I've seen all the posts about something getting in and killing chickens, so here is how I keep mine safe!
I have 3 types of dogs that all do a "job" around the chicken yard. These are pets, but they STAY with the chickens! Fed around the chicken pen, watered around them, and their house is beside the chicken pens!
The first type is a "tree" dog. This needs to be a breed of dog that is known for it's treeing ability. My choice is a Black Mouth Cur. These are big, loud mouthed, and not afraid of anything! They will run coons and so on up trees around your house, This makes for an easy target with a 22 cal riffle and no feathers lost! It is a must to get them young and GO TO THE DOG when they start treeing, doesn't matter what time of day or night it is or whats up the tree!
The second type is a guard dog. My choice is a great pyrenees (get a female RUNT)! The runt will be a smaller stockier dog that is more aggressive! This is for the Yotes and bigger predators and the tree dog will give them back up when needed!
The last type of dog is what I call a "rat" dog. Jack Russell, Rat fiest (rat terrier), and so on. This is for the small stuff. Rats, snakes, and exc. and will come to the house when the big dogs start getting rough with something the little dog don't want to be a part of..
How to train pups around chickens:
Get the pups when they are 6- 10 weeks old if at all possible. Train ONE PUP at a time!! a bunch of pups together will start killing chickens sooner or later if they are around them all the time as they should be!!
Find you one of those give away roosters that everyone has seen at one time or another. You know, the one that is so mean you can't get within 10 feet of him or he's climbing your leg leaving little red bumps as he does. Take this rooster and put him in a run that's about 10 foot by 20 foot, and saw his spurs off flat about 3/4's of an inch long. Put your pup in with him and pour out table scraps in the middle of the pen. WALK AWAY from the pen and return a couple hours later. if the pup is in the corner and the rooster is eating, your pup is now ready to be removed! Mean, but that pup will remember this for the rest of their life! Keep the rooster for reminder sessions as needed for the pup. Every time they try to chase a chicken, They go back in the pen with the Roo!
With these 3 types of dogs and 50+ pounds of dog food a week, your chickens will be as safe as one could be if the dogs are trained right and raises around chickens.
I have 3 types of dogs that all do a "job" around the chicken yard. These are pets, but they STAY with the chickens! Fed around the chicken pen, watered around them, and their house is beside the chicken pens!
The first type is a "tree" dog. This needs to be a breed of dog that is known for it's treeing ability. My choice is a Black Mouth Cur. These are big, loud mouthed, and not afraid of anything! They will run coons and so on up trees around your house, This makes for an easy target with a 22 cal riffle and no feathers lost! It is a must to get them young and GO TO THE DOG when they start treeing, doesn't matter what time of day or night it is or whats up the tree!
The second type is a guard dog. My choice is a great pyrenees (get a female RUNT)! The runt will be a smaller stockier dog that is more aggressive! This is for the Yotes and bigger predators and the tree dog will give them back up when needed!
The last type of dog is what I call a "rat" dog. Jack Russell, Rat fiest (rat terrier), and so on. This is for the small stuff. Rats, snakes, and exc. and will come to the house when the big dogs start getting rough with something the little dog don't want to be a part of..
How to train pups around chickens:
Get the pups when they are 6- 10 weeks old if at all possible. Train ONE PUP at a time!! a bunch of pups together will start killing chickens sooner or later if they are around them all the time as they should be!!
Find you one of those give away roosters that everyone has seen at one time or another. You know, the one that is so mean you can't get within 10 feet of him or he's climbing your leg leaving little red bumps as he does. Take this rooster and put him in a run that's about 10 foot by 20 foot, and saw his spurs off flat about 3/4's of an inch long. Put your pup in with him and pour out table scraps in the middle of the pen. WALK AWAY from the pen and return a couple hours later. if the pup is in the corner and the rooster is eating, your pup is now ready to be removed! Mean, but that pup will remember this for the rest of their life! Keep the rooster for reminder sessions as needed for the pup. Every time they try to chase a chicken, They go back in the pen with the Roo!
With these 3 types of dogs and 50+ pounds of dog food a week, your chickens will be as safe as one could be if the dogs are trained right and raises around chickens.
