are your dogs and chicken friends

[nuzzymom1]

Eden is only two years old, but so far she is great with our chicks. She follows me diligently while I change water and feed. Also, when I have the older 8 outside, she is right by the fence to keep any wanderers from going too far. Being a runner and chaser, I still keep her on a line when the chicks play, but she will watch them all day.

 

[livininbrazil]

I´ve really enjoyed reading all the comments here. I have six dogs and a good number of poultry. the 3 small dogs can´t be trusted, I never let them anywhere near my birds. They´re Poodle x Pincher, Yorkie, and Maltese. All terrier-based. When they were younger they got chased off by a broodyhen. Great. But they slowly learned that not all chickens are broody and most of them are great to chase or kill. I put up chain-link around the garden area where I keep the little dogs and sometimes a neighbour´s chick gets through....life expectancy zero.

My other 3 dogs are bigger, mongrelst hat needed a home, plenty of those around here...I got them at 4 weeks (mother abandoned them) and 7 weeks of age. They were reared together with the chickens. All good. At 7 months of age they started to kill the chickens. Only when we went out. Then when we were home, but not close-by. They didn´t always get killed, sometimes I caught them red-handed and beat them, but it didn´t really help long-term. I didn´t know what to do. Re-homing dogs here is very difficult, as there are so many abandoned on the roads already...I read all sorts of stuff to help,but nothing seemed quite reliable..having 3 made it more difficult, as one eggs the other on. I believe it was play gone mad...one poor hen turkey had to be destroyed, was too badly injured. Another pullet was just mouthed to death, etc. So, the 3 bigger dogs were separated from the birds, went into the garden area with the others .Two months passed. I let them out with the chickens again, supervised, bit by bit. The birds have a metre-high fence to separate them from the dogs. The dogs could get over if they really wanted, but they don´t.Only one bird comes over the top. I think it was just the running, flapping thing that got them excited. The dogs have a very large yard to run in and the birds have separate, very large areas to scratch about in. When we´re home we let the chickens scratch about in the yard together with the dogs to keep the pest population down. And now all is OK with the full-grown chickens etc, I leave them out there together for hours when I´m around, but they can´t be trusted still with the chicks. I have to keep chicks protected, so they only get out free when we´re nearby. There´s one indian-type hen that regularly flies over into the dogs´area whether we´re in or out, and they don´t take any notice. When she was small, one of the dogs got her and licked her until she was sopping.. Frightened her to death, now she doesn´t go near them, but they leave her well alone now. The geese "beak" the dogs so the dogs stay out of the way. The muscovies tend to fly,my favourite muscovy hen was killed by a dog in mid-flight. Bitten in the chest, died immediately, dogs didn´t touch her, just sat around wondering what to do. Dead duck "attacked" 3 dogs. No idea if it helped, but they´ve not touched another since, so the dogs have just learned to differenciate (a loud "no") between my ducks and anything else around (they chase guan, carcará, vultures, etc).

As far as my 3 go, I´ve no idea what they are. The mother looks shepherd x corgi, the father looks pitbull x lab. A real mix. But knowing the breed´s purpose will help. I´ve read some posts that refer to "bird-dog", but it depends if the breed is for retrieving (retrieves), or pointing (points), or flushing (like spaniel breeds), or whatever. And then you´ll get those that will simply let you down! I have friends who have dachsies, they´ve tried to keep chickens, but....kill in a flash. They´re a ground-hunting breed......but you always get the exceptions. While I´ve been writing this, there´s been a cockerel wandering around tin the yard, the dogs have ignored it. They´re just over a year old now, full of energy, but seem to be learning...here´s hoping!

 

[bestponymilo]

Bulldogma--I love your girl--what a great story!!

The Old Lady Pitbull just ignores them. I think she was traumatized when I shrieked at the younger dog who bolted after a bird. She's pretty soft LOL

Younger dog, Pitbull X (maybe Heeler in there?) had a bird in her mouth once--I forgot to check the backyard before letting the dogs out. Thankfully bird and dog escaped unscathed. Really started working with her after that. She's to the point I can call her off the chickens, but I'm never going to ever fully trust her. I don't mind, she's a wonderful dog in every other respect and it's not all that hard to keep the peeps and dogs separate.

 

[Child of Noah]

When I first got my dog as a puppy, I decided to get rid of my two pet bunnies. She is a Rottweiler mix, and I didn't want to yell at her for doing what was natural for her.
I have had her for four years, and she is well aware that the four pound cat is the boss of her. So, I decided to get chickens. She is the chickens' momma and thought it was her duty to sniff their butts every day. The chicks complied, though they hadn't very much choice when cornered in the brooder box.
Now that the chickens are outside, she alerts them to danger, and they run for cover.
Today a "stray" dog (it belongs to a neighbor, but he doesn't really take care of it) came into our yard. My dog alerted the chickens, and they went for cover. And my dog ran the stray off of our property.
She's a good dog.

 

[WCflockers]

We have 2 (1 year old) German Shepherd Dogs. The chickens are approx 6 weeks old. Since the chicks arrived, we have been trying to get them familiar and comfortable around each other. It has been a process. The dogs do great, they round them up well to help get in the coop, they leave them alone alot, but they also chase and pounce when they get a chance. So, I think we just need to keep working at it all and it will be fine....hopefully

 

[Child of Noah]

WCFlockers: I LOVE your avatar picture!

 

[TERRY4]

We have 2 (1 year old) German Shepherd Dogs. The chickens are approx 6 weeks old. Since the chicks arrived, we have been trying to get them familiar and comfortable around each other. It has been a process. The dogs do great, they round them up well to help get in the coop, they leave them alone alot, but they also chase and pounce when they get a chance. So, I think we just need to keep working at it all and it will be fine....hopefully

Your dogs are still pups, so training doesn't always kick in fully, and solid til they're older. GSD mature approx. 3-4 years old. As many large breeds. We had a Rotty that I swear never grew up, mind-wise. Lol.. We didn't have chickens then, but she would have done great with them.

 

[PekinBantam]

Your dogs are still pups, so training doesn't always kick in fully, and solid til they're older. GSD mature approx. 3-4 years old. As many large breeds. We had a Rotty that I swear never grew up, mind-wise. Lol.. We didn't have chickens then, but she would have done great with them.

I wish my Rotty was like that. She use to chase the chickens if they went near the house. But our chickens now live in a pen, so Roxy can't get to them.

 

[petuniaSD]

So far so good Older dogs leave 'em alone, pups are learning to "leave 'em!"
At 1 week https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/5727980/width/200/height/400[/IMG
At 5 weeks [IMG]https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/5727999/width/200/height/400. Now at 6 weeks

 

[Mrs.SB]

I have to point out every story of the mean killing breed of Pit bulls are the only ones not listed as trying to kill chickens that includes my candii who loves her chicks and so sweet with them. Just want to throw it out there as pits have such a bad rep when they really are not a bad breed just bad humans that get a hold of the breed

Our pit is great with ours too! We introduced them to him when they were day olds and told him they were babies. He understands what 'babies' are so he knew to be careful. He stayed out side with them while they free ranged during the day until he got hurt and had to recover inside. I didn't realize how much he was protecting the girls because while he was inside stray dogs killed all 6 of them

We have a new lab puppy now. She hasn't been introduced to the girls because they don't free range anymore. But I don't think she will be as good as our pit. He has really been the best dog we could as for.