This isn't about predators but a dog protecting the flock.
Today I came out of the house and started towards to coop about 11:00. All the chickens were pretty close so they all came running straight at me. As I got closer to the coop I heard the mama with the 6 chicks up behind the coop. They were about 30 yards away. All of a sudden mama came running and screaming like something was after her. It wasn't. She just wanted some scratch. When she took off, 3 of the chicks came with her and the other three stayed where they were. I saw her and 3 chicks but not the others. Well Morgan, my mutt, heard the commotion and went toward the mama to see what the problem was. The strange part was he looked at her and keep moving and smelling his was back up the hill right to the point where the other 3 chicks were. When he found them he very slowly herded them back down the hill to where they should have been. When he got them all together it was almost as though he counted them and came to me.
How did he know 3 were not with the rest? I told the wife about it and she thought maybe he could smell each chick and knew it that way. I know a dog has a good nose, but that good? How did he know. He does have a lot of Australian Shepard in him and possibly Border Collie.
Today I came out of the house and started towards to coop about 11:00. All the chickens were pretty close so they all came running straight at me. As I got closer to the coop I heard the mama with the 6 chicks up behind the coop. They were about 30 yards away. All of a sudden mama came running and screaming like something was after her. It wasn't. She just wanted some scratch. When she took off, 3 of the chicks came with her and the other three stayed where they were. I saw her and 3 chicks but not the others. Well Morgan, my mutt, heard the commotion and went toward the mama to see what the problem was. The strange part was he looked at her and keep moving and smelling his was back up the hill right to the point where the other 3 chicks were. When he found them he very slowly herded them back down the hill to where they should have been. When he got them all together it was almost as though he counted them and came to me.
How did he know 3 were not with the rest? I told the wife about it and she thought maybe he could smell each chick and knew it that way. I know a dog has a good nose, but that good? How did he know. He does have a lot of Australian Shepard in him and possibly Border Collie.
