# Dog "proof" chicken coop suggestions?



## Honduras Trish (Nov 30, 2007)

My dogs will attack chickens. They will also go after intruders, which is their job, and that's more important to me than having chickens, so the dogs stay. 

However, if I could protect the chickens, I'd like to have some. I don't need anything fancy, and I don't need a movable tracter-style coop. Can anyone suggest how to build a reasonably safe coop for 15 - 20 chickens?


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## PyroDon (Jul 30, 2006)

I broke my sisters dog of going after my chickens by confining him in a small electrified pen inside the chicken run. every time he moved towards a chicken he got a big zap seldom just one as hed back into the other side . he learned quickly to stay as far away from the chickens as he could
another option these days would be to use a buried fence around the chicken enclosure just as they are used to keep dogs in the yard they would keep dogs out of the chickens they also require the collars


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## Oxankle (Jun 20, 2003)

Don: That is an excellent idea and I am going to try it with my next pup.


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## PyroDon (Jul 30, 2006)

took my sisters dog about a week to get the point 
Now if I could get the dogs broke of stealing eggs Id have it made


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## JJFarmer (Mar 10, 2011)

I use the shock collar method in training dogs with livestock and poultry. Often times the beep is all they need but if they need more than a light shock will stop them in their tracks. Sounds cruel but it's better to teach the dog manners and appropriate behavior than leave them to their own devices.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

I can train most puppies to leave my poultry alone with just a leash and some obedience work. An adult dog is probably going to need a shock collar.

Chasing chickens is self-rewarding, so once they have chased the first time it is very difficult to stop them from doing it again.

If you have chicken chasing dogs, the best solution is a very secure fence and then don't ever let the chickens out.

If you have chickens, they need predator proof housing, anyway, and if a coop will keep a raccoon out, it should keep any dog out. You need wire that is too strong to tear. Poultry net isn't strong enough. You need the bottom of the fence dig-proof. You need a cover to protect from hawks and owls and that needs to be strong enough so a raccoon can't tear it. Also a latch on the gate that raccoon fingers can't operate.

That fence will keep your dogs out.


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## Honduras Trish (Nov 30, 2007)

oregon woodsmok said:


> Chasing chickens is self-rewarding, so once they have chased the first time it is very difficult to stop them from doing it again.
> 
> If you have chicken chasing dogs, the best solution is a very secure fence and then don't ever let the chickens out.
> 
> ...


Yes, the strong fence/coop is the direction I'm going to have to go . . . we don't have any way to get the shock collar equipment here, or probably even what we'd need to set up electric fencing. 

Thanks all!


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## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

I took 4 cattle panels and secured them into a square using small hose clamps on edges. I then covered the run with poultry wire. You can even use the cheap thin 2 inch stuff because really all you are doing is keeping hens in with the wire. Nothing like a dog can get through the cattle panels. I even use it on the top of my run which worked great despite heavy snows. I can move it around if i want or i can secure it with t-posts. It was put up in a few hours and it should last a real long time


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