Solitary chicken - need advice

[S & S]

Picked up my two lovley girls last night, they have a nice house and large secure run. Took my two dogs out on lead to introduce them, sat with them next to run, one of the dogs is not too bad and comes away when called but my retreiver has become possessed, he is fine with our rabbits and now completey ignores them. but all he wants to do is teroroise the poor chickens who make lots of noise and run up and down the run which makes dogs more frantic.

 

I know dogs will get bored of running up and down the run if i let them but im worried the affects it will have of chickens, will they get too stressed or will they get used to dogs??

 

Also they didnt sleep on there perch but in the nest box!! should i take perches out and just let them sleep on the floor which has wood shavings on, (going to get some straw for them today) or place them on the perch at night, im not bothered where they sleep just wherever is best for them.

 

Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

thanks

[chucknette]

Hi

 

I have a retriever that loved the sqwarking and flapping to start with but after a few stern nos she got the idea.

 

She now wanders happily amongst them when they are free ranging and even sits amongst them as if on guard.

 

The chickens do approach her and peck a few hairs from her tail but she doesnt mind.

 

It didnt take long for them all to get on togther even the cat sits outside with them. Its lovely to see.

 

As to the sleeping arrangments mine slept in the nest box or on the perches and I just left them to it. Poo picked in the morning!

I noticed the sleeping arrangments change quite a lot and a lot of the time the nest is clean.

 

Nette

[andrewandcarly]

when i got my first 2 chickens they were in the eglu and run i took my 2 dogs out in the garden on a lead and the chickens were running up and down the run, flapping and squaking.

i took them out the next day, again on the lead and the chickens never bothered.

alfie doesnt take much interest if he cant get to them whereas lucy will lie next to the fence and watch them all day.

i have took lucy out on the lead when they are free ranging and the hens come up to her and have a look and she has a sniff.

i would never trust either of them off the lead in the garden at the same time though.

they will get used to each other but it will be your choice to let them loose or not.

[jess]

Just to add to this, my dog never got used to the chickens he would always chase them, bark when we held them, he was absolutely obsessed with them, even when he was sick he would try and have a go. I think there is just something "in" some dogs which makes them love chasing things.

[beach chick]

after having our rescue Lab for 6 months, I can just about trust him, although he is not above the odd bounce/pinning them down to lick their bottoms (sorry!). I wouldnt let him near our new babies yet though as he can see him thinking they'd be good on toast...

but he has improved a lot, he used to be dreadful, and as he's still only 18 months old I reckon its a bit of growing up! depends how old your dogs are?

 

in the end, I found a water pistol was the most effective thing, and now he pretty much leaves them alone.

BUT, we had a visiting dog (also a lab) a few weeks ago which killed our poor Tara.

so I guess if you can teach your own dog not to, that's fine, but be VERY careful if you have any visitors.

[firstimer]

Hi I have had my chickens now for 2 weeks and my two dogs bella (bichon) and Lucy (King charles) Are now the best oF friends !! but the first week bella was like a devil dog trying to get at the CHICKENS all the time but after a few pecks on the nose through the run she is now very carefull about getting to close . and lucy tipical king charles so laid back FRIGHTENED to get to close LOL

[S & S]

Thanks for your experiences everyone, Cant beleive actually got two eggs today!!

 

ive sat with the dogs in the garden tonight, got a few grass stains on my jeans now after both dogs trying to pull me down garden

 

If i let dogs off lead the dogs run up and down the outside of the run after the chickens who flap and look pretty scared until they take cover in the house although the dogs cant get to them, one of my dogs (lurcher) will come away when called but my retreiver goes deaf, im hoping the novelty will wear off, but im still concerned about poor chickens in the mean time, i take it its not good for them to run around flapping like this??

[beach chick]

well, mine got a bit hysterical but now they are used to him they just look a bit resigned...!

[Katie]

Hi there, just a thought, it may be an idea to put some netting about a metre around the perimeter of the run? Might work until things settle down

[S & S]

Thanks,

think i might do that tomorw

[Seagazer]

Hi, my dog is part retriever and part poodle. She is very obsessed with the chickens. She hardly takes her eyes off them. I give her a treat if I'm sitting out with the girls (I have her on the lead then). Obviously she can't be on the lead every time she goes out. Then, she runs up the garden and sniffs around the run. If she is too excited when up there the girls tend to go up into the nesting box and wait until she comes back in.

 

I worry that they will get so stressed out that they will never lay!

 

I don't think that I will ever be in the position of having them both out and loose at the same time.

[Helen&Lee]

 

If i let dogs off lead the dogs run up and down the outside of the run after the chickens who flap and look pretty scared until they take cover in the house although the dogs cant get to them, one of my dogs (lurcher) will come away when called but my retreiver goes deaf, im hoping the novelty will wear off, but im still concerned about poor chickens in the mean time, i take it its not good for them to run around flapping like this??

 

I have two Springers, that first week was a nightmare

 

This worked for me. Let the dogs off the leads, they rush down to the run, shoot them with a supersoaker water gun (better distance with a supersoaker ) it was enough to provide that shock that made the dogs listen to me

After that I would let them out the house but hold the supersoaker so they would know what to expect - I then graduated to leaving it outside by the door, its worked a treat

I can now let the chooks and the dogs out at the same time, Barney takes no notice of them, Dylan is terrified of them and won't actually walk past them.

The chooks were nervous of the dogs at first but soon got used to them, Attilla takes great pleasure in chasing them if they get too near

 

Helen

Edited June 7, 2008 by Guest

[WitchHazel]

Hi there, just a thought, it may be an idea to put some netting about a metre around the perimeter of the run? Might work until things settle down

 

That sounds like a really good idea Katie. That way, there is a distance between the dog and the chickens, the dog can run around til it gets bored and the chickens will feel less threatened.

 

May be worth having a water pistol (or hose) handy just in case dog jumps fence.