are your dogs and chicken friends

[bobbi-j]

I am thinking some dogs make very good roosters :}

Mine does. Last summer before I got all the extra roosters penned up and they'd chase my poor pullets around, my dog would intercept them. He wouldn't touch them, just get between them and the girls. He also breaks up any squabbles between the chickens. He just gets in the middle of the fray. His favorite sport is chicken bowling. He waits until they're in a bunch, doing their chicken thing - pecking and scratching - then he'll run full blast through the middle of them, scattering them everywhere. He stops and looks around like, "Huh, who did that?"

 

[cabot]

My jack Russell terrier thinks he is a chicken !

 

[chickknitter]

How do I introduce my deaf, blind in one eye (you wouldn't know it) mini dachsund(10yrs old) to my chicks? They are 3-4 weeks old and out in the coop IN A HORSE STALL with 2heat lamps. She was very curious about them when they were brooding in the house. I wouldnt let her too near them even though she wanted to be. Should I wait til they are moved out to their permanent coop-run area or fully grown or what!? There are ten of them, but I dont want them to be chased. I have her leashed when she is outside to go potty since if she chased a squirrel or person jogging by the house I could not call her back.(deaf) I am afraid she would think they are toys! Any suggestions?

 

[4 the Birds]

Yes.... well kind of.

Our chickens are not afraid of the dogs within their fenced area. They are often within inches of each other. Once they are outside of their area then GAME ON!! Our shepherd would chase down any chicken out of its free range area and carry it around it his mouth! So far all escapees have survived the capture. Our dogs also chase and often catch rabbits on our farm land (they eat them).

coop in background within a 1 acre free range area.

 

[Henny]

How do I introduce my deaf, blind in one eye (you wouldn't know it) mini dachsund(10yrs old) to my chicks? They are 3-4 weeks old and out in the coop IN A HORSE STALL with 2heat lamps. She was very curious about them when they were brooding in the house. I wouldnt let her too near them even though she wanted to be. Should I wait til they are moved out to their permanent coop-run area or fully grown or what!? There are ten of them, but I dont want them to be chased. I have her leashed when she is outside to go potty since if she chased a squirrel or person jogging by the house I could not call her back.(deaf) I am afraid she would think they are toys! Any suggestions?

Even though my dog who is 4 yrs old is good with my chickens I don't trust him with chicks. They are just too small. All it takes is one careless step or him wanting to play with them and that would become an injured squished chick. I would expose your dog to the chicks in a very closely supervised manner and definitely not off leash. I would make sure she had a really long walk and was really, really tired right before I showed them to her. This way she is getting to know them in a quiet, relaxed way. If she exhibited any barking, whining or fixation I would give her a correction. I would time a very long walk with her right before I had to take care of the chicks. Every time I would take care of the chicks I would take her on a leash with me so I could correct her while keeping the chicks safe and I would praise her while giving her treats when she was calm around them.

 

[QuietPony]

I have one special needs chocolate labrador and one mutt (part coyote?

).
The baby chicks are in my kitchen and I have introduced them slowly. The dogs come up for a sniff or to peek their head inside the brooder hutch but back off when I give the command. My hope is that enough exposure to them now while the chicks are young, will desensitize them both to each other so eventual shared yard time will be like just another day in the kitchen.

I have a feeling this will change though as we head outdoors. My chocolate lab only wants to chase a ball, but has always shown an interest in birds. The mutt on the other hand, wants to chase anything that moves and has a high prey drive. She's even caught mice and frogs in the yard!! It should prove interesting when we get outside. lol

I have an old dog run that we are about to convert into a run for the birds and also plan on letting them hang out in a tractor when were are home to supervise. If I lose a bird to my own dogs, it will be my own fault for bringing the birds home to a high prey driven dog. I just want eggs! I'm tired of supporting those mass production facilities to have eggs for my family. I won't be able to say I didn't try to keep them safe, with their super duper coop with attached covered run plus an additional tractor for gallivanting in the yard.

 

[cary 1973]

I have one special needs chocolate labrador and one mutt (part coyote?

).
The baby chicks are in my kitchen and I have introduced them slowly. The dogs come up for a sniff or to peek their head inside the brooder hutch but back off when I give the command. My hope is that enough exposure to them now while the chicks are young, will desensitize them both to each other so eventual shared yard time will be like just another day in the kitchen.

