Chickens

[ctwiggs1]

Hey guys,

I live in town and my wife is wanting to start a small chicken coup in the back yard.  I grew up on a farm, and plan to own one someday, so I'm not really against it.

That being said, I have reservations about telling my Brittany to not hunt chickens, and then expecting him to perform for pheasant.

Any experience on this?  Anybody else gone through this?  Wondering what you guys experienced - did it affect the dogs performance in the field?

Thanks!

Curtis

[johnr060]

We have chickens, turkeys, and just about every other bird you can think of. And we have always had hunting dogs. Our dogs know better than to touch the pet birds. But this doesnt stop them freom being good hunters. I used to worry about the same thing.

[Tradbowhunter]

I've had the same concerns, didn't end up to be a problem though. My dog left my chickens alone and still went after birds in the field just fine. Just make sure to correct your dog right away if you notice any signs of it wanting to go after your chickens and you should be good. 

[deltaops]

I have a Springer that I got back in October last year. For the first few months we would  not let him out with the chickens and I had planned on not ever letting him out with them. One day he managed to escape through a window and he killed three of them. Not his fault cause that what he was trained to do. However, gradually over the time I have let him out while the chickens are in the back yard and he has learned to leave them alone. Two separate words and he will chase them and one stern "NO" and he will stop dead in his tracks.

the dog will learn to leave your birds alone with proper training. We have raised 7 chicks in the house and he has not bothered them to much. The first 4 he would lick them and get them all slobbery but he has never tried to actually eat them.

I have taken him out a few times and it has not effected his hunt in any way.

[REHJWA]

"NO!" is like a bolt of lightening to my dogs. 
There is also "leave it", but they love "Find & Get it" when hunting...

[turkeyfeather]

If you stay on top of your dog in the beginning he/she will learn that the birds at home are off limits.

[C-Money]

My chessys knew better. They left the chickens alone. They also leave the resident outside cat alone too, but watch out if a neighbor cat gets in the yard!! They still run/ran upland birds with great excitement.

[whitey]

My Cooke Canyon Lab has no interest in chickens. Must no they arent game birds.
Never have had a problem and He is around them all the time.

[ctwiggs1]

Thanks for the responses guys.  I suppose I don't have any excuses now... Time to build a coop!

[Special T]

I know that professional trainers sometimes use Bantam chickens for training. There was a "discussion" about it as to how different they are from normal chickens, but supposedly they have more of a "wild bird" smell.... If it were me id not have bantam chickens. 

[turkeyfeather]

I know that professional trainers sometimes use Bantam chickens for training. There was a "discussion" about it as to how different they are from normal chickens, but supposedly they have more of a "wild bird" smell.... If it were me id not have bantam chickens. 

That's all we raise (bantams). Never had a problem with dogs or cats.