Breaking terriers to chickens: how do you do it?

[Keeps 403]

Don't think this topic has ever been discussed before on here and it was brought up in the bushing dogs topic, so it got me wondering - how do people break their dogs to chickens/birds? Some of our older dogs are ok, if they are told no, then then are obedient but it only takes one dog to upset the apple cart and they think its ok. We have ratted before around chickens, in fact one of the places we did was round the keepers own chickens, and one of his terriers was the worst culprit, nailing one right in front of us.

 

With our newest pup, I thought I would try and break her to them from the very start, we had some bantams and I took her in with them every day from being a very early age, when I went to feed them - she took great interest in them but never attacked them, and responded to a very firm "no".

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku6k_Hw21LM

 

So I thought I had cracked it, and I could be confident taking her ratting around chickens. The first chicken we saw in a different environment the little sod chased, so it seemed it was only her own chucks that she was broken to I am not sure if it was because she saw another dog chase one she thought it was ok but once they start flapping about and she sees them running, it appears she sees them as fair game as most dogs with a prey drive would

 

So how do you ratting lads and lasses go about breaking your terriers to chickens?

[chb lad 7]

when the pups are young put them in a pen with a big cock.

 

or we also have the chickens in pens beside the pups so they get used to them

[JPTfellterrier 65]

i think its best if they grow up with them like myne have but i think putting them in with a big male chicken (im not going to say the proper word as know doubt there will be some jokes on my part)when there young should sort them out

[scottishlass 57]

well my oldest terrier well leave them alone but the middle terrier i just dont think it will ever be friendly with hens.I thought i had her sorted when one day we were ratting everything was fine till a hen came out the hen hut see saw it at the last minute and just grabbed it needless to say the chicken died i now can never trust her.I now have a pup from her he is nearly a year and since we have moved house and not got all the fencing done the terriers can mix with the hens ,the pup can wander right through the middle and not bother them but i still do not trust him. I dont think i would trust any kind of dog with hens, when i see my dogs get wound up with ratting i would think they would just kill a hen on passing.

But best of luck on trying and i hope it works for you

 

oh meant to add that your hens will be used to the pup like mine but when you vist other places sometimes the hens have never seen a dog and start flapping if that happens with me and the hen starts flapping and running its good night hen

Edited March 3, 2009 by scottishlass

[jakepotjo 3]

2 ways one drop them in with a broody and chicks when young if they get a bit older and want to try let them see a big shamo or tiwan cock bird about 12-14lb in size a man fighter they always think

[JPTfellterrier 65]

well my oldest terrier well leave them alone but the middle terrier i just dont think it will ever be friendly with hens.I thought i had her sorted when one day we were ratting everything was fine till a hen came out the hen hut see saw it at the last minute and just grabbed it needless to say the chicken died i now can never trust her.I now have a pup from her he is nearly a year and since we have moved house and not got all the fencing done the terriers can mix with the hens ,the pup can wander right through the middle and not bother them but i still do not trust him. I dont think i would trust any kind of dog with hens, when i see my dogs get wound up with ratting i would think they would just kill a hen on passing.

But best of luck on trying and i hope it works for you

 

oh meant to add that your hens will be used to the pup like mine but when you vist other places sometimes the hens have never seen a dog and start flapping if that happens with me and the hen starts flapping and running its good night hen

yeah i see what your on about there im sure even myne would nip one when there all wound up as my terrier has even bitten me once out of excitment

[Keeps 403]

oh meant to add that your hens will be used to the pup like mine but when you vist other places sometimes the hens have never seen a dog and start flapping if that happens with me and the hen starts flapping and running its good night hen

Thats exactly what happened Scottishlass, and the fact that another terrier chased after one, once she saw that, she didn't need much persuading thats what she was supposed to do. I think as you have said, some dogs are more easily broken to them than others, the higher the prey drive they have, the harder it is going to be.

