Beagles and chickens living happily with each other?

[Chickenaddict]

I recently (as of this afternoon) adopted a beagle who is being transported from W virginia to MN. He was rescued from a high kill shelter who was going to sell him to a testing lab down the road. The rescue arranged for him to be transported here with several people in a few states to help with the foot work. He will be arriving here tomorrow evening after a 3 day roadtrip. I have done some research on the breed and understand they like to hunt things. He is 1 yr old and neutered. From what I have heard he is super sweet and loves to snuggle (right up my alley) However I can't help but to be concerned about how he is going to react with the chickens who roam free in the backyard that is fenced in. Anyone else out here have any tips, stories, experiences good and bad please feel free to weigh in. I know it's going to be a challenge and I am prepared for it. AM I kidding myself or could this possibly work?

This is barney, doesn't he just melt your heart!

 

[CoffeeCow]

this thread and yours seam to tie in well together.

Whats a good way to get rid of chickens (mostly roosters)?

Edit:
that is a cute little doggie though

 

[drumstick diva]

hE'S A DOLL. I think it can work out, I'm sure the dog trainers among us will pitch in and give advice. I just don't think it's going to happen right off. First poor baby has to settle in and realize he has a permanent home, and people who love him. Once he feels secure about that, I think he will be more anxious to please you. He will need to be kept on a leash around the chickens and maybe his own dog run that will keep him in/ chickens out (no flyovers) .

How nice of your to give him a home.Do they tell you why his original owners gave him up?

 

[Chickenaddict]

Thank you Drumstick Diva! I know its not gonna happen overnight. It's gonna be a challenge and I am fully prepared for that. The previous owners dumped him off at the shelter because he dug under the fence. He got bored because they spent no time with him. I am home alot, I work part time. We have a chainlink dog kennel on our back patio on concrete (so he can't dig his way out) and we fully plan on having him on a leash for quite some time when we are outside. We also have a zip line set up so he can go into the yard a bit further but far away from the chickens whom also have a secure run attatched to their coop if I need to pen them up. He will be spoiled with love and affection by us. We also have 2 cats, one who is just a sweety to everyone he meets but the other is from a shelter and it is unknown if she is good around dogs or not. She also still has claws. This should be interesting.... lol

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I adopted a 3 yr old beagle and he did not bother the chickens. I even had a crazy rooster who slept in the dog house with his two hens and the dog. He had a real issue with keeping his mouth off of ducklings though. Maybe being fuzzy like a stuffed animal made them too irresistable.

 

[gryeyes]

Beagles are my favorite dog breed. It's why I have dachshunds.... If that makes any sense. And tri-colors are my favorite of any of the colorations.

I had a beagle for 13 years - he was my Main Man, outlasting two marriages.

Beauregard was a wonderful dog; it was before I had chickens, but I have successfully trained both dachshunds to ignore the chickens. (It was hard, my elderly boy - he was 11 at the time I got the chickens - killed three pullets through my lack of diligence early in the experience. But now he totally ignores them.)

The CONS of Beagles are these: they bay. Not just bark. Some folks find that obnoxious; I did not. Beau only bayed upon my return home or when he was hunting. He was a natural hunter. I do not hunt. But he did, and very well.

Beagles are STUBBORN and they are NOSE oriented. If they pick up the scent of something, they will not stop the chase or trailing it until they get the critter treed. Then they bay for you to come end the hunt.... very hard to drag away from where they've gone to ground.

They dig. Gloriously. They love, love, love to dig. Especially if prey has gone to ground....

They are WONDERFUL dogs. Loyal, loving, silly, dignified, brave as anything! Snuggle bugs.

They have two modes: on and off. They're either active all over the place, playing or chasing or working. Then they are off, sleeping. No in between.

Congratulations on having a beagle join your life! I am melting with the memory of Beauregard and with your story! Barney is a doll!

 

[Chickenaddict]

Thanks Gryeyes! I appreciate the info you provided for me, lot of it I have read but some I had not. Good to know they are stubborn SO am I lol. As far as diggin goes he will not be outside unsupervised until I am completely confident he is ok with the birds. When he is outside he will be on a leash or zip line, or in his kennel on the concrete where he can't dig. We will be walking him daily and I will find soo much for him to do, heck if we end up putting in a pind at some point you know who will be doing the digging

lol I am still super excited to have him. We will find a way to deal with his "quirks" whatever they may be because I signed the papers and made a lifelong commitment to this little guy and he deserves a stable loving home.

 

[clairabean]

Look at that face!

 

[SmokinChick]

Our beagle loves our hens. She sits outside the fence and runs back and forth and they run with her on the inside of their run. When we let her in the run, they check her out and follow her around. The two EEs are very curious and will peck at her. She runs away from them and stands by the gate to leave.
All very funny. Enjoy your new family member.

 

[MedChicken]

I have a mini australian shepherd - about the same size, and a high-energy herding dog. He liked to chase the chickens when I first got them. We dealt with it by using a shock collar on a remote. If he chased them, he got zapped. The fact that I could watch him through the window and zap him really seemed to bring the point home that even if I'm not there, it's still not allowed! Over time, he and the chickens have gotten used to each other and he pretty much leaves them alone.

Good luck!