CastleRockFarm
In the Brooder
- Apr 16, 2020
- 3
- 11
- 11
Hello All! I’ve recently seen some posts regarding dogs killing chickens, and asking which dogs make the best flock protectors. Here is my offering of rambling thoughts and stories.... Shared with the hope that every flock loving family
Vintage
A dear friend and 70yo long time chicken lady gave me the following thoughts which seem to ring true and helpful for us on the farm:
Farm dogs are trial and error, but it’s always best to choose a breed of dog that doesn’t have high prey drive, and is meant for work. Herding breeds are excellent flock keepers. Watching how your dog interacts with poultry is key, if they ever show an interest in killing (not play), they will most likely always have this instinct. An accidental kill can be trained out by attaching the dead chicken to the dog or the dogs crate, for several days, as a constant reminder of what it has done. She absolutely swore by this, admitted it to be gross and sad if the victim was a beloved hen.
She was also clear in saying that sometimes you have to decide what your priorities are, and remember that it is always a possibility that your dog can be legally shot by another farmer if your dog is chasing their animals or killing their chickens. We are in NC btw. She also swears by “Bitches and Toms”
Stating that the female instinct to protect their pack is stronger, especially with young animals, and that male cats are far better at being territorial, keeping other small predators away from your flock.
Take what you will from this, I know some of it is old school advice.
Thankfully we haven’t had to tie any dead poultry to our dogs. I must fully admit though, I wouldn’t think twice about shooting a strange dog in our barnyard. We lost 5 chickens to a dog that wandered thru the woods from a neighbors house, they were dog watching, and didn’t know the dog wasn’t poultry friendly. It was the one day I took our Aussie with me to our near by land, we were gone several hours. Our flock free ranges during the day. She is now 13, and introduced to farm life when she was 6, her previous job was the guardian of our daughter and every child in our suburban cul-de-sac. Watching her transition into a farm dog was nothing shy of incredible. She instinctively knew what her job was, with chickens, sheep, goats, horses, cows and the donkey. I consider our experience with her to be an anomaly, fully aware that most dogs require proper training. She has also never been hungry a day in her life.
A learning experience for our newest dog:
We got a mixed breed 6mo old pup last year, (pit and hunting hound). So far she has been good, the initial interest she took in the chickens, mainly the fun of running and ruffling up the flock, was fixed by a broody mama with 12 new chicks in toe. I watched her chase our curious puppy around the farm, jumping on her back with her talons aimed for pain. Puppy trying her best to get away. She ended up running to the porch, cowering and shivering while the mama hen scolded her in a corner. I allowed it, no one was being hurt. Eventually the hen retreated back to her chicks, who were huddled around the feet of our Aussie. Puppy wouldn’t go near any of the chickens for months, and still avoids mamas and chicks like the plague.
We also have been diligent with her training, knowing that she has a prey drive. For us, this meant asking her to submit to a flat laying position, (head flat on the ground, legs out), and while one of us was ready to hold her if necessary, the other held one of our sweet hens on her, letting the hen walk on puppys body. We usually did this part at roost time, and note that our flock is very tame, most enjoy being picked up. This was VERY helpful in asserting that our flock is part of her pack, along with having our Aussie from which to model her behavior.
Since then, she has become a more aggressive protector than our Aussie, chasing predators into the woods, treeing raccoons, and most recently being obsessed with pile of brush near the barnyard. We assumed she flushed whatever was in there, having also alerted the Aussie, but unfortunately brought us a freshly killed chicken. The chicken had been stripped of all meat on its neck, most likely having been killed by a mink. We were gardening and puppy cane running with the bird and dropped it at our feet, sat down and looked away, feeling ashamed that she didn’t do her job. Though we assured her she had. The brush pile has since been burned. We will soon be adding a 10mo old Vizsla to our ever growing pack. He is 70lbs, coming from an elderly woman who isnt able to meet his energetic needs. This would be our second Vizsla boy on the farm, the other, our beloved Aries, passed away from cancer last year. Aries was a one of a kind dog, raised by my partner from 6 weeks on. I imagine our experience with the new boy may be different, so I’ll update as we go.
