Outside Roosts Dog Proof

[Lovemylilcluckers]

We have had the same (shepherd) dog jump our fence twice in the last two months taking out 25 chickens. He is very determined! We have now raised the fence to 6-8 feet in most areas but I’m hoping to put a roost out in our fully fenced pasture. Any suggestions and pictures yard roosts that are helpful for chickens to get up high and get away from dogs?

Dogs owner and Animal Control are being little to no help with the situation. Owners=denying it. Animal control=just giving owners warnings.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

A roost in a pasture with no coop? They need protection from alot more than just a dog. Granted the dog should not be entering your property but what will protect them from Owls, Racoons, Coyotes? I see you're in my part of the country and the predator list over there goes on and on. You could electric fence the dog out and it could help with non flying predators.... I think chickens will be happy to get up in a tree with low branches, especially to stay dry(ish.) There really is no such thing as a "yard roost," but you can build one. I'd take poles and build an arbor. But as you can tell I wouldn't consider myself done until I also built an actual coop to protect them. Hope you don't lose anymore.

 

[Lovemylilcluckers]

A roost in a pasture with no coop? They need protection from alot more than just a dog. Granted the dog should not be entering your property but what will protect them from Owls, Racoons, Coyotes? I see you're in my part of the country and the predator list over there goes on and on. You could electric fence the dog out and it could help with non flying predators.... I think chickens will be happy to get up in a tree with low branches, especially to stay dry(ish.) There really is no such thing as a "yard roost," but you can build one. I'd take poles and build an arbor. But as you can tell I wouldn't consider myself done until I also built an actual coop to protect them. Hope you don't lose anymore.

We have a coop, but they have a 1/3 acre fenced pasture with 6 foot fence. We have lost a few to owls and raccoons but not very many.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

So they don't go into the coop to roost at night? I have a fenced acre and all of Mt. Hood Nat'l forest that mine free range during the day, but they always come back to the coop to roost at sunset and I lock them in. Are you saying the pasture is separate from the coop so that can't get back to it? If so, maybe that's what to solve for..... Do you have pictures so we can brainstorm on a solution ?

 

[Lovemylilcluckers]

So they don't go into the coop to roost at night? I have a fenced acre and all of Mt. Hood Nat'l forest that mine free range during the day, but they always come back to the coop to roost at sunset and I lock them in. Are you saying the pasture is separate from the coop so that can't get back to it? If so, maybe that's what to solve for..... Do you have pictures so we can brainstorm on a solution ?

They do go into the coop to roost at night. I’m looking for a solution (a pasture roost?) for during the day if the dog jumps the fence that the chickens have a way to get UP away from the dog. I’ve thought about using an orchard ladder and building cross supports like this to have in the pasture? But not sure if there was a better idea?

 

[Penpal]

All of the roosts would have to be higher than the dog can jump. Any roosts lower than that and he will use the lower roosts as a ladder up to the high one.

I can't believe what bad neighbors you have.

 

[NatJ]

They do go into the coop to roost at night. I’m looking for a solution (a pasture roost?) for during the day if the dog jumps the fence that the chickens have a way to get UP away from the dog. I’ve thought about using an orchard ladder and building cross supports like this to have in the pasture? But not sure if there was a better idea? View attachment 3754451

An alternative might be to put a few tall posts in the ground, and attach boards or branches between the posts? I don't know how high it would need to be, to keep the dog from reaching them when it jumps.

Depending on the size of the dog, maybe make some hideouts with chicken-sized entrances, so the chickens can run in and the dog cannot? I'm visualizing something like a 3-sided shed with the front covered in large-hole wire mesh that chickens can go through but a dog cannot (maybe a cattle panel for the wire mesh?) But it would depend on the respective sizes of the dog and the chickens, and might not be possible if the chickens are big and the dog is good at squeezing through things.

Have you considered (or already tried) adding electric fence to the outside of your existing fence? That could probably stop a dog that climbs the fence or digs under, but would probably not help if the dog just takes a giant leap and goes over (because a dog in the air would not get shocked, just like when birds sit safely on power lines without getting shocked because they have no contact with the ground.)

Dogs owner and Animal Control are being little to no help with the situation. Owners=denying it. Animal control=just giving owners warnings.

Many states do have laws that allow you to kill a dog if it is chasing or killing your livestock. So that might be one option I am not really in favor of killing dogs if a better choice exists, but there are times when nothing else will work to stop it kiling the chickens. (I do not know what other options may work or not work in your case.)

Or something like a live trap might work to catch the dog. I don't think a dog would go into a trap while it could be having fun chasing chickens, but it might go into a trap if it came during the night, when all the chickens are safely locked up. Or it might go into a trap that is sitting outside the fence, if the fence is now tall enough to make the dog stop and think. Depending on the rules in your area, you might be allowed to kill a trapped dog, or you might be able to give it to Animal Control (if the owners need to go fetch their dog back, especially if they must pay a fee, they might think twice about letting it run loose again. That works on some owners but not all owners.)

 

[SandyRiverChick]

They do go into the coop to roost at night. I’m looking for a solution (a pasture roost?) for during the day if the dog jumps the fence that the chickens have a way to get UP away from the dog. I’ve thought about using an orchard ladder and building cross supports like this to have in the pasture? But not sure if there was a better idea? View attachment 3754451

OH, whew, okay.... Well this is just an idea visual. I built this terrible looking arbor initially for roses. Then I took it down and gave it to the chickens.... Just an idea.... They need a way to get up that high.... A determined Shepard is going to be very tall....

 

[McChooky]

If you'd asked this question before I witnessed a dog chasing a chicken on top of a house I might agree.If the county refuses to help you have no choice but to trap or shoot this dog to save your chickens.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

If the Shepard is big/tall like my Leonbergers (they look like big furry Shepards,) there is no "day roost" like the one I sent and the one you posted that will work. House roof would work, but electric fence is what I'd do. It's easy and effective. I always used electric fencing in Alaska to keep Bear and Moose out of my fence. The whole "shooting the dog" idea is something I personally would never do. Can you get a photo of the dog if it's trying to get over the fence and bring that to the owners? I would certainly mention the idea of shooting it to the owner's instead of doing it and then seeing how they react. Might be just me but a war with neighbors is the worst way to live. I'd rather move. Maybe consider keeping them in a predator proof run for a bit while bringing up leash laws to the neighbors. Hope you don't continue to lose so many, that's a huge loss.....