id never recommend

[MsPony]

Polish or any other flighty chicken as a chicken flock member

A month ago my dog attacked my polish, he was a bored 14 month old puppy and they are very much "squeak toys". She lived, she got taken care of and was put back out last week. Last night my mom took puppy for a walk, put him in the backyard and grabbed cigarettes super quick. In that minute span, he killed her. He probably was fired up running around and grabbed her, either shook her and broke her neck or she died from a heart attack.

My boss said she had egyptian favorelles, if they got flighty in front of her dogs (like the polish do) they would immediately kill.

They never lay eggs, they aren't made for that, and they have the worst eyesight due to their top puffs. We even cut her puff, still poor sight. The sad thing is, right before I got the call at work I was telling her mom, our vet (long story), about how she was my BEST worm getter. She was always there first gobbling them down.

Were all SS here and I just learned a hard lesson, they are pets, not producers or meat animals. They have no space for an SS flock, merely pets.

On the sad upside, this gives me space for two chicks and I'm ordering brahmas which I can never say enough good things about.

 

[Wannabefree]

Sorry for your loss, but yeah, lesson learned. Some chickens just don't make the grade into the SS world. It still sucks to lose them that way though

Another good example is SS dogs. We have a retriever that is NOT working out. Rehoming time for us, 3 chickens down as of a few days ago. Just a pup and tried so HARD to train her. She's really a terrific animal, but doesn't make the grade due to her propensity to retrieve! It's in her blood, not her fault.

 

[MsPony]

Ohh, sorry about your dog Jax has always exhibited a retriving gene (labrador), he used to catch that same hen and bring her to me. But she's the ONLY hen he's ever had an issue with. I have a pidgeon sized bantee, a bantee brahma and an old as dirt barred rock...he's never even shown interest in them, let alone the rest of my big, healthy hens.

Brahmas get an an A+ in my book for an SS grade. Nice big bodies for meat, daily egg layers, one gets broody but you take eggs away and she jumps out of the nest, friendly, hardy, lovable, and I've never seen mine ever get scraggly through a molt. And I've had one for two years now, they are always perfect, my white ones don't ever show dirt or mud (except on feet feathers obviously.)

 

[Buster]

I have a black lab, and she killed a few at first, but we decided she was more valuable to us than the few chickens we lost, so we stuck with her. It has paid off in spades. We now have 5 Great Pyrs and her personality balances perfectly with their mellow approach. They are all smart, but she is just smart in a different way. She is a fraction their size, yet is our lead dog. I won't say she is our best dog, but she is a very good one.

If you can gut out the losses, I would council patience and work with your dog until you are certain she won't work out.

 

[i_am2bz]

MP, I am SO sorry. You know what I've gone thru with my chickens over the past month or so, so you know I feel your pain. My chickens are not "just" livestock to me either. My dogs absolutely do not go anywhere near my chickens. My condolences on your loss.

 

[tamlynn]

Yeah, I had a polish once. She was SO loud. She did lay fairly well, little pointy eggs. I "donated" her to my mom's flock last summer. My mom called me, perturbed, yesterday and told me the Polish (who never would stay in her huge chicken coop) had been sneaking in to the milking parlor and pooping on the milking stand. My mom keeps the milking parlor heated, so I just explained that the polish was a California chicken and couldn't be expected to be cold!

 

[valmom]

So sorry about your chicken and dog problem. I have to say, our Jack Russells would consider our chickens a great hunt and each species stays on their own side of the property!