Michigan

[NovaAman]

I am not as much angry with Rotten Ruby as I am with my mom. And I am getting over that too, cuz as I said, all the meds she's been on for 40yrs and her strokes... But Ruby is part beagle... Hunting type dog, so I actually understand that. I just underestimated her determination to get out. I thought I had the fence pretty secure, but she dug herself a hole and she used it. Lesson learned a very hard way. She's my lovey girl. She has to be where ever I am. SO, no I won't shoot her this time... Just going to do a better job at keeping her in.

BTW, what kinda dog you have?

 

[dianaross77]

So sorry Nova.

I'm sure you are frustrated. I have a murderous dog too. Mine is trained to respect my flock. It took a few weeks but she figured out our bunny was ours. She killed 2 wild ones after her training. I wouldn't trust her unsupervised if my birds were free ranging but if I go out with her and she gets too interested she'll listen if I tell her to stop. They are just dogs and dogs are predators. But I did think she would be the reason for me not being able to have any small animals. I am thinking of scent training her for possums and raccoons.

 

[Olive Hill]

She's a mutt. Rott, some kind of hound -- we strongly suspect some Basenji but they're so small it's hard to imagine how it got in there, likely a splash of german shepherd based on coloring, coat type and some of the bone structure.

If someone had told me a year and a half ago she'd finally "get it" I'd have laughed in their face. Not her. We'd tried everything. But then... she did. And it took us as much by surprise as anyone. I figured we'd spend the rest of her life keeping her and the poultry apart.

I know how frustrating it is and know it's hard but we have to remember the commitment we made to the dog too. Often that commitment is even made first, but people are quick to toss it aside when keeping it is inconvenient and painful.

 

[NovaAman]

I had a rotty once... Lovely boy. Hated men. GOOD DOG! LOL.

I had a pit also. He was a smart one. Would chase everything, but once he pounced it, he'd let it go. Never killed anything. Not even the wild turkey he dive bombed, and that was funny! If he were still here, I am thinking I'd have to perfect flock protector.

 

[Chickmate]

Quote:
Nova, I'm so sorry about your hen. I have to disagree that once a dog has killed a chicken, no chicken is safe around them again. Remember my Sachi, the Chinese Crested who is so infatuated with the chickens that he decided to roost with them? Well, my first chicken loss was to him. He killed one of my EE chicks the first time they went out into the run. He followed them out and cornered her and brought her to me in his mouth. I still wonder if Sachi may have been trying to catch the chick because he thought it was getting away from me, but I'll never know for sure. When I decided to get chickens I also decided I didn't want them if I had to keep the dogs away from them. In my house the dogs and cats all get along and my macaw can walk aross the floor between all of them. That's the only way I want to live. Peace and harmony among all my animals.

I brought the dogs into the coop ON LEASHES the day I brought the chicks home and they went out with me every single time I tended to them. I wanted them to understand that they were MY chickens and not to be touched and I wanted them to see the chicks so often that it was no big deal any more. All three dogs did wonderfully ON LEASHES, even when the chicks were out of the brooder and running around the coop. I would sit in my chair in the coop and the dogs were made to lay down and stay as the chicks ran around them. It took many, many "LEAVE IT's!!" but they learned. At any rate, I can now leave the dogs in the yard or in the coop and run with the chickens with no fear that they will hurt them. Of course I would never leave home with them unattended (I would never leave my dogs outside when I'm not home, at any rate), but I can mow the lawn in the front yard when the dogs are playing in the back yard (two acres away) and the chickens are free ranging. It just takes lots of patience and persistant training to achieve. In my opinion the key was introducing the dogs to the chicks from day one and making the dogs part of the flock raising process. I do admit that the breed of dog has some bearing on it. Some breeds are hard wired to hunt birds and breaking them of that would be much harder. In my opinion, it can be done if you want to keep both dogs and chickens.

 

[Olive Hill]

My mom loves to tell stories about the BIG German Shepherd she had when she was single and when I was a baby. He hated men too. And she maintains the same thing: GOOD DOG! LOL!

Our gal doesn't hate any one type of person in particular, but everyone who has spent any time here pretty much says the same thing of her: you don't worry about her randomly attacking, but you know that you don't want to mess with her family if you want to walk back out the door. She watches every thing. She's a real good dog. Has more than earned her keep and her being trustworthy with the poultry is just icing on the cake at this point. She's still a very young dog for her actual chronological age, but we plan to get her replacement before she gets too old so she can help bring the pup up right.

We know a GSD breeder whose female reminds me SO much of our gal. I'm thinking one of those puppies will be the way we go. A good dog is worth its weight in gold -- even at today's gold prices.

 

[M.sue]

I think I'm gonna give my broody another day, possibly two, before I actually try breaking her of this broodiness with the so called "Chicken Jail". Tonight my son took her of the box, placed her in the run and she acted like she couldn't decide what to do. He them walked he over to alfalfa field where the others were free ranging and let her mingle and scourge about. When the flock decided to move she followed. I was gone and I don't know how long she was out and my son couln't say how long. When I got home they were all near the coop and she's inside in the box. I brought her back out & let her snack with the others and when she was finished.....right back she went. Upon lock down I put her on the roost....right back again. Pulling her in & out seems somewhat time consuming but maybe if I can get her to free range long enough with the others, maybe she won't have to go to jail!

