Mini Schnauzer's first encounter with free ranging chickens!

[Airyaman]

So I have a 9 y.o. mini schnauzer. He's been crazy trying to go after my chickens since the day they were hatched. Always in the past he would lunge at them in their runs, with fence separating them. He goes all shaky when he sees the smaller ones, and sometimes lunges at their brooder as well.

This morning I let my oldest birds out to free range. It's not totally free ranging in that it's in an area I have fenced off, but the area covers probably 1/4 acre so they get to eat grass, bugs, leaves, etc.

Anyway, my dog worked his way into the fenced in area (my gate is a flimsy thing that keeps the chickens in but obviously not the dog out) and he comes running into the flock.

Didn't touch a single bird and didn't show one visible sign of aggression towards them.

Now, prior to this, while they free ranged, I would walk him amongst them on a leash, and he has been very good. But it was quite a relief to see him not try anything when he was free to run.

Which is a good thing because I have three cockerels that are bigger than him (but they've also seen him all their lives so zero reaction)!

Just wanted to share my little story because I was somewhat convinced he'd never be OK to be free around them based on past behavior and knowing that his is a breed with a high prey drive.

 

[N F C]

Glad things went well!

 

[Airyaman]

He went out with my youngest flock of Speckled Sussexes and it was a little more tense because they are much smaller than those 2 Jersey Giants and one Bielefelder cockerels. But still, no real incidents though I did have to raise my voice at him a couple of times.