What's the best dog for protecting the flock?

[mergmet]

I agree with hcammack about preditors from the sky. We have a lot of hawks and when they fly over the chickens all run for cover, the guineas will just stand there in plain sight and scream "come-GET-me, come-GET-me" I have lost only a couple of chickens to hawks overall but probably more than 1/2 of the guineas I would let free range until I started penning them with the juvenile chicks. It seems that young chicks and guineas who think they are chickens will copy the older birds more.

Its amazing though, I have seen my 5 oldest guineas advance on a red fox and chase him away. I have also been standing right beside the coop in plain view of the hawk while he went after my guineas. The hawks are definitely more aggressive when they have young in the nest, so this spring I won't be allowing any young birds to free range unless at least I can stay outside with them.

Margaret

 

[McGoo]

So do you think a large guardian dog would keep the hawks away? That's kinda what I'm thinking. I have been looking on petfinder and there are quite a few young Anatolian's available.

 

[hcammack]

a good roo is the answer and sounds like you have one a big dog couldent hurt either just giving my opinion mine get alot of space in a thrown toghether movable pen so they have enough fresh grass cause they live in a chicken tractor also. Ravens dont atack chickens and also keep the hawks away when they are around and we have some living next door witch is nice.

Good luck Henry

 

[McGoo]

Yes, my Roo is good and spends a good deal of the day keeping a lookout for the gals. I'm not in a hurry to get another dog, but when my olde aussie does pass on, I will definitely consider one of the guardian dogs.

So hcammack, when you say that you have Raven's living next door - are they wild or caged? We have quite a few crows around here and they do annoy the hawks. I also don't think that the Red tails will attack the chickens - I believe it's the Cooper's hawk who swoops down in surprise; they're like a big sharp-shin as they weave through the woods. The Red-tails make a loud cry letting the chooks know that they are around and also tend to be opportunists less likely to kills the chooks.

 

[FlightsofFancy]

I have 3 very protective dogs! A protection trained Boxer, A German Shephard, and a Chihuahua (the man eater LOL!). I even have a boarding kennel with dogs in and out ALL the time. The Hawks are smart enough to catch the dogs off peeing or eating or just getting a pat on the head. I even have a bunch of wild doves that live on my property and the Hawks prefere chicken. I have had to resort to shooting off fireworks at the darn Hawks. They are too smart! I hate to discourage you but my experience has not been good. Just go in with eyes open. Good luck!!

 

[FlightsofFancy]

OH!! PS: I have heard that goats are great protectors for a flock. I have two coming in 3 weeks!

 

[allenacres]

Some good suggestions and I will just add what we do and what has worked for us.

We have hawks and coyotes. We have a GS cross we got from the pound when he was 4 months old, he is now almost 3. We trained him to guard the property, animals and me. He does it very well. When he was a pup we trained him not to chase the chickens. Now he doesn't even show them any interest and every time he is out of the house and in/around the pasture he is looking for coyotes (and deer). If I see the hawk hanging around, I will put the dog in the pasture with the chickens.
I have found the hawk activity to increase when there isn't much activity around the chickens, like people, dogs, horses, etc. The chickens are free range in a no climb 1 acre pasture with many things to run under and into. We also have an awesome rooster that alerts the girls, and they do run when he says run.

So I would say there are multiple things to do here; activity around the chickens, things they can run under, a protective rooster, and proper training for the right dog. As you can see in the photo, our GS cross Bo, is a mutt.
We also have a malamute pup, and that breed has a strong prey drive. We got her from a rep. breeder as we wanted a pup we could train to not kill the chickens, and our cats. Its working, but I don't temp the pup. The malamute is not left alone with the chickens, the GS cross is and he just guards.

We have only lost one chicken to a coyote, she went out of the pasture (I told her she was gonna get eaten), and we recently lost one to a hawk. Since its winter there is little or no activity outside, thus the score by Mister Hawk. This is all in about a 2 year period.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
I have one who is!!!! I have a pound pup, purebred Lab that I got when she was 2 years old...someone had abandoned her on a farm. She will bark at and chase crows, or other large birds who enter, or try to enter, the yard space. I have never had a chicken taken from above with her on guard and I live in the middle of hawk central station! I had one red-tailed hawk that accidentally dropped a rabbit while flying over...it was still alive but paralyzed. The other lab/BC cross pup won't even let songbirds light....he is so fast he catches them! That doesn't please me, but he IS doing his job...protecting his girls from all "dangerous" animals. They are both restrained by electric impulse fencing but he has a large racoon, a groundhog, a river rat, numerous moles and a couple of birds, consumed whole, to his credit. The chickens? They run the dogs out of their summer cool-off holes and dust themselves in them. They rule! ,

 

[BaronRenfrew]

The good news is that any dog will keep some predators away (fox) as the dog hair and urine in the yard will leave a scent. (when your husband takes a leak send him out around the bird yard - human smell scares many animals

Cut hair as in from a hair dresser also would work.

After raccoons massacred my birds many years ago (they killed 25 in one night) I did 3 things 1. locked them in at night 2. tied up one dog to the coop and left one loose at night 3. I did the walk as described above

Haven't lost a bird in years.

Some hunting animals will tag team to lure a dog away from your yard. We had a dog tied to the coop and he started howling one night... we went out and let the dog loose and the dog ran East (after something) we walked west and found a raccoon scrambling up the barn away from us.

Bouvier des Flandres (sheepdog) is a good protection dog not named yet.

I do suggest get a puppie and raise him/her around your birds rather than getting an adult dog who is unfamiliar with animals. The puppie will chase the birds (out of boredom and the excitement) and you must scold the pup or keep dog in kennel until you are home to supervise during the puppy stage. Reward good behaviour and scold bad behaviour.

Even natural hunting dogs (beagle) will behave as you want when trained. They all have a brain and a nose.

Go to the library and get a book or two on dog training. It's worth it.

 

[McGoo]

Thanks for the advice. I have been researching different dogs which are bred to protect the chickens and agree that whatever the dog, whether mutt or pure bred, I will need to spend the time upfront to train them so that they know what's expected of them... or better said, what their job is.