Cindig Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Hi all, I know there have been many posts in the past about chickens and dogs, but just wanted to seek some extra advice. My parents have two terriers, and when they visit they usually stay for a few days at a time, bringing the dogs with them. This Thursday, they may call in for a few hours as they pass by on a long journey home. The male dog likes to give an initial run around the garden barking and letting everyone know he's here and in charge, before settling down to sleep. The young female is very boisterous, has a very loud bark and always looking for action. I have no desire to ever let the dogs and hens free-range together, that would be complete madness and doomed to disaster. So physically, the hens will be safe. However, I would like to be able to let the dogs use the garden without terrifying the hens. Obviously we would initially bring the dogs into the garden on a lead, try to get them used to the idea of the hens, and take them away again if they start barking. However, I can't see the dogs ever being reliably subdued in the garden all the time. I suppose only the hens really know the answer to this, but any thoughts on how stressed the hens are likely to get, and is there any chance that they might ever get used to a dog rushing madly around the garden? (I suspect I know the answer to this... *sigh*) The hens are exbats and we've had them 9 days (so 12 days by Thursday). On the one hand, they seem to cope well with noisy 3- and 5-year olds rushing around the garden with large colourful objects (plastic wheelbarrows, bikes, scooters) but on the other hand Priscilla jumped in the air in fright when two squabbling blackbirds suddenly flew overhead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Sounds like you will need to section off part of the garden so that the dogs can't get anywhere near them. Ours spook at dogs within 20 metres! Obviously if the chickens panic you will lose egg laying at the very least. Worst case they could get ill or injure themselves trying to get away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PixieDust Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 I will have to sit down later and be more concise, but I am currently training my Cocker to ignore the Pobs. We are having some success. Terriers are diggers, so you need a secure pen. Regardless, they need supervision and lots of their favourite treats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindig Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 Thanks for the warning, Beantree - at least its good to be prepared. The garden is not very big (about 11m x 8m), so even if I sectioned it, it would only provide a visual block and not address loud barking. Also no idea how to put in a temporary demountable barrier, and where to store it the rest of the time! Pixiedust, will be really interested to hear more about what you're doing. The run is an Eglu one with the skirt, and supervision shouldn't be too much of a problem especially given that they are only ever here for a few days at a time. The fact that they are only here for a few days at a time will make training harder though. I think we could teach them to loose interest in the hens, but I can't teach them never to bark at all in the garden (at neighbourhood cats, squirrels or pigeons in the trees at the back, etc. Also when chasing balls and attacking toys). I'm worried about the hens being seriously spooked. Going off lay wouldn't be the worst thing (although not great for the hens), but making them ill with stress or injuring themselves would certainly not. Really not sure there is a solution to this one. Never letting the dogs into the back garden would be particularly miserable in summer, but depending on the hens' reaction might be the only way. *sigh* Or maybe I should record the dogs barking and play it quietly to the hens, gradually making it louder and louder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PixieDust Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 That is an excellent idea. Play it to the chickens whilst they are having treat time of mealworms or whatever they go batty for. They will associate good things with the barking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HampshireGardener Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 We've only had our chickens for 3 days, and with 4 Jack Russell terriers, we thought we'd have problems with the dogs accepting the chickens and then leaving them alone. I thought they'd rush around the outside of the run barking, and jumping at the mesh, however I'm delighted to say that they're really not that interested in them and they don't try to get into the garden at every opportunity. One of the dogs isn't at all interested and the other 3 have times when they watch them and occasionally jump at the wire, usually when the chickens run around, but the chickens seem very calm about it all. Our dogs don't bark too much generally unless they think someone is at the door. You may be surprised at how quickly the visiting dogs accept that the chickens are there and ignore them once they know they can't get to them. Like you I would never trust my dogs if the chickens were out of their run, much as I love them dearly! Barbara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 I started with ex batts and my dogs barking never fazed them.When they came they were confined to their run and the dog went mad trying to get in.It didn't unsettle them at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill2b Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Play it to the chickens whilst they are having treat time of mealworms or whatever they go batty for. They will associate good things with the barking..............No way, our girls would be forever after mealworms with the yappy dog a few doors down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 I've had problems with other people's dogs visiting. My dogs don't bother the chickens at all. I keep the chooks locked away when my brother in law visits and insist that he takes the dog in the garden on the lead. She is a collie cross lassie dog and will not leave them alone. They have gone off lay because of her in the past Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PixieDust Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 