will obnoxious dogs keep hens from laying?

[jennmugg]

I have the tractor in our fenced yard. Our dogs are not aggressive with the birds, but when they are out they do a lot of whining and circle around the tractor, sniffing it and being very curious for several minutes before they get bored and wander off. My husband thinks this may freak out our girls and keep them from laying.

 

[horsejody]

It is a possibility. I suppose it depends on the hen's temperaments.

 

[Akane]

If nothing else happens and the dogs don't keep it up constantly most chickens will get used to the dogs. Mine get a scare from the puppy about every other day and I'm still filling cartons up just fine. The only reason mine freak out over the puppy is because he did get a hold of one when he somehow escaped from the house. Otherwise my adult dog would follow me to the coop and shove chickens around without harming them twice a day. They came to mostly ignore her and I was still getting eggs daily. Unless you've got very flighty hens or the dogs actually manage to touch them or bother them constantly all day I don't think it will make much difference.