Dogs and chickens (westies)

[Deansmig]

Hi all, I'm new to the forum and chickens, just got set up yesterday with for young birds should be point of lay in about 2 weeks.We have two west highland terriers, we haven't let the chickens out in the garden yet just their own small run, I was wondering how chickens and dogs mixed, especially westies. Any advice would be appreciate

 

[Lordcluck]

Dogs vary as individuals in their approach to chickens. A westy owning friend of mine doesn't trust hers to behave with her fowls, and as the owner of two JRT's I certainly don't trust mine with any small livestock!, and never let them near ranging birds unsupervised. Terriers are generally a problem to break to livestock, their killer instinct is hard to control,but that's not to say it's impossible.
I wouldnt trust your dogs off the lead with your birds on a first introduction. keep them on their leads and watch their reaction, if the red mist descends and they get the killer look in their eyes, they'll need reprimanding and teaching! It could be a long and painful learning curve for you the dogs and the chickens! My 13 year old JRT has a jekyll and Hyde personality with poultry. whilst near poultry and under my scrutiny, she sheepishly looks the other way, seemingly ignoring the birds, but as soon as my attention is diverted, '' Crunch!!" She'll have one in her jaws!! then, once the sin has been committed, her displays of remorse and her efforts to apologise are almost painful to watch!. .

 

[EddieS]

My 13 year old JRT has a jekyll and Hyde personality with poultry. whilst near poultry and under my scrutiny, she sheepishly looks the other way, seemingly ignoring the birds, but as soon as my attention is diverted, '' Crunch!!" She'll have one in her jaws!! then, once the sin has been committed, her displays of remorse and her efforts to apologise are almost painful to watch!. .

Because nature takes over from nurture. The reason I never trust my dogs with poultry.

 

[Marigold]

Hi Deansmig andwelcome to the forum. Your post reminded me of an earlier time this had come up, on this thread http://poultrykeeperforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5771&p=32228&hilit=Puppy#p32228 which you may find interesting. As the owner of a Norflok, I would say that your terriers will need careful training as of course they will find the new pullets very interesting and will initially regard them as prey, especially as they are young birds, in anew place, and thus probably more flighty than they will be once they have settled down and started laying. I would myself keep them in their run for a couple of weeks, until you can be sure of catching them in there and picking them up, as otherwise you will have to chase them round the garden to catch them, which will panic them, and set back their training programme. Once they are a bit tamer, you can let them out, initially without the dogs being around, as the pullets will need to explore the new area they have access to, before they can feel safe and calm in it.
Whilst they are in the run, you could take the dogs to the outside, on leads, and do the usual Sit and Stay and Leave training, with rewards, when they are calm and quiet with the birds. Once they get used to the sight of these interesting strangers they won't find them so interesting, but when you eventually get to the stage of letting the girls out to the garden, you will need to keep the dogs on leads for quite a while and supervise them, until you are sure they won't chase the pullets. Even if they are sensible with the birds when they are just walking around, if one of them is startled and flies away squawking, it would be too much for any self-respecting Westie to ignore and he will give chase.
Of course with any luck, one of the hens will peck the dog hard on the nose, which happened to my Norfolk when he chased a hen- instant cure, never shows any interest in any of them since then!

By the way, Dinosaw, if you're reading this, how is Tuppence getting on, a year later?

 

[VALBURNHAM]

In my experience all dogs are different and you will need to see which sort yours fits into. I have a border collie and he is amazing with my hens looks after them and if the cat goes near chases it off the only problem with him is if they start to stray too far he puts his paw on them to stop them and when he does this to my pekin he nearly flattens them . My old collie cross GSD just totally ignored them was not at all interested. My sons springer cross collie came to visit and grabbed straight for a hen I was carrying ripping all the feathers out of her tail I was totally unprepared as I had only had the experience of my two. I dont think that I would necessarily be happy leaving chickens totally unattended with a dog a friend I visited had a dog she had had for years never looked at the hens she came back one day to find it had killed two.

 

[Deansmig]

Thanks for all the replies, at the moment both dogs seem totally intreged by the chickens, I do think once I let thm out they will chase them, so best not to

 

[simelbushby]

we have 4 dogs 3 shih tzu and 1 weibermana
at first very unsure but let them out with dogs on leads after a while the shihtzu were fine running around around with them
now the other is a natural hunting dog and to our surprise after a couple of weeks took no notice and all ok to let out
our puppy shih tzu chases a couple of them accasionaly but now we noticed the chickens start it ,
would not let them out if we had a visiting dog tho
sorry for spelling dislexic

 

[valeriebutterley]

Just to divert a little........
Cats and chickens. My white and black cat, Boris, does not regard chickens or chicks as prey. Somehow the prey mode comes off when confronted with chickens.
Boris is an all out slaughterer of almost anything small that scurries or flies, but amazingly seems to hold his instincts in check when chicks are concerned. It is obvious even to the birds concerned. Yesterday, I had two 12 week old Pekins out and about in the garden for the first time. the cat knew they were "newbies", so he went and had a VERY close look. The chicks were not concerned at all and continued about their busy pecking business, as Pekins do.
Has anybody else experienced this phenominal sense of protection with their cat?