OK, my first concern is that these are terriers. They love to dig and whilst an anti-dig skirt on top of the lawn can be a deterrent, it is not fox or dog proof. Terriers are easily able to dig in from the outside of the skirt. What size is it? I have a WIR with weld mesh dug down about 8" and then along about 12", so it's an underground skirt. The first thing we did with the dog was to just let him out and see what happened. He sniffed the air and ran around the back of the run and jumped up screaming in excitement. This couldn't happen as the neighbours would have complained. Next I tried taking him out on an extender lead every day, (weather permitting), for weeks so he wasn't scratching at the front door to get to them all the time. At times we had screaming and squeaking and barking. After a time it got less but not completely. I have sat and passed a course in Dog Training and Behaviour so I have quite a bit of knowledge, but I had a collegue come over on Saturday who is more experienced in the field than I, (18 years worth), and she suggested I take said Spaniel out on a 20' long recall training lead, let him run about whilst scatter feeding treats all over the garden. The training lead is light enough he can run with it but long enough so he can be caught and pulled away from the Pobs. He has done 4 sessions outside and only 4 barks in one of the sessions at the Pobs. It's not cured but it's a very good start. Taking the terriers out and using treats/highly prized toys and using time in the garden for supervised training and play, may be your way forward. That way the focus is not the chickens, but the good things you and/or your guests are providing for them. I hope that makes sense. Play it to the chickens whilst they are having treat time of mealworms or whatever they go batty for. They will associate good things with the barking..............No way, our girls would be forever after mealworms with the yappy dog a few doors down Seriously, it would stop the chickens getting spooked by barking dogs. Chickens are really quite intelligent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Play it to the chickens whilst they are having treat time of mealworms or whatever they go batty for. They will associate good things with the barking..............No way, our girls would be forever after mealworms with the yappy dog a few doors down Seriously, it would stop the chickens getting spooked by barking dogs. Chickens are really quite intelligent. Correction: some chickens are quite intelligent.... ( don't tell Cinnamon I said this... ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I have the most neurotic dogs who yap at anything so I and "et al" thought my dogs were going to be a nightmare when the hens came, on the day all that happened was the boys scent marked the run and that was it, they always potter in the garden together, in fact flora actively seeks out rudy to peck him, she has chased him across the garden before, she isn't too keen on my youngest son either for some reason and if a pigeon should stray into the freerange area........ My sons dog barked at them for a bit but was pretty accepting of them but I appreciate each dog/hen is individual and you shouldn't take any chances Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindig Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 Thanks all! It's encouraging to know that it's not necessarily doomed to disaster, and it all depends on the reactions of the hens and the dogs. The dogs are more interested in barking and chasing than digging, and in any case we will be in the garden with them at all times, and either on a lead, or a long rope attached to a stake. Beantree, I would be really interested to know whether your hens only spook if they can see as well as hear dogs, or do they spook at the sound of a dog even if they can't see one? I was thinking that I could put boards around two sides of the run (or all sides if I can get hold of enough). Perhaps they won't spook so much if they can't see the dogs, and might also feel more secure in a more enclosed environment? My sister has provided a video of the noisy one (really not difficult to obtain ), and I played the sound from the bedroom window. They were completely not bothered. Will play it from closer range when I'm home from work. Priscilla didn't seem well this morning, I am so anxious to get back to see how she's doing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I would only take the dogs out on their leads, so that they can't bark at the birds, or run up and down the run. My two dogs are allowed out in the garden when the hens are in the run, and they know not to bark, or scare them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Hi Cindig. They have got used to the distance barking somewhat but don't like it if they see a dog moving near them and if they can see that dog barking that sets them all off. Problem is our flock has been attacked once by dogs and several times by foxes, so they will never get used to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindig Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 Just thought I'd update, following the dogs' visit yesterday. I was pleased with how it went, really! I put wood/cardboard against part of the run to try to make the chickens feel a little more secure. We brought the dogs out to the garden on leads, briefly, twice. The old male dog, as expected, lost interest almost immediately, just a very low gruff bark and then just sniffed around. The young female, as expected, was desperate to get to them but was doing high-pitched yipping rather than loud barking which was less scary. The hens just stood with their necks craning to see what was going on, but no panicking, so I was pretty pleased with that really. We then left the dogs to watch the hens from behind the glass in the kitchen door. The young female eventually gave up trying to get at them and calmed down. We later brought them out a second time (on leads again) and she was much better, mostly just sniffing - at one point she even just stood with her back to them! Whilst obviously quite an experience for the hens, I don't think they were overly stressed. So I feel pleased that there is hope that will be able to get by for future visits! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
