Please move if not in the right place-free range fence or fence in dog

[vkp23]

My husband and I have been debating which would be better. To fence in about half an acre of our property so our chickens and soon to be comming duck can "free range" around the property, or fence in the dog and just let the chickens have total free range. I better like the idea of fencing in a large portion of the property and letting them roam. That way they are better protected from preditors and the fence would be a deterant for the poultry from running a muck to the neghebors house's. My husband says that since the chickens could probly jump a 4 or 5 foot fence that it would make better seince to fence in the dog and just let the chickens roam. I tried to explain that I feel since the chickens would have food and what not right there they probly wouldn't care about jumping the fence all that much and the fence would keep them atleast a little safer and keep them out of the neghebors yards. In your opinions which do you think would be better. Leaving the dog out of the fenced in area for the chickens or fencing an area for the dog and just let the chickens go??
P.S. we live on three acres of mostly wodded property if that is of any relevance.

 

[toletiquesbysam]

Do you have a "run" for your chickens? Currently what is the situation at your house? Does the dog have free range of the property or does it have a "run" as well? My dog and chickens can not share the same space so when the chickens get to free range, the dog is in his run, and vice versa when the dog is out. I can trust the dog to stay on our acreage and we have no neighbors next to us so the chickens stay put as well.
Let us know a little more and maybe we can help better!!

 

[tackyrama]

It seems to me you are making TWO bad choices for your selves.

1. Chickens will roam up to around three hundred yards even if they have feed always available near the coop. Fencing them in may be the proper choice if you have close neighbors. Also depending on what type of chickens you have 4 or 5 foot may be easy for them to fly over. My meaties don't or won't go over a 2 foot fence.


2. If you have close neighbors your dog SHOULD be fenced or otherwise restrained. That being said dogs can be trained to leave the chickens alone. Mostly what that takes is time AND patients. If you won't take the time to train your dog then you shouldn't have him.

 

[cybercat]

The only way to keep poultry in is too have a fully enclosed run. Any fence that is open is asking for some type of problem either from the air(hawks) or other animals. Do you have neibor dogs running loose if so you have to have an enclosed pen. Fencing will not work.

BTW to fence in that much land with some thing that will keep dogs out and chickens in will be very expensive. It also will not stop racoons or hawks. We had a 6 foot wood privacy fence many years ago when I live in FL. We got all sorts of critters in the yard from coons and possom to stray chickens to the large dog that jumped and digged under not to mention my cats and my neibors cats always visiting each other over the fence.

 

[Beekissed]

I say a good perimeter fence for the chickens, trim a wing on each bird and buy a wireless invisible fencing for your dog so that your chickens can roam into his area but can run away and not be chased, if he is inclined to do so.

Personally, I use this system but have trained the dog to be a LGD for my chickens. This keeps my chickens in my yard, my dogs in my yard (with 2 fencing systems, should one fail) and keeps the predators OUT. I haven't lost any birds to predators these many years.....except a few chicks to a black snake.

I'm happy, my neighbors are happy, my dogs are happy, my chickens are happy. The predators? Who cares? I never see one!

 

[vkp23]

Quote:
Our dog IS NOT roaming free to bug neighbors! She is on a 50 foot chain so she has a 100 foot diameter for her to run in. When we do let her off the chain to run we are right there to keep her under control. She has proven herself to be untrainable when it comes to the chickens and I don't apreciate being approached as a person who is a bad pet owner. The reason for wanting to fence her was the fact that should a chicken come into her area she wouldn't hesitate to eat it and she is much quicker than the chickens. Other wise we would just include her area in with the fencing for add protection for the chickens but she would more likely eat one should it get close enough. I like the idea of clipping the feathers to keep them from flying away, and we got a rotwiler mix puppy this past week and and have sarted her now on leaving the chickens alone so that when she grows up she will know better than to eat them but will attack any thing else that tries to get to the chickens. Not to mention that we have talked about continuing to use the 12X12 coop we are using now to heard them in at night. it's just 12X12 is too small for our 31 growing chicks. Sango (our two year old boxter pit mix is too hyper at this current time to settle her down for training. We have tried everything. Cesar millan's ticks with running her ragged then work on traing does not work with her. The boxer in her keeps her hyped up and she has endless energy. We ever tried almost a full day of running to burn her energy off with no luck. My husband likes the idea of fenceing an area for the chickens away from Sango's area and clipping the wings of the chickens to keep them from flying out. We, like I said are training the new puppy so the chickens will have some protection and in the spring we are looking into geese because we have been told they make good "watch dogs" as well.

 

[tackyrama]

Quote:
You asked for our opinions and I gave mine so don't get so riled if mine doesn't meet your expectations. I really think you are creating an unworkable situation.

 

[geosheets]

I say 2 fences. One for the chickens and keep their wings clipped. Then add another all the way around the chicken area for the dog... it could even be an electric fence. It will keep predators out and if they do happen to get in, the dog will have his way with them. Your dog would be much happier not having to drag a 50 foot chain around. I know I would be happier not having to drag around the chain my wife has me on...

 

[cmom]

I have my birds fenced in. A neighborhood dog did kill one of my hens. I know have electric wire around their coop, run and yard. I live in the country and do not have any close neighbors but down the road a neighbor let her chickens have the run of her property and a coyote got every one of them. It's a personal choice.

 

[Big C]

You'll have to judge for yourselves, but...
We have large runs up to 200 by 50 depending on the size of the flock(s). Would really never let ours "free range" due to predators ranging from dogs, humans, coons, etc...