Finally!! A use for broody hens!

[DIMBY]

Hubby and I went crazy last week, decided to look for a puppy - and brought home two of them, brothers that we just didn't want to separate. Got them from our local animal shelter, they're 10 weeks old and Aussies. We've had such good luck with that breed. Anyway, to introduce them to the chickens, which are free-ranged, I wondered about using our two hens that went broody a couple of weeks ago. (Coincidentally, they're Aussies, too - Australorps). These two hens, like all broodies, have got mean and irritable and are making themselves a total nuisance. I plucked them out of the nest and set them in front of the pups and on cue, they puffed up, growled and flapped their wings like crazy! Those pups could not get away fast enough. So, after five days, pups and chickens are fine together. Here are a couple of pictures.

 

[downsm75]

Awww! I wish my dog wouldn't attempt to eat my chickens

 

[DIMBY]

I've had good luck with all of my dogs, but this is the first time with young puppies, so it's a work in progress...

 

[galanie]

That worked like a charm for me as well with a grown dog, but it still wanted to "play" with the little ones. I had to get rid of it finally. No losses, but it just wasn't going to work. People that say to start when they're young to train them are exactly right.

 

[DIMBY]

When I got chickens a few years ago I had three dogs, a beagle, a rotty-mix and a border collie. All of them were 6+ years and the only issue I had was with the rotty, who wanted to pluck and eat feathers, of all things. That happened once, and I came down on her like a ton of bricks, never happened again. We have since lost the Border and Beagle to old age issues (put them to sleep), Now we've had the puppies. So, I guess I've had extraordinary good luck.