dogs as guards

[greekbioguy]

i have no predator problems since i have two dogs that have acsess all around my aviaries , but dogs can be a double edge knife because they are poultry predators themselfs. my aviaries are built in such a way that my 60 kgr greek shepard dog cant get inside them (although she did try her best in the begining but she cant chew double chicken wire ant cant dig into cement ,i would guess that if the dogs cant get in the aviaries nothing else can unless it can use wire mess clipers. does anybody else use dogs as protection from predators. there are foxes and skunks around where i live but the tend to keep a safety distanche of around 100 m from my yard because they fear the dogs . one fox entered the yard 3 years ago and tried to dig under the duck aviary but the cement is 30 cm deep ant the soil is very hard clay so her atempt was notished by daphne my guard dog and we found the fox the next dar riped into pieces near the place where she was diging( greek shepards are breed to protect lifestock from bear and wolf attacs ) a fox stood no chance. so a completely predator proof system is strong pens (especially around and under the edge) and a protective dog

 

[bigshoes213]

I have 3 great pyrenees mutts that keep watch over our goats in the adjoining pasture. The chickens come and go as they please through large squares in the fence. Those dogs do a great job so far in protecting our birds. I have another great pyrenees mutt that lives in my yard which adjoins the chicken yard and the pasture that runs in to the chicken yard every chance he gets to walk the perimeter. I think just having the dogs constantly about scares off any predators. The dogs do not have access to the chicken yard unless i let them in though the gate but the chickens can come and go. The only thing I worry about is hawks and owls but so far so good. I refuse to keep them in an enclosed run since I have so much pasture available for them to forage in but if I ever have any issues I may have to rethink that.

I really think since we have so many dogs that the 4 legged predators are scared away. I hope I never have to deal with any issues from bird predators. I do have a border collie/german shepard mix that loves to kill but he is kept in our yard only and I keep my eye on him. So I completely understand the double edge sword. It sounds like you have a pretty sturdy setup that nothing could get through.

 

[nzpouter]

yep... we got 3 dogs, bull terrirer and pit crosses, they'll kill any predator that enters here. They sleep with the chickens in their coop when we feel there's sign something is around.

 

[greekbioguy]

its funny that in greece we say double edje knife while in english you say double edje sword

i know i am afraid about birds of pray too.
untill now i only had wild non domestic birds that are kept in closed aviaries but i am geting my chicks soon and i cant keep my chicken in the coop all day (whats the point of having chickens in your yard if you dont have free range eggs) . my yard has a fences and doors so i can divide it if i like and keep the dogs away from the chicken while they forage but by doing that i will be puting my chicken in danger of aerial atacks. i live near a nature reserve so hawks and falcons are ever present around . there is a pair of comon buzzards (buteo buteo) that hunts in the fields around my house all day and i have often seen peregrine falcons catching sparows in my yard .thats one of the reasons i am getting brahma chickens i think their size sould provide some protection (would a half a kilo falcon make an atempt on a 5 killo chicken???

 

[Judy]

Here, buzzards are no threat, or at least it would be very unusual. Plenty of road kill for them, I guess. Whether hawks will attack I think also depends on how hungry they are. We have hawks nesting not 300 feet from the coop but as far as I know they have never taken a chicken. When I see them perched or soaring as if looking for a meal, it is in other areas, not around the chicken yard. I think they prefer our mice, rats and rabbits. A rooster will also provide some protection; a good one will be on the lookout and warn others to hide. Of course, lots of places to run for cover helps, too.

My dogs are trained not to bother the chickens so they roam together.

 

[coltsdad]

ddawn the buzzards greekbioguy is refering to are actually like our hawks , what we call buzzards are actually vultures

 

[greekbioguy]

Quote:
coltsdad is right , i england they call them buzzards we call them cooton rat hawks .they are big brown and white hawks (around a kilo with wingspan around a meter ) they prey on rats and wild hares, i have never seen them attacking birds they prefare mamals because they are not fast flyers . i would think that any wild bird like a pheasant or grouse will be fast enough to avoid them but i dont know how good the chickens will be to avoid predators. the falcons are far more dangerous the fly paralel to the ground so they will not be spoted in the sky before the attack while the buzzards hang at around 500m in the air before they start their drop. but i have never seen buzzards making atempts at my ducks or pheasants while the falcons do and hurt themselfs on the wire

 

[SunnyCalifornia]

I think I have some pretty strong coops too, with solid 2" wood floors and 1/2" hardware cloth screen, but I can't help but worry, anyhow, about coyotes, raccoons, skunks, and opossums. Our hawks worry me the most, as my trees are still too young to provide decent cover. I let my hens out to free range only with supervision from both my 2 dogs (pit bulls) and humans- either me or my kids. My dogs are certainly not "guard dogs", but their presence makes me more secure. They don't bother the chickens. I can't even say that I trained them that way. They've just grown up around a lot of other animals, and seem to accept whatever "family" is presented to them. My female dog gets concerned and investigates if she hears the chickens fighting or making a lot of noise, but shows no interest in them otherwise, well, okay, she is definitely interested in the "treats" they leave behind

!

 

[serena763]

2 german shepherds gaurd the chicken coop with no problems. We have a small yard so they can not free range and my female dog will kill them if I did. The dogs do a great job keeping the coons and possums away!!