framing fowl -daily living

[ohiofarmgirl]

we use Bee's method ... we say (about anything the dogs cant mess with) THATS MINE. but you need to use this globally so the dog understand that you own everything. the good news is that if you can get them to help they will see the hens as something to work with not chew on.

for me i need helpers so i dont want to dogs to be afraid of the poultry or livestock, i just need them to understand i own them. so i keep the focus on them following my direction, not deciding who or what they can chase.

my dogs help me bring in the hens, find stragglers, and keep the roosters off me. only when commanded ("get that rooster") they will chase the rooster off - short, non-lethal run around the yard. they will entirely ignore the chickens chicks ducks and everyone else but if i point to THAT rooster... he gets the business. its actually kinda cool - a rooster may be in a group of hens and even tho there is a lot of birds standing there - the dogs go after just the rooster.

the hard thing with dogs and chickens is that every cell in their body is screaming: ITS FLAPPING AND SQUAWKING CHASE IT CHASE IT GRAB IT and its really hard to break that - unless they already have a job.

also bored dogs will find something to play with. as we say around here, a tired dog is a good dog. if anyone gets ants in their pants we play fetch until they give up.

Bee and i are fans of the Monks of New Skete and their training program:
http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/

i highly recommend it. the only thing we do differently from the monks is that our dogs do NOT sleep in our room - they are contained in the DMZ (Dog Mud Zone) in the kitchen and may not wonder around the house. but they are with me all day so we maintain a proximity.

the first couple weeks we had this property it was just Ti (big male shepherd) and i over here and he slept in the room with me. it drove me nuts! all the head shaking, ear flapping, collar jingling, paw licking, snoring, and Mr. Itty Bitty Bladder Has to Pee at 4am... cant stand it. out dog out! so the DMZ works for us - it also reinforces the physical hierarchy we keep (no dogs on furniture, we are rarely at eye level with them, etc).

dogs CAN be trained not to mess with the hens but they need swift and sure correction if they show any interest.

good luck!

 

[Farmfresh]

When our conditioned dogs grew up they weren't really "afraid" of a chicken, but they had a sort of deep seated respect for them. I did not want them to be buddies anyway I just wanted them to protect my stuff and keep the predators away ... which they did well.

The biggest problem is that you can only do the rooster trick while the pups are small. A bigger dog would just "solve" his problem.

The problem I have had with chicken chasing dogs is that my last dog was AKC Husky and my current dog is 1/2 Husky. It seems a Husky is more entertained with the idea of chicken chasing and plucking and just sheer death than normal dogs. Like wild blood. My last Husky was NEVER sorry or truly dominatable. (And I DO know how to do that with a normal dog) After any lesson or after a reprimand or after wreaking total destruction - she always had a big grin that you could not have wiped away without causing her true injury or death.

The half Husky is better. She feels bad. She has guilt. She really WANTS to do the right thing ..... and then the Husky blood kicks in and she plucks a chicken bald, but she is so sorry later.

Ended up with poultry in a good strong pen when the dogs are out.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

yep on the huskys.... one of our dog trainer guys actually talked us out of a husky - he knew we farmed and said the breed is really really primal and it would be hard to train the prey drive out of them.

good fences make good neighbors and dogs!
;-)

are yours hunters?? mine dont hunt-n-kill varmints but they find and bark at them.

but i bet you could hook those huskies up to a sled and have them pull you! i've always wanted to be on the back of a sled dog team and yell "MUSH"! whoot!

if i thew a ball i think mine would actually pull a sled. but my arm would get tired from throwing before we actually got anywhere.....

 

[FarmerChick]

dogs do need jobs
they are useless now to people as ornaments and comfort pets
but they are breed for jobs usually and that energy must be used

sad how animals bred to work are just useless nowadays

 

[TanksHill]

FarmGirl I like your attitude about dogs. My dh allowed our first Rottweiler to sleep on his side of the bed. He was a good, old, well trained dog. (not my dh) But the new one. Ugggg. He does the ear flapping and such. This pup is a real challenge to me. ?The tired dog thing is so true. In fact I am considering a friend for my new dog. While we were in the desert last weekend my Rottie did nothing but play then sleep, play then sleep. I couldn't help but think how nice it would be for him at home if he acted this way.

With the chickens my problem is I trained my dog at one coop. He walks out to my large coop and sits under a tree while I feed and gather eggs. The second coop he gets all agitated and paces the fence line. I have no idea why. Maybe I did not introduce him to this coop as well when he was a pup. Who knows.

I like the "that's mine" line. I wonder if I can teach it now at 1 year of age. I will check out the link you gave.

gina

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

i'm all for 2 dogs - especially with males. i dont know what it is - i'm guessing all that testosterone.... if it were me i'd get your pup a female to have as a friend. two male dogs together is grueling sometimes especially when they get all teenagery.

you dog sounds like he has a job (sit under tree) at the first coop. he probably needs one for the 2nd coop... have him 'walk the line' - go around the fencing and mark on it. your man can um.. help with this... he might also smell a predator so marking it will help him and the hens. or point to a different tree or corner of the fence BEFORE he starts pacing and say 'wait for me' (or down stay) until you are done.

and yep you can teach the 'thats mine' - start with toys or food. just take something away from dog (never play tug o war) and say thats mine! and walk away. work up to: take small chicken, make dog down and stay, stand OVER dog holding chicken, and say 'thats mine!" let him sniff - and then walk away. they will get the picture pretty quick



now if only this worked on cats!

 

[FarmerChick]

not a thing in this world works on cats...LOL
they are their own souls, true to themselves and could care less about what you think or want..HA HA

 

[dragonlaurel]

not a thing in this world works on cats...LOL
they are their own souls, true to themselves and could care less about what you think or want..HA HA

The difference between dogs and cats is

dogs come when called








cats take a message.

Unless your are calling them with a can opener. They are more "what's in it for me".

 

[lorihadams]

My husband says that I am like a cat......gee, wonder what he means by that????


My great granddaddy used to break dogs from eating chickens by tying the carcass around it's neck for a few days and letting it drag it around. They had to stay outside and needed a bath when it was done but they usually would never touch one again after that.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

yeah thats an old farmer's tale.. the problem is that some dogs think you've just tied a handy happy meal around their neck.

i think this worked for the old timers mostly b/c it accompanied a sound beating of the naughty dog. and more than likely the farmer we shame the dog every time he saw him.

but i'm with you - ick. i couldnt watch one of my hens rot like that
:-(........

maybe your hubby thinks you are cute and cuddly???