Bringing chickens into a yard with dogs

[EmptyNestingWithChickens]

Last weekend our 28 chickens were terrorized by our Neighbor's two huskys who had gotten lose. One Hen, Salt N Pepper, was injured and one of
our Roosters, Stormy, stood his ground and lost all of his tail feathers. The other chickens scattered in every direction and it took 36 hours before they all
returned to the coop safely. It was traumatizing for us as the chickens were so vulnerable and we couldn't protect them. I definatley would not introduce
chickens to a habitat with dogs.

 

[EmptyNestingWithChickens]

Last weekend our 28 chickens were terrorized by our Neighbor's two huskys who had gotten lose. One Hen, Salt N Pepper, was injured and one of our Roosters, Stormy, stood his ground and lost all of his tail feathers. The other chickens scattered in every direction and it took 36 hours before they all returned to the coop safely. It was traumatizing for us as the chickens were so vulnerable and we couldn't protect them. I definatley would not introduce chickens into a dog's domain.

 

[keesmom]

It really depends on the dog(s), and you know yours best. You have a terrier and a terrier mix, those are the ones I'd worry about.

I happen to have a dog with zero prey drive. Can't even get him to chase squirrels out of the feeder. He looks, maybe, at the deer or turkeys wandering through. The chickens aren't even afraid of him. He's an awful guard dog, but he's an excellent watch dog. He barks and our birds look around to see what's up. If the chickens squawk about something he's sounding the alarm even if it's during the night. He saved several one night a coon got into the coop.

So it really depends on the dog.

-Cindy in MA

 

[Margot]

I have 6 dogs...1 lab and 5 chinese cresteds. When I got chickens for the first month or so the inclanation was that the dogs would chase the chickens. We had them enclsoed in a fenced area so the birds were safe,but the dogs walked the fence line constantly. We took 6 weeks of working with the dogs so they would not go after them. They had to be taught that the chasing behavior was not allowed. It is somewhat natural for the cresteds.

The lab was easy...he is trained hunting dog...so when he got the 'urge' the would stiffen up....stare intently at a chicken and slowly look at my husband. He would not move an inch...but if Brian said "OK" he'd be after the bird. Of course, when he exhibited tihs behavior, we simply said no and focused his attention elsewhere. That behavior did come in handy when we lost sever "teenage" chickens...I took Bear out and yelled chick-chick-chick. As we walked along the fence line, all of a sudden bear stiffened up and stared at a bush. Of course, two of the hens were up in the bush...scared to death to be so far from "home".

The chickens are all loose and free range, and the dogs ignore the chickens now and they all walk around together. But I would not let them out with the chickens un supervised. There are times when roosters jump the hens or get into it that I can see one or two of the dogs starting to "pay attention" and have to be focused elsewhere.

Margot

 

[keepmumsane]

i made the mistake of adopting an english pointer.. now i have less chickens than before..
she goes in the run mostly to steal their scraps and any eggs she can find ( bread fanatic) but if they freak out at all she will get just as silly as every hunting dog.
its been hard work and the dog proofing has been a night mare. My kids Love the dog, shes great with them.. could get out of a sealed tin can though. and she DIGS.. sigh..

my chicky babes get time out from chookcatraz in the evening.. the dog is tied on a chain.
good luck, just make sure your run is dog proof.. a terrier will chase things that run.. and wow are chickens exciting..

dont not get them if you love hens, just build a fortress and dont expect your dogs to understand. they cant help themselves.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree with other posts, it really depends on the dogs, on your pack status, on how much you really want your birds to freerange. I have two high prey dogs, one of which was already livestock ready. I had to introduce birds to my lab/BC cross pup at the tender age of 7 months. He is a VERY high prey dog who is also hyperactive, to boot. He has snatched songbirds out of the air and swallowed them whole.....

Puked them right back out, but he still managed to catch them, which is pretty amazing to me!

When I first got this new flock, they were tied up and lying on the ground and I watched just how curious he was. He was very curious! It all starts there, you know. How you react to their curiosity with YOUR chickens. If your dog is smart, if you are the definite leader of your pack, if you are right on with your corrections and you mimic how the dogs normally do it.....I would say you may have a chance. If my pup hadn't responded to the training, HE would be tied to a run or penned, and the chickens would be roaming free, not the other way around.

 

[Kansaseq]

Quote:
I had 3 Belgian Tervuren, a pit, and a catahoula mix. All but 2 have managed to kill a bird in the past. Mine are kept strictly separate, behind two fences, but it's true that the dogs presence does provide an excellent deterrent to predators. I frequently leave my pit in the dog yard in good weather for just that purpose. She never sleeps outside, but being out all day seems to be enough.

 

[TisMeDT]

Thanks again for all of the great information. Since I am new to this I am trying to learn as much as possible prior to getting my chicks and these stories and opinions are very much appreciated.

As I said my coop and run will be fortified against predators and I will be very cautious about the dogs. My run will be about 200 sq ft with buried weld/wire and bird netting on top to protect from hawks and the large white owls we have in the area. I plan on 6 to 8 hens so they should have plenty of space to scratch and peck. I'll let them out a couple times a week as a treat to roam the backyard for bugs and such.

The dogs are trained well but I will not trust them without me being present. I take the dogs out at least 5 days a week and let them run in a nearby field. Boo (the lab/pit mix) loves to chase jack rabbits (never caught one) and scares up an occasional pheasant. We also have cats which the dogs do not mess with because the cats stood their ground enough times to show the dogs how claws work. My terrier mix is nick-named fatso because she is thick and has been since birth, so thick she blocked the birth canal of our late cairn terrier and caused us to pay for an emergency c-section birth on a thanksgiving morning. Fatso weighs in at 28 lbs, her dad, Milo, weighs about 18 lbs and is a gentle dog. Milo is a chihuahua/dachshund/pekingese mix. However they are a pack and instinct will win when it comes to animals so I will be very careful to keep them separated when the chickens are out of the protected run.

 

[chickbird]

Quote:
i have two large yard dogs, agolden retriver and a hound and neither hurt or chase the chickens, however we have had stray dogs that have tried to get over the fences. if you want to try, try it while you are there and see if it is possible.

 

[DiVon80]

Quote:
This is how we do it to-free range the birds when the dogs are locked up.