Dogs and chickens

[spacecowgirl]

I agree with Juiced10! My neighbor's dog killed a much loved chicken of mine, and they have not so much as acknowledged the fact or said they are sorry, anything! I know they know because my other neighbors have talked to them about it. They just don't care! It makes me sooo mad.!!

And I have to see them all the time, at cookouts, on weekends, etc... I did call Animal Control on the dog but a fat load of good that did me.

I can't let my chickens free range at all any more just because of that one mangy mutt. I hate him!!!

 

[Nicole01]

I can not free range without supervising. I had my girls out the other day and I didn't realize there was a black lab in our yard! I yelled to my daughter to get the chickens to safety while I try and keep the dog away from them. We were lucky and it worked.

Our chickens do not see dogs as predators. We have 2 big dogs ourselves they were raised with. My neighbors dog across the street will kill our chickens in an instant. He goes after our cats snarling and showing teeth all the way into our house if he can get in. Our neighbors refuse to keep their dog contained. We are friendly with our neighbors and told them several times our concerns with their dog. They continue to let him loose. We live out in the country, so many people feel this way.

 

[mommissan]

Quote:
sure have, mine can't stop eating their poop... guess what's the next thing they lick...

That explains my dog's breath!

I have a bird hunting dog. I've been working with her to teach her that chickens are off limits. Strict supervision, but getting better. Anything's possible. I've noticed that she actually protects the flock from other predators if she can't have them herself. Dog's and chickens are a great mix.

 

[BrokenRoadFarm]

We have 2 dogs and while I think one of them would be okay with the chickens, the other is part yellow lab - bird hunting instinct....so we never let the dogs out if the chickens are in their tractor (we have 10 acres and tons of predators so we do the tractor, not free-ranging). We only have 4 pullets so I am not willing to risk it.

 

[Chickenaddict]

We have all kinda of dogs running loose around here so we put up fencing in the backyard so the chickens can free range back there yet they are safe from the dogs running loose.

 

[Judy]

Our 3 dogs run loose with the chickens, when the chickens are out, and were not hard to train, even the Jack Russel mix and the lab mixes. However -- I do feel that a dog who's ignored chickens for years can still turn on them. Meanwhile, the dogs discourage other predators. To me it's a trade off.

 

[coreybee]

I don't dare let my Ridgebacks out with the chickens. They have a high prey drive, and look at chickens as a free meal. They are a hunting breed and were designed to hunt game and fowl of all sizes. My dogs do have experience hunting and in their haste to "flush" a bird I'm sure would accidentally kill it, as they are not soft mouthed. I just don't dare combine them.

 

[Juiced10]

Quote:
I know how you feel. No worse feeling than seeing some of your flock taken out. I won't make the mistake of letting them out unless we're right there standing guard. They'll have to be content with their run for now.

 

[Frost Homestead]

We have a 7 year old Golden Retriever named Liberty. She stays in the yard with the chickens all-day every day and they all roam free. No problems here. I've always heard about Golden Retrievers being bird-dogs and not being able to kleep them from attacking chickens but Liberty just lays there, even when the chickens start to get to scratchin' and tossing dirt all over her, she doesn't even care. She wouldn't attack a chicken, I trust her 110%.

 

[mystang89]

I agree with ddawn. As you can see with my avatar picture my dog doesn't mind our chickens and I let both out at the same time. They get along however I don't trust my husky and still keep an eye on them even if its at a distance. All that said, my adjacent neighbors dog like to come over and scare the poop, (literally,) out of my chickens. Makes it hard to keep the stress off them so they will lay eggs.