Introducing the dogs to the baby chicks - bad or good idea?

[adkchickmama]

COngratulations on your new chicks.

You have to be very careful with babies as a dogs(and cats) prey drive is high with small animals. When our chicks were new we kept them in a large plastic tub (for blankets) we remodeled the top by cutting a section out of the top and replaced it with hardware cloth. I screwed it down with washers to hold it on tight as our two cats would sit on top and gaze at the "chicken dinners" below them... As for the dogs we would show them to our Jack Russell while we held them but never put them down in front of her. She would even try to pull the chicks through the bars of their cage by their tailfeathers when we weren't looking. Once they were about 2 months old , out in the run, and could peck back,she had a little more respect for them. We free range our girls daily. Now the JR and our older dog a husky/shepherd mix run around with them and all is good. It takes a long time and daily work to teach your dogs to accept the "hands off" rule. SOme dogs will never get it. You have to be the judge of how much yours can be trusted. Good Luck.

 

[wildorchid053]

we had our cat and dog lick and sniff all they wanted when we held them.. it was exciting to them at first , then after a few weeks it was boring to them.. the hens and roos were outside all summer with no problems unless one flew.. the wing flapping seemd to excite the dog, especially when they take off across the yard and are low to the ground.. she doesn't want to hurt them but i think if her paw accidently stepped on one it would be hurt badly. so we watch when she is out with all of us and if she gets too excited we slow her down.. another thing lately is if a roo mounts the hen and she squeals our dog comes to the rescue and roots with her nose till the roo moves away.. i would never leave her alone with the chickens ever. even though she loves them.. accidents do happen.. would hate to deal with a hen with a broken leg or wing..

 

[Sunnysideupdale Farms]

We thought that having a Great Dane who was from a breeder that had chickens would mean that she'd be okay with them. So, we brought home a couple chicks and she started licking her lips and getting as excited as she does when we give her peanut butter. Tried again a couple days later. Same thing. Did this for over a month, and always had the same reaction, so we decided that while the chickens were free ranging in the yard, she'd have to be inside or we'd hold her on a leash. 6 months go by, and slowly but surely she seemed to lose interest in wanting to chase them, and instead would watch them while laying by the sliding glass door to the backyard.

Then one day she starts barking up a storm like somebody pulled into the driveway or was at the door, so I walked over to her to see her by the back door barking and ringing her bell incessantly (she has a bell to tell us she needs to go potty) and that's when I spotted the neighbor dog had jumped the fence and was chasing the chickens! Without giving it much thought, I opened up the door and yelled, "Get him!" She darted straight for him and chased him back over the fence, and paid no attention to the chickens at all. So I praised her for protecting the girls and she followed me back into the house where I filled her Kong dog toy with peaunut butter and treats and let her play with that while I inspected the girls to make sure they were all okay. And they were.

Since then, we've been able to leave her outside with the chickens, but I still prefer to keep her somewhat supervised, however we haven't had any incidents yet. She seems much more intent on chasing squirrels and rats (which she's quite good at) than paying attention to the chickens. Unless one of them has layed an egg or found some super-yummy treats she's excited about and starts squawking up a storm, which only peaks her interest as if making sure they aren't in danger!

But alas, this is just our story. Every dog is different, and I'm certain the whole process will start over again when we get her a little brother. And who knows, he might not have a problem from day one, or he may never be able to be trusted around them.

 

[NoVA Chicks]

This is our goal:

 

[yorick]

That's awesome! Seeing that makes me think that my efforts won't be in vain if I have the right kind of dogs and follow the prescribed plan. It gives me hope.

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[yorick]

WEEK 4 UPDATE: PROGRESS!!! (I think)

Because we've been putting the chicks out in the yard earlier than expected, I decided to jump ahead to the plan for Week 6 even though we are only in Week 4. We put the chicks out for about 20 minutes then let the dogs out one by one. Below is the video of how our small dog (Sasha) responded to the chicks when out in the open.

