dogs and chickens

First time chicken Mom, here. After loads of research (and yet I'll never know enough), I picked up three E.E.s and three Black Copper Marans yesterday (and yes, I now know I missed the 's' in my handle, but I'm considering changing my name entirely, so I'll fix it when I get my ideal name...

Well, it's Sunday and decided that I'd let them in the run, (currently it doesn't have the metal roof, or even the ladder for that matter). BUT, it meant that I could forgo hauling them from their coop to the temporary run for today. Read: big dog kennel! Obviously, I'll be out here with them...

I am looking to buy 2 puppies at 8 weeks age hopefully, and put them in the pen with our chickens. I have two Chihuahuas that guard the outside of the pen, and a lab mix that watches and guard the whole 5 acres. What breed should I get to raise around the chickens, and safely have it running...

Yes, I’m one of those guys who thinks I’m hilarious. Just bought these cuties yesterday and am grateful for a wealth of wisdom and information that will keep me from losing my mind as I experience the agony and ecstasy (yes, I can also be melodramatic) of chicken husbandry.

Hello all! This is Rachel from the Casper household! We are in the planning process preparing to become a chicken family next summer! My husband and I have two boys, ages 14 months and three years. The older one was able to catch a chicken properly at a year and a half all by himself! So I had...

So I’m in the market for a dog that won’t eat my chickens, I’ve been looking at livestock protectors but they are pretty pricey when you get into the larger purebreds. I’ve been looking at mixes like Shollies and purebreds like Akbash but I don’t know what’s the right fit. The chickens have a...

I have a hen who claimed a planter on my screened-in patio. She's been sitting on a dozen eggs for 15 days. My question is what to do after they hatch. My chickens are free range. One rooster, 12 hens, 6 guinea fowl. But there are two dogs between where she has elected to nest and the coop...

This is very much a noobie question, and I'm just looking for general thoughts and opinions. We've got a rat infestation on the property and poison is not an option (yes, we know about the other options). We've been discussing getting a dog, but I've read so many horror stories of dogs going...

Hi chicken lovers! I’m Donna and I live in Cabot, VT with my dog Ginger (2). I just got my first flock of 8 chicks, 2 of each: Barred Rock, Golden Comet, Buff Orpington, and Ameraucana. They’re a week old and so cute! And I have no idea what I’m doing! A friend recommended this site and I’m...

Hi! What’s the best way to introduce our chickens to our dogs... without stressing them out. We have a very old lab. And a 6 month old goldendoodle. Both have shown nothing but playful interest in the chickens in their box, but of course they chickens can’t know that. Our goal is to have them...

I had three backyard hens that are well behaved. I just recently brought in a new chick and she is close to maturity now. Almost / or is full size. she’s a Brahma she is being excluded and slightly picked on from my girls but they all sleep in the coop together. so the last 30 days she has...

Hello All! I’ve recently seen some posts regarding dogs killing chickens, and asking which dogs make the best flock protectors. Here is my offering of rambling thoughts and stories.... Shared with the hope that every flock loving family Vintage A dear friend and 70yo long time chicken lady...

so basically I got my chickens about a week and a half ago and we never had problems with them getting attacked, but..... today my cousin's dog (their our neighbors) visited us and at first, it was pleasant and we petted him and everything was fine, but then he went sniffing around the fence of...

I am brand new to raising chickens and I am debating on how to manage them...we have about an acre of unfenced land and a coop that's been given to us by friends. I'd like to let them out, but I have some concerns: 1.) We live pretty close to a road that sees a decent amount of traffic. 2.) I...

We have a small flock of 4 chickens (one rooster and three hens, two are small breeds - sumatran and sultana). Yesterday we found an abandoned puppy that we are considering keeping. It seems to be a mix but best guess is that it has some degree of treeing tennessee brindle (which is a hunting...

A week ago my dog was run over by a car. :hit He was part Beagle, so he did kill a few of our chickens. Since then we have made an outdoor run that has done a good job of keeping the chickens in and the predators out. I will be getting a Golden Retriever puppy :love in 1-2 weeks, and I was...

I just put three chickens in the coop. My two goldendoodles are very aggressive towards the chickens and the coop. They follow commands well but I am afraid that their instincts are taking over. I want to keep the chickens safe while letting my dogs out in the yard off leash. Any advice is...

hi y’all! We recently purchased a 15 week old Great Pyrenees who was brought up with chickens since the day she was born. I have a free range flock, 40 acres, ponds, cows, bees, barbed wire fencing... I know I can’t allow her until she is fully trained and old enough to protect them and trust...