Chickens and Dogs

[ChickenGeorge]

I recently bought some chickens, about 16 weeks old, and I have several dogs. I have chickens in a pen, and dogs in a pen. I do let the dogs out in the evenings, I would like to let the chickens range too. Can the dogs and chickens be acclimated to each other? If so, how do you go about this? Any ideas and help are tremendously appreciated.

 

[robin416]

I have four dogs about 30 chickens and 9 guineas. It took two years of training with one of mine to get him to leave the guineas alone. The others were much easier trained but to this day if I leave the house for several hours either the dogs or the guineas are up. The chickens are never out, the look the one dog gives the chickens speaks volumes.

 

[Freebie]

I don't let any of my dogs around my chickens at all. My friend Mary (aka Hotwings) is allowed to be around them but only when we are with him. but her dog Dodge is more interested in the barn cats than the chickens. In fact, Jack (my roo) went after Dodge for chasing the kitties. He chest butted him and Dodge took off like he had been beat. My chickens do free range when it is warm enough, but the dogs have a pretty big fenced area of their own. I have read some posts here with people who have done alot of training with their dogs. but I just don't have that kind of time right now. And what I am doing is working for me so far.

 

[Frizzledhen]

Hi I am new here and to chickens. I have a dog/chicken question. I can make a rather large run much cheaper if I can use the existing chainlink fence I have for my dogs for one side of the run. My dogs are around 3 to 4 pounds and I don't worry about the chickens which will be better than twice the size of the dogs. It would probably be the dogs who would end up hurt and not the chickens. What I wonder about is, will my dogs barking at the chickens (and I know they will at least in the begining) cause any problems or will the chickens get use to it and not be bothered? I am hoping that the dogs will get use to the chicken sounds and smells while they are in the brooder and will accept them once they are released in the run. But, if the dogs are going to bother the chickens to the point that they will not lay it wouldn't be worth the money I would save by useing the existing fence. I will appreciate any comments, good or bad, about this.
Thanks.
P.S. This is one awsome group! I have learned so much already by just reading the posts. And, no one is mean here!
Gayle
Chi Lady in Michigan

 

[CarriBrown]

We eat mean people!

Anyway, I'm sure, just like anything else, the chickens will get used to whatever commotion happens in the backyard. I know mine did. It doesn't matter if the horses make noise, the dogs bark, or whatever... to the chickens, it's just business as usual!

 

[keljonma]

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