Bird dog vs. chickens

[pens fan]

Anyone have chickens AND bird dogs and how do you keep the dogs off the birds?

[bobcat]

That's a bad combination. My Brittany was blind and she still managed to kill four of our chickens.

[birddogdad]

chickens in pens, or, the dog will retrieve them!

[weathergirl]

I'm pretty sure this conversation has happened several times, and I'm pretty sure I've chimed in before, but...

We have had a couple of pretty amazing and birdy retrievers and have always had chickens.  It's all about the training, and our dogs have learned (pretty quickly--they are smart) the difference.  Amber completely ignores the chickens but she will find any bird out there joyfully and skillfully.  Now, if she happens to be running out to the truck and a chicken is standing in her way, does she not enjoy the fact that she sends the chicken fluttering?  I'm sure she enjoys what happens, but she never EVER EVER chases them or even plays with them.

Keeping her from rolling in rotting *anything* is another story though...   

[KP-Skagit]

My dad has a lab that my dad and I have shot hundreds of ducks over. On his property he has a pond with nesting boxes for wood ducks. Routinely we would have a dozen or more wood ducks in the pond and walking through the lawn. The dog messed with them at first but we always got on her about it and pretty quickly she learned that they were off limits.

Now she just sits on the deck and watches them. I think in general dogs want to do what you want and want to make you happy. Show them the right way and they will adopt it.

[WALLEYEGUY]

Had a lab retrieve $495 worth of ducks and swans from the park near my house in Ohio.  Bought my first real kennel after that.

[weathergirl]

Of course I'm talking about our GOLDEN retriever.  Maybe that's the key...maybe only golden retrievers are smart enough to tell the difference.      (just kidding of course...)

[Colin]

My BLM and two mutts have either had chickens raised around them or been raised around chickens and have had no major issues. A little chasing now and then when not being watched but other than that not much else.

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[buglebuster]

I left the lid open on accident one night and 2 pullets got out, my back lab ate them. I can't even be mad at her, but the chickens are now in a different bigger pen and the dogs don't pay any attention to them.

[wildweeds]

It's not a newsflash but a real bird dog will be tough to break of it. My dad had a German shorthair he beat,whipped,hung dead chickens on her collar until they rotted off. It wasn't until she came home shot through the face from the neighbor at the age of 8 she smarten up. I had some trouble with my springers as well. I have owned more than one dog that were easy to break of it. Those individuals were never thought of by me as high drive bird getting machines. Like my neighbor told me " IF you have a hunting dog that you can leave run around the yard unattended, it ain't no huntin dog". Yup I've owned more than a couple.

[weathergirl]

It's not a newsflash but a real bird dog will be tough to break of it. My dad had a German shorthair he beat,whipped,hung dead chickens on her collar until they rotted off. It wasn't until she came home shot through the face from the neighbor at the age of 8 she smarten up. I had some trouble with my springers as well. I have owned more than one dog that were easy to break of it. Those individuals were never thought of by me as high drive bird getting machines. Like my neighbor told me " IF you have a hunting dog that you can leave run around the yard unattended, it ain't no huntin dog". Yup I've owned more than a couple.

Well, you and your neighbor have not met our dog.   

[h2ofowlr]

My neighbors are in the process of teaching their lab about not killing the chickens.  The lab may be a slow learner as he has 14 chickens to his name.

[bknilvr00]

We don't have chickens, but we do have 6 ducks! My lab is very birdy, has a very high prey drive, but hasn't hassled our ducks. We started the dog and duck interaction when we had them in the box when they were ducklings. He is really curious, but once his curiosity went further than sniffing we reprimanded, and sent him on his way. He ignores them completely. Our doberman does the same thing.

[ghosthunter]

I'm pretty sure this conversation has happened several times, and I'm pretty sure I've chimed in before, but...

We have had a couple of pretty amazing and birdy retrievers and have always had chickens.  It's all about the training, and our dogs have learned (pretty quickly--they are smart) the difference.  Amber completely ignores the chickens but she will find any bird out there joyfully and skillfully.  Now, if she happens to be running out to the truck and a chicken is standing in her way, does she not enjoy the fact that she sends the chicken fluttering?  I'm sure she enjoys what happens, but she never EVER EVER chases them or even plays with them.

Keeping her from rolling in rotting *anything* is another story though...   

 

My son has chickens, his lab pays them no mind.
I think its because he doesn't shoot a shotgun while feeding them.

[87Ford]

I would never break my flushing Labs from their interest in chasing chickens, or any birds for that matter.  I too would suspect the birdiness of any flushing dog that "ignored" the chickens..  Better to find a way to keep your chickens inaccessible to your dog.