# dogs and freerange poultry



## north (May 18, 2009)

What do you think is the best kind of dog to have around chickens? I have not had poultry for years now, but want to have them again, someday. I have three Labs and my oldest Lab is why we have no morre chickens. But she is 11 now and I don't know how much longer she will be around. I don't plan on getting any new dog or chickens anytime soon. But just wondering about it for the someday... 
I think my male Lab would be ok, he is nothing like my females and he is younger. But I will never have any poultry with my old Lab girls around. 

So? whats the best dog around chickens? Border collie? How about terriers, like a rat terrier? No?

What do you think, please?


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

Border collie, no.
Any kind of terrier, no.
It is possible to train just about any dog not to bother poultry. Some are just harder because of their breed.
How your dog acts will depend more on you than the dog.


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## bluefish (Jan 27, 2006)

I think really depends on the dog. People say no hunting dogs, but I have a lab x, golden retriever X, BC x, Great Pyr X and an English Shepherd. I don't have problems with any. Some of it is training, but these have had minimal training in leaving poultry alone, so I just have good dogs apparently.

Not very helpful, is it?


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## north (May 18, 2009)

Yes I understand. Our very old Great Pyr never even looked at the birds when I had them. She was great around them, but not my Labs... The old Pyr girl just past away two week ago. But I don't want another. 11 was old age for her, vet said most don't last past 10. It was very hard on the hole family to let her go...


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

Both of our dogs are mostly lab and they are trustworthy with our chickens running around loose. I think it is more the individual dog and especially how well you train them as opposed to what breed they are. The initial introduction is critical. Keep them on a leash and control the situation. Never let it get to the point where they are chasing chickens. Correct if they focus on the chickens, reward when they ignore them. 

Some dogs are more "honorable" than others - i.e. they will obey the rules whether you are standing there or not. Depending how honorable your dogs are, you might not ever be able to leave dogs and chickens together and unattended, but you should be able to have the dogs outside with you and they will leave the chickens alone.


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## north (May 18, 2009)

pancho said:


> Border collie, no.
> Any kind of terrier, no.
> It is possible to train just about any dog not to bother poultry. Some are just harder because of their breed.
> How your dog acts will depend more on you than the dog.


Ok, I thought as much about a terrie. And I think my male Lab would be ok.. But I won't know till the Lab girls are gone and that could be years. 
I was just wondering if there was some magic breed out there that was best.


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## Cliff (Jun 30, 2007)

In general no hunting or herding breeds. There will be exceptions of course but the odds in general are not good.


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

No hunting, herding, or terrier breeds. Look at any of the Livestock Guardian Dog breeds, such as Great Pyranese or Anatolian Shepherd Dog. These breeds are prone to wandering though, so they must be fenced.


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## Haven (Aug 16, 2010)

My Dobermans have been incredible with the new chickens.

I was worried because they have always lived to protect my property and chase/hunt down any living creature that comes close.

They are a very smart thinking breed. After a slow introduction over a few weeks through the fence, with 1 day of using a few verbal and body language ques, they quickly learned that the birds are part of their property to protect. Their desire to protect what is theirs and please their owner is more important to a Dobe than anything.

They have been 100% trustworthy running loose with the new birds and will run out to protect them if I send them out when hawks are circling, etc. They also help herd them into their run at night.

It all depends on the dog/breed and the rapport/control the owner has over the dog. My dogs can be instantly turned on/off with a split second hand signal or word...That made accepting birds effortless. Dobermans are also velcro dogs that will not roam.


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

Lately I have noticed an increase in the LGDs that are destroying animals.
Seems like many people with 3 chickens and a half acre lot wants 3 LGDs to protect their "livestock".