This is a breakthrough because at Week 1, Sasha jumped at the first chick clearly wanting to pounce. After being reprimanded, she did not want to be around them during Week 2. By Week 3, she would be around them but always trembling as if she is fighting the urge to hunt them but knowing she would get disciplined for it. Now, she is not only able to get close to them but also wagging her tail for the first time when she is around them. Every dog owner knows a wagging tail indicates that their dog is at peace with the world and that anxiety has passed. I still won't trust her with them but soon they will be bigger than her making them a formidable friend. It's the pitbull I'm worried about because of her strength...

As for the pitbull. Well, watch at the end of the video. Her curiousity with the chicks has subsided and clearly she has learned to accept their presence and has showed no predatory tendencies.

I will be taking a few more videos the upcoming weeks.

I hope this is helpful to those of you following this topic.

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[yorick]

WEEK 8 UPDATE: So far so good...

(I plan to upload a video showing week 8 soon.)

Our pullets are now regularly in the yard with us as I'm doing some landscaping. Our older dog (Sasha) is out with us most of the time I'm there and she just hangs out with them for a few minutes then goes about her normal routine. I'm also able to disappear for a few minutes away from them and have seen her ignore them (while I watch from inside the house through a window in case she shows an urge to pounce).

I've kept our younger dog (pitbull) away from them for now because she keeps wanting to run around with them and play (she's still a puppy) and does not realize that they are intimidated and not interested in playing chase. So, she is going to be put on a slower plan. She stays in the house while our older dog is out there with the pullets.

Will update again in a few weeks.


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[sian]

I put my chicks on the table in the family room, on a towel, and let the dogs sniff them there. Even at a day or two old, and then pretty much every day. I have a Pit Bull and a Chocolate Lab. One of the 10 week old ones fell on top of the Choc Lab's head tonight and Cricket (the Lab) just looked at her like "Duh ?????"

Your dogs should be no big deal as long as they are trained and you get the chicks used to them. My chickens all free range around the farm, as do the dogs, and never any issues. The Pit Bull has been known to see off a racoon or two, and even a hawk, looking for lunch!

I admire your organization, and wouldn't want to talk you out of it, but dogs and chickens have been co-existing for thousands of years, so if you go off track after a few weeks, I doubt it will matter. The key is well trained dogs and an early introduction, IMHO

 

[NoVA Chicks]

In general, I agree, but sometimes they do surprise you. I have four dogs and one of them is obsessed with the birds. It's only been three weeks, but I'm becoming quite discouraged that he'll ever calm down enough to be allowed to coexist with them unsupervised. The surprising thing is that out of my four, he's the one I would least have suspected of having an issue. He's a retired racing Greyhound who only ran 3 races because he's both slow and (I thought) completely without a prey drive. He's been exposed to all manner of small animals and had 0 reaction. Well, the flap of the birds' wings seems to be his trigger. On the one hand it's fascinating--but on the other very disappointing.

 

[MuranoFarms]

I think it depends on the dog/cat and their age. My 9 month old boxer/mix pup was very curious about the chicks at first. After being told NO many times and a few taps on the butt....she acts just like that pit bull from the video! lol She lays down beside their brooder when I bring them out for 'playtime' and they jump all over her. Half the time she falls asleep! My 8 year old jackrussel however, just can't get the message and I can't wait for the day when one of them pecks her. Maybe she'll learn some manners then. Till then, I keep a grip on her when ever the babies are out. I don't know if the jack russel is just stubborn or being that the puppy is young she accepts training more easily......but their reactions are like night and day.

I also have a Shiba Inu and a calico cat that are both 10 years old and they couldn't care less about the chicks. That's just in their nature though. They've always been that way with any new animal. We also have a 3 year old Siamese mix who really wants to pet their heads through the brooder bars, but runs away from them when they are out!