Introducing Border Collie to chickens!

[vtchickenlvr]

Anyone have a Border Collie who can coexist w/ free range chickens? Currently we have 2 dogs (not border collies)who have been excellent w/ the chickens, in fact the chickens like to hang out w/ them. We are "trial" adopting a border collie from the shelter. We have not let her off lead, yet. But, she is very interested in the chickens and wants to run up to them (as she does to everyone) My question is, does anyone have any experience w/ Border collies and chickens? I know that she is a herding dog, which could be a good thing, but she worries me w/ her crouching and staring at them. She is super smart, tho. So, she seems to pick up on training very quickly. Is it a hopeless task to try and break her of her urge to herd? Should I be writing this on a Border Collie site, instead? Ha!

 

[bobbi-j]

I think I'd check with other Border Collie owners. I've heard that they're pretty high maintenence. They're very energetic so they need a job to do, and plenty of exercise or they'll be looking for things to do on their own which - like little kids - is when they get themselves into trouble. I hope it works out for you. Border Collies are great dogs!

 

[SlowRiverFarms]

We have a three year old Border Collie whose parents were chicken dogs for 1000+ bird flock. She has been great with our birds, but if you want to break a Border Collie of the herding instinct forget it. She will try to keep them in a group, but the chicks are used to her and comply. Our dog keeps them in the designated pasture and if one strays too far she gets a gentle nudging back.

Border Collies are extremely energetic and MUST work all the time. If they don't have plenty of room to run and something to focus on they, and you, will be miserable. When the chicks are all where our dog wants them, she will busy herself with looking for moles and gophers to eliminate, err, I mean play with

She will crouch and stare, takes some getting used to because it looks like she is contemplating a fine meal. But she's just "focusing" on her job. In 3 years she has never killed a bird and only hurt one, who recovered, when the bird refused to come out of a rose bush.

 

[Mahonri]

I have a Golden Retriever that is very protective of the chickens and allows them to walk right over her when she is asleep.

Pretty funny...

As a kid, we had a border collie mix that we used for the cows.
I don't think we ever broke him from chasing chickens.

 

[ColbyNTX]

My uncle, a cattle rancher, has always had border collies for his cattle and they don't bother the chickens. They were also raised as pups around the chickens. It is harder to break a grown dog than a pup. I would get a muzzle for the dog and then let it go and see what it does. Watch it for a while and see if it is trying to get them or herd them. I would do that for sever days and just get the dog use to them and take quick action if it gets too rough with them. Spend a lot of time with the dog around the birds.