Best wishes to all for a happy, healthy Family and flock.
Vintage
A dear friend and 70yo long time chicken lady gave me the following thoughts which seem to ring true and helpful for us on the farm:
Farm dogs are trial and error, but it’s always best to choose a breed of dog that doesn’t have high prey drive, and is meant for work. Herding breeds are excellent flock keepers. Watching how your dog interacts with poultry is key, if they ever show an interest in killing (not play), they will most likely always have this instinct. An accidental kill can be trained out by attaching the dead chicken to the dog or the dogs crate, for several days, as a constant reminder of what it has done. She absolutely swore by this, admitted it to be gross and sad if the victim was a beloved hen.
She was also clear in saying that sometimes you have to decide what your priorities are, and remember that it is always a possibility that your dog can be legally shot by another farmer if your dog is chasing their animals or killing their chickens. We are in NC btw. She also swears by “Bitches and Toms”
Stating that the female instinct to protect their pack is stronger, especially with young animals, and that male cats are far better at being territorial, keeping other small predators away from your flock.
Take what you will from this, I know some of it is old school advice.
Thankfully we haven’t had to tie any dead poultry to our dogs. I must fully admit though, I wouldn’t think twice about shooting a strange dog in our barnyard. We lost 5 chickens to a dog that wandered thru the woods from a neighbors house, they were dog watching, and didn’t know the dog wasn’t poultry friendly. It was the one day I took our Aussie with me to our near by land, we were gone several hours. Our flock free ranges during the day. She is now 13, and introduced to farm life when she was 6, her previous job was the guardian of our daughter and every child in our suburban cul-de-sac. Watching her transition into a farm dog was nothing shy of incredible. She instinctively knew what her job was, with chickens, sheep, goats, horses, cows and the donkey. I consider our experience with her to be an anomaly, fully aware that most dogs require proper training. She has also never been hungry a day in her life.
A learning experience for our newest dog:
We got a mixed breed 6mo old pup last year, (pit and hunting hound). So far she has been good, the initial interest she took in the chickens, mainly the fun of running and ruffling up the flock, was fixed by a broody mama with 12 new chicks in toe. I watched her chase our curious puppy around the farm, jumping on her back with her talons aimed for pain. Puppy trying her best to get away. She ended up running to the porch, cowering and shivering while the mama hen scolded her in a corner. I allowed it, no one was being hurt. Eventually the hen retreated back to her chicks, who were huddled around the feet of our Aussie. Puppy wouldn’t go near any of the chickens for months, and still avoids mamas and chicks like the plague.
We also have been diligent with her training, knowing that she has a prey drive. For us, this meant asking her to submit to a flat laying position, (head flat on the ground, legs out), and while one of us was ready to hold her if necessary, the other held one of our sweet hens on her, letting the hen walk on puppys body. We usually did this part at roost time, and note that our flock is very tame, most enjoy being picked up. This was VERY helpful in asserting that our flock is part of her pack, along with having our Aussie from which to model her behavior.
Since then, she has become a more aggressive protector than our Aussie, chasing predators into the woods, treeing raccoons, and most recently being obsessed with pile of brush near the barnyard. We assumed she flushed whatever was in there, having also alerted the Aussie, but unfortunately brought us a freshly killed chicken. The chicken had been stripped of all meat on its neck, most likely having been killed by a mink. We were gardening and puppy cane running with the bird and dropped it at our feet, sat down and looked away, feeling ashamed that she didn’t do her job. Though we assured her she had. The brush pile has since been burned. We will soon be adding a 10mo old Vizsla to our ever growing pack. He is 70lbs, coming from an elderly woman who isnt able to meet his energetic needs. This would be our second Vizsla boy on the farm, the other, our beloved Aries, passed away from cancer last year. Aries was a one of a kind dog, raised by my partner from 6 weeks on. I imagine our experience with the new boy may be different, so I’ll update as we go.
Best wishes to all for a happy, healthy Family and flock.