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## shdybrady (Aug 26, 2011)

I have a catahoula cur. the breed is bred to be a top notch hunting dog and derive from the red wolf. So undoubtly have the drive to kill something. And I will be honest she has attacked two chickens and killed one of them. I locked my chickens up until I got a shock collar. I would say it took a total of....one time being shocked for her to stop. We have done it several times when we catch her chasing the chickens or just showing too much attention to them. I have had as much as 26 chickens running on the yard and she doesnt bother them a bit. Actually will eat with them and even here of late uses her herding ability to coral them in a kennel at night. The shock collar is an effective tool against bad behavior of any sort. They are a bit pricey per unit but one size fits all and will be effective on any future dog you may have


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

We have had ONLY hunting dogs the entire time we've had poultry. Some dogs need a HARD hand to teach them to leave poultry alone. Our weimaraner who is 10 years old killed about 20 point of lay birds when he was 1.5-2yrs old. The birds kept hopping the fence and our dog often found them before we did. Finally, my dad got sick of it and took the butt end of a buggy whip and striped him up and down his back while he was carrying a dead chicken. When he finally dropped the bird, dad grabbed the dead bird and walloped him a few times with the dead one. Before that final bird, I had whalloped him with dead chickens (he's my dad's dog, so he didn't listen to me), and my dad had yelled at him several times. Weimaraners are very smart, we think he figured he wasn't killing and bringing us the correct bird or that he was killing them wrong. Wanting to please, he kept trying. If you've ever owned a weim you'd understand - they're really not like any other dog. 

This was probably 8 years ago now, and the weimaraner has since free ranged with the poultry all that time with zero incidences. He just had to be convinced that we did NOT want him to kill chickens. 

I think the trick is having the person the dog LOVES teach them what they need to know, and having the appropriate hard-handedness to convince the dog they're wrong. The weim doesn't listen to me because he always goes to my dad before me. I'm generally the enforcer and my dad is the one that the weim hides behind when he gets in trouble, lol. But when the protector gets mad, he realizes he made a serious transgression. 

He still hunts great in the field. They CAN be taught what is killable and what is NOT. They smell completely different and behave completely different. Dogs are smart enough to figure it out. 

The dog before that killed a chicken and we cured him by whalloping him ONCE with the dead bird. He was just a pup when he killed his first and only chicken, and lived to be 14. He was a Brittany/Springer mix. He and our chickens lived in harmony all that time.

We also have a GSP with great hunting lines/background, and he's got superb field instincts. No professional training, but he hardly needed any training whatsoever. He's 7, and has never even BLINKED at the chickens. They were here first, so obviously they're not prey. He did, however, get REALLY excited when we brought guineas home. He attacked them once, we called him off and told him no, and that was that. The guineas scream at him constantly and he couldn't care less. 

Before those dogs (I wasn't alive then) we've had other GSP, beagles, labs, lab mixes etc. It can be done.  I know many farm dogs (herding breeds, terriers) that don't kill chickens. It's more the dog and the training, IMO.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

I'm slowly working my six month old collie to be very soft around the ducks. She is very tuned in to me regarding what I want from her and always trying to please. Sometimes she gets carried away, but she's learning fast what we want and what we don't. I take her in with the ducks on lead and ask for her attention and for her to down on command. I don't know much about training a herding dog, I think it would be cool for her to help me move them, but my ducks are big and fat and shouldn't be run.... so, all of her contact with them is under control and I explain to her what I am looking for. I think she will pick it up. She's getting very good at "leave it" when she starts to pay attention to something I don't want stolen or poked...


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## JasoninMN (Feb 24, 2006)

Many will tell you only LGDs can be trusted, the numerous LGDs killing chickens tells me otherwise. I have had everything from pitbulls to bird dogs around my chickens with no problems. Its the owner/training that determines the out come. No beatings or shocking have been necessary here either. Now I have been told that Huskies are impossible,. someday I will test that theory when I take up dog sledding.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

We have Australian Sheperds. They have been great with the poultry ( turkeys included).

They are curious with chicks and might lick them to death but anything older than 6 weeks is no problem at all.


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## Wildfire_Jewel (Nov 5, 2006)

We have Beagles - They were scruffed and flipped onto their backs hard whenever they looked cross eyed at the birds when they were pups. They have NEVER killed one of our birds - however, they know which ones belong and which do not. We had a hen thrown over the yard fence just before Easter one year - Dogs were on her as soon as they got her scent. Luckily, I was able to call them off before she was hurt. They do not bother any of our caged rabbits either but if one is loose - all bets are off. They are very difficult to call off of rabbits or small rodents but that is what they are bred for.......I am not impressed with the Pyrs that I have known. If we ever wind up with property, I will be looking in to an English Sheperd that has been raised around farm animals.


