My crazy dogs

[Jazzyno]

Hi, I just got six chickens after building them a home for the last two months. They arrived Sayurday afternoon and three came out into the run but my dogs went crazy and rushed the chicken wire. Should I give this some time or put another picket fence around their area? The chickens have not come out since!

 

[sarahsark]

Hello. I'm new here, as well.

Ok, do NOT ever, ever, ever risk it with dogs and chickens. Some dogs will immediately go for the jugular and rip those little chickens in two right before your eyes, some dogs might do the cat-and-mouse thing and make a game of it before killing them, some dogs might do nothing. Some dogs might do all of the above at different times.

Don't ever trust a dog with a chicken!! Trust me... I've got 8 hens and a dog and my dog is obedient, highly intelligent, and a cherished family member but I ain't trusting him for a hot second around my birds.

Put up the best, most protective fencing you can afford around the chickens and see if you can keep the dogs away even then. Some breeds will do anything in their power to get through a fence or a cage and kill a bird or small animal, but for most very good fencing will do.

And good luck with your chickens!

 

[nzpouter]

slow introduction, dogs on leash and chocker... how good/ obedient are they?

 

[susand24224]

Once new chickens are settled in, I take my dogs into the pen one by one (on leash or closely observed--depending upon the dog). I sit and feed the chickens and pet the dog, with firm "no's" if there is a sign of treating the bird like prey. This is my way of letting my dogs know that the birds belong to "us." It is my experience that most dogs are trainable as adults, although the hunting breeds (including terriers) may be a bit more difficult. It just takes awhile, longer for some than others, to learn that the chickens must be at least tolerated and not viewed as something to chase and kill.

P.S. I also have had chicken killers that "reformed."

 

[Jazzyno]

Wow, good information. I think I will build a picket fence around their area. My Black lab has killed a rabbit before. The chickens are safe in their own area but won't come out because of the dogs being able to go right up to their run. I guess sometimes fences do make good neighbors.

 

[jenni2142]

If the fence is chicken wire then they are not safe in their run. chicken wire is only good to keep chickens in, won't keep anything out. I use welded wire with wood posts and wooden top. Also if something scares them enough then they may fly over the fence so I recommend netting over the top. These are lessons I've learned the hard way, I wish I had had this site in the beginning.

 

[Jazzyno]

The run is completely enclosed with chicken wire. I was thinking of a fence to kepp the dogs at bay from the chicken run so the dogs can't go right up to the chicken wire.

 

[jenni2142]

Is your yard fenced? if not then you need to protect them from strays too, most dogs, coons, etc. can go right through chicken wire. I don't have dogs but my idiot neighbors do and I have had to adjust my run accordingly. I am not saying all dog owners are idiots, just the one who don't take at least minimal care of their animals.

 

[Jazzyno]

Our whole yard has a five foot horse fence around it and it keeps coyotes and everything out except rabbits. It does keep our dogs in unlike some of my neighbor dogs.

 

[speckledhen]

I agree about the chickenwire. Raccoons, dogs, coyote, fox can all chew through that in a heartbeat. I have field fence around about 2 acres of my property, plus inside that, the chicken pens made from 2x4" welded wire, backed by a combo of chickenwire and hardware cloth/wire. I still don't have faith that it will keep out a determined dog who has enough time to dig under (even with dig barriers) or, as I've seen some do, climb over. And the fences go up to seven feet high in some places.

And most dogs can never be trusted around chickens 24/7. The ones with high prey drive will often break training if the temptation is just too much for them. Mine never had access to the birds and when my sweet old dog is gone, no more dogs unless it's a Livestock Guardian Dog trained to protect.