Keeping Chickens Free Range

[mackenzie450]

Like I said before, I refer to my German Shepherd as the babysitter of the flock. They can be trained, it just takes time and persistence.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm new to this thread and also new to chickens. On top of that I'm new to the area as we just bought our home here in Utah. I have a flock of ten and a good size run, however, I let them out in the morning to free range all day. I've never had an issue with predators (yet) that being said I've noticed many Hawks in the area. I have trained my shepherd to "babysit" the flock. I guess my question is, will my dog actually sway predators from striking? If a circling hawk looks down and notices my 115 pound dog free ranging with the chickens will that be a deterrent? I'm a newbie to all of this but I feel my chickens are happier in the yard. What else can I use as deterrents?

The dogs being out there 24/7 does keep them wary of landing in that area where the dogs can reach them but it helps to have dogs that watch for hawks and also other things in place. I wrote an article on free ranging a few years back about things to consider: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/bees-key-points-to-successful-and-safe-free-ranging

I hope that helps a bit.

How can i get Wyatt to stop chasing my chickens? What actual training is involved? Sometimes he ignores them and sometimes he likes to run them.

THIS(see below)...good advice from islandgirl82...it's the best place to start. Establishing yourself as the leader of your whole property and all things on it really helps. Leash walks with him walking beside or behind you...never in front...can help in that training. Controlling where they be, when they can eat, basic obedience, etc. all count and are effective when wanting to get control over him when he's in an excited state. It also helps to learn the warning signs that happen BEFORE he escalates into the level of excitement that causes him to chase. GSDs are normally a highly intelligent and very intuitive breed, so they can be trained pretty efficiently if you have the right information.

With my latest pup, he came at 2 mo. of age and was only confined away from the chickens for the first week until I had a chance to work with him a little on getting his attention, getting it established who is in control here and working one on one with a chicken(took only one lesson lasting all of 2 min. with that). It all went very fast from there, as he was a calm and intelligent pup...his obedience training and training on the birds after that first week were done simultaneously after that....you can't very well correct him for unwanted behavior around the free range flock unless he is actually out there living with them on a daily basis. I think the biggest mistake I see with people are keeping their young dogs penned near the chickens but they are unable to come in contact with them....this leaves a pup out there getting excited when the chickens run, squawk, fight, mate, etc. and no one to correct him.

The worst thing you can do if he starts chasing the chickens is to run, shout, get frantic or overly excited...this just makes his excitement worse, as he takes his cue from you. Don't make a sound until you can get right up on him, walking calmly, snag him as he runs by or whatever it takes to get his attention, then use your obedience training....make him lie down. Correct him every time he looks at the chickens as he is lying there. It doesn't have to be a loud or rough sounding correction, just choose a sound or word that is firm and abrupt while also doing a physical touch that gets his attention...I usually use a poke in the side of the neck or flank, doesn't have to be hard, just firm enough to snap him out of his current mindset. Then follow through by getting a chicken, taking it near to his face...if he looks at it, gets excited in any way, give the correction. Pretty soon he should be looking anywhere but at that chicken, no matter how much it flaps or squawks.

My neighbors brought a young GSD to my house one evening and she immediately started chasing the chickens as they went in the coop at dusk. The neighbors started yelling and trying to catch her, but I told them to let her go....then I used the exact method described above on her. It took all of seconds for her to change her mind about chasing my chickens. You know what? That dog went on to chase and kill chickens at the neighbor's house, was allowed to roam all over this holler, including right past my free ranging flock...she never once looked at them. Months later I visited their home and as soon as she saw who was visiting she stopped barking and laid down as I continued to walk up the driveway. She remembered me and seemed to have some level of respect from that one incident.

Did the same maneuver to my sister's Lab as he was chasing her flock and they were yelling frantically.... and he remembered too. Unfortunately, people think you are being mean if you expect a dog to behave, but the dogs seem to really need that authority and guidance in their lives and seem to respond to it very favorably.

@vpatt
Basic obedience training is a must, especially with a puppy. My current dog and all previous dogs (and future) have to wait for their meals until I say "okay". The last thing I need is to get bowled over by my 180lb newfie when he's hungry. You control the food and access to it, you earn their respect. The "leave it" command is also essential. Say this in regards to EVERYTHING you don't want him to have and redirect him to something he can have. Until he gets a handle on the basics, he's not ready to be around your flock.

{{{BEEE!!}}}

Interestingly enough, even the resident bobcat left my birds alone. I think it was the dogs that encouraged it to stay at the end of the driveway.....

Tikki!!!!!

How is the best thing to ever happen to FF doing these days?

Raising kittens and chicks, apparently. Good move!

Well cross your fingers, after complaining about needing a dog and the unreasonable prices people think their dogs are worth, I may have a GP puppy. She only wants 250, with the price if shots I do not think that is unreasonable. The fog's are about 3hours away from me, but I am willing to make that drive. I had my Aunt (she is the family GP expert, because she has always owned them) look at the photos she posted and her words were "the breeding isn't great, but you are only looking for a pet" and that is true enough.
Nothing is decided yet, I need to ask about the parents hips. But I am really hoping this works out. DH is going to be very annoyed, he is anti big dog, but I can overrule

(besides what he is really anti is the more traditional fighting dogs, like Rottweilers or German Shepherd, Great Pyrenees are not the same thing to me)

I think you are going to love how very sweet GPs are...they just really, really want to be loved. Earn his/her respect and you have a loyal and good dog for a good many years. I love the breed and haven't met one yet that I didn't like. My sister used to raise them back in the day when folks had never really heard of them...she used to spin their undercoat into yarn and knit clothing from them.

