hard to part with a family member like that. The pen is a good idea.

I hope it all goes well for you!

 

[rsneddon10]

My dogs don't hurt my chickens. I have a border collie/lab mix that leaves the chickens alone. Our beagle mix had to be trained to leave the chicks alone. Now all she does is run between them to make them scatter once in a while. The breed has slit to do with whether or not they will kill chickens. If a dog breed is bred to hunt then you can expect it to do that.

 

[animals1981]

herding and hunting usually or terrier not always but a lot of times if u want chickens try to pick the breed wisely also depends on the hunting dogs not pointers i dont think but if they are bred to kill you can expect them to kill


bred forprey drive like a lot of working shepherds or collies or aussie shepherds yeah they will have a field day killing them


some learn no and wont while ur with them but alone most or a lot will

 

[thecreekhouse]

My Great Pyrenees wouldn't dream
Of hurting one of the chickens. He lets them crawl all over him.

 

[Birdydeb]

Was your GP raised with chickens? Asking because we are new to chickens and have two GP. Our female we got as a puppy and she us now 3. Our male we rehomed at 18 mo and he just turned 3,however he was raised as a puppy with chickens.I am not really hopeful with the female. Any thoughts?