# Does your dog protect your chickens?



## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

Okay, so I became chicken-obsessed last summer, but too late to start my own flock  In the meantime, I have moved into a different home, on a much bigger piece of property (about 3-ac, 1.5 is fenced out back), and basically have zero nosy and/or annoying neighbors. YAYAY!

So, spring is approaching, chicks will be hatching soon (meaning I want to start selecting and ordering tomorrow!), and I am Bound and Determined to have fresh eggs and tomatoes this year. No holds barred, lol.

The summer garden plot is selected, planned, and just waiting for the soil to dry out enough to start turning it. And still, I have LOTS of space left for the dogs and chickens...

Here's my deal. I intend to free range my chooks. I have solid enough OB now on both my dogs to feel comfortable that if we start the chicks inside the house and take the right steps, my dogs will recognize that the poultry are Mine, and not their prey. That's not my concern. My concern is what to do with the chooks when I eventually start letting them out. I have about another 1/2 acre that is heavily wooded (tall pines and dense underbrush), but outside my back yard fence, that would make excellent range for the chickens...BUT, it's outside the fence, where Jack can't practically watch over them. 

I *really* want to put the chooks in the woods. I mean, we have several trees in the yard, but nothing grows under them, meaning No Bugs, etc. And those woods are just jam-packed with a chicken Feast of free chicken feed!! And they'll actually be safer there than in the yard. We have hawks galore here in deep east Texas! The next biggest predator would be the snakes, and I actually do Not want to be attracting them inside the fence. I'd rather lose some eggs or even chickens than my Jack to a cottonmouth.

So, I'm torn. Do I confine the chickens to the fenced yard, where I feel confident Jack will ward off any predators...except the two biggest threats, being the hawks and snakes! Or can I just make sure I have a couple roosters to alert me, and let them enjoy the woods?

Either way, I am totally prepared to lose a few chickens along the way, so if you're sentimental about that, well... I'm just trying to keep it natural, and making no apologies as I enjoy my chicken noodle soup for dinner.

IDK, I'm thinking it will be cheaper and easier and way more natural to put the chickens outside the fence, let them roost in a natural environment, and cultivate some nests where I can collect whatever eggs the snakes don't eat first. I have no doubt y'all will tell me whether this is a Crazy plan!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

It depends on the dogs. My girl Clover had high prey drive, but she was great with the chickens. Then adding another dog to the pack made it dicey...but we did ok, teacking Onyx that the chickens were not to be chased, but herded occasionally. We then added a 3rd dog to the pack and all bets were off. Kacie has very high prey drive, which made young Onyx follow suit. So the chickens were not safe with three dogs. We had to make a secure run for them. 
My chickens use to do happy hour with me, but they also ruined my perennial garden, so I'm ok with them not free ranging. 
I'd love to turn them out into the woods daily to get their insects/bugs, but not sure they'd return every night so we don't do that either. We now have four chickens in an enclosed run/coop, we get four eggs daily(even in this harsh winter weather!)


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I seen a GSD chase a coyote that was trying to get the chickens on his property. They ran around trees in circles and finally the coyote took off into the woods. The dog chased the coyote a little bit into the woods and came back when he knew it was gone. It was something to see, he did protect the chickens. They were in an enclosed coop.


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

onyx'girl said:


> It depends on the dogs. My girl Clover had high prey drive, but she was great with the chickens. Then adding another dog to the pack made it dicey...but we did ok, teacking Onyx that the chickens were not to be chased, but herded occasionally. We then added a 3rd dog to the pack and all bets were off. Kacie has very high prey drive, which made young Onyx follow suit. So the chickens were not safe with three dogs. We had to make a secure run for them.
> My chickens use to do happy hour with me, but they also ruined my perennial garden, so I'm ok with them not free ranging.
> I'd love to turn them out into the woods daily to get their insects/bugs, but not sure they'd return every night so we don't do that either. We now have four chickens in an enclosed run/coop, we get four eggs daily(even in this harsh winter weather!)


 I have been reading up, and it seems like they will return and follow you into the coop every night if it's on schedule...and you feed them, even when they've been eating all day long, lol!

And yeah, I think three dogs might be too much to ask 

I only have two, and my female is a senior now. Still spry, but even for a Weimaraner, she obeys like nobody's business. I'm not at all concerned about my dogs eating the chickens! 

I guess, my Real question is whether the chooks will be safer under forest cover, or out in the open where a hawk can scoop them up before Jack can even bark!?


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

llombardo said:


> I seen a GSD chase a coyote that was trying to get the chickens on his property. They ran around trees in circles and finally the coyote took off into the woods. The dog chased the coyote a little bit into the woods and came back when he knew it was gone. It was something to see, he did protect the chickens. They were in an enclosed coop.


