Cocker spaniels and chicks

[4kids*2dogs]

We have 2 cocker spaniels. One (the boy) seems a little too interested in our 5 week old chicks. He was seen licking them and walks around their brooder. I just hope he is just curious and doesn't want to eat them!

What kinds of experiences have you all had with your dogs and your chickens? I remember reading on here that a beagle ate another bycer' chickens. Our dogs have never eaten anything but dog food. Could they turn on the chickens??

 

[megshenhut]

I have no idea about your cocker and I'm sure every dog is different. We have a cocker and she is way too interested in birds. Several years ago she got out of her pen and into the chicken pen and she killed 5. She even drug one back into her pen. When I hatch babies I'm very careful to keep her away from them. She wags that little tail and looks all thrilled with them, but I know all she wants to do is kill them.

 

[4kids*2dogs]

Quote:
Oh no!! The lady cocker ..Maggie.. Doesn't seem as interested as the boy cocker...Winston. I will watch him!!

 

[pdsavage]

They were bred as gun dogs; to use their sense of smell to cover low areas near the handler in order to flush birds into the air to be shot, and to use their eyes and nose to locate the bird once downed, and then to retrieve the bird with a soft mouth.
So yeah unless you do alot of training I would not leave the dog unsupervised with the chicks/chickens.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Dogs are predators by nature. Your particular breed was bred for bird hunting. However, it doesnt necessarily mean that they will eat your chickens. Much depends on how well you know your animal, training, temperment and how you introduce the chicks to the dogs. Some dogs have a high prey drive. If yours loves to chase small animals or birds, then you must be diligent about having them around the chicks. Training is key. The most important command that I taught my lab was the leave it command. It has saved him more than once before he got into something. I introduced him to the chicks by allowing him to see and smell them but no licking! If he fixated on them or the brooder box, he got an immediate correction (leave it). When the chicks got older and I put them outside for a while in the wire dog kennel, he would go outside as well. I allowed him to see and smell and walk around it but anything other than inspection was met with a leave it. He learned to ignore them after a cursory inspection and would lay down a bit away from them. The girls are now a year old and he has appointed himself watcher of the flock when I let them out to freerange. Although he is excellent with them and they pretty much give him no respect, I would never, ever leave them alone together simply because he is a dog/predator first and always. If you train them right, your dogs can coexist with your chickens. I hope this helps.

 

[4kids*2dogs]

Quote:
Great advice. Thank you!

 

[Bi0s]

few years ago we had to cockers they did not get along good with our chickens always chased then and tried to eat them it was just in there blood

 

[ragerkid2]

I had a cocker before and I didnt have chckrbs at the time but he chased a bunny in the yard one time and the bunny started chador him!!!! He never chased another thing after that! Lol

 

[GiddyMoon]

I grew up in a family of Cocker breeders..we had Spaniels up until my teens. I would be very careful with them around the birds as well.

 

[sfd34]

We have a deaf cocker that is about 8 months old and he will chomp right down on them. He never seemed interested in them and never bothered them and then our free range hens started disappearing about one a week. I never found them or any feathers so we just figured it was a hawk or something. Then, we came home and caught him before he had his mess all cleaned up. He was only about 4 months old @ the time he got busted. So now the dogs are in jail when the chickens are out and when the dogs are out the chickens stay in jail. He never seems interested in them if we are around but as soon as we leave they are fair game I guess... Be very careful!