Didn't realize that dogs eat chickens... will they be okay now or....?

[speckledhen]

Your title made me chuckle:

Didn't realize that dogs eat chickens

I'm really glad your dogs don't eat your chickens! That's great, but most dogs love, love, love a chicken dinner, so watch out for other people's dogs! Roaming domestic dogs are probably one of the top killers of backyard flocks.​

 

[georgiagail]

I'm going to assume that your greyhound is a retired racer.

As other have pointed out, these are sight hounds; trained to chase by sight, not scent. It is possible that running, flapping chicken would trigger an attack.

Out of all the rescued racers I've had/helped adopt only one would I trust around chickens (or even my cats). Goldie appeared to be too frightened to make it on the track. I suspect the bunny even scared her.

Gail

 

[Morgaine]

We have a border collie, Sumo, who lives with our chickens and I do trust him 100%. He will snap at them though if he is eating. He is there to keep away the raccoons who have killed way to many of our chickens. Now our almost 5 month GSD, no I do not trust her with chickens at all. She has killed 3 of them so far. All younger ones because they won't stay in the pen and I didn't know they were out when I let Stella out.

Just know though that accidents can happen and don't punish the dog if it does kill one.

 

[HortenseCumberbatch]

Quote:
What a sweet dog

 

[babyrnlc]

My german shepherd mix I trust, but not my lab or my moms Aussie cattle dog.

My gsd likes to go in the coop and eat the poop

YUK!

The only problem I have with her is that when I first start letting her out with the chickens supervised, I had her "help" me heard them into the coop in the evening (we dont let them free range unspervised). I praised her a bunch, she got good at it. So now I can leave them out with her, she watches them closely and does great (They will even take food out of her mouth) However, if I walk outside, she proceeds to heard them into the coop. And then stays at the door like she is waiting for me to close it.

She only does it, if my mom goes into the yard, or I do. If the kids do, she lets the chickens stay out!

 

[chikinwing]

It sounds like you are doing a good job socializing your birds and dogs together.

Just remember that a dogs breed can never fully determine how they will or will not react in a given situation. Some have GSD's that will kill their chickens and others treat them like their pups. Everydog is different and you as the owner can best gauge their disposition and tempermant. My GSD is an old man now, and one morning he was laying on a dog bed in the garage and there was my rooster standing on top of my dog's back crowing, dog never flinched just kept sleeping

I could not believe it, funny stuff sometimes with animal interactions. But, this same dog in his younger days would not bat an eye at taking out a groundhog, fox, or other unwanted visitor in his territory. You have to teach your dogs who belongs and who does not. And I agree, dogs love chicken!

 

[Ole rooster]

chikinwing....I had, and mean had a litter of Dobermans once that the grump ate her pups. That only happened once. I did not keep her nor breed her again. She was fixed and given away as a pet.

 

[chikinwing]

Quote:
That is horrible! Just shows you how some dogs are unpredictable. You were smart to not breed her again.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Well, we had 13...young chickens. About 12 weeks old perhaps. Found one morning, that 7were roosters, 6 hens. That would never do. Anyway, we got 2 roosters put in the freezer, and had to stop. Gave one away. Now, the local dogs hadn't been by for over 3 weeks, 2 of which we had a free range rooster or 2. Well, the next friday night, I had the roosters all separated. Was going to decide which ones to butcher the next morning. 330am, saturday morning, 4 neighbor dogs came through and got 3. The one ran off, escaped..but came back hungy, at 630 am. He gets to live.

 

[Cryssie_Bou]

my dog seemed fine with our chickens ..but the last two times she got out side before i did or like this morning when one of the kids accidently let her out.... she decided to chase my entire flock of layers .. she will seperate 1 from the rest and try to catch it..she's never bitten them but I'm not about to give her the chance.. gonna talk to hubby tonight about giving her away...


Crystal