 

[Lordcluck]

I no longer have cats, but my last two, a pair of rescue farm Moggies, completely ignored my birds. Rather like your cat valeriebutterley, Ive watched both of mine circumnavigate a free ranging brooding OEG Hen with what must surely have been very tempting young chicks at foot, without a second glance. My birds likewise took no notice of the cats. However, as I have mentioned in a previous thread, I once shot a Large feral Tabby Tom that had taken to killing my ranging Cochin growers, so like Dogs,it would seem cats vary in their attitude towards stock.

 

[Granny Magic]

We've got an 11yr old Border Terrier who just goes loopy if we let him down the garden near the chucks -!!! He can't quite figure them out (mind you he was like that with the grandchildren when they were babies !! Ha ha ) The chickens don't like him either - they get very agitated if they see him in the garden so poor dog is confined to the yard. :?

 

[EddieS]

I no longer have cats, but my last two, a pair of rescue farm Moggies, completely ignored my birds. Rather like your cat valeriebutterley, Ive watched both of mine circumnavigate a free ranging brooding OEG Hen with what must surely have been very tempting young chicks at foot, without a second glance. My birds likewise took no notice of the cats. However, as I have mentioned in a previous thread, I once shot a Large feral Tabby Tom that had taken to killing my ranging Cochin growers, so like Dogs,it would seem cats vary in their attitude towards stock.

Probably because a feral cat sees them as prey and a spoilt domestic moggie can't be bothered.
A cat keeper of many years I believe in this modern saying.
"Do not meddle In the affairs of cats, for they are subtle and will piss on your computer"

 

[foxy]

I no longer have cats, but my last two, a pair of rescue farm Moggies, completely ignored my birds. Rather like your cat valeriebutterley, Ive watched both of mine circumnavigate a free ranging brooding OEG Hen with what must surely have been very tempting young chicks at foot, without a second glance. My birds likewise took no notice of the cats. However, as I have mentioned in a previous thread, I once shot a Large feral Tabby Tom that had taken to killing my ranging Cochin growers, so like Dogs,it would seem cats vary in their attitude towards stock.

Probably because a feral cat sees them as prey and a spoilt domestic moggie can't be bothered.
A cat keeper of many years I believe in this modern saying.
"Do not meddle In the affairs of cats, for they are subtle and will piss on your computer"

Or on your managers laptop bag.... :shock: :roll: .....now that was bad..

 

[VALBURNHAM]

my cat who is a big hunter does ignore my hens in fact he scurrys away if they come anywhere near him its almost as if he knows not to touch. I do have bantams which was a worry at first, mind you my border collie guards the hens and would give him short shrift if he tried anything.

 

[ncotb]

Our springer cannot be trusted with the chickens, our JRT is wary of them & our cat usually ignores them

 

[damecluck]

I have a 5 year old Parsons Terrier and he can be trusted with my chooks, cats and my guinea pigs. The main problem is that he is very interested in their bums as with most dogs! Training is important as everyone has said and not all dogs will respond. I kept Fergus on the lead the first few times he mixed with the other animals. If he as much as looked at them he was reprimanded quickly. Then I would take him into the run and let him off the lead keeping a very close eye on him. Again if he showed too much interest he was reprimanded. I would say it took a couple of weeks and then he was fine. Again with the guinea pigs he is more interested in their food and just sniffs round them. He is friendly with my cats but will soon chase any others. Good luck.

 

[EddieS]

I have a 5 year old Parsons Terrier and he can be trusted with my chooks, cats and my guinea pigs. The main problem is that he is very interested in their bums as with most dogs! Training is important as everyone has said and not all dogs will respond. I kept Fergus on the lead the first few times he mixed with the other animals. If he as much as looked at them he was reprimanded quickly. Then I would take him into the run and let him off the lead keeping a very close eye on him. Again if he showed too much interest he was reprimanded. I would say it took a couple of weeks and then he was fine. Again with the guinea pigs he is more interested in their food and just sniffs round them. He is friendly with my cats but will soon chase any others. Good luck.

Ah,ah a Parsons Terrier is only the new name for the Jack, he's lulling you into a false sense of security :lol:

 

[damecluck]

You certainly seem very knowledgeable EddieS :lol: