Free ranging with dogs and cats - Ask Extension
Is there any best way to let the hens out for the first time to free range when we have five outdoor dogs without the chickens lives being threatened?
Knowledgebase
Free ranging with dogs and cats #783833
Asked March 12, 2022, 9:18 AM EST
Is there any best way to let the hens out for the first time to free range when we have five outdoor dogs without the chickens lives being threatened?
Red River County Texas
Expert Response
Unless you have well-behaved cats and dogs, having free-range chickens with them will not work. Unless you have some way to keep the dogs away from the chickens, they will most likely attack them. You could use an electric fence around the range area to keep the dogs out and hope the chickens don't fly out (clipping the primary feathers of one wing will help prevent that). You also need to work about aerial predators.
