Dogs and chickens

[GSD Woman]

My chickens are used to my dogs. The chickens are allowed to free range if I'm home and working outside. (in the US gardens are called yards in case I slip.) My sister came over yesterday because they had recently put down grass seed in back. The idea was to let Freddie play with her dog because they play like crazy over there. Don't worry we kept plenty of distance between us. Millie decided the hell with playing with Freddie and started chasing my poor chickens. I had to lock them back in their pen and we took the dogs to a nearby lot where I have dog running privileges. My poor chickens were so traumatized that I'm not sure they'll ever trust my 2 again.

 

[Parrotperson]

over excitement I would guess. I wouldn't be trusting them with your chucks now they've chased them anyway tbh. maybe use a chicken electric fence to give them part of the yard and the dogs have the rest?

 

[FinnishLapphund]

If your Freddie didn't follow Millie, and also started chasing your chickens, hopefully your chickens will soon remember that your dogs are nice dogs. Perhaps have the dogs laying down a bit away from where the chickens come out/make sure the dogs keeps their distance some other way at first, the next time you let the chickens out.

I've read that chicken/hens have better vision than humans, and that hens can recognise up to 100 human faces. And recognise which of those faces who is the nice person/persons who feeds them, lets them out etc, and which ones who won't do such nice things.
Hopefully your chickens are able to tell the difference between your dogs, vs Millie, and it will just be about giving the chickens some time to remember that your dogs can be trusted.

But if Freddie got pulled into chasing them, I would be more worried about trusting the dog with the chickens again, than about what the chickens will think of your dogs.

 

[Clodagh]

My chooks know my dogs and do not react to them at all.
Your poor chooks though, bet you don't get any eggs today!

 

[paddi22]

I don't think you can trust dogs and chickens 10%. mine lived happily in garden for years and then suddenly I came out one day to find he'd chased a chicken and pulled all it's feathers off and it died. I thought that was a one off and I didn't really class it as attacking because he hadn't damaged the chicken physically, just been puling feathers. so they all stayed out together for years and then one random day I found a dead chicken that he must have done something to. we kind of had the same issue with our last dog. we got about 600 days of happy coexistences and then one day when she just decided to chase and kill.

 

[GSD Woman]

My Freddie didn't chase the chickens. She was too busy wanting to play with the tennis ball. The chickens are in an enclosed pen unless I'm there and mostly I'm out with them. I do run in and out of the house to get tools, fill up my water glass, etc.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

In that case, what a good girl to Freddie! And fingers crossed your chickens also can tell the difference between "their" dogs, and other dogs, and that maybe they'll just need some time to remember that "their" dogs are nothing to worry about.

 

[Archangel]

I hope the girls are OK today.

I always shut mine away when dogs visit, however I did get caught out by someone arriving and just letting their dog out and off it went after the hens.

Luckily my dog heard the commotion and ran out and bowled the dog over knocking it into the pond. The hens were upset but did not associate the incident with my dog (they were probably secretly cheering when their attacker went in the pond).

 

[GSD Woman]

This morning my girls seemed much calmer with my dogs. But that might be because they were in their pen. With the hours I work, this time of the year, they've already put themselves to bed. I just have to latch the coop and put on the clip.

 

[Moobli]

Talking of chickens and dogs ?

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[planete]

Talking of chickens and dogs ?

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These two shouldn't be too difficult to train!

 

[Thistle]

My chooks know my dogs and do not react to them at all.
Your poor chooks though, bet you don't get any eggs today!

I do agree with that, your hen certainly knew that poor Toast was an outsider and attacked him even though he was on the lead. I think we were all a bit shocked when he just opened his mouth and gently caught her as she was attacking his head. He then quite happily gave the hen to me, totally undamaged, who went back to her babies hidden in the bushes. She actually came looking for a fight, dog was at close heel.