In your experince, do dogs help keep away predators???

lambchicks

Songster
10 Years
May 21, 2009
245
3
111
North Carolina
In your experience, do dogs help keep away predators??? I lost my very dutiful border collie back in the spring. She was my chicken shepherd. Since loosing her I have lost 5 hens and today lost my roo. I also had a dog get in my brooding box and kill 9 of 10 baby chicks. In the year and a half before I lost my dog, I only lost 2 hens to predators.
Just wondering what others might think.
Thanks for your reply.
 
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Yes
My GSD saw a fox, chased it for a awhile - it never came back. He walks the perimeter of our property every day perusing for predators


Edited to say - this is how I trained him
 
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In my experience....the dog IS the predator (when they escape from the fence).
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We haven't lost any chickens to other predators though, so who knows?
 
I think the dog does help keep other things away. I wouldn't trust my dog with my chickens all alone, they'd be a great snack, but I do walk him around by the woods so he can mark his territory. My thought is to discourage other animals. I would think for now it's ok, come winter when other animals get really hungry, dog pee may not be enough
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I think just the smell of a dog around the place can help repel some predators. But, it's true that the most common predator for chickens are dogs themselves. I worked with my three dogs following guidelines I found on the Internet and they don't bother my chickens. However, I have a friend who got a dachshund puppy after they had chickens and it just killed one of hers. She's about the best dog trainer I know who doesn't do it for a living, so some dogs just can't be prevented from chasing/killing chickens.
 
I have a Border Collie and she is an awesome flock protector and sentry.

We had Coyotes in the back yard when we were between Border Collies (hubby won't get any other breed) and now Coyote-free again. She also chases/barks at any low flying bird as if she can catch them, silly thing. When Floss was about 4 months old she was barking at something that turned in to a yelp. When I ran outside Mr. Coyote was chasing her to the back step and was about 8 feet away from me. It just stood there staring at me. I had to yell and clap my hands to chase him off. Now that she is an adult, she apparently stands her ground and no more problems.

Floss also prevented a fox kill. She was inside but alerted us and we ran out just as the fox pinned one of the free-rangers. Off ran the fox with dog, boy and hubby in close persuit. Poor chicken was so stressed she forgot to molt last fall so she's all moth-eaten but has kept up 5 eggs a week rain or shine. Barred Rocks are egg machines.
 
Our dogs most definitely keep predators out of the yard as well as other critters, Ginger our Blue Healer was pig (Javelina) chasing last night....

They look like this and will tear right into a coop looking for food and water, hard on a garden too....

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The only chicken I have lost was when my dogs when in the house, in the middle of the afternoon. My dogs will occasionally scatter my chickens, but they don't seem to feel aggressive towards them. After losing my favorite (yes, we name them and bury them) on Monday, I brushed both the dog and the cat and piled the hair around the chicken tractor. Whiskey was in the nesting box, I guess trying to lay her first egg, and the coop was open since they free range during the day.
 
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I'm so sorry for your loss
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, we cry and bury ours too. Summer's passing was particularly hard for my daughter. Do you know what got your girl so you can prevent more losses in the future?
 

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