[whitby_sam]

We have 2 dogs, an old English Sheepdog and a Collie X. Both are what I class as working dogs as they are guard dogs (and good at it) and they help me round up my chooks at night. They have the run of our land day and night and the closest they get to "worrying" any of our chickens is plodding behing them giving their bums a nudge with their noses. They've never shown any agression towards any of my birds and at worst when they were first introduced to chickens last year they gave a little playful chase.

I woke up this morning to a knock at the door from one of my neighbours who also keeps chickens asking if my dogs were out as there are feathers all over his yard and he thinks my collie X might be involved.

He later brought round a dead chook with all its tail feathers missing. I offered to replace it but he, like me, was more concerned about the manner in which it died.

I'd hate to think that my dogs are escaping and killing someone else's chickens but the evidence is overwhelming.

I've recently spent an awful lot of money fencing off all possible escape routes (to keep fox out rather than dogs in) but a few weeks ago we had a prowler who damaged a fence and I haven't had chance to do more than a quick repair. I think this is where they got out and have now fixed it.

Obviously because of a severe increase in chicken thefts in my local area I'm NOT going to keep my dogs in on a night but I can't risk them getting out and killing more livestock. The farm next door also have sheep, I dread to think what would happen if he thought my dogs were worrying them too.

If my dogs are OK with my chickens then why would they be aggressive towards someone else's? Surely to a dog, a chicken is a chicken no matter who it belongs to.

[doganjo]

Hmmm difficult one.  I'm not sure how mine would react to what they see as 'fair game', they certainly chase other folks cats, but cuddle mine, and lick him, as he does them.  Mine retrieve my ducks but just 'smack' the chickens to try to get them to play.   If you have sealed your fence and are sure there are no gaps I would leave things as they are meantime till you have any more proof.  What made your neighbour think it was your dog?  Were there tell tale signs on your side, did he see your dogs on his land?  Did you see them out?

[Birdie Wife]

Sorry to say this but I wouldn't trust any dogs 100% around chickens.  My mum had a very elderly collie X which would plod around the garden amiably, let the chickens steal food from her bowl and generally let them bully her - when she was out of sight it was another matter, and she killed 2 chickens on separate occasions. I woldn't have thought it possible if the evidence wasn't so overwhelming.

Sorry to hear of your problems with thefts and prowlers. Is an electric fence an option?

[xnbacon]

I feed our dogs raw food, and have found that whilst they will eat Tesco chicken, they aren't too keen on ours, so it is possible that they can tell the difference.
Also OH reports his collie chases pheasants with gusto, but won't chase the chickens, or for that matter, round up sheep.
Dogs are very strange, would love to be able to get inside their head sometimes!   

[lunanlife]

Hi Whitby,

Our dog is fine with all our chickens, pigs, our cat and is bullied by the geese. However she knows all these animals because she works with them daily. If she was introduced to animals that she didn't know outside her boundaries then I couldn't be certain. She certainly will chase other cats if they start running. If your dogs could get to your neighbours chickens then surely it would be just as easy for a fox to get to them.

[doganjo]

If your dogs could get to your neighbours chickens then surely it would be just as easy for a fox to get to them.

Which brings me back to my question  - how did your neighbour come to the conclusion it was your dogs?

[Farmer]

Has your neighbour ever heard of foxes?...If there's no sign of feathers, blood or fluff on your dogs...or unless they have sudenly become agressive toward YOUR chickens, then I would doubt that they are the culprits!

Farmer, 

[Helencus]

I wouldn't trust any dog, my boxer seemed all sweetness and light around my chickens albeit from the otherside of a fence. One got out whilst he was in the field and he killed it. After all I guess foxes ate just wild dogs so it's their instinct unless trained not to. Even then wouldn't trust them when you're not around. Still unless proven otherwise It may well have been a fox

[lunanlife]

Helencus,

We put our faith in our dog to adopt baby goslings. They followed her everywhere and then when fully grown started attacking her!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E70kQHvacNU

[little blue]

If my dogs are OK with my chickens then why would they be aggressive towards someone else's? Surely to a dog, a chicken is a chicken no matter who it belongs to.

My neighbour has a jack russell terrier - he says he doesnt bother with their rabbits, baby chicks or ferrets...  but he goes hunting and will chase wild rabbits, rats, foxes etc
So maybe your dogs do acknowledge your chooks as being 'different'  and bear in mind a "herding" is really just a hunt/chase instinct... but with you there to call a halt to it.

[doganjo]

You are all assuming Sam's dogs did this, but Sam hasn't yet been back on to say why his neighbour was so sure it was the dogs rather than a fox.

[Helencus]

Nope definately said could well be a fox in fact on balance it probably was a fox.

[sabrina]

My three dogs would not dream of chasing our cats, chickens or the ponies but when I am not around one of the big girls goes barking mad when she see the cats and jake our Jack Russell would have a go at a chicken, a case of when mums back is turned. On the point of your dogs being free during the night, is this not against the law. If a person was to wander onto your land at night and was bitten by one of your dogs then I think the police would charge you the owner. We have a sign up to say we have dogs but a friend did tell me that would not protect us if the dogs did attack even at night.

[whitby_sam]

One of the dogs is a regular visitor to next door and had displayed her herding instinct before but has never shown aggression towards them. Before I put the fence up I used to take her next door to "train" her not to bother chickens (before ours were old enough to free range as they do now) which consisted of making her walk to heal and then reprimanding her if she gave chase.

Because of this I imagine she sees next door's chickens as part of the pack too!

I DON'T think it was my dogs who killed the chicken, I haven't fallen out with my neighbour over this, I've merely strengthened my boundaries to that if he finds another dead chook I can say 100% that it wasn't one of my dogs!

I am certain that my dogs did visit next door that morning but I am also certain that they didn't have any part in killing the chicken. I will just have to make sure there is no way they can visit in future.

[whitby_sam]

In response to the question about my dogs being loose at night:-

If someone were to wander over the 6 foot plus fence, or climb the barbed wire covered gate, totally ignoring the "Warning, Guard Dogs" signs and the snarling dogs who would no doubt have already arrived (they're very sensitive) then who knows?

They'd have to have a very good reason not to knock on my door first. Surely if someone's intentions are honourable they can knock on a door at any time. If they're not honourable then I have a toddler to protect and whatever the dogs start I'll very happily finish.

If it is indeed illegal for my dogs to be running free, on my land, protecting my livestock and equipment, will the Police come out to arrest the fox that takes my chickens? Infact, will they even bat an eyelid if I have a prowler? (They haven't so far...) There have been a spate of poultry thefts, a spate of farm equipment thefts and nobody has been caught for either. If we're not allowed to protect our livelihood and our family then what's the point.

I think I'll take the risk! If someone who's attempting to steal my livestock, steal my equipment, burgle my house or worse ends up getting bitten by my dogs who are following their instinct to protect their family then good luck to them! I'm sure it wouldn't stand up in court! I have clear signs warning people not to trespass, there are no public rights of way on my land and anybody who has business entering my land is surely capable of knocking on my door no matter what time of day or night.