Dogs and chicks

[Rebechenson75]

My chickens run into the sheltered part of the run any te they hear our dog growl or bark at anything. Is this normal?? It's like they take her sounds as an early warning to hide.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They probably hear a predator which dogs are, and react to that. Mine run when they see my dogs as sometimes my dogs chase them.

 

[Rebechenson75]

I'm not sure on this. The birds run up to Sarah when she approaches their run. They chirp all happy like. They even kinda play with her. She has been around then since they were a day or 2 old.

 

[Rebechenson75]

BTW, She likes to quietly woof at them and has her own version of speaking to them. It's like she knows they scare easily and doesn't want to scare them. She acts like they are her strange little pups.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Well generally any loud noises should send young birds fleeing to safety. So they are reacting to the noise. If you went out and banged 2 posts together they'd probably run too.

I'm not sure on this. The birds run up to Sarah when she approaches their run. They chirp all happy like. They even kinda play with her. She has been around then since they were a day or 2 old.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

BTW, She likes to quietly woof at them and has her own version of speaking to them. It's like she knows they scare easily and doesn't want to scare them. She acts like they are her strange little pups.

I've seen pictures on here of dogs letting chicks sit on them and all around them. I'm sure some dogs do look at chicks as part of their pack especially if they don't have other dogs around to interact with.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If your dog's accurately barking at perceived threats (like a hawk flying overhead) then I would think it's possible that the chickens learned to heed to warning she's giving.

Certainly I see my flock reacting to crows calling to one another. They recognize the crow sound of alarm when a hawk or eagle is spotted.