Beagles and chickens living happily with each other?

[twentynine]

I rescued a beagle in 2008.

Norman (my beagle) is a couch potatoe, but just about the time I forget about his hunting blood, he reminds me.

Some things you got to remember about beagles----

When the nose goes down and the tail comes up, the ears shut down. When Norman starts baying and trailing, forget it you ain't calling him back. He is overwieght, (vet says he's chubby, vet is being kind) but he moves good for a fat boy, and can cover a huge amount of ground.

If you like walking a dog, you got the right breed of dog. He can walk and walk and walk and walk, you will wear out way before he even gets winded.

Put him on a diet-- the day you get him. Make sure you store the dog food way out of his reach. A beagle's capacity to eat is unbeleavable. Norman is a professional thief, cookies, cheese, toast, cat food, chicken feed anything remotely edible vanishes down his gullet in a fraction of a second.

Barking. Norman is what I consider a quiet beagle. He does not bark very much at all. But when he does cut loose, have mercy, everyone in the area knows Norman is barking. Nobody and I mean nobody, day or night could possibly sleep through his bark. Some beagles bark at the moon, bark when a cloud passes in front the moon, bark when their is no moon, when a car passes on the hwy, whan a UPS truck passes, or they just bark to hear themselves bark. Hopefully you will end up with a quiet beagle.

Escaping. As stated earlier Norman is fat, but for a fat boy he is a real Houdini. I have seen him squeeze through a crack that a skinny cat couldn't get through. He can climb a chainlink fence like monkey. It's like magic, one second he's inside the fence, next thing you know he is out in the yard, baying.

Chickens. If allowed, without a doubt he'd be on'em in a blink. Norman is a house dog so he does not have access to the chicken run, unless he is out with me. Those occassions are rare but I do allow him out in the yard without a lead, but only under close supervision. Remember Houdini, one second he's there next poof where's he at. He has made a couple passes at the chicken run, but with the electric wire, he has stuck his nose on it, that ends the question. Zap, and he is running he!! bent for election, like his hair was on fire with his butt a catchin. Without the hot wire, he'd be in the chickens in seconds.

 

[gryeyes]

Oh, yes, I forgot about the "escaping" bit... They do love to roam. Neutering does not stop this desire. After Beauregard was neutered, he no longer spent four days out roaming... just an afternoon or evening.

And yes, beagles DO climb chain link fences!

I was finally cited for "dog at large" and when I appeared in court, the judge asked me what sort of dog I had. "A beagle." He got this amazingly fond look on his face, saying, "Ahhh, a beagle." The charge was commuted and I was placed on a year's probation. Next violation would result in the full charge for the fee.

 

[Chickenaddict]

Well uhhh guess i best get that dog kennel out on the concrete slab ready to go, it has a kennel panel over the top so even houdini couldn't get out

. Ok so they like to dig for dead stuff... SO there goes my pet cemetary out back? Is he gonna dig up every bird, cat, dog we buried back there? I don't mind walking him at all. I was thinking twice a day at least on top of making laps around the yard. We got lots of tree rats he can fuss over so chances are he won't even want to leave the yard. IN any case he will be closely supervised on a leash until we are familiar with one and other. Thank you again for the info. I am just taking it all in good, bad and ugly lol


ETA he will have a pretty big backyard to romp around in (approx 3/4 of an acre) The chicken run is 19 ft by 22 ft and also completely enclosed so the birds do have safety. He will also be an indoor dog but will be let out for excercise, bathrooms breaks, and walks.

 

[SmokinChick]

I installed an underground fence. One of those invisible ones. Works great. She can roam an acre around the house. She will stand there and bark at the rabbits, they now where the fence is also. They will sit just ouside of it to drive her nuts.
Did it myself, took a weelend, and bought it over the net.
Also, mine doesn't dig. She hasn't dug up anything, yet.
Good luck

 

[gryeyes]

I can tell you every dog I've had since Beauregard, as loved as each has been, has not replaced him. He was the BEST dog ever. He went everywhere with me. Often he'd stay in the car whilst I was at work, and I'd let him out on my breaks to let him go potty and stretch his legs. He loved my cats and washed their ears and faces. He didn't like people I shouldn't have trusted and he loved people who were good for me.

Beagles, like dachshunds, are burrowers. That means they need blankets to sleep in, so they can make their nests exactly the way they want them (and it's a gas to watch them do this!) and burrow under the blankets.

He served as a "hearing" partner for a deaf Dalmation I had for a while. We'd be walking along the beach, they were doing their doggie things, and Beau would pop up now and then to look for Cassaundra. After sighting her, he'd decided if she needed to be brought back in my direction. If I called to her (ya still gotta call yer dog, for the people around, even if said dog can't hear you calling) he would go after her and shoulder her back around so she could see my hand signals and return.

Even when he passed, my vet sent me a sympathy card with a note inside: "I will always remember the vision of Beau standing on a cliff with his ears aloft in the wind, looking down the beach, listening and sniffing for his next adventure."

