Help! Random dogs- how can I scare them away?

[Oregon Blues]

If there are a lot of loose dogs, the best thing to do is to fence your property. Then they can't get in and you don't have to worry about them.

Yes, you can shoot them if they are after your chickens, but it gets tiresome shooting dog after dog. Not to mention that you won't be home at some point when a dog comes.

A secure coop is a necessity and not let the chickens out if you aren't there to watch them.

You might also post a little sign along the trail that says "If your loose dog attacks my livestock, I will shoot your dog. You have been warned, so put your dog on a leash or don't complain when the dog is dead."

 

[Mamma_Duck04]

I echo the electric fence. If you've got that kind of load, I would be very nervous to free-range, or at the VERY most, only do it when I'm right there watching. Otherwise, the girls should be able to be outside, but living next to a preserve does make it prudent to keep *them* also fenced so they don't wander into the preserve- if it's that close that dogs are darting back & forth....

You can get portable electric poultry fencing, or you could put up some sort of fence & run a few lines of electric along it.

 

[madmantrapper]

What kind of fence will keep a great dane out? My chickens can fly over any fence, so now you need a top also. I think once the word gets out that there is a madman out there, folks will contain their pets. If my chickens wander off my land and something gets it thats one thing, but when they are coming to my place after them that is something else. It only took one neighborhood dog in a foot trap to convince the rest of them to contain their animals.

 

[Beekissed]

An electric fence can contain a 2,000 lb bull, I figure it could keep out a Great Dane. Chickens rarely fly over a fence unless it is extraordinarily low...they do, however, fly to the top of a fence, land briefly on the surface and alight down on the other side. A standard four foot fence will keep the birds in if the top of the fence extends beyond the posts and gates to prevent birds landing on their surfaces.

 

[zzGypsy]

perimeter fence would be good. hot wire on top.

perimeter electric mesh fence (designed for poultry or goats) topped with a couple of additional straight hot wires for height, and a big fence charger (not solar, they don't bite enough). even big dogs like danes will typically try to climb with their front paws, or go under with their nose - if they get bit by the hot wire they'll stop. they don't typically gazelle over the fence without touching it. get a charger designed for cattle - you want something that's going to sting like a son-of-a-gun, set them on their butt and make their eyes water. make sure you test your fence periodically and make sure it's not grounding out. hang the liittle "electrified fence" signs on it... won't help with the dogs, but would with their owners if they come looking for them.

paint ball gun or BB gun is not a bad idea... if their dog comes back with paintball sploches from it's unsupervised walk, they might think twice about future unsupervised walks in the area.

perimeter fence with a LGD.

close-to-coop elecric fences will work too, just make them far enough back to keep dogs from being able to clear them while climbing/jumping on the coop.

in the mean time, make sure you have the bottom of your coop secured, with dug-in fencing, a foundation, or an in-ground chicken wire or hardware cloth bottom or skirt.

 

[zzGypsy]

Quote:
we had catahoula / great dane crosses - 105 lbs of dog bred to hunt... and catahoulas are used for hunting hogs, so they're tough, tough dogs. they were digging under their run, and climbing out over 6' chainlink... we strung a single line of hot wire on the top and one 6" up on the bottom, problems TOTALLY solved. they have extrordinary respect for that little wire - it bites and they know it... no second try. if you've got 5' of hotwire mesh, it'll stop casual entry by dogs. coyotes might figure it out, but they can dig for a living. someone's hiking dogs don't generally want in your yard that badly, they're not that starved, nor are they generally willing to dig a pit to get there... too many other interesting things to do on that 500 acres.

 

[starbuck]

Thank you all SO much for taking the time to respond, you've really all given me some great stuff to think about. As a new chicken owner, I really really appreciate all your suggestions.

 

[effie]

I ditto the electric fence--and it is easy to put up--not real expensive--the paint ball gun is good too and they do put a sting on things along with sending a very clear (or should I say colored ) message to the owner--if you want a repeller for you to use ---get bear spray--it works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck!!!!

 

[P-Funk]

Star - I agree with Bee. Get a dog. I did, and he is such a great addition to the ranch I don't know how I ever got along without him. Plus there's a boatload of new fence. When the neighbor dog killed my Black Star animal control said 'just shoot it'. When I told them I wouldn't shoot a dog they went to his house and removed it.

 

[Beekissed]

I couldn't have kept my chickens without the dogs, either....I work all day and can't be here for every predator attempt. The dogs can give you peace of mind, alarm you to possible threats and deter preds.

I also caught one of my dogs lying in the yard, covered over with 20 meat chicks, one between his paws~ and licking away at it...that's just a perk to having good dogs.