Are Dogs and Chickens OK together?

[chickens 17]

Hi
I have a dog and i am trying to convince my parents to get me chickens but they think that our dog is going to be a big problem. Are chickens and dogs OK together? I really need to know.

Really hope someone can help because i really want chickens

.

thank you

 

[nanaluvsgps]

It all depends on the dog. My neigbours dog just totally ignors the chickens (allthough they have grown up together) where as my dog can't get any where near our chooks with out killing them.

 

[stargazingmommy]

totally depends on the dog.
We have two dogs and two chickens. We started with 4 chicks, but one drowned in the duck pool the other fell victim to a dog. Now that the chicks are full grown hens, the dogs mostly ignore them. Sometimes they will do things like jump over the hens(I think on purpose) just to hear the BAWK! that they do. Once in awhile I see one of the dogs chase the hens, head butt them when she catches them, then run away(she does it to the cats to, this is the same one that killed the chick, I think she was trying to play with it).

 

[Coop de Grille]

Totally depends on the dog. I have one dog that will stop at nothing to try to eat my chickens. She circles the chicken run like a shark looking for pray. She is Border Collie mix and I guess it's in her nature to want to stalk them.

Then I have a 90 lb Pit Bull mixed dog that loves being in with the chickens. He becomes very submissive when in the run and will let the chickens peck at him, hop on him etc. They are both good dogs and have been raised together, and we had both of them when we first got our day old chicks. The chicks have grown up with the dog and have no fear of HIM, but the other one comes near the run and my rooster goes into freak out mode.

I also have a cat that they never had an issue with. The cat has always sat and watched them from a day old, never a move to harm them. She always came out to the coop with me and loved to sit in their nest boxes. Last week the cat came in as usual and one of my hens went nuts on her when she hopped into the nest box. Chased her out of the coop and all around the run. Now when my cat even walks by the outside of the run, one of the hens will put her head down and charge at the fence. They are 3.5 months old and I guess they are getting ready to lay, and don't want the cat near their nest boxes.

 

[DAFox]

What breed of dog do you have? Although every dog is different, some breeds tend to have a higher prey drive than others. I have 4 dogs. One is trustworthy. One is semi trustworthy. The other 2 are not. So, when the chickens are out free ranging, the 2 dogs are are on chains. One is ok loose with supervision. The other one can be left alone with the chickens.
DAFox

 

[gavada]

That depends on the dog and possibly how many dogs you have. We have two dogs. One is a boarder collie/boxer/pitt mix. She is completely trust worthy with the chickens and won't bother them at all. The other is a plott hound mix and she tries to chase down anything that moves. She's gotten loose a couple of times and hasn't actually tried to kill any but will chase them relentlessly which isn't good. Now if both dogs are loose around a chicken, then it seems that anything is fair game. Neither wants the other to get a chicken all to themselves so they get a pack mentality going and aim to kill. This can also happen if a neighbors dog wanders in to your yard as well. Your best bet would be to keep the chickens penned off in their own yard for their safety. Never let the dog unsupervised around them either.

 

[gickelvolk]

Trained and monitored until you can ensure them to be protected by your dog.........

Maturity and personality will tell you which dogs are alright with your flock..... Most importantly, your dog must respect you and recognize that your flock is part of its "pack".

 

[Aeropennchick]

I agree with the last comment - my lab thinks she's the flock protector, and I am not nervous to leave her alone with the chicks, but my coon hound wants to chase and pin them down for a good lick - which can easily hurt them. My lab will join in the chase, despite how well behaved she is otherwise.



We are using a spray bottle with diluted apple cider vinegar and our remote shock collar to train the coon hound. We set up the coop outside of the invisible fence, so although the chickens can free range in the dog's area, they can get away if they want to. We do not have plans to let them all interact unsupervised at this time.

 

[bj taylor]

i think it depends on you and the dogs. i have a one yr old german shepherd that just killed 10 of my chickens the other day (it was my fault, i left a gate open). she's a puppy & has poor impulse control & strong prey drive. the two yr old did not engage in the kill. she didn't tear them up, there were no obvious wounds. i think she was playing & it was fun to her.

a few days later, i bought some chicks from a lady that has 8 dogs loose w/ the chickens when she's not home. she said she spends time w/each dog introducing them to the chickens, she holds the chicken & rubs it on the dogs face (with hubby holding dog on leash) & rubs chicken on herself. while she's doing that she's talking to the chicken & the dog. if the dog makes any move or attitude that suggests wrong attention, she sharply slaps her hands together & sharply tells the dog "no-no". she takes the dog (one at a time) into the coop/barn when she goes in to do chicken chores. she praises the dog for good behavior & rebukes the dog for any wrong behavior. she says this conveys to the dog that the chickens are important to her & they are part of the "pack" which is the terms dogs think in. she says this works everytime.

oh, she also said she holds a chicken upside down so it flaps its wings (which can incite a dog). if the dog reacts, she again rebukes it. some of these dogs she's had since puppy, some are rescue dogs & they're all different breeds (mostly pits).

 

[crumptz]

I've got a lab that is actually AFRAID of my chickens... See below. Can't say I blame the dog for being afraid! HA HA... I ended up getting rid of these hens and now have 5 chicks. I also have a 1 year old brittany. The Brittany looks like he is going to want to eat 'em!