I love this! Makes me wish neither my dogs nor my chickens had fences!!!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I would keep them in a covered area, but hawks aren't stupid. You should have a Roo to help warn the chickens if a predator is around, they are very good at that. We had racoons and oppossums trying to get into the areas the chickens roosted, so we had to lock them in a safe area every night.


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

onyx'girl said:


> I would keep them in a covered area, but hawks aren't stupid. You should have a Roo to help warn the chickens if a predator is around, they are very good at that. We had racoons and oppossums trying to get into the areas the chickens roosted, so we had to lock them in a safe area every night.


Thank you. I'm gonna start with a couple dozen hens and 2-3 rooos. Couldn't do that inside the fence, but outside, with Jack and the Roos for alarm, I think most of my hens will be safe and sound!


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Look closely at this picture. This coop belongs to someone I know that removes wildlife for a living....

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=178570&stc=1&d=1392180608


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

llombardo said:


> Look closely at this picture. This coop belongs to someone I know that removes wildlife for a living....
> 
> http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=178570&stc=1&d=1392180608


 YIKES!! Is that a possum in the hen house?!

No way, Jose.

I have been reading more and reconsidered my initial approach. I am only going to start with 3-4 hens this year, and they will either be in a very secure coop (with hardware cloth buried underground to keep the diggers out), or safely under cover of a chicken tractor for their yard time.

I ordered 15 chicks, but thankfully my friend who lives on a ranch was wanting to increase her flock this year, so she will trade me some honey for the extra chicks. Yay! and whew 

Finished my brooder today (except that I need to buy a bigger drill bit so I can mount the roosting poles at baby height). I put plexiglass in the front panel, so the dogs can practice their calm down while observing the chicks "Just being Chickens." I'm hoping it works as well as the baby gate to the cat room did when I introduced the kitten. The goal is that by the time the chicks are feathered out and we start venturing outside for hardening off, the dogs will be like "Oh, those birds again?? Meh."


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

My First Brooder:


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

my last GSD protected our chickens. my wife an i left for work.
i arrived home early. i saw our GSD laying on the porch. i was
shocked. we never left our dog outside unattended. my neighbor
came over and said she was watching him all day. she told
when the mailman came he ran to the gate as usual to collect 
the mail but it was it wasn't our usual mailman. the mailman
saw the dog running towards him and he threw the mail over the 
fence and ran off. my neighbor collected our mail. she told me everytime
the chickens went to the front yard our dog herded dog them back to
the back yard. not only did we leave the dog in the yard we left
the gate open.

the dog i have now has been around a lot of chickens and he's not reactive.


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## 3GSD92_00_12 (Mar 28, 2013)

llombardo said:


> Look closely at this picture. This coop belongs to someone I know that removes wildlife for a living....
> 
> http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=178570&stc=1&d=1392180608


Is that an opossum?! Sneaky critter.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Yes that is an opossum. Oddly he didn't mess with the chickens. Where we used to live we had ducks everywhere, so most of my dogs have been around them. The ducks came right up to the door and would come within 5 ft of the dogs when they were out. The pic I attached is a small group in front of the house, we had about 30 of them at a time everyday, all year long.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=180890&stc=1&d=1392616649


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

I live in East Texas. I would expect that chickens not in a coop are not going to survive. Not only hawks, but coyotes and foxes (and cats!) abound. I also had a chicken attacked by a snake when it was sunning on the door jamb of its coop (I used to let them roam the back yard and put them up each evening, but still lost some to predation).


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

My Luka protected the chickens. She was raised with them. There's always a learning curve; even she "played" a couple to death when she was a pup. But I worked with her, tapping into her prey drive, and did obedience with a ball reward right next to the chicken coop. Eventually she learned to ignore them and just focused on her ball. Eventually, I could let the chickens free-range and she was bombproof with them. I could throw her ball through a flock of chickens and she would just run right through them to get her ball. I even had a turkey hen that took to Luka, following her around and "preening" her. She was also very gentle with baby chicks. 

Now my current dog was not raised with chickens, and she will leave them alone if I'm right there, but will kill them if they sneak into her yard while I'm not looking. We're working on it. The other day I caught her with a hen in her mouth; I screamed "OUT!!" At the top of my lungs, she dropped the hen and came right to me. So we're making progress.


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## ApselBear (Feb 10, 2014)

The dog will figure out what is expected with the chickens.

I've had chickens my whole life, and I'd expect them to love the wooded area, mainly because of the foraging, but also because of the protection from hawks. 

We start our chickens out in a coop, with a wire cage and eventually just leave the door open during the nice rainfree days, but they always return to the coop when the sun goes down. 

If you are going for 24/7 free range, I think it will be the chicken's decision on whether they stay in the woods or the fenced in yard, unless you put a shelter in either spot so they know they have a refuge at night.

Another plus to the coop, is it centralizes the egg lays. Otherwise it'll be Easter every day. 

