My two dogs love my chickens, and are very gentle and protective of them. They were both older when we got our chicks, so we put the babies in a clear Rubbermade bin, and the dogs were not allowed near them without our supervision. As they grew, the dogs were used to their sizes, and before long, learned what was acceptable and what wasn't. These days, if there are neighbor cats in the yard, we put our Lab in the pen and she doesn't interact much with the girls, but the cats won't come near. My Yorkie is more their size, so they tend to play with him more; pushing balls back and forth, snuggling (sometimes they fall asleep together, but I haven't gotten a picture of that yet). My Lab will also contain the chicks in the yard when
In short, yes, dogs (even older dogs) don't necessarily prey on chickens. However, I would definitely be aware of the dog's temperament and keep the chickens sheltered in a box or cage until they are used to each other. For us, we were fortunate and it worked fine. I do know people who have had issues with their dogs or cats preying on the chickens.
Remember, too, that chickens are pretty hardy! My Lab got a little rambunctious with the girls a few times and they pecked her to show her who was boss! She would settle right down after that.
We brought the chickens in the house as babies and the dogs were exposed to them from then on....
