Dogs and Chicks

[username taken]

way way way back when I was younger and I wanted to convince my parents to let me get breeding goats ... they kept saying no ... and to show them I was serious, I saved up, bought a heap of fencing material and put it all in myself, set up all the paddocks with feed troughs, hay racks and water troughs, set up little shelter sheds for them. I also went round to the local breeders and spoke with them, so that when I finally asked my parents again, I had it all set up out of my own money, and I was able to tell them that a particular breeder was happy to help me out with pregnant does for very cheap, and I had worked a certain amount of days for another breeder for an unrelated buck.

I guess that showed them my dedication to it. Now many years later I'm currently at around 30 does, down from 50 odd at one stage, due to drought. Whenever I want to add more goats, they say no, but I go by the old saying 'It is easier to ask forgiveness than permission'

 

[LoupGarou]

Terriers are probably going to kill chickens, due to the sounds that chickens make. Most terriers were bred to be ratters; at the very least, they were bred to eradicate vermin and are attracted to the vermin-like size and movements that chickens make.

My Toy Fox Terriers are some of the sweetest dogs around. However, they are highly prey driven. I have my chicks on my sunporch right now and my oldest male wants nothing more than to get out there and "look at" them. I know that the second he had access to them, he'd kill every one of them, not because he's not the best dog I've ever owned, bar none, but because he's instinct driven and would believe that he's "doing his job." TFTs are not so far from their farm dog roots, but I'm pretty sure that the farmers who kept them didn't let the terriers very near the chickens without expecting some losses. In short, I don't know about the lab, but I'd keep the Westie well away from the chickens.

 

[username taken]

random fact for you here ... I have a goat I call loup garou ... her name started as lulu ... then loopy lulu (she was kinda wild) ... then just loop ... and somehow mutated to loup garou. I am hoping she has a doe kid for me this year because I will use it as the reg. name. she had a buck last year who I called fruit loop

 

[RainbowFlower]

I'm going to add to the "keep the dog away" comment too.

We have 2 kelpies. They are great dogs, and very very friendly. I have even had small babies here and the dogs just come and sit at their feet - they know not to jump.

However, yesterday we were adding a fence around a section of paddock to give the chookies a place to free range and one got out. Pandemonium as both dogs took off after the chook, 3 adults and 3 kids in hot pursuit. The dogs actually caught the chook, but it got away (not sure whether it was the yelling, or it just got lucky). We chased the dogs off, and the chook headed across the paddock into a bush. The kids caught the chook and put her back into the coop. She was fine, but it was sure indication that our dogs would definitely eat the chook if they were given the chance.

 

[aidenbaby]

Dogs can be very tricky when it comes to their mannerisms. The sweetest dogs in the world can turn into a psychopath when given motivation. My dog is utterly fascinated by the girls and that is why I don't trust him. We've had ferrets in the past and the only one he didn't follow when it was out in the house was the one that bit him on the nose and hung there until I released it. If you really want the chooks, I would do what one of the previous posters said and earn the money and start building the chicken house and runs for them.

 

[amyc]

I have four dogs - and I always figured that if anyone would trying something, it would be my pit bull mix (after all - they're viscious dogs - at least that's what everyone says).

It turned out that my dachshund was the one who was quietly eyeing up the chicks, waiting for his chance. He ended up killing nine of my birds.

Moral of the story: be extra careful, take precautions, build a coop with more security than Fort Knox (I'm thinking about keeping my valuables in my coop), and never turn your back on your dog. Better safe than sorry.

 

[sloallie10]

thanks for all of your replies. I guess i could start saving up, (i already have 23$ saved up for a car so that could go into the chickens) BUT i STILL need to convince my parents, and i alreaady talked to lexie, promising that she would not hurt the chicks/chickens, and instead she would be a mother!

 

[nwgirl]

Here is my suggestion. Take the time to research the raising and caring for chickens, include the benefits, then present your findings to your parents, so everyone can make an educated decision based on your research.

 

[sloallie10]

Quote:
well i already know like EVERYTHING about chickens. im kinda obbsesed.....

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

You could also mention that chickens eat bugs and mosquitoes. Plus if your parents are interested in gardening or plants, they make lots of organic fertilizer!