Best Dogs w/Chickens

[bigblueteach]

I know all dogs can be raised with chickens and other farm animals, but what breeds do you all like or have and have been good around your chickens.

 

[CascadiaRiver]

Like you said, the only two I've had that weren't good around my chickens weren't raised or socialized around them (visiting dogs) and one Collie, she was just not a very good farm dog ironically lol. Among the ones who have been cool, Shih Tzu, Border Collie, Poodle, Aussie (standard), Pitties (APBT, bullies & mixes), Yorkie, Chi/Terrier mix, and the only one who was unable to stop herding the chickens and ignore them was a cattledog/mini aussie mix, he was a stinker

 

[nuthatched]

Some breeds have a high prey drive , you'll want to avoid those or really work hard on training.
My dog leaves the birds alone except when he has zoomies and likes to run through them.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

I say it really depends on the dog, and his/hers genetics.
Denver our female golden is as sweet as can be around chicks/chickens, ducks, and rabbits. But wild birds, rabbits and squirrels she does want to chase. She knows the difference. She also loves cats and most other dogs though i dont allow many meetings. She was raised around chicks, and naturally is gentle around any animal i have.

Tucker my field golden on the other hand cant be trusted around any animal besides other dogs he knows.
Chickens nope, though he grew up around them, rabbits nope, ducks nope(dont have them anymore but he really thought they were food). Having chicks in the house i have to have a screen over the brooder. The chickens outside dont free range, rabbits are in a not so easy area for them to get to. All wild animals are his prey. Inclhding stray/wandering cats. We work really hard on listening around these distractions, but i wouldnt trust him alone with small animals like i would Denver.


We had a lab x aussie 9 ish years ago he was amazing. Though he really wanted to chase birds and squirrels he didnt. He may have herded them a bit though. And we had to rehome him due to some aggression towards one person, he went to live on a farm with chickens and immediately was fine with them. No socializing around them, he didnt know what chickens were until he went there.



Most herding breeds generally should be good to train, around chickens. Bird dogs it does really depend.

 

[KTsHens]

I know it is strange, but we have had two Brittany’s and both have been great with the chickens. Both did retrieve a few birds when we first got them, but only once or twice. Our old dog would occasionally flush them. Our current Brittany actually helps me round them up back into the coop if need him to and he has free range of the backyard when they’re out. He does occasionally chase my white silkie rooster, but hasn’t ever hurt him. It’s nice because he keeps any predators away. We also had an Irish Wolfhound and he basically just ignored the chickens.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

My Shelties have always been good around the chickens, as has the adult Golden we rescued from a breeding situation. When she'd see one hen alone she'd sort of "point" it and focus on it, but when I quietly told her no, she quit. She only did that twice then never again. The late, great Gracie (Shelie) used to play a game with the hens when they were clustered up eating afternoon scratch. She'd run through them to scatter them, then run off, laughing her head off. She meant no harm, she just thought it was funny. We called it Bowling for Chickens. The hens would fly off in all directions then immediately come back to enjoy their treats, they knew she was just playing.

Our third dog is Ryder, a year old Aussie. He chased them when he was a puppy and got hold of one, pulling a few feathers before we stopped him. We kept the hens penned for a few months till I got the equipment to chcken-proof him.* He's dependable now but the rooster still gives his alert chortle when Ryder's around and the hens are wary of hm. They will share their scratch and worms with Jenny and Sammy, but they still move away from him.

*if anyone wants to know my chicken-proofing methods, pm me. They are adapted from The Koehler Method of Dog Training.

 

[MROO]

My Newfie/Border Collie rescue is wonderful with the chickens. He was a Covid foster, born in 2020 and returned to the shelter when lockdown ended. I'm 100% positive he'd never seen one before he landed with me and immediately took over their supervision. He was so "interested" in them that I tried to keep him completely away, but he was persistent.
The turning point came when my breeding pair - in a rabbit hutch on the front porch, far away from the coop - escaped without my knowing. I realized the problem when I heard "fussing" from the front of the house. I walked round to check and found Echo laying calmly on the top step, with two indignant Nankins pacing the top of their hutch. Each time one (or both) would venture off into the garden, Echo descended the steps and calmly "rounded" them back onto the porch. They definitely did NOT appreciate his diligence ... but I certainly did!

 

[atomic]

My German shepherd and chickens are friends, in fact when he lays down my chickens love to pick and forage through his fur looking for bugs. I hope they don’t actually find any as he lives inside and we cuddle often. He tolerates the picking and prodding until they try to roost on top of him, then he says enough and stands up. My Doberman/german shepherd mix is mostly trustable around adult chickens, but babies no. He sees them as living nuggets and terrorizes them if he gets the opportunity, a net over the brooder is necessary. He ignores the adults. My shepherd was raised on 25 acres and I had ducks whom he would help me every morning letting them out, then herding them back in in the evening. As a puppy it was too irresistible not to chase them every once in awhile but no harm was done and I couldn’t hardly blame him.

 

[MrEgghead]

I know all dogs can be raised with chickens and other farm animals, but what breeds do you all like or have and have been good around your chickens.

My German shepherd and chickens are friends, in fact when he lays down my chickens love to pick and forage through his fur looking for bugs. I hope they don’t actually find any as he lives inside and we cuddle often. He tolerates the picking and prodding until they try to roost on top of him, then he says enough and stands up. My Doberman/german shepherd mix is mostly trustable around adult chickens, but babies no. He sees them as living nuggets and terrorizes them if he gets the opportunity, a net over the brooder is necessary. He ignores the adults. My shepherd was raised on 25 acres and I had ducks whom he would help me every morning letting them out, then herding them back in in the evening. As a puppy it was too irresistible not to chase them every once in awhile but no harm was done and I couldn’t hardly blame him.

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My Shepard is laid back around my girls as well. Our Chihuahua has been avoiding them usually, but yesterday he charged at a couple of them when they got too close to the wife. Jealous little mutt...

 

[crowe66]

My German short haired pointer is fine around my chickens. Although i do have to keep an eye on him as he thinks they enjoy playing tag.