We have 4 hunting dogs, they're squirrel hunters but will also track down coons and possums. Our dogs were all 3 yrs of age and up when we got our first Chickens and Ducks so we literally spent days sitting outside with the chicks and ducklings and dogs...if a dog acted curious I'd say stuff like "gentle with the baby now" (this is how I taught my dogs to get along with each new dog we introduced). My dogs watched me pick the "babies" up and sweet talk to them, then I'd give each dog some loving and after a few days it was as if they'd all been together forever. Now 5 yrs later our dogs, ducks, chickens and even our 2 yr old tom cat all eat together, lay around the yard and pasture together ..it's a hoot to see. Our dogs even allow the chickens and ducks to peck flies off of them during summer days LOL The training of the cat was a whole other story, I didn't do it, a Mamma chicken did...she came out of the hen house with her 7 chicks and the cat walked by her and was immediately flogged by the hen. Now ducklings or chicks can walk by the cat and he'll turn his head the other way as if to say "what babies?" ;-)
The problem I'm working on now is my 7 month old turkey tom...he thinks he's my kid (I hatched him in the house and hand raised him) and he gets very jealous when my ducks come up to me, he doesn't peck them or try to spur them but he does chase them. If he's out there alone and the ducks go by him he's fine, but if I'm out there he's a bully.
Michelle
The problem I'm working on now is my 7 month old turkey tom...he thinks he's my kid (I hatched him in the house and hand raised him) and he gets very jealous when my ducks come up to me, he doesn't peck them or try to spur them but he does chase them. If he's out there alone and the ducks go by him he's fine, but if I'm out there he's a bully.
Michelle
