Buff orpingtons aggressive to my dogs

[Cohl0406]

My orpingtons over the last few days have started following my dogs around. Yesterday they are what I think of as attacking. I have 2 as well as a cuckoo maran. She has followed suit. My dogs are small and have never gone after the chickens (2 dogs weigh less than 10 lbs together) now they can hardly use the restroom outside. The chickens free roam our fenced backyard in the city. My maran laid her first egg today, could this just be all the gals ready to lay and that's why? If not how can I stop this?

 

[jentralala]

Mine seemed to get a bit more aggressive before coming in to lay, but mostly towards each other. I noticed a bit more squabbling, I think maybe their hormones kinda get going and they jostle for higher ranking? Not sure, and I don't really see other people mention their hens doing it. *scratches head*

My hens pick on my 13lb Maltese, too. And my neighbors 35lb Cockerpoo. I'm pretty sure they would try and beat up my sisters 60lb Black Mouth Cur if I let him near them. I don't think there's much you can do. My dog has learned to avoid them, or rush past them. The neighbors dog barks at them and tries to intimidate them by bouncing on this front feet. It doesn't really work, lol. They steal bones from the dogs, peck them, rush them, crowd them, etc.

I've tried poking ("pecking") the hens to get them to stop, but it doesn't really seem to do much. They just keep coming back.

Only thing I can think of would be to throw some food for them to distract them from the dogs.

My dog and the neighbors dog have kinda learned to deal with it, and the chickens seem satisfied with their dominance over the boys.

Sorry I can't help much

 

[Cohl0406]

Ehh hormone thing can happen to the best of us haha. My dogs run from them. I will try the food thing from now on.