Can I Trust Him?

[SillyChicky]

Some dogs can be (I had five dogs in the past, who barely even noticed the chickens let alone want to get one)... But if he already killed one, chances are he would again the second you turn your head. My dogs aren't allowed to even look at the birds, let alone for long enough to form some kind of predatory thought regarding them LOL. I mean in my presence, god knows if they spy on them back there when I'm not around. Mind you, when I'm not outside they are sitting in the front porch waiting for me to come outside.

My two dogs, border collie and shepherd mix, couldn't care less about the birds but I still make them go lay down if I'm in and around the coop. I don't free range them ever, because I know my one newly aquired lab mix (bird dog!) would probably not be able to control her very high prey drive. I'm now able to call her back when she sees squerriels and grouse, which is a leap and bound from when I first got her and she'd blast after anything moving even if it was way in the distance (amazing eye sight that one lol).

Before I got my lab, a few years ago we had free range chickens, just three of them. They were free range 24/7 and would go in the horse barn by themselves at night and roost on my tack box. They were smart and folowed my freakishly intelligent Sussex girl Emma around, once Emma passed away the one remaining didn't know *** to do with herself and I'm sure she was coyote food :-(

 

[jenifry]

I am glad to hear he's being a good boy!! I put a couple old wooden chairs out in the chicken yard. The hens fly up and rest on the back of the chairs during the day. Maybe you could put something out away from the porch for them to roost on!