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## zephyrcreek (Mar 30, 2012)

every dog is different, but a few breeds that I would NEVER even consider. Huskies and terriers being two that I would stay away from. All dogs need to be trained, some just more than others. That's why so many people with LGD's get into trouble. We lost many chickens to our first LGD, but at 3 years old I would trust her with everything except flying muscovies and the youngest chicks. My Lab is also totally trus worthy with the chickens, but he just has too much interest in the ducks. He was used in the field before we rescued him.


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## Otter (Jan 15, 2008)

Lets see, right now I have a beagle, a border collieX, a dachshund/rat terrier/who knows whatX pup, a blackmouth cur and a big pointer. The cur, the pointer and the doxieX's mother were all strays (she's been adopted, we taught her about birds too).
None of them molest my birds, cats, or the new bunny. I lost one adolescent chicken each to the BCX and the doxieX before they learned. 
If the bunny was loose outside, it would be toast. If it is in the house, it can hop up next to the beagle and cuddle up for a nap. I can also dig up a picture of our Golden, and his pet duck. I really miss that dog.

These dogs will _all_ run a rabbit (the beagle taught everyone), tree a ****, chase a squirrel and the beagle and BCX will point wild quail (interestingly, I haven't seen the pointer do it - yet). The little doxieX goes nuts for mice and moles. But I don't raise *****, squirrels, mice, moles or bobwhites - they can tell the difference. And if it comes in my house it is MINE. Dogs do understand MINE. As in rabbits inside are MINE, rabbits outside and not in cages are not.

It's not the breed, it's just the training, and there is certainly no perfect farm dog - if there was we'd all have one. Breeds that hunt with a human, like bird dogs, are surprisingly easy to train. Breeds who hunted for generations because otherwise they might not eat, like Alaskan Huskies, are the hard ones. And, personal opinion, but you couldn't give me a Pyr if it came with a solid gold collar and a lifetime supply of food. _the barking..... aaauuuuggghhh!_


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## zephyrcreek (Mar 30, 2012)

Jason in MN, a friend raised huskies for years. She had hers tear through two layers of chain link fence to take out the birds. My husbands has also killed our birds. I have had so many customers buy from me because they are replacing flocks that the family husky or neighbors husky destroyed. I have also heard many stories about the husky that nobody ever had an issue with one day disembowling their sheep or goats. I don't trust them with anything that has four legs or feathers.


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## airotciv (Mar 6, 2005)

I don't think the breed makes any difference, its how the dog is trained. We have 2 Labs, that were hunting dogs (to old to hunt any more) and they were trained to leave the poultry on the farm alone. My sister has a Pit Bull that is in fear of our poutlry, as a puppy he had a run in with the Ducks, the ducks won. LOL Thanks to this forum and all the Great People, I learned how to train my dogs to leave the poultry alone.


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## DYngbld (Jun 16, 2009)

Our Beagle does a great job on the farm. No fox, dear, or ***** IF he is out side. He bothered the chickens when we first got them, but one or two pecks on the nose and he leaves them alone now. He likes to play with the rabbits, they don't care for it much, but all get good exersice.


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## PD-Riverman (May 24, 2007)

I Had a Pitt Bull that killed a lot of my neighbors chickens one day---he was about 1 yr old. After "training" him that day that Killing Chickens is a Bad Thing. He never killed another chicken and was around my chickens every day the rest of his life(8 more yrs). I have even locked him in the chicken pen with the chickens while I went some where. I Think Most any Dog can be trained to leave them alone. Good Luck!


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## eclipchic (Oct 24, 2010)

We had an old husky mix dog, he did great with chickens....but his temperament was unbelievably awesome and he's since gone. Our Pyr puppy who's 6 months is pretty good with the birds, however since she's young and playful she'll give them a little chase once and a while.....I don't think she'd ever hurt one though.


