Official BYC POLL: Chicken Keeping - Easier, same or harder than dogs/cats?

[Lady of McCamley]

I voted that dogs are harder than chickens, and chickens are easier than cats...or almost the same as cats.

It really depends on what type of lifestyle you lead, though.

When I grew up in rural/farm country, dogs and cats simply hung about with little training or care. We fed them, but they (the cats) worked at keeping rats down. Dogs chased off varmints, sometimes getting a snack that way too.

You kept an eye on all livestock, daily, and tended needs as needed, but it was all pretty equal. You just had to make sure no one wandered off or disturbed the neighbors.

Living now in suburbia with indoor cats and dogs, I can say that dogs take waaayyyy more training and attention.

You have to walk them, potty train them, and give them daily attention rather than just feeding. Regular reinforcement is needed to make sure their people and chicken manners are superlative, and that they don't gain any bad habits (especially since I work at home and need properly behaving dogs greeting my clients). My reward? Children who love to come to my lessons, and a Rat Terrier that is fine with the chickens yet has 14 rat kills this summer. (Go Dobby!)

Then there was our Guide Dog projects. That's another world all together. Our Guide Dog puppy raising projects were intensive, to put it mildly. It is like bringing home an infant from the hospital, then over the course of a year bringing it to the level of a 6 year old. They are with you 24x7. You have to watch every behavior to be constantly reinforcing through positive means all behaviors that will be complimentary to a guide for the blind. (ie the dog can never pick up anything off the floor, never jump up on people, never whine or bark). It is all done with much love and care, and gentle reinforcements, but it takes 24 hours a day every day to reinforce that. It is exhausting.

My cats are better. They pretty much rule the home with a royal air. I just have to make sure their cat box is clean and food bowl filled. They ignore me or not at their will. Generally seeking attention in the middle of the student lesson (which the kids love).

My chickens? They hang outside, put themselves to bed, even find food for themselves. I just have to check daily on food and water to make sure they are okay after foraging. Seasonal treatments if needed. Bi-weekly coop cleaning. Seasonal run care. Overall, they simply reshape my landscape all day long and leave me food for breakfast in the coop.

So chickens are the easiest, close to cats. Dogs...love them...but they are a lot of work especially if you are into any specialty training.

LofMc

 

[MagpieDucks]

I voted that chickens are harder than dogs but easier than cats.

It really depends on what type of lifestyle you lead, though.

When I grew up in rural/farm country, dogs and cats simply hung about with little training or care. We fed them, but they (the cats) worked at keeping rats down. Dogs chased off varmints, sometimes getting a snack that way too.

You kept an eye on all livestock, daily, and tended needs as needed, but it was all pretty equal. You just had to make sure no one wandered off or disturbed the neighbors.

Living now in suburbia with indoor cats and dogs, I can say that dogs take waaayyyy more training and attention.

You have to walk them, potty train them, and give them daily attention rather than just feeding. Regular reinforcement is needed to make sure their people and chicken manners are superlative, and that they don't gain any bad habits (especially since I work at home and need properly behaving dogs greeting my clients). My reward? Children who love to come to my lessons, and a Rat Terrier that is fine with the chickens yet has 14 rat kills this summer. (Go Dobby!)

Then there was our Guide Dog projects. That's another world all together. Our Guide Dog puppy raising projects were intensive, to put it mildly. It is like bringing home an infant from the hospital, then over the course of a year bringing it to the level of a 6 year old. They are with you 24x7. You have to watch every behavior to be constantly reinforcing through positive means all behaviors that will be complimentary to a guide for the blind. (ie the dog can never pick up anything off the floor, never jump up on people, never whine or bark). It is all done with much love and care, and gentle reinforcements, but it takes 24 hours a day every day to reinforce that. It is exhausting.

My cats are better. They pretty much rule the home with a royal air. I just have to make sure their cat box is clean and food bowl filled. They ignore me or not at their will. Generally seeking attention in the middle of the student lesson (which the kids love).

My chickens? They hang outside, put themselves to bed, even find food for themselves. I just have to check daily on food and water to make sure they are okay after foraging. Seasonal treatments if needed. Bi-weekly coop cleaning. Seasonal run care. Overall, they simply reshape my landscape all day long and leave me food for breakfast in the coop.