I have a feeling this will change though as we head outdoors. My chocolate lab only wants to chase a ball, but has always shown an interest in birds. The mutt on the other hand, wants to chase anything that moves and has a high prey drive. She's even caught mice and frogs in the yard!! It should prove interesting when we get outside. lol

I have an old dog run that we are about to convert into a run for the birds and also plan on letting them hang out in a tractor when were are home to supervise. If I lose a bird to my own dogs, it will be my own fault for bringing the birds home to a high prey driven dog. I just want eggs! I'm tired of supporting those mass production facilities to have eggs for my family. I won't be able to say I didn't try to keep them safe, with their super duper coop with attached covered run plus an additional tractor for gallivanting in the yard.

that is what I did when I first got the girls each dog got to sniff the chicks and every day after I would hold one chick and pet the dog letting them smell the chicks and telling them be nice and as the chicks got older and was out side in there play pin the dogs got to sniff them and candii even licked them (oh yes the dogs had to be in calm state of mind and had to sit on there buts) then candii got to where when the chicks where out side she would lay next to there play pen then when they got to go play in the chicken run Candii would come in and lay down so she always learned she had to mellow to stay close to her chick puppies (yes she kind of adopted them as her puppy's) My other 2 dogs could care less about the chickens either way if the chicken lay down with them there fine they run from them when the chickens are in one of there moods. they all enjoy treat time together. Now my Samoyed dog duke will growl at them but that's cuz they think plucking his long white fur out is fun but if the don't stop he gets up and comes to me or my dad to make the mean chicken stop. Now wild birds on the other hand all 3 dogs feel are free game but there good with the chickens as they are a part of our pack. the only bad thing with candii is when the next door neighbors dog is by the gate or she is chasing wild birds and the chicken get in her way she will run them over but 99% of the time they get out of her way and then they let her know they were not happy with her irresponsible running its kind of funny to watch

 

[Moonkit]

My border collie guards our air space (beware hawks, crows, and low flying aircraft ) and chickens. I was careful to introduce her to the chickens the day I brought them home as day-old chicks. She was allowed to look in the brooder and sniff, but as soon as I saw that predatory 'gleam' start in her eye, I nipped it in the bud, "NO! These are momma's, not yours! You do NOT touch!" Chastised, she turned protective instead and any time the chicks cheeped loudly (they spilled the water/food), she'd come to me, whine, and lead me back to the brooder so I could fix it. During their first outings, she was kept on leash and allowed to sniff them closer (she liked sniffing their little fuzzy butts as they walked.), and didn't show any 'predatory' looks or stances. She actually lost interest in them in favor of her toys (except for the one hilarious attempt to give a chick the tennis ball to throw.) Gradually, she was allowed to be off leash around them but didn't show any interest beyond the occasional sniff.

When they became adults, the hens were used to her presence and thus never reacted with fear towards her beyond keeping a wary eye on her to keep from being stepped on (she doesn't always watch where she's running, so they've learned to steer clear). But now she's protective of them and will actively watch for and defend against birds of prey and other predators. She's even intercepted hawks that were in stooping dives towards the chickens (saving my silkie).

At the same time, she is never aggressive towards the chickens, even when they are towards her:


This was a hen I was baby sitting for a local who was out of town.. her hen would actively attack Diamond.. but it was understandable, because she'd been a victim of a dog attack. Instead of reacting with teeth, Diamond would come to me so I could fend off the 'psycho bird' for her. I did train that into her.. if she does it, then they get punished and she gets rewarded (be it with a treat/ball/pet/etc)

Diamond is trustworthy around the chickens and can be trusted unsupervised with them. My father often lets them out to forage in the yard and will 'pay' Diamond with a few treats and the commands "Watch the chickens.. Watch for birds!".. Diamond can then be found actively patrolling the yard or laying in a spot and watching the sky.

 

[caseybloo]

Had chickens already when we brought our BC home. She was infatuated from the beginning.


Now 4 years old, she will follow the flock around in the woods aaalllll day long sometimes till her tongue is dragging on the ground. I think she picks up little snacks left by the chickens. Any squawks get her attention and if a roo gets on a hen she will come from nowhere to break it up, and she will alter her course wherever she is running to buzz the chickens and keep them on their toes.

 

[Honeysuckle01]

Uh, no, our dog is not good around our chickens. He's a corgi and is just too nippy and interested in their movement. So we keep them apart and everyone is happy. Actually he likes to go up to the outer fence in the chicken area and look at them in their run that is about 15 feet away.