[Waz 4,279]

If you have a costume hire shop near you, hire a chicken costume, it MUST BE realistic as possible,. Get as far away from the dog pen as you can, or where you can chain them out securely (1 at a time is best). & approach the dog diagonally, never directly. When the dogs shows too much interest scold the dog. As long as the dog doenst see you getting in or out of the chicken costume then this is the best method. But the chicken costume must be realistic or you will look silly.

 

Let us know how you get on.

[Keeps 403]

theres always one isn't there Waz

[Toka 10]

Bilbo recently took a liking to the pigeons in the town...he has been introduced to turkey and geese and doesnt like them, the other day on the lead in the town he went after a couple of pigeons, he did a bit of a somersault at the end of his lead both times followed by a 'no' and that is the last time he did it. the next time he looked as if he may make a move and a quick tug and 'no' was all it took. while the missus was in morrisons took him to the nearby pond....pigeons, geese, swans duck, moorhens and chicks all about and friendly wanting fed...he didnt look at one, not even the chicks that flapped and splashed away from him. after a few laps of the pond i was pleased. still have to watch him as i think he might have only been behaving cos he knew the limitations of his lead so will do this a few more times then do it off the lead. i agree though that unless you have it sewn up in normal conditions when their blood is up i think i would always be a bit concerned about any nearby foul.

[swanseajack 228]

Sticking a big cock in amongst the puppies, will only end up in a mess, whether your inexperienced and just shove it in there it'll be all over in a couple of minutes, the more experienced among you will enter your cock in a more friendly manner but after rousting it around the puppies the result will be inevitable.. the puppies will end up shivering wrecks covered in all sorts of mess..

 

introduce the puppies to the cock in a friendly manner, stroking the puppies and the cock at the same time, the puppies will relax and become more social towards the cock and hopefully the experience will be pleasurable for both..

 

the puppies in time will get used to the cock and no longer view them as a plaything or even a threat, the cock will probaly get bored at looking at the same puppies, so depending on the circumstances change the cock or change the puppies

 

as keeps has already said, introducing new puppies to strange cocks sometimes ends in disaster..

[dogs-n-natives 1,182]

Ive never had a problem as mine grow up around hens...

 

But if i took on a dog that wasnt broken to them i would put it on a long check lead/rope, and walk pst the hens regularly, if the dogs shows interest in them, pull on the rope and give them a telling off.

 

They soon get the message. I dont like the idea of putting dogs in with stuff to take a bit of a beating, may go either way, plus im sure its not the best way.

[pointer 543]

In the past ive had problems when dogs i thought were broke to chickens went out and killed one whilst out ratting.

 

These days i dont get any problems because i own my own chickens and often feed my dogs alongside them.They have to learn that if a chicken wants a bit of food that they are eating they have to give it up no questions asked.

 

BUT the best thing you can do is go ratting amongst chickens a couple of times a week especially at night as chickens can roost just about anywhere in farm buildings and when disturbed can fly down on top of you and your dogs.The dogs will not always know what creature is flying about but get to know the score quickly.Dogs are more likely to kill a chicken at night by mistake than in the daytime.

 

Dogs get excited when ratting and i still worry when i see a rat run amongst a few chickens followed by two or three dogs,followed by myself with a lazerlite but its no big deal.

[Big bald beautiful 1,231]

had my new pup out saturday and sunday around a park pond, breaking them to the ducks and geese.

chickens then i use a mates backyard who keeps a few

[pointer 543]

I think that breaking a terrier to chickens is slightly harder than any other stock because chickens can have a habit of living in daft places.im sure that anybody who goes ratting will have had dogs marking a pile of rubbish etc and as you move it a chicken or two comes out,or your on an allotment and ones under a shed.terriers in those situations are excited and could latch onto anything as they push their way through crap in the dark.

 

basically i dont fully trust any dog untill its been around chickens in a hunting situation.same as i keep an eye on a dog the first time its taken ferreting where a rabbit might bolt with a ferret attached.i reckon if somethings going to go wrong its probably going to happen out hunting not in a relaxed calm environment which i think is what keeps is saying here as she has bantams.