So chickens are the easiest, close to cats. Dogs...love them...but they are a lot of work especially if you are into any specialty training.

LofMc

@Lady of McCamley Your opening sentence, and you concluding sentence don't match up?

 

[I Love Layers]

All depends on your setup, time, number of birds, and where your dog or cats were.
Our dog lives in a dog house outside, brush her every other week, and feed her twice a day is the only car she needs. For my cats they are outside all day, come back in at night for food and to sleep. Go back outside in the morning. They don't have a litterbox either.

For my chickens I have a flock of around 60 layers. Feed 2 times a day, water 2 times a day(up to 5 in the summer depending on heat), collect eggs, clean, and in the winter everything takes longer you have to break ice, trudge through snow.
My show birds, which are LF cochins, take a lot of care. Feeding, cleaning cages, and handling them.

 

[MichelleT]

Harder than cats (full grown).
Easier than dogs.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

All depends on your setup, time, number of birds, and where your dog or cats were.
Our dog lives in a dog house outside, brush her every other week, and feed her twice a day is the only car she needs. For my cats they are outside all day, come back in at night for food and to sleep. Go back outside in the morning. They don't have a litterbox either.

For my chickens I have a flock of around 60 layers. Feed 2 times a day, water 2 times a day(up to 5 in the summer depending on heat), collect eggs, clean, and in the winter everything takes longer you have to break ice, trudge through snow.
My show birds, which are LF cochins, take a lot of care. Feeding, cleaning cages, and handling them.

LOL. No they don't....I'll change that.

Dogs are harder than chickens is what I meant to say....then cats, then chickens.

LofMc

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

Each animal has it's benefits and it's complications.

My dogs, cats and chickens need food and water daily.
They all need cleaned up after regularly. Daily is best but if it goes longer everyone would survive. (except maybe me who has to do the scooping)

My dogs and chickens great me when I get home.
My cats and chickens would rather I not snuggle them.
The dogs are more easily trained. The cats and chickens don't need it. (sometimes it would be nice if they would follow direction)

All have illness they can't tell us about and some we can and cannot fix.

I'd say it's all relative.

 

[I Love Layers]

LOL. No they don't....I'll change that.

Dogs are harder than chickens is what I meant to say....then cats, then chickens.

LofMc

I guess it depends on the breed of dog, where it is kept and where you live. Ours is 1/2 Great Pyreneese, 1/4 Australian Shepard, 1/4 Border Collie.
She needed minimal training, sit, stay, go home, and go get them, which was something she kinda just figured out, mainly when we move bulls. She lives outside, she hates it inside, she does whatever she wants in terms of where she goes ans when she goes there around our 800 acres. We play with her throw balls, wrestle, go out and check fence, but thats all during stuff I have to do regardless, lol.

 

[BantyChooks]

I guess it depends on the breed of dog, where it is kept and where you live. Ours is 1/2 Great Pyreneese, 1/4 Australian Shepard, 1/4 Border Collie.
She needed minimal training, sit, stay, go home, and go get them, which was something she kinda just figured out, mainly when we move bulls. She lives outside, she hates it inside, she does whatever she wants in terms of where she goes ans when she goes there around our 800 acres. We play with her throw balls, wrestle, go out and check fence, but thats all during stuff I have to do regardless, lol.

Absolutely. Mine is kept in a run/house because she would terrorize livestock otherwise. She needs those shots and vet checks that she otherwise might not because I foster dogs that often aren't in perfect health.

 

[black_dove2]

I can't vote....it would be like comparing apples to oranges to bananas.
With cats and dogs, it can depend on the individual animal.
At least dogs are trainable, don't think I'll ever let a cat live in my house again.
With chickens much can depend on how their housing is constructed,
it can be PITA difficult or easypeasy.
Any live animal requires daily care and/or attention/observation.
Being able to travel, even day trips, can be complicated depending on the animals involved and circumstances of the keepers.

Day trips or overnight take planning on my part. Just as much for the two hens as the dogs.

 

[I Love Layers]

Another instance how dogs and cats are easier then chickens.
We were gone for the last 36 hours, we put the cats outside, dog stays outside regardless. Someone had to put the chickens in last night and close the door, and come give the chickens water and let them out in the morning. Whereas the dog and cats didn't need anything while we were gone.