Here is a simple method on how to train a dog to protect your flock. I am not a dog trainer, but this is a method that has worked for us with zero loss of birds to our three dogs. A pug, a German Shepard and A German Shepard/Rottweiler mix. Results may vary. I will post some other references at the bottom that might interest you as well.
So several years ago after we finished our house, we decided it was time to start incorporating livestock into our homestead. The first animal was a chicken. Easy to keep, low maintenance, low feed cost and eggs daily. A no brainer IMO.
The chickens were raised in our house and the dogs have always been around them as they grew because we started them in the pantry in a barrel planter.
They quickly outgrew that so we moved them into a dog kennel in the living room for a couple weeks, my wife wasn’t to keen on that, but it allowed the dogs to sniff them and get use to them.
We moved them out to the coop when they were about 4 weeks old and made sure they were protected from the wind and kept a light on for them.
About a week later they were pretty much feathered out and they started exploring.
Our coop is part of our cedar fence, so the dogs have always seen them in our “yard” as it were. They would always go over sniff them and just watch them. One night a skunk was trying to get into the coop and the dogs killed it, I took that as a good sign.
I figured, they had to realize they are part of the family, so one day I decided to build a quick greenhouse over my raised beds and moved our chickens into it. I allowed the dogs down to sniff around and get use to hearing them and smelling them actually in the yard. Well one day it was time to test the dogs with the chickens up close and personal. So I opened the greenhouse door and just watched.
The gsd seemed more interested in the chicken feed.
The pug wasn’t quite sure what to think
So the next two days, I would let the chickens out to mingle with the dogs and just sat back and watched.
Our old boy isn’t even interested
The gsd followed them around eating chicken poop.
This is the downside of letting the chickens free in the yard, the wife has adopted them as pets, they come running when she calls them to get some bread.
Now every time I walk out the door, I get accosted by birds looking for food, and one night she said, your not really gonna kill my girls are you? 🙁
So this past year we added turkeys and ducks to our flock. We couldn’t keep them in the house so I built them a box in the barn and would bring the dogs down to them.
The ducks grew quick and I moved them into a pallet duck house by our pond and kept them in there as the dogs got use to them. My father really enjoyed visiting with them.
The ducks quickly learned to come to the porch to get a treat. I wonder where they learned that from? The first time they flew.
The turkeys were moved into the coop so that the dogs could associate with them for a couple weeks.
Once I felt comfortable, we moved them into the yard as well.
They quickly took over head yard boss from the chickens.
And took over my Dad’s deck.
and the top of the chicken coop.
Once again, they quickly learned where to come for a treat.
Even at 6:00 a.m. 🙁
We then added 20 meat birds to our flock. We once again started them in the barn and would bring the dogs down to sniff them. After several weeks, we moved them into the coop so they could associate together.
I built a chicken tractor and moved the meat birds into the yard.
We would move it nightly and would try to get the pug to help herd them out of the way. For the record, pugs stink at being a herd dog.
Our flock got along great, people have told me they shouldn’t be raised together. We never had any issues.
Unless of course I forgot to close the side gate and they all escaped. But that’s one good thing about spending time with your animals and working with them. They come when you call them.
This is the last picture I have of our old boy before we had to put him down. There had been a cat in the yard and he would just stand watch at the pond as the birds drank and played. Miss you boy.
Again, I am not a trainer, this is just the method that has worked for us.
Here are some other references for integrating dogs and birds together.
http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/how-do-i-train-my-dog-to-stop-chasing-the-chickens-cat-rat
http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-train-a-dog-to-protect-chickens
http://www.invasiveanimals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Guardian-Dogs-web.pdf
Good luck and enjoy your animals!