Well I am looking for a good farm dog. I usually favor Shepards, but I need a good guard, my old girl cannot manage anymore. Besides she was always to friendly to other dogs, I have heard GP are highly territorial, so maybe I won't have to shoot my neighbors dog.

That's exactly why I wanted a more aggressive to dogs kind of dog...Jake has always been far too friendly to passing dogs, but my GP mix female never let one in the yard without a very vicious confrontation. When she would start to fight, Jake would chime in, but he never initiated it. I needed another one like her so I wouldn't have to kill my neighbor's dogs....he let them run loose, even though he was warned that all the folks around take a dim view on it and may shoot his dogs. Turns out his GSD would come past the property but wouldn't come into the yard at all, nor anywhere my flock free ranging on the perimeter. She killed most of his own chickens but she didn't want anything to do with mine.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Like I said before, I refer to my German Shepherd as the babysitter of the flock. They can be trained, it just takes time and persistence.

I have no doubt your dog is great. It is largely a personal preference of ours, based on the dogs we have known (personally I have known some really mean GSD). But I know full and well any dog can be trained to be good, any good dog can go bad. We usually just prefer the medium-sized breeds. This will be a fight between DH and I, but I am going to wait until I know I can get the dog

 

[lazy gardener]

It is very difficult to find a puppy there. I got lucky with my current pup, she never attacked my birds, is good with the cats, and has been very patient with my babies, but I do not count on being so lucky again.

Yes, getting the right dog is a difficult proposition. My dog is way too interested in the chickens. I wish my roo would flog her, but, he's scared of her also. I intend to carry a squirt gun, or get a shock collar for her to see if that will cool her jets. Meanwhile, my flock in shut in as I have as many as 3 hawks circling at a time. Lost a girl a couple of weeks ago without a trace.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

It is very difficult to find a puppy there. I got lucky with my current pup, she never attacked my birds, is good with the cats, and has been very patient with my babies, but I do not count on being so lucky again.

Yes, getting the right dog is a difficult proposition.  My dog is way too interested in the chickens.  I wish my roo would flog her, but, he's scared of her also.  I intend to carry a squirt gun, or get a shock collar for her to see if that will cool her jets.  Meanwhile, my flock in shut in as I have as many as 3 hawks circling at a time.  Lost a girl a couple of weeks ago without a trace. 

Good luck! Let me know how training him works

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

On a happy note, I found one of my missing hens. Turns out she is broody.
I found her high up on a clutch of about 10 eggs. I do not think she has eaten or drank in 2 days, I pulled her out and she is a little unhappy with me. I would let her try to hatch, but my oldest males are only 14 weeks. They are crowing and mating but I doubt they are fertile. Maybe I will look for some fertilized eggs.

 

[duluthralphie]

For those of you thinking about shock collars, becareful how you use them. You can ruin a good dog with them.


That said I love mine, even though I do not even know where they are in my mess at the moment.

Use them sparingly. I have had one for my older dog for 10 years. I do not think I have zapped her more than a couple times. They have a buzzer on them, the buzzer is all you need after the first shock of their life, normally. The buzzer makes them pause and think. Dogs are like kids they simply do what instinct tells them to and that is eat, poop and play.

I put the collar on and the dog stops long enough to think. I call them the "electronic brain".

They are the stick side of a two prong approach to dog training, praise and reward are the carrot side. It takes both.

SO if you get one be real careful what the dog is doing when you zap it, if it is doing something other than the behavior you want to end, it will not do that again. MAKE SURE IT IS DOING BAD. do not use it if even a half second has passed from the bad activity. ONLY IN THE ACT!

I never "yell" or give a command if I plan to use the zapper, unless the dog is actively not obeying the command. If the dog is chasing chickens and you ell stop, and the dog pauses for a split second, and you zap, you have confused the dog. If I was going to stop a dog from chasing chickens I would say nothing just zap when the chasing starts.



Now if I could only catch them eating an egg so I could zap them with it, but they do that on the sly, as they know I do not allow it....


Oh well, that's why God allowed Amazon to make muzzles for them.....

 

[dekel18042]

Yes, getting the right dog is a difficult proposition. My dog is way too interested in the chickens. I wish my roo would flog her, but, he's scared of her also. I intend to carry a squirt gun, or get a shock collar for her to see if that will cool her jets. Meanwhile, my flock in shut in as I have as many as 3 hawks circling at a time. Lost a girl a couple of weeks ago without a trace.

One thing for everyone who is interested in getting dogs to think about is where you get your dogs. It DOES make a difference. German shepherds can be the best dogs in the world. They're smart and can be trained for anything but there are also lines who are aggressive You can't beat a collie from working lines for a farm dog (especially the smooths), but if you get one from show lines you may get an airhead. ( a sweet airhead, but an airhead) So research what breeds or breeds you want then check out sources. If the dog comes from working lines there is a better chance he will work.
Even check out mixes you're interested in. Sometimes two different breeds within one dog will cancel the attributes you think it should have.
Just because a dog should be good at something doesn't mean he will be, but you can tip the odds in your favor.

 

[mackenzie450]

I have no doubt your dog is great. It is largely a personal preference of ours, based on the dogs we have known (personally I have known some really mean GSD). But I know full and well any dog can be trained to be good, any good dog can go bad. We usually just prefer the medium-sized breeds. This will be a fight between DH and I, but I am going to wait until I know I can get the dog

Yes we are looking for another medium sized dog to add to the family and I definitely have some anxiety about it!! Maverick was easy to train but I don't believe it's always easy. Let me know if you end up getting one and your experience, I'm interested.

 

[Tikkijane]

True, they would probably knock off the admissions boix and buy more drugs with it..