Questions on our chicken run & a hunting dog

[pharmchickrnmom]

If you cant dig down to put fencing in to prevent digging, I would suggest putting an apron around the bottom of the fence. I would suggest hardware wire as chicken wire only keeps chickens in. The apron should extend 2-3 feet out and you could weight it down with large rocks. Dogs dont like wire under their paws when digging.

I , too, have a lab and he has appointed himself keeper of the chickens when they are out freeranging. However, I would never leave him out there alone with them because he is a dog/predator. The most important thing with your dog is training. I taught my dog the leave it command early on and it has saved him more than once from trouble. I also allowed him to see, smell and be with my chickens since they were chicks. Any fixation or excitement was immediately corrected with a verbal command and/or a down command until he relaxed and submitted. My chickens now walk under, over and around him and he ignores them, even when he is eating a treat and they are trying to steal it from him. Your pup should be introduced to the chickens when you bring them home. Allow her to see them, smell them, watch them as they are moving around. Correct her when she fixates on them or gets too excited. A little training goes a long way towards a peaceful coexistance. Good luck!

 

[jacoblipford]

I have coondogs 5 to be exact and they all wanted the chickens at one point and time just put a shock collar on em and let em be around em when they start to chase em or bark at em i just shock em now at night when the chickens are in the coop and im gone hunting i have a cull i just leave in the run she kills coons and possums had a fox get in one time that was a fight but not one chicken hurt you have labs so yours would be alot easier to teach no

 

[ThoughtsofTHATmom]

Thank you! We'll definitely do the "apron" you're describing. That definitely sounds do-able in our soil/rocks!

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