I have just had to go & knock on next door's door because their dog had gotten into our garden. I'm sure it's happened before but I've never actually caught- just found 'evidence' if you get what I mean. Anyway now I'm worried about the hens. I let them out every day & either stay in the garden or watch them from the window while I'm pottering about in the kitchen. I'm guessing that a dog would pose as much danger as a fox? That's as in if it saw a chicken it would go for it? Is there anything extra I should be doing? Besides sorting out the fence & asking next door to sort it properly. Not only that but I have 4 kids so I'm a bit annoyed by the fact the dog is coming in our garden. It's an alsatian (I think) which they got a Christmas - so still a fairly young dog- & you *never* see them taking him out for a walk, not to mention the dog mess all over the garden- in fact I just found a load of it behind our greenhouse.
I do so love this type of dog owner, they give the rest of us the worst of names. My dog has never shown the slightest interest in my girls, except to eat their droppings, gross! She is a dumb as a box of rocks, soft as cotton wool Bassett Hound, but even so I would never leave her unsupervised in the gardens when the girls are out and about
[center]Very Proud Owner Of A Dark Green Egg Skelter[/center]
hello Brenny, Yes a dog could do the same as a fox, but a fox has more of an incentive as it doesn't get fed at home. We have a GSD (Alsatian) and a Jack Russell neither of which I would trust with the chickens as it would only take a second for them to be dogs and that would be at least one chook down. It would be less likely to have a go at kids I would think but could still scare the living daylights out of them even if it was only playing, if they weren't used to dogs. I would get that fence line sorted asap. My GSD can clear a 5 foot fence with only a small run up if she wants to, so if the fence is any lower than that maybe put some trellis on top. Hope that's some help. Dom
As regards the law it is the owners responsibility to have full control of his/her dog even if the fencing is rickety. Personally I would never trust any dog with chickens.
Yep, try to protect your hens. As quite obviously your neighbour cannot control her animal. I have two GSD's [alsations] and they are never unsupervised with the hens. It only takes a second, even playing. They are very vunerable. Wendy
Thanks. The problem we have is that the 'fence' between ours & next door's is not a proper fence but is wire. Big square holes & it's coming apart in places. Our garden is mostly protected by big trees on that side but there is a few places where there's a gap. We have fixed the fence a few times because the dog had chewed it. Where we used to live we used to have an issue with a dog coming into the garden & were told by a dog warden that it is the owners responsibility to make sure the dog is secure in their garden. I think we will have to approach their landlord (next door) to see about a proper fence between ours & next door- there's no way I'm having a dog coming in my garden.
The thing is Brenny, we know it is their responsibility. But each time the dog comes in the garden the chooks are at risk. If they are incapable of keeping their dog under control or renewing the fence. Then you have to take care of your birds. Otherwise they will die. Wendy
We have four dogs and six hens and they all get on reasonably well together with the hens giving as good as they get. We initially had doubts about a couple of the dogs because they are all ex-street dogs (strays, abused or abandonned).
One of them gets attacked by the hens if she goes anywhere near them, but we understand now that the hens are just protecting their food because this little dog is a bit of a pig and went through a phase of attempting to steal the hens' food until they started fighting back.
The other questionable dog has been caught with the hens necks in her mouth on a couple of occasions - she's a big dog as well.
However, for the last six months or so this same dog has been guarding the hen house at night, We have put her kennel inside the chicken compound and she sleeps there every night. We noticed one morning that something had been trying to dig under the fence, a fox or neigbouring dog presumably, so she now earns her keep by detering any predators. We quite often hear her barking at something during the night, then the other dogs get started and before we know it they're all down near the chicken pound giving it what for, having heard or smelled something. So far we haven't seen more any evidence of digging under the fence.
Living in Spain in the "campo" our dogs regularly get ticks on them. It's amusing to watch the hens circling the dogs and pecking the ticks off their coats. The dogs just ignore them and the hens keep their coats clean, enjoying a tasty snack.
We also regularly leave the hens out free-ranging over part of our land. Their only protection is the dogs, and so far they do a very good job. The perimeter fence is quite low in places and would be easy enough for the hens to jump over, but they've got plenty to occupy them on this side of the fence that they have no interest in escaping.
We also leave the pop-hatch open on the hen house at all times. the hens put themselves to bed at night and come out whenever they feel like it in the morning. The only security for them is that we shut the gate to the compound last thing at night after putting the dog inside.
All in all I think my hens have a very relaxed life.
I have a dippy, very gentle springer pup who has got too near to the run and had her nose pecked through the wire before now. But gentle as she is, I would never let her in with the chooks.
Just to remind folk - a dog doesn't have to go in for the kill to kill a hen, if your dog has your chicken in its mouth chances are it will die of heart failure due to shock. A dog is a predator as far as a hen is concerned.
Oh yes we will split the cost of the fencing. In our deeds/lease we are responsible 50/50 with the neighbour for the fences at the side. We've already replaced fence panels at the front of the house between ours & next door's but the neighbour wouldn't pay & we've not been able to talk to the landlord. The reason we never did anything about the fence in the back was because when their dog kept getting out last time (it got out into the front) they said that they had someone coming to sort out the fence. So we just left it but that was weeks & weeks ago. I think we're just going to have to make our own. I feel so sorry for the dog & a bit concerned really as to how it will cope if it continues not to be taken for walks, especially as it gets bigger. Thanks for the advice.
Being carried around in a dogs jaws does not sound very relaxing for the hen to me.
