I'm with the group that says it is the individual dog not its breed, but some times there will be tendencies. I think we are really trying to gauge how much prey drive people think these breeds have. So as long as it as taken as only one piece of the decision of what dog breed to get and also take other things into consideration. As a volunteer with a dog rescue group, I appreciate it when people research their dog and type before they adopt.
I haven't had chickens long but I've had alot of dogs exposed to my own chickens in the short time I've had chickens. Our chickens do not free range, but the dogs I have I would trust the most are the border collie/aussie in particular. Next I'd pick a golden retriever I have and our Karelian bear dog mix and a ridgeback cross. Also foster dogs that we had here that were good with the chickens were a great dane, a saint bernard, a doxie, a basset hound, a shihtzu,
Our "bad" dogs have been a rottie/aussie we fostered, a boxer/pit bull we have, very high prey drive, our purebred rhodesian ridgeback who would KILL and a labrador foster we had, who thought chickens were for chasing and retrieving as well as a pointer who caught one for me and nicely dropped it, but damaged it along the way so it eventually died. The dog was actually gentle and good but the chicken still died so I'd have to rate that as a kill for you (English pointer). The pointer I believe would have been good with chickens with training.
From my experience in rescue and these experiences, I'd have to pick border collie as one of the first breeds I'd think of getting if I wanted a good farm dog with chickens. My border collie/aussie wants a very close relationship with her person however but is the best dog on earth to us. So they would get my Chicken Dog of the Day award.
