Last year I bought two day old chicks. My Lady named them "Delicious" and "Delectable."
When we got home I placed them in a large box and left them on the floor in my "office" until I could manage to put together some sort of broody area for them.
About an hour or so later, I noticed the dog (six year old mixed breed, small beautiful dog) was not near me as she normally is, so I went looking. I found the empty box, and realized that they were indeed "Delicious" and "Delectable" ... for the dog.
I went back to the feed store the next day and bought two more babies, but this time I had a small bird cage for them, and before I knew it, I had more chickens than would fit in the bird cage (chicken math at it's beginning). I built a real brooder for the chicks, and got it up off the floor, but the dog went crazy when I wouldn't allow her into the room.
Finally I had a good sturdy box, four feet by two feet and two feet tall, made of 1/2" plywood and 2" X 2" studs, covered with a metal fencing that I could actually place the dog on and she would stare down at the chicks for hours and hours. It was very entertaining.
Meanwhile I built a hen house and run for the chickens, and when they moved outside, I went back and purchased more chickens.
Now the "old" girls are a little more than a year old, and they free range all day, every day, and we just finished adding more small chicks to a new coop and run, and the dog LOVES going outside and watching the chickens, both the older girls and the new babies that have been outside for about two months. I just started free ranging the younger birds two weeks ago, and the dog runs WITH, not AT the young chicks. They still run for their run and coop when the dog gets hyper active, but it is all fun for the dog, she loves her little feathered friends, and the older girls defiantly "put up" with the dog running around. They aren't bothered a bit when she charges through the flock when they are free ranging.
THAT being said, a week or so ago, the dog made a terrible racket at the back door until she was let out. She has free range out the front door, but only into a small yard, but this time she was barking and really carrying on like something was wrong. I let her out the back yard (2 1/2 acres out in back) and she immediately went flying out the door, right into the group of chickens, she barked and ran till they all went into their runs and coop areas.
THAT was when I saw her looking UP.
There was a large bird (hawk maybe) flying around in circles over the back yard.
She was protecting HER chickens.
Have a little faith in your dogs, they will adjust and learn what is and isn't good for their bird friends, eventually.
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