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## CraterCove (Jan 24, 2011)

I think, as stated before, its how you train your dogs that will make the difference. However, even though there are no problems when I am supervising, I would never just let my rat terriers or my beagle (I love the boy but I am never getting another hound again) around the birds when ranging without me present. It's what I have a kennel for. Birds come out, dogs go in with some frozen peanut butter kong treats. Everyone is happy and no feathers get ruffled.


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## Wildfire_Jewel (Nov 5, 2006)

CraterCove - We will NOT be repeating our beagles either. LOVE their temperments but hate some of the other breed tendencies.....My husband will get his wish and our next one will be another Dane (a well researched one and NOT a cheap one!)


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

We have 4 dogs and all of them have been raised since they were puppies to be near the chickens. I have all mixed pups including lab/border collie, lab/pit, lab/Heeler, lab/pit/border collie.
It is all in the training I think.....


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## mrs whodunit (Feb 3, 2012)

Just depends on the individual dog.

We have a lab who has never bothered the chickens unless we want her to chase the chickens for being somewhere they shouldn't.

She wasn't raised with birds.

Was raised with pits who never bothered chickens. One wanted to but he got a good bawling out and that's all it took.


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## LFRJ (Dec 1, 2006)

Cliff said:


> In general no hunting or herding breeds. There will be exceptions of course but the odds in general are not good.


Agree with Cliff here after several attempts at finding the right dog. We have a Standard Collie and an English Collie and both are great about guarding the poultry day and night, (even against raptors when they can) without, harming the poultry. Neither have herding instincts, however. 

I like our collies. While the term "LGD" seems to apply mainly to the Anatolians, Pyrs, etc., our Collies serve as decent LGD's in their own right - Haven't lost a single piece of livestock in two years with our team. (Bark and collaboration seems to be their strategy. I wouldn't expect them to take a cougar head on, but they'll let me know the cougar's lurking, and simultaneously let the cougar know that I've been informed) What more do you want?.


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## CraterCove (Jan 24, 2011)

Wildfire_Jewel said:


> CraterCove - We will NOT be repeating our beagles either. LOVE their temperments but hate some of the other breed tendencies.....My husband will get his wish and our next one will be another Dane (a well researched one and NOT a cheap one!)


Yes, ours will be a Rhodesian Ridgeback. They are much more up my alley. The 3am howling conversations between Zaius and the other local hounds has nearly got him run off and he's not yet two. But boy is he great with the kids and just a laid back good ole boy when he's not on the hunt.


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## airotciv (Mar 6, 2005)

Wildfire_Jewel said:


> CraterCove - We will NOT be repeating our beagles either. LOVE their temperments but hate some of the other breed tendencies.....My husband will get his wish and our next one will be another Dane (a well researched one and NOT a cheap one!)


I love my Danes, never a problem on the farm. They are such couch potaoes. When I say "lets go feed" the Labs can't wait to go, the Danes could care less.


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## volchitsa (Jul 18, 2011)

All of my dogs have been around chickens and once trained they never hurt them. Some of the breeds we have/have had are:

Australian Shepherd (LOVED chickens!)

Australian Cattle Dog/Pit Bull/Husky (Used to be aggressive but once corrected about chasing them he left them alone. He doesn't even mind much when a chicken comes up and looks at his food)

German Shepherd/Collie (tolerates chickens but only if they are ours. If a wild chicken appears on our property he generally chases them until corrected)

Rhodesian Ridge-back/Golden Retriever/Mutt (tolerates chickens unless near her food)

Although I do believe that genetics plays a role in the aggressiveness toward livestock, as long as the dog is trained not to hurt/chase/kill them I think any dog will be fine.


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## ai731 (Sep 11, 2007)

Our dog is a Rough Collie/Husky mix, and he's absolutely great with our chickens. On a walk, he will run a wild turkey off her nest and then circle back to gobble up the baby chicks, but he never touches our birds. Like everyone has said, it's the training, and the individual dog.


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