Whats the best type of "Watch Dog" for your flock?

[Christina.Rich]

Hi Everyone,

I had a fox attack this past Sunday. Absolutely heartbreaking. I was out during the day with them as they were free ranging, and went inside for about 30 minutes around 6pm to do some laundry only to find that was just enough time for a fox or two to run rapid on my baby girls. Lost 8 of them... my yard still has feathers scattered everywhere. For those who have had this happen or something similar, I feel your pain. I wouldn't wish that experience on my worst enemy, seriously.

Unfortunately it was a VERY hard lesson learned, and going forward I now will be extra cautious. Also will be contacting a trapping company soon, it seems like there may be a den nearby and if they can get trapped in relocated, it might make me feel a little bit better.

I will be getting some more birds within the next few weeks to fill my heart again, but I am considering getting either a large rooster, or some guinea hens to help for the future. Does anyone have one or the other and has found that they have helped with keeping your flock more "safe"? I've done some research and have gotten mixed reviews on what helps or if they help.

Is it true that a rooster will do whatever they can to defend his girls?

Are guinea hens able to be housed with chickens? Are they helpful with alerting? Are they as annoying as everyone says they are? lol

If it were up to me I would get a legitimate watchdog, but unfortunately that's not an option for our household right now.

Any advice you can give me will help me a TON.

Thank you!

 

[RWise]

Guinea hens will make a lot of noise is all, POTRACK! We kept ours with the chickens, until they moved to the larger wild flock. The rooster accepted them too, and did his thing.
Some roosters will give their life (rare) others will try to hide the girls someplace safe (what my older guy does), another may only sound an alert.
For me it's not a fox (rare for an attack to be a wild animal) and the dogs/cats next door. I feel your pain, the cat got every single chick last year, there is no cat there now.

 

[ashlierami]

To bad you are unable to get an actual watchdog. A great Pyrenees would be the one. My big guy unfortunately died a few years back but he was fantastic. We used to have alot of coyotes that would come around at night and once he got old enough to defend our land we never had a coyote attack again. In my experience guineas just produce noise which would alert you to an issue but it won't send off anything. A good rooster is great but finding one that defends his girls that way is hard. I currently have one that fought for his favorite hen against an eagle that nests nearby. She was taken but he tried his best.

 

[Rein Quest]

I just did a quick google search and got this in regard to a dog.

https://m.wikihow.com/Train-a-Dog-to-Protect-Chickens?amp=1

 

[lazy gardener]

A roo will not keep your flock safe. He will watch for predators, and sound the alarm. My new roo is 1 year old. He sounds the alarm. When hawks are circling, he will call his girls, and stand guard in the middle of the lawn while the girls go for cover. He had a go round with my dog last week. She will not bother chickens unless they are squaking and flapping. So, I'm glad to see the roo having a heart to heart with the dog.

A roo is just as defenseless as the hens after dark.

I do think my dog's presence acts as a bit of a hawk deterrent. I also fling her poo into the woods/underbrush around my property line.

As for getting a LGD, unless you have lots of time to invest in properly training the dog, you may end up with more problems than you solve by getting the dog.

 

[The Moonshiner]

I've had to deal with foxes. No fun.
IMO roosters are about worthless in this situation.
Rooster do like their hens alive but prefer themselves alive when it comes down to it.
Some roosters will put up a slight bluff maybe to give the hens a head start but I've never had one that wouldn't also run before getting eaten. Never seen one even attempt to fight anything that size. I've also had roosters that would out run the hens to get away.
I usually say guineas are worthless too. They do alarm a lot and maybe in a fox attack that isn't just a snatch and run they would get excited enough to get someone's attention to see what's up.
I think guineas real problem is they alarm at everything. Maybe a fox, maybe a leaf falling or maybe the wind changing directions.
Dogs have been pretty much my only defense against foxes and its almost eliminated it.
Fox are quick though so with a decent amount of space with things blocking areas of sight I still get a snatch and run before anything sees what's going on.
Good luck with your chickens.

 

[Kessel23]

Most roosters will not attack a fox or any predator. The will make alarm calls and alert the other hens of the predators presence and will usually walk around nearby as the predator kills the hen, they will continue to sound the alarm but will rarely attack. Some may try to intimidate the predator or distract it or even trick it. I had a rooster that would go up to the predator (usually me) when it was grabbing a hen and he would turn his back and peck at the ground, acting as if he had no idea the predator was right next to him. I assumed he did this to encourage the predator to go after him instead and then he would try to outrun it. Kinda like what ducks and other parent birds do. I also had a rooster that would go up to the predator and act like he wanted to fight but he would just run if the animal moved at him. Sometimes a rooster will attack the predator but it usually just results in 2 dead birds. Guinea hens will alarm at almost anything so they will be useless too. Also, all these alarm tactics will not work, a fox just runs in and grabs a bird then runs out, there is usually no time for the roosters to do anything besides freak out. Guineas can be kept by chickens, assuming the chickens do not carry blackhead.

 

[ribomilgotafarm]

I'm actually torn between my chicks and my daughter's pups. My chicks predators are sadly part of our family. And they to make it a habit to play cat and mouse almost everyday. I can't bear locking up those chubby lil pups cos they really cry real tears.... And no matter how my husband fixes the chicks free range zone, they still manage to get out of the fences/net and just attract those napping pups.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I'm actually torn between my chicks and my daughter's pups. My chicks predators are sadly part of our family. And they to make it a habit to play cat and mouse almost everyday. I can't bear locking up those chubby lil pups cos they really cry real tears.... And no matter how my husband fixes the chicks free range zone, they still manage to get out of the fences/net and just attract those napping pups.

To be cruelly accurate, the best chicken guard dog to have is any dog that will rush in, nab the predator and then shake and worry the person of the predator until the good Lord calls the poor thing home, hopefully to live with the saints in glory. Any other type of dog is only a poor imitation of a chicken guard dog.

Don't give up on your daughter's pups, they may turn into amazing varmint killers with just a little work from you and your family. Once you stamp the idea on their little K9 brains that the chickens are privileged members of their pact the dogs may surprise you with the ferocity of their protection. I once kept two registered Red Bone Coon Hounds and few fury chicken thefts had the courage or moxie to try for a chicken dinner as long as Big Mack & Little Mack were on the job.

 

[MINDANAO DAVE]

Guinea hens will definitely alert you to any intruder. Some people complain about everything. I am getting some Guineas this Saturday. We had some before. You should have about 6 of them. They will also keep Snakes and rat and mice away and eat every bug they find. However the fox might take a Guinea hen rather than a chicken. But no doubt they will alert you of any intruder man or beast. Those fox will be back in a day or two. Be ready. Good Luck