roosters and dogs

[HighNDryFarm]

I have a lab and a cocker spaniel that I bred with a heavy hunting bloodline and they have been taught that the chickens are off limits. Every time I get a new chicken they are on point thinking these might be fair game and I tell them no, and they learn to just hang out with them. The new chicks peck at them, walk over them and the rooster crows away and the dogs yawn.

Does your town have a dog obedience class you can take your dogs to so they will learn to mind you? They can be trained.

 

[Chickenrandomness]

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not my town. i live in a small town that is 55 miles away from a major city which is extremely flooded right now

i'm pretty sure there are dog obedience classes somewhere around the prarie though

 

[cafarmgirl]

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x2. With your dogs history this is the best and safest for all. Dogs kill chickens because they have a prey drive and chickens run and squawk and are fun to run down.

Training for the dog is fine but I'd never trust it with the chickens again. You can train a previous killer all you want and you may see improvement but it only takes a moment of relapse and the chickens suffer terribly for it. Safe, secure pens for both and/or a system of dog out/chicens penned, chickens out/dog penned is the simplest way.

 

[Chickenrandomness]

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x2. With your dogs history this is the best and safest for all. Dogs kill chickens because they have a prey drive and chickens run and squawk and are fun to run down.

Training for the dog is fine but I'd never trust it with the chickens again. You can train a previous killer all you want and you may see improvement but it only takes a moment of relapse and the chickens suffer terribly for it. Safe, secure pens for both and/or a system of dog out/chicens penned, chickens out/dog penned is the simplest way.

my mom and me have been teaching them not to go near the pen where Esther (our last chicken) is. my brother hates chickens and he encourages the dogs to scare Esteher to death by have the dogs walk around there

 

[prairiehen74369]

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x2. With your dogs history this is the best and safest for all. Dogs kill chickens because they have a prey drive and chickens run and squawk and are fun to run down.

Training for the dog is fine but I'd never trust it with the chickens again. You can train a previous killer all you want and you may see improvement but it only takes a moment of relapse and the chickens suffer terribly for it. Safe, secure pens for both and/or a system of dog out/chicens penned, chickens out/dog penned is the simplest way.

my mom and me have been teaching them not to go near the pen where Esther (our last chicken) is. my brother hates chickens and he encourages the dogs to scare Esteher to death by have the dogs walk around there

Too many issues here if your family isn't going to be supportive of your efforts to keep chickens do the poultry a favor and wait until your issues with your brother are resolved sounds like the dogs are just a part of why you are having problems having a few chickens.

 

[Chickenrandomness]

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my mom and me have been teaching them not to go near the pen where Esther (our last chicken) is. my brother hates chickens and he encourages the dogs to scare Esteher to death by have the dogs walk around there

Too many issues here if your family isn't going to be supportive of your efforts to keep chickens do the poultry a favor and wait until your issues with your brother are resolved sounds like the dogs are just a part of why you are having problems having a few chickens.

i know the dogs are a big issue with keeping chickens, i've told my mom we need a dog-run so free ranging is possible

on the bright side, my only hen is recovering from her wing injury and she is feeling much better, she laid her first egg in months! that means she not as stressful

 

[Chinchilla2]

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Hmm, I'd be tempted to let the dogs and chickens free range and put the brother in a pen. My neighbor has a peacock that would make a nice roomie for him

 

[Wildflower_VA]

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If you are serious about keeping chickens and are mature enough for the responsibility that goes with it, please have a calm talk with your Mom/parents about your brother encouraging the dogs to harm the chickens. Even the dogs scaring the hen outside the pen can cause death. The dogs are prey animals and are not in full control of their actions, but your brother is. He should not be allowed to cause harm to chickens or any other live animal--especially just because he 'hates' them. Teaching the dogs to bring harm to your chickens is behavior that needs immediate correction from his parents. This is behavior which needs nipped in the bud. I grew up with seven brothers and I know what a pain they can be at times, but their negative behavior should never, ever involve hurting or harassing a live animal of any kind. Even if you hunt live animals for sport, you don't torture them--you shoot to kill as humanely as possible. This is a life lesson your brother needs to learn.

 

[Ole rooster]

I agree with whats been said here. There are mind numbing issues to be solved. The brother needs to learn to control his pent up anger before it really gets serious. He may have a problem he can't control with sis and this attitude is his way of "getting control". When hurting or killing any animal is funny, more issues or involved than just the sport of watching dog and chickens.

I did have a German Shepard once that was a "one man dog". I raised calf's and had one that was just a bumbly pet. I would sit in the pasture and this 500 lbs steer would lay down beside me for me to scratch his head. Just a pet. The dog got jealous of the attention the calf was getting and one day while I was gone to work, he got one of the smaller calves down and just about chewed his leg off. I knew he did it with all the blood he had on him. I had to shoot the dog for the same blood reason. I had to shoot the calf too. An 85 dog is not something I want to have to get off of me. From that point forward I couldn't trust the dog at all.