How are Border Collies for pets and living with chickens

[dsqard]

May I suggest "A Good Dog" by Jon Katz? I think this book will give you a really good understanding of how much work a BC can be. They are wonderful dogs but I would never own one since I know that they really need to have a job and I just enjoy having dogs as pets.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

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It is possible that you could pen him up next to the Guineas? I don't know because our BC's have always been sweet to the chickens.

No - he is in the backyard, but he can open the gate and get out. There is no way we can possibly keep him locked up.

 

[ducks4you]

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My dog, "Rose"

is 1/2 Huskey, 1/4 GS and 1/4 BC. She behaves like a purebred BC. She runs at LEAST 3 miles/day--we've had a pedometer on her so we really know this. She has LOTS of jobs. Here is her day:
1) Wake up next to "Duck" (that's me, and my family's pet name for me), on the side of the bed (It's really nice when that's the only room with the air conditioner, if you're a long-haired dog.)
2) Go outside for the morning "do"--maybe stay out longer than her sister, "Pyg" to check things out
3) Go outside with Duck to check/feed/water livestock (the chickens), and the horses
4) Guard the house when everybody is at work
5) "Attack" Duck when she gets home, so she knows how much she is missed. This includes lots of jumping and spinning and kissing.
6) Go out with Duck to do evening work. This could include--"wolfing" with Pyg, tracking critters, watching "chicken TV", riding in the truck when it's moved just outside of the "Barn one-car garage" and riding when it's driven back inside, barking at the horses when they roll, running with the horses when they feel like taking off, guarding the property when somebody walks in front of the house.
7) Occasionally, going outside in the dark to guard Duck, when she forgot to put the garbage out, or didn't get cat food from the barn, or...other stuff
8) Take your place in the bedroom to guard it all night.
BOTH of my dogs stick to me like glue, but Rose is genuinely upset if everybody else is accounted for and I am not. I give them LOADS of positive attention, which they both crave, and it takes effort and it IS training, which BC's need.
Why the story? I believe that BC's and their mixes are fiercely loyal. They are also sensitive. Rose HATES to be yelled at. She startles at loud noises. Regarding the chickens, when one hen got out of the "stall" last winter, she scared her to death. She is NOT allowed inside of the chicken run. That doesn't mean she isn't a good guard of the chickens. You just have to use some common sense about your predator/prey relationships at home. Rose has also killed and eaten 7 wild rabbits in her three years of life.
Oh, and I've read that Huskys will kill your cats UNLESS they are brought up around them. Rose was difficult to house-train, but she ran the 3 acre (north) pasture at 10 weeks old, and it took awhile to teach her not to wander. I would get another BC or BC mix in a heartbeat. I think if I lived on a tiny lot, or in an apartment, a BC would go stir-crazy.
Post Script: Rose saved the ear of our cat, "Clever" after a cat fight got it infected. Rose spent loads of time licking and cleaning the cat's ear, so, two years later, my cat has two ears instead of one.

 

[rocketdoctor]

Well I did it I went ahead and put a deposit on a BC puppy and will be picking her up in 7 weekes. I did alot of thinking and research and carefully considered all the positive and especially negative comments from this forum. The family really wanted a puppy so we could raise it to good with our pets. What drove my decision was I wanted to know exactly where this dogs parents were and how they behaved, The Parents are around foster children they are non agressive and well socialized. I visited the farm I got her from several times BCs and was able to play with the other dogs are they were really great. I read alot about BCs activity level and convinced that we can keep her active and busy

 

[noodleroo]

She is so beautiful! She looks very calm and well adjusted. Be sure and keep the pics comming when you get her....

 

[Hillsvale]

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Too right there... I love mine however his obedient switch wasn't wired untril he was 2!!

 

[bambi]

Congrats!!!

I am so glad you went into this with eyes wide open and did your research. Enjoy, and remember patience it will pay off in the long run.

 

[eKo_birdies]

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just because a dog is registered w/ the AKC does NOT, by ANY stretch of the imagination, mean that 99% of the time they come from show lines. maybe that's what the people who produced the dogs want you to believe... but the majority of dogs registered w/ the AKC are truly pet quality, and nothing more. not that there is a single thing wrong with that.. they just shouldn't be being bred.

 

[FossilRokRanch]

Too bad I found this thread so late. Looks like you had your hearts set on a BC. Congrats.

We were once set on a BC, until we learned of English Shepards (aka Farm Collies). Glad we did. Best all round dog we've ever had. We got out chicks when she was turning 3. She has doted over the chicks since day one. Never rough, but tends them all day with NO supervision from us. Even rounds them into the coup at sunset, then comes and gets us as to say "time to close the pop door guys!". From what we learned, they were once the most common dog in the states, and now is threatened to be lost. I couldn't recommend a better dog for farm, field and family (did I mention she flushes and retrieves?). She's our Lassie girl!

We also have a nearly year old short-haired Aussie. Equally kind to the birds, but other that that he's as dumb as a box of rocks.

Good luck with the border!

 

[bobcatridge]

We have a 2yr old border collie/australian sheperd mix. We live on 10 acres of land. She herds the deer and the wild turkeys and guards the property. Oh yes, she chases the turkey vultures that like to catch the winds off our knoll. Every morning she runs around her property (which happens to also include the neighbors property but they don't mind) and then settles down in front of the garage on the driveway to guard us. She is very loving and has a very soft mouth. She is great with our 9 yr old daughter. We go to the houseboat every summer. She patrols and guards the houseboat. If a friend's houseboat is next to ours she patrols that houseboat too. The first year was a bit rough. She never barked and chewed everything. After 2 remote controls, a cowboy boot, several shoes, and several toys, we put everything up out of her way and if she got anything she got punished. We had a 15 yr old cat that we kept upstairs (we knew she wouldn't tolerate the dog) and the dog was downstairs. The cat died over a year ago and we took down the baby gate. The dog rarely goes upstairs. About 9 months ago we got a new cat (about 6 months old) and dog & cat became great friends. Well, they will play with a mouse together (neither of them killing it, but each catching it and then releasing it for the other to catch-so what is wrong with this -never mind I am not going there), sleep at times together, and chase each other (it varies who is chasing who). So a week ago we got a new kitten. The dog was scared of the kitten, the kitten was scared of the dog, and the cat growled constantly. Now the cat and the kitten play. The dog and the kitten sniff each other. No body has hurt anyone. I have to admit the dog now barks but she is really great at guarding the house and property. We are building a chicken coop and I plan on letting her climatize to the chickens by keeping them in the predator proof run. Eventually I want to let them out in our small backyard (Ok we have 10 acres but it is all really steep hill - no flat spots), but that is after we know everyone knows each other. So even though we are in the process of building the coop and getting the chickens, our dog Whimsy has been so gentle that I have great hopes and expectations that she will do well with the chickens. That being said, I will not allow her immediate exposure to them. Our dog is great and we love her but I don't think she would do well in the city. So I think/hope your new border collie will do well with your chickens as I hope our doggie will do well with our chickens. Okay - I have to say I just put the little kitten on the dog's back and she turned and licked it. The kitten nuzzled back and then left for a nearby chair.