He only had to encounter a skunk once. Same thing for a porcupine (much more unfortunately - he got quills in his nose, lips and tongue). Just once. But he was a GREAT ratter! Jump in the air and land on its back with both front paws, break its back, grab it and shake it, then drop it and pee on it. And come back to me grinning at his kill.

That tuft of white on the end of a beagle's tail is the flag, and you watch for it in tall grass as your dog hunts down something. That flag is always up and waving!

You're gonna love Barney. Thank you for saving him! You'll be able to tell him all your deepest heart feelings and he will sense whether you need him to kiss you or toss something for him to retrieve. (Beau liked to play at Not Giving It Up, though. He'd bring his toy to me and put it down just a tad out of my reach, with one paw on it, waiting for me to lean over to try to snatch it from him. Then he'd grab it and turn his head just enough so I couldn't get it. That was a fun game, even as he got older.)

Please keep this thread alive with Barney and his new life with you. Please?

 

[Chickenaddict]

I sooo enjoy hearing about your beau

I most certainly will keep this alive. I am sooo excited for barney to come I don't think I got much sleep last night. It is the kind of anxiety u remember as a kid on christmas morning. He is soooo fortunate to not have to fly even tho the car ride from W virginia to MN is extremely long. He is lucky he has another beagle with on the trip who is also going to a new home here. They tried to talk me into getting both but I just can't do it. They have become the best of friends and only met on thursday. That right there tells me he is going to accept the cats no problems. I fell in love with him the second I laid eyes on him. I knew he was destined to be here with us. I am looking forward to him burrowing in my bed with me

I got tons of blankets for him. I went out and got some doggy treats, set up his kennel in the house for when we are at work equipped with food/water and a big fluffy comfy doggy bed. I am not the type of person to give up on any animal. I made a commitment to this guy and gosh darn it I am keeping it

I will post pics tonight after he has been delivered to me. Thank you again for sharing your stories gryeyes! Boy he is gonna have a field day taking care of the squirrels in the yard! That will be a huge blessing in itself.

 

[SycolinWoodsChickens]

Yay!!! A beagle. We currently are owned by 6 rescued beagles. I've had 3 other beagles prior to these so 9 so far. I love them. They are what everyone has said loud, energetic, curious, lovable, and hungry 100% of the time.

We do not allow our dogs with our birds. They are fenced in separate yards and the birds are smart enough not to fly into the dogs area when they are out free ranging. Out of our six there are four of them I would leave with the birds with some supervision and 2 NO WAY. Their hunting instincts are too strong and they love to run at the fence and watch the birds run. Every so often they will get out of the yard or out of the house through the garage and they do not mess with the birds. They are trying to find poo to eat or gobble down the Flock Raiser! Yuck.

One of my dogs has killed one chicken that flew into the house through an open door. I'm only blaming myself for that. No other incidents in 2 years since the owners have become smarter about making sure the dogs are supervised and cannot get to the birds.

Good luck with your beagles. If you have any questions about beagle behavior that might be caused by the rescue feel free to PM me. I have over 15 years experience with rescued beagles.

BTW, my hound pack (currently sitting on the sofa with me as I type) give a big ARRRROOOOO to welcome your new baby to it's forever home.

 

[Chickenaddict]

Quote:

Thank you so much for your valuable input I might just be sending you a message soon lol

 

[snooptwomey]

I have a 9 yr old boy weimeraner, which is a bird hunting dog. When the chickens first came home he was interested but not aggressively trying to get at them, but if one would have tried taking off he would have snatched it up lol After that first day and i got the pullets settled into their new house, i would bring the dog out to the coop every time i went out, sometimes into the coop with me so he would get used to the chickens and know they are NOT his food. That was in June of last year. Now he roams around the yard with them while they free range, and they will walk under his legs, run up to him when he comes out, and he acts as though they are not there now. Only when I added my Americauna did he act a little diff(that was in aug/sep?), thats the only one that he seems to still show interest in, maybe because its the Rooster?? or just diff scent(diff type of chicken breed)?? But i know i can safely put my dog out side with the chickens and go in the house without checking on them for as long as i would ever need. He would protect them from predators if any came by. So I thinks its very easy to have your dog around them, just get the dog used to them under close supervision.

 

[StarLover21]

It really depends on the dog. We have a lab (also a hunting/retriver dog), who doesn't chase- dogs, cats, bunnies, lizards, chickens, hedgehogs. She's really smart- she chases the squirrels and wild birds, but she KNOWS the difference between wild animals and pets! Even the chickens, I would trust her 100% to be around them, and she is, alot of the day. Even when a dog is chasing and barking at her, she'll just turn and look at him, like- what? all that barking is so annoying. What are you doing it for anyway?

But our friends miniature dashshund actually killed a chicken that was about the same size as her. And her bigger dog

. So yeah, it really depends.