Bringing chickens into a yard with dogs

[gardenergirl]

My 10 year old corgi is doing great with my five free ranging 4 month olds. She was introduced to them when they were 1 day old and has never shown any aggression towards them. She waits politely when they are eating their yogurt or bread treats and then cleans up any crumbs they leave. But, if I may say so myself, she is a smart, well-trained dog and knows that the chickens are part of the family.

 

[McCord6]

We thought our bassette hound/bull terrier wouldn't harm our chicks since she wasn't the prey drive type (personality) but BOY were we wrong, now we are left with no chickens at all. Appearch the situation with CAUTION. Dont go on trusting too soon or you might find yourself in a disappointed situation.

 

[SportTees]

Depends on the dog really! When I got my schnauzer puppy he liked to chase but after one of the ducks chased him a few times and he go reprimanded he left them alone.

 

[Tala]

My dog knows that the chickns are important to me, and therefore part of the family "pack"
She treats them about the same as she does the cats, which is fine by me. They co-exist, but she definitely views them as less-important than her!

The rooster has finally got her (the dog) whoooped, so if anything ever were to try to get started I know the roo would be right there to defend his ladies. Sometimes I have to put the rooster up so that the dog will go out to pee!

My cats used to view the chicks as toys/snacks, but as they grew up they learned to leave the adult birds alone. They also seem to have figured out that the chicks are important to me (the boss, and food lady) so they now leave the young chicks alone as well, but I don't leave them unattended together.

All of my critters can be loose in the back yard together (except the baby chicks who are in the tractor) and I feel happy that they can live in harmony.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
We have a 25 lb Cavalier that's been trained since our first batch of chicks 4 years ago. He knows not to touch them. When we had backyard flocks in Texas he had free access to the backyard even when we were at work. The birds were so oblivious to him being there that they'd walk up and peck at him. After a while he became leery of the birds. If there were too many, too close to the house he wouldn't go outside.

There were times though that he would go out to the hen house, very gently pick up an egg in his mouth, bring it in the house, and place it at my wife's feet.

Now we have a large organic layer barn in Wisconsin and he will go with us to the egg room while we are collecting eggs. Mostly waiting around for us to drop one so he can lap it up. If the door to the hen house comes open and he catches a glimpse of several thousands beaks he high tails it over to hide behind my wife.

In my opinion though, most dogs and chickens really don't mix well. You may think that you have it under control for a while, but it will only take them a few minutes to wipe out your flock.

 

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

In my opinion I wouldn't do that. It be like your signing your chickens last testament (sp?) and will.

Now my dogs I can trust because Blackie has been around the chickens ever since she was born and Koda is a Great Pryenees puppy that was raised with chickens and GP are bred to guard chickens and other livestock.

 

[debtrag]

Too many different personalities in the mix is a recipe for disaster when you are not expecting it.

Dogs have prey drive, chickens get into it with each other occasionally causing a ruckus which will bring the dogs running for the action and ultimately end in disaster.

Terriers are the worst for chasing. We have a min pin/boxer mix (1 yr old) that has been sentenced to be tied since she was the instigator in a mass killing of my cats. One had been around for 12 years, the other 6+ years and my barn/feral cats were terrified for quite a few days. The combination was that my akika mix, who loves the feral cats even now (lets them rub up against him), got loose from his cable and the chase and killing was underway.

For a dog, it is all in the excitement/chase. My chickens stay penned but with the dogs in close proximty for predator alert.

 

[Terri]

i have 4 dogs, and chickens, most of the chickens sleep in the coop, one chicken sleeps with the dogs. My dogs consist of 2 lab mixes, 1 aussie mix, and 1 pitmix. They are well trained, so just look at my pages, it took about 5 months to train the pit, but now she just rolls over and ignores the chickens. it really depends on how much time your are willing to put into your pack.

 

[Terri]

the aussie mix with her chicken. she has been trying to teach the chicken to use the doggey door, but the chicken isn't strong enough.

 

[WagonBrooder]

I have 2 big dogs. the old one would like to eat the chickens but is too old to catch them. the young one has decided it is his job to protect the chickens. He keeps himself between the chickens and the old dog. I am amazed.