monstermunch Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Hi everyone! Recently my OH and I decided to move in with his parents for a few months whilst we are buying a house and so we moved in yesterday along with our cat and 4 ex-batts. My parent in laws have a collie, and whilst she's the daftest dog in the world, the chickens are terrified of her. We are keeping them apart and the chooks are secure in their run but even if she comes into the other end of the garden they start squawking really loudly and hide. My question is really whether they are likely to overcome this and realise that she is not a threat to them whilst they are in their run? Has anyone experienced anything similar? I'm just conscious that it's alot for them to take moving house to somewhere they feel less secure, and I'm worried we might have casualties if they are frightened. I'm also a bit worried about the noise in a neighbourhood where no one else has chickens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluckingmad Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Dogs are in the same class as foxes to chooks, poor girls won't know what to make of her! Others on here have dogs and chooks, the chooks don't seem to mind the dogs as long as they keep their distance but they never trust the dogs with the chooks, hunting is a verrry deep instinct which can be impossible to resist... Collies and terriers in particular in seems. Wonder if it would help the girls to have a shade on their run so they feel a bit more secure? I'd imagine they'll get used to her in time, prolly just feeling very unsettled.. Use this excuse for lots of chook time/cuddles/time to spoil the girls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cd8jbr Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 I got 5 ex-batts in October and they seemed to accept the dog (a collie mix) no problem at all. However if they caught sight of the cat they were terrified and screeched loudly. As the weather improved and they settled they were allowed to free range (they are out most days now unless the weather forecast is particularly bad) and they are not bothered at all if they see my cat - or any other cat. I'm sure the hens don't know it but my cat is totally blind (he's a rescue cat and didn't have the best start in life) - when he first heard the hens I think he thought they were dinner - then he came nose to beak with them and now he's terrified of them and I think he thinks HE'S dinner! Having said that they all (dog, cat and chickens) seem happy and healthy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyhole kate Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Inmho I think it all depends on your chickens personalities and that of the dogs that come into contact with them DD currently living with us has a staffie x collie they sometimes invade the kitchen and steal his leftovers he just stands there and lets them. My DS has a staffie x english bull terrier which he bring when he visits and we looked after when he was in afghanistan she takes no notice of them whatsoever. My ED has a big fat labrador who is as thick as a brick they all walk amongst the girls when they are here and the girls are FR neither takes any notice of each other. My elderly cat lies in the garden and ignores them however they mugged her for the food in her bowl on Friday when they barged indoors poor old girl was terrrified Maybe I have just been extremely lucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubababe Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Must admit my ladies aren't worried about the dogs or the cats...in fact it's the other way round! My girls have attacked the cats before now and they are now terrified of them Hopefully it is just a combination of moving/new environment/different smells etc and that they will settle once things become 'normal'. As cluckingmad has said...a few 'extra' treats will probably help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daxigirl Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 My 3 dogs are all scared of the hens (big girls & banties), they've been flown at pecked a couple of times and won't come in garden if they're out having a FR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heth1986 Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 My girls used to be scared of my pooch when they first arrived, they used to shout at the top of their voices if they saw her even coming out of the house and if she dared come near to their run they used to run at her and try to attack her through the chicken wire My dog is, like yours, daft as a brush and used to just stand there and watch them doing their little act, bless her she never made a sound. Now, about 4 months after their arrival, the girls have really come round. The biggest difference was when they were all coming into lay, they all became really chilled out and, although they still shouted at her, it wasn't half as bad. I can't tell you exactly how long it took but for at least the past month they have not been bothered with her at all , she comes into their WIR with me when I'm poo picking / feeding etc and lays down in 'her corner' and the chickens litterally walk all over her! They now make cute little cheeping noises, scratch around her and sometimes even sit on top of her (must get a pic of this!). I wouldn't worry too much, lots of supervised encounters and I'm sure they'll come round. That said, the dog is NEVER left out alone when the girls are Free Ranging, as you'll see from previous posts on the forum, you can never be too careful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
