Chicken versus Dogs!

I have dogs that listen and just stood between the dog/s and the birds…......until they accepted the fact that the birds are part of the pack. Now the lab lays down near the chicken area and guards them. The border Collie could care less about them and the minature shnouzers who are owned by the outlaws…..grrrrrrr, untrained, spoiled, barking, useless, little crapping machines…......never leave their caged in and fenced area.

-- Central northish Ontario

Looks like we have the same dogs: lab, collie!
Interesting!! Hope they behave as well as yours!

-- Eklectic, Follow my Bliss, South East Ontario 5a

All depends on your pets prey drive.. Since Border Collies are herding dogs it should be fine. The lab, will depend on how well it’s behaved.. How do they do with cats is the question. Chances are if they’re fine with cats, they should be alright with chickens. That said however, you’ll need to watch them at any rate until the chickens are grown more, just to be safe.

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

I agree with Scott…Be very careful with chickens and dogs…I have read so many horror stories of a dog raiding a coop (all fun a games to a dog when a bunch of feathered toys are running for their life). My dog on the other hand is terrified of the chickens. When we got our first three hens I let them range with Fufer and I was in the front garden, they were out back…all of a sudden I heard horrid screams comming from Fufer, I tore out back to find Red attacking Fufer’s Face and Blck standing on her back with a huge beak full of fur while my sweet ol MC was spectating and insisting she had nothing to do with it.

I was suprised that Fufer didn’t kill one of them out of fear, she is a dog afterall and a bite to the neck of a chicken can be a quick ending. Anyway everyone survived but to this day Fufer wants nothing to do with them horrid creatures ..LOL

If you let the dogs near the chickens I would only do it under strickt supervision for the first little while and if you completely trust your dog then maybe you will get lucky and have no accidents…But prey drive can hit suddenly even with the best of dogs.

-- Xploreorganics, 5b Canada, LFD 06-20

Thanks for your help!

The collie mix (was a rescued puppy) is scared of everything, so I am not overly worried with her! Mind you, she will set up the lab who will “defend” her!!
The lab is the one that tends to go after game but they are well behaved with the cats, even thought, in a prior life ( as a puppy) the lab was abused and attacked by cats.
Mind you, it did take him between 6 to 12 months to be completely at ease with the cats (also rescued)!!

The chicken are going to be ready to lay eggs by the time we get them, so they should be big enough!!!

We do intend to have the chickens fenced in for about 2 weeks so the dogs will get used to them?
We really have no idea how the lab will react!! Since we got the collie (6 years ago) he reacts to her fear more than anything else!

As well, we were told to introduce them to their coop at night?Is it an old wife’s tale or?

-- Eklectic, Follow my Bliss, South East Ontario 5a

If the chickens are coming from different suppliers and are not familiar with each other then yes put them together at night…they are less likely to peck each other in the dark…I wouldn’t introduce the dogs to them during the night though.

-- Xploreorganics, 5b Canada, LFD 06-20

No that would not do!!!: -)

Thanks for your help!!
Really appreciate it!

-- Eklectic, Follow my Bliss, South East Ontario 5a

there is an easy way to teach a dog…...............be the master. The Beta and Alpha pack leader and “ALL” dogs will “Obey” in that the first and fundemental rule is “you have to be smarter then the dog”.

I have two dogs here I wouldnt let near a chicken and I assure you that it isnt the “dog” that is the problem, its the owner of the dogs because both owners, have only 1/2 the IQ of their dogs. I can “teach” their dogs but I cannot “teach” their owners which happen to be my in-laws thus why both parties are caged.

If I were so lucky as to have the “owners” removed I am reasonably sure I could re-habilitate the dogs by entroducing the ratters to my “pack” and then entroduce all four dogs to “my chickens””.

chickens are cute, have peculiar personalities but in general they are stupid and they flock. Dogs are smart and they form a “pack” and require a “pack” leader which in my case happens to be me.

put yourself between chicken and dog and make the dog respect that distance…........sooner or later the dog starts to think that the chicken is part of the pack and protect it….................it’s really cool when it all comes together.

I have total faith in all dogs and some people?

-- Central northish Ontario

greenthumb,
After being a foster mom and a group home mom and seeing how people “raise” their kids, it is not surprising that they do not know how to take care “raise” a dog! Most of the time, the parents should have been in “care”!!

My pack of 2 is well behaved. I occasionally have a pack of 5 dogs + 2 cats and that is good as well!
I know kids, dogs and cats!

But before introducing chickens in the pack, I will take the advice of those in the knowing as this is brand new territory!

Interesting how your assessment of dogs and packs coincides with mine!! : -)

That is what happened with the addition of the cats and it was really cool when it all cames together.

So let’s hope for the best!

Thanks greenthumb!

-- Eklectic, Follow my Bliss, South East Ontario 5a

Oh and one more thing…Keep your pullets locked in thier coop with lots of treats and fresh greens for the first two days, after that, make a routine to feed them at night inside the coop for a week or two…This way they will understand that this is their home and they are to go in at night. If not you may end up with them getting lost and roosting in trees and such making them more open to preditors.

-- Xploreorganics, 5b Canada, LFD 06-20

And out in the woods as you are, I would suggest fencing in their run, otherwise you’ll lose them to the mid-size predators in your area. Raccoons, weasels, and fox like a chicken dinner occasionally.

-- the day you quit learning is the day you quit living.

X Thanks! I would never have thought of this! Definitely do not want them to join the turkeys!!! : -)

dini The run is going to be fenced and they will not be allowed out of there for about 2 weeks.
And you missed the coyotes!! :-D

-- Eklectic, Follow my Bliss, South East Ontario 5a

Coyotes aren’t much of an issue here, I’m not far enough out of town. But I can tell you, a ‘coon will kill chickens just to show you he can!

-- the day you quit learning is the day you quit living.

we had a dog that loved chickens (to eat that is). The one day he had one in its mouth and I yelled “Sampson, put that down”... and he did… then he looked at me and he looked at the chicken and he looked at me and he looked a the chicken (all the time I kept saying to leave the chicken alone). The look on his face clearly said that he wanted to listen to me but oh, that chicken, it looked so good… .. and finally he couldn’t take it anymore and he grabbed the chicken and ran away as fast as he could.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Now that was a “moment” wasn’t it MsDeb … LOL!!!! Poor chicken …

-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b

lol yes, it was fascinating to watch the dog struggle with his decision but the genetics won out and and chicken’s fate was decided.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)