 

[M.sue]

Quote:
Nova, I'm so sorry about your hen. I have to disagree that once a dog has killed a chicken, no chicken is safe around them again. Remember my Sachi, the Chinese Crested who is so infatuated with the chickens that he decided to roost with them? Well, my first chicken loss was to him. He killed one of my EE chicks the first time they went out into the run. He followed them out and cornered her and brought her to me in his mouth. I still wonder if Sachi may have been trying to catch the chick because he thought it was getting away from me, but I'll never know for sure. When I decided to get chickens I also decided I didn't want them if I had to keep the dogs away from them. In my house the dogs and cats all get along and my macaw can walk aross the floor between all of them. That's the only way I want to live. Peace and harmony among all my animals.

I brought the dogs into the coop ON LEASHES the day I brought the chicks home and they went out with me every single time I tended to them. I wanted them to understand that they were MY chickens and not to be touched and I wanted them to see the chicks so often that it was no big deal any more. All three dogs did wonderfully ON LEASHES, even when the chicks were out of the brooder and running around the coop. I would sit in my chair in the coop and the dogs were made to lay down and stay as the chicks ran around them. It took many, many "LEAVE IT's!!" but they learned. At any rate, I can now leave the dogs in the yard or in the coop and run with the chickens with no fear that they will hurt them. Of course I would never leave home with them unattended (I would never leave my dogs outside when I'm not home, at any rate), but I can mow the lawn in the front yard when the dogs are playing in the back yard (two acres away) and the chickens are free ranging. It just takes lots of patience and persistant training to achieve. In my opinion the key was introducing the dogs to the chicks from day one and making the dogs part of the flock raising process. I do admit that the breed of dog has some bearing on it. Some breeds are hard wired to hunt birds and breaking them of that would be much harder. In my opinion, it can be done if you want to keep both dogs and chickens.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/44342_sachi_on_roost_and_chickens_-_6-7-11_028.jpg

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/44342_jimmy_and_fbcms.jpg

I agree with you totally about making the dog a part of the flock or the flock a part of the family from day one. That is what we did with our schnauzer. Schnauzers were bred to hunt rodents and she is a good hunter. I've had many catches brought to my back door. She assisted us every time we fed, checked on them, cleaned the brooder box, etc. We gave simple commands each time she assisted...Our friends, babies, nice chickies, family. She roams the yard when the chickens are free ranging and she is always in the middle of the flock when I pass out treats for fear they'll get more than she does..lol.

 

[babigyrl22]

Quote:
Nova, I'm so sorry about your hen. I have to disagree that once a dog has killed a chicken, no chicken is safe around them again. Remember my Sachi, the Chinese Crested who is so infatuated with the chickens that he decided to roost with them? Well, my first chicken loss was to him. He killed one of my EE chicks the first time they went out into the run. He followed them out and cornered her and brought her to me in his mouth. I still wonder if Sachi may have been trying to catch the chick because he thought it was getting away from me, but I'll never know for sure. When I decided to get chickens I also decided I didn't want them if I had to keep the dogs away from them. In my house the dogs and cats all get along and my macaw can walk aross the floor between all of them. That's the only way I want to live. Peace and harmony among all my animals.

I brought the dogs into the coop ON LEASHES the day I brought the chicks home and they went out with me every single time I tended to them. I wanted them to understand that they were MY chickens and not to be touched and I wanted them to see the chicks so often that it was no big deal any more. All three dogs did wonderfully ON LEASHES, even when the chicks were out of the brooder and running around the coop. I would sit in my chair in the coop and the dogs were made to lay down and stay as the chicks ran around them. It took many, many "LEAVE IT's!!" but they learned. At any rate, I can now leave the dogs in the yard or in the coop and run with the chickens with no fear that they will hurt them. Of course I would never leave home with them unattended (I would never leave my dogs outside when I'm not home, at any rate), but I can mow the lawn in the front yard when the dogs are playing in the back yard (two acres away) and the chickens are free ranging. It just takes lots of patience and persistant training to achieve. In my opinion the key was introducing the dogs to the chicks from day one and making the dogs part of the flock raising process. I do admit that the breed of dog has some bearing on it. Some breeds are hard wired to hunt birds and breaking them of that would be much harder. In my opinion, it can be done if you want to keep both dogs and chickens.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/44342_sachi_on_roost_and_chickens_-_6-7-11_028.jpg

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/44342_jimmy_and_fbcms.jpg

That picture of your dog on the roost cracks me up. I don't think there is any hope for my mangy rescue. As soon as she sees the chickens she starts salivating and her eyes glaze over and she litterally tries to snatch the bird out of my hands. (which is crazy because she knows I would stab her given the opportunity)

My bichon Diva got a little curious and got pecked in the nose while trying to sniff in the "jail pen", so her curiousity is sated.

Wendell, my other bichon isn't even interested. I could so see him roosting with the birds. Of course, quite a few of the birds are about the same size or bigger than they are.

 

[uchytil]

Anyone raise any Heritage Turkeys? I'm trying to find a local supplier for next spring. I'm hoping to find them in a 100 mile radius of Twin Lake/Muskegon area.