dogs as gaurds for the flock

[catdaddy66]

I know that dogs are a major chicken predator and hope to keep my 3 from being evil w/ the birds. But I was wondering how effective the dogq is as a gaurdian of the flock. Several webpages extoll the dogs as protectors. I hear mine barking throughout the night at something, so I believe they will ward off 4-footed chicken stealers. What have all of you found dogs to be, good or bad sentries?

 

[wood&feathers]

Dogs can be both guards and predators. Our Malinois and Husky are NOT chicken safe. The Lab and Aussie shepherd are chick safe. But all of them consider the run and birds THEIRS. Thus any predator nosing around is treated as hostile.

The bad side of this is what happens at this time of year when the 'yotes group together more. My Malinois went to the vet Tues with two bites to the hamstring area and one across her face. All the dogs got a scare and it has taken them a week to feel up to going outside without an escort. I need to get out and shoot some predators

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

I have 7 dogs & they guard my chickens.....through the fence. If the chickens decide to fly over......OOPS!

 

[MagsC]

Mine arent at all predatorial when I am around but I dont trust that instinct NOT to kick in if I wasnt.

 

[Turkenlover]

I was dumb and love bird dogs (Chesapeakes) and birds (Chickens), so I don't think I'll ever have bird safe dogs. But my dogs do drive predators away from our yard.

 

[chooniecat]

I occassionally let my 11 yo black siberian husky babysit in the chicken shed(if there are chix being raised and they can't make enuf sound to alert dogs if somethings up) but keep in mind there is fencing up to keep the dog/chickens seperate. a dog is a dog and chic aggressive or NOT they are big enuf to do damage so I would NOT trust any dog alone. plus dogs running loose at night are annoying even to neighbors a ways off if they bark.have had chickens for 8 years and have NEVER had predator issues. property is surrounded by crop fields and 50 acres of woods so there are lots of critters and when I p/u dog poop in yard I throw it around the edge of the property closest to chicken shed and keep hav-a-heart set 24/7 for any entering predators that get a scare off the property and have NEVER had a repeat offender.

had a couple of stray beagles that killed 3 of my sons 4h rabbits a decade ago(dogs were then euthanized)but other than hawks everywhere there hasn't been wild predators around in daylight. don't know if my method worked or am darn lucky cause the lady up the road has lost ALL of her chicken/ducks to predation, she claims.(and I LOVE the wild critters too)I do NOT let my dogs run without me.too many coyotes/neighbors with guns(understandably)
No^ the coyotes don't have guns, I hope.

 

[Manok-Tao]

I had 5 Red Sex link hens two years ago....my 13 year old Black Lab, Midnight ( mother of 32, god rest her soul) would often be laying out on the lawn getting a suntan and the birds would gather around her and get all excited like she was a toy, eventually one would jump up on her...Mid night would slowly get up, smell the birds in turn and head out for another place to nap.......Midnight never was put in competition but was from a line of field champs, she was was MY partner on dozens of dove and duck hunts.
In a few weeks I'll bring home 8 pullets and have a new.....almost 2 year old yellow lab..hhhmmm

 

[ruth]

We have two German Shepherds, a Great Pyrenees, and a mutt mix catahoula who all live outside with our freeranging chickens, ducks, goats, peacocks and geese and they do an outstanding job of keeping predators away. Nothing stays in fences here - except some of the chickens return to one of the coops that we close up at night - the rest all sleep outside wherever. We are surrounded by thousands of acres of woods with everything from bear and bobcats to foxes and coyotes. The coyotes get so close at night you can hear them "talking" but our dogs are always on guard. Good thing there are no neighbors because they do bark and chase things off all night. We also have a min pin who hangs out all day with the free roaming livestock and she never bothers any of them either but she stays inside, in our bed, at night. So far, the only "problem" dog we have is the sister of the male Great Pyreneese. They are only one year old (almost) and he is a great LGD but so far she has to stay in the large fenced back yard unless we are outside because she likes to catch and "play with" (maul) little chicks that are running around. She will play with one till it eventually dies of shock but never leaves a mark on it. Fortunately, those little buggers can scream and we catch her before she can do any harm. But...she will catch and kill and eat a duck, and sometimes a chicken if she can. So till she can be trusted, she's not allowed to run free like the other five. Funny thing about her, there's a chicken "Blackie" that lives in the backyard and sleeps with her and she never bothers her but if another chicken flys into the backyard she will try her best to catch, kill and eat it. Obviously we are still working diligently with her and I'm sure she will one day be a great LGD - if not, she will be a great pet for some other family. We need our dogs to be working dogs.

 

[nzpouter]

our 3 pitbull/ bull terriers stays with all the animals here (sheeps, goats, pigs, ducks, chooks, pigeons and geese)... won't have it any other way.

 

[catdaddy66]

here are the chick sniffers: From top to bottom is Bosco, 4 y/o and spoiled; Patton, 1 y/o and WIDE open all the time!; and Jake, the big lazy lug that has adopted us!