New to this site!

[5poults]

Hello I have 5 poults, I never raised chickens before. I have two shepherds that love to chase them if they're out. They haven't hurt any bit I'm worried that it will heppen. Any suggestions besides just keeping them separate which I'm doing as much as possible?

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. Sadly, keeping them separate is by far your best option. Dogs and chickens typically don't mix well. We get lots of posts from horrified new members whose seemingly benign dog suddenly and unexpectedly starting chasing and killing their chickens. And once a dog has chased and killed a chicken, it's virtually impossible to break them from doing it again. Unfortunately dogs seem to naturally view chickens as either chew toys or as prey. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your chickens and dogs.

 

[drumstick diva]

I agree with Michael wholeheartedly. Given their size, your dogs could even accidently trample them. When chickens panic they are even more attractive to dogs who want to catch them. I like to tell folks dogs + chickens usually = dead chickens. You never hear of a chicken killing a dog. Chickens kept in a secure, covered run are happier than those running loose with predators snapping at their tails or swooping down from the skies.

 

[Cynthia12]

I guess I'm lucky. I have three dogs..for yrs. now around my chickens. Never have had one kill a chicken. Two small dogs and a Golden R. I have a friend that has a Mastiff and a small dog. Guess which one killed a chicken..the small one. If your dog is chasing, best guess is, it can eventually happen if you don't have the chickens in a nice run that the dog can't get into. None of mine chase, in fact, the chickens go after my scared little Dachshund.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!