What to do? Chickens afraid of dog flight to neighbors garden

[21hens-incharge]

I know it is not what you would like to do but it really is safer for them.

Hawks are my most common predator.

Protecting them can be a challenge to balance with free ranging when any predator is around.

 

[abpatchy]

I understand what you are trying to say... yes, it's only a dog. But your chickens take off and leave your property. And that isn't safe for them. They might not figure out how to get back.. sleep in a tree with ferrets and foxes roaming around. Just because you don't see them doesn't mean they are not there! They might go far enough to where neighbors might not know who those chickens belong to to contact you.
I would protect them until they have gotten used to the dog.

 

[chickens really]

Clip the chickens wings..

 

[BDutch]

I know it is not what you would like to do but it really is safer for them.

Hawks are my most common predator.

Protecting them can be a challenge to balance with free ranging when any predator is around.

Yes. In the run they are at ease and feel safe now. Today the chickens wouldn't even come out of the run. Rather be safe then sorry I suppose.

When I returned chicken Ini to her home last Sunday she was telling in an exited way about her adventure to the other chickens. The other chickens gathered around her, listened and alk made the same soft tokkeling noises. I wonder what Ini ’told’ and what the other hens grasped.

I do not fear hawks here very much. Maybe someday one comes to get a chicken. But until now I only saw smaller prey birds here.

I do fear foxes. Twice I have seen one in the middle of the day in our garden. And many years ago a fox killed two of our rabbits, That's why I don't let the chickens free range without anyone being in or around the house.

Other predators known to kill adult chickens in daytime do not come here as far as I know.

Anyway ...At the moment the chickens are too frightened to step out of the run. Last time the chickens got scared it took about a week before they where happy to go out for a free range.

 

[BDutch]

I understand what you are trying to say... yes, it's only a dog. But your chickens take off and leave your property. And that isn't safe for them. They might not figure out how to get back.. sleep in a tree with ferrets and foxes roaming around. Just because you don't see them doesn't mean they are not there! They might go far enough to where neighbors might not know who those chickens belong to to contact you.
I would protect them until they have gotten used to the dog.

Yes, that is exactly what happened. Ini didn't know how to come home again. Thanks to the whatssapp group of the neighborhood I new where she was and could pick her up the next day.

Probably the whole street knows now that we have small chickens. So I am not so concerned about neighbors not knowing who to contact.

The other time the hens came back by themselves. But I was worried that time and now again about their safety.

At the same time I do know my chickens hide well. I had problems with lost chickens before. Some of them like to sleep in a apricot tree, a pear tree or the hedera from time to time. Always near the run. With a good search I usually could find them. But just because I know their favorite spots.
Until now I /the chickens where lucky. But I rather not make a habit of it to let them sleep out in the ’open’.

Keepin them locked up is the wise thing to do of course. But secretly I'm still thinking on how to achieve that they fly up or run if they spot a dog, but do not panic and do not flee to other gardens. Maybe they get used to it of learn the neighborhood after panicking more often.

 

[BDutch]

Clip the chickens wings..

Thanks for the idea. Hope you aren’t offended ... But I shall not do this.
In my opinion it is not nice for the chickens to clip the wings and the chickens have a better chance to get away from predators if they can fly a bit.

 

[chickens really]

Thanks for the idea. Hope you aren’t offended ... But I shall not do this.
In my opinion it is not nice for the chickens to clip the wings and the chickens have a better chance to get away from predators if they can fly a bit.

I understand. Although if they fly into the predators yard it's not cool either..

 

[BDutch]

The neighbors don't keep chicken predators. Only cats, More cats, a mini-pig on a leach, a fluffy dog and a kind of beard iguanas in a herbarium.

 

[chickens really]

The neighbors don't keep chicken predators. Only cats, More cats, a mini-pig on a leach, a fluffy dog and a kind of beard iguanas in a herbarium.

Correct me if I'm wrong...
I thought the Chickens have been all over in two yards over and they are scared of the dog next door?

 

[BDutch]

Let me explain:
On the east side of our garden the neighbours have a dog. In the west side of our garden we have a chicken coop and run. On the west side we have 2 neighbours because the street makes a strange turn. Nr 112 (large connection) and 110 (small connection).
Further east there are more neighbours. Our hen Ini was spotted in garden nr 106 on Sunday. Next morning she was spotted in garden nr 108.