Our chickens are lots of fun and we haven't had any trouble with the dogs(heelers, and so far my gsd pup) eating any. The only thing I have trouble with keeping the dogs from scrounging the chicken droppings. Our heelers have found out that when they scare the chickens, they magically leave behind a gooey pile of (according to the heelers) tasty treat.


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

Galathiel said:


> I live in East Texas. I would expect that chickens not in a coop are not going to survive. Not only hawks, but coyotes and foxes (and cats!) abound. I also had a chicken attacked by a snake when it was sunning on the door jamb of its coop (I used to let them roam the back yard and put them up each evening, but still lost some to predation).





ApselBear said:


> The dog will figure out what is expected with the chickens.
> 
> I've had chickens my whole life, and I'd expect them to love the wooded area, mainly because of the foraging, but also because of the protection from hawks.
> 
> ...


 Yeah, I think they would love the woods, as well...But I don't think I will be able to do it, after all. We had a nice spring weekend here this past weekend, and I found out just how many weekenders come up from Houston! People everywhere, and they brought their "free-ranging" dogs. Aargh. I guess the peace and quiet of winter has passed.

And I started thinking more about all the different types of predators we actually do have here in rural east Texas, and between all the dogs who are Not behind fences in this neighborhood (which apparently now doubles over the weekends), and as mentioned, coyotes, etc., well, I just can't do it. 

Will be keeping the girls under lock and key, and a sturdy chicken tractor will have to serve for when they are in the yard. Kind of a "supervised" range compromise.

Oh, and yes! The every day is Easter...well, I thought about that as well, and I really don't think I want to be traipsing through the wooded lot every day hunting eggs, because, frankly, I'm afraid that what I will find in the nest instead is a cottonmouth snake. EEK.


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

llombardo said:


> Look closely at this picture. This coop belongs to someone I know that removes wildlife for a living....
> 
> http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=178570&stc=1&d=1392180608


That most definitely looks like a possum under the chicken cage. My hen hated it when a possum moved in under her cage and we had to remove it. We gave it to the animal shelter who gave it to the wildlife people to relocate.


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## 3GSD92_00_12 (Mar 28, 2013)

JackandMattie said:


> Will be keeping the girls under lock and key, and a sturdy chicken tractor will have to serve for when they are in the yard. Kind of a "supervised" range compromise.
> 
> Oh, and yes! The every day is Easter...well, I thought about that as well, and I really don't think I want to be traipsing through the wooded lot every day hunting eggs, because, frankly, I'm afraid that what I will find in the nest instead is a cottonmouth snake. EEK.


I am going to say this now: I am a city kid, so please be or at least try to understand my thinking process behind this question. Is there a possibility that a snake could get into the chicken coop?


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

oh yeah, I am paranoid of snakes, my chicken area isn't called Fort Pox for nothing

Right now I am down to 11 chickens (rehomed some roosters),,have some more coming in spring, I'm chicken addicted

Anyhow, I don't free range mine, tho I may try it this spring, some have said, let them out a couple hours before dark, so they can get some free ranging in, but be able to lock them in at nite. 

As for my dogs protecting the chicks? Well my aussie would most likely pounce/kill them  Masi my gsd, is fine with my chickens, I have no idea if she would "protect" them.

I've raised mine in the house (and that brinsea heater you have? I LOVE MINE!!!) so the dogs/cats interacted with them when they were little. Masi's easy going nature just transferred to them outside, the aussie , not so much

Definitely use hardware cloth EVERYWHERE you can. I havent had a snake in mine, and don't see that happeneing the way I have my set up.

Here's my photobook link
Diane Stevens's (Jynx2007) Library | Photobucket

Feel free to check out my pics, there's also a sub album on the left you'll see 'chickens & coop" tho all my pics aren't in that album.

My first barn, got smashed in storm sandy, my husband and bil, rebuilt . My barn is 12 x 20, the chickens have around half that inside, outside run is 12 x 22. 

Having a rooster is a good alarm, I raise mine from day olds, so my roosters were always very easy to handle, some can get real nasty

Have fun, love my chicken project


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## ApselBear (Feb 10, 2014)

3GSD92_00_12 said:


> I am going to say this now: I am a city kid, so please be or at least try to understand my thinking process behind this question. Is there a possibility that a snake could get into the chicken coop?


We actually pulled a 7foot black snake out of our chicken coop this past summer. He climbed three feet up into the coop so suck eggs, no telling how long he had been hiding in there behind the nests either. Talk about making your skin crawl... his body was as wide as my wrists. I am not particularly afraid of snakes but I didn't enjoy seeing that guy.

Chicken Tractors are pretty neat and really simple to build on your own if you're into DIY. 

Hmm, I should video my Buff chicken(she's named Blondie). She's something else. She thinks she's a dog. She runs up to us and then squats down to let us pet her. We've got four acres of land and if she sees us, she'll come from nearly all the way across the property. She doesn't mind our heelers either. If we give them one of her raw eggs, she just about runs them off of it.


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