Can a rooster keep a dog away?

[Arkspen]

This may be a subjective question, but I'm wondering if a rooster can keep a dog away?

Recently my flock and I have moved from a suburban neighborhood to a lakehouse. In the old neighborhood my hens had a large fenced in backyard to mess around in. Here at the lakehouse, there is more land, but it all open. Currently the hens have a small fenced area around their coop, giving them a bit of grass to rummage through but it's a far cry from their golden days.

The limiting factor from letting the girls free range is that my neighbor has two small scruffy terriers that run from house to house asking for treats. These dogs are very docile and roll onto their backs when approached. I'm curious if with dogs this small (and seemingly vulnerable) if a rooster would be able to chase them away. I know that the main reason roosters are kept in flocks (aside from breeding) is to protect the hens, but are they effective against small dogs?

 

[RainbowHen]

I would have to say no, a rooster would not keep a dog away. Even small dogs are very capable of killing chickens, rooster or hen.

 

[piminuse]

I've seen too many posts and videos of roosters sacrificing themselves to dogs. The most the boys do is act as a deterrent, but in the end they almost all go down to an excited dog. It would be much, much safer to have a secure run or pen for them to roam.

 

[DogAndCat36]

This may be a subjective question, but I'm wondering if a rooster can keep a dog away?

Recently my flock and I have moved from a suburban neighborhood to a lakehouse. In the old neighborhood my hens had a large fenced in backyard to mess around in. Here at the lakehouse, there is more land, but it all open. Currently the hens have a small fenced area around their coop, giving them a bit of grass to rummage through but it's a far cry from their golden days.

The limiting factor from letting the girls free range is that my neighbor has two small scruffy terriers that run from house to house asking for treats. These dogs are very docile and roll onto their backs when approached. I'm curious if with dogs this small (and seemingly vulnerable) if a rooster would be able to chase them away. I know that the main reason roosters are kept in flocks (aside from breeding) is to protect the hens, but are they effective against small dogs?

A rooster would not work. Tiny dogs are still predators and they can give chase. Though I have a friend whose cat was almost killed by a rooster. It caused puncture wounds, dislocation, etc. So it can switch, the balance is bipolar.
I recommend that you discuss with your neighbor about the situation and slowly introduce the dogs with a chicken. If the dog show any sign of excitement then you should not continue. If the dog gently sniffs then they are ok. They try to nibble them, stop.

Some people on BYC have dogs that coexist. The dogs sound to be timid so I have high hopes.
I used to have a dog named Moose. He would chase squirrels but when the baby chicks were placed by him he gently sniffed them and fell in love with them. While my uncle's hyper unruly dog almost mauled one of my bantam roos.

But I am not a professional, so don't take my recommendations completely.

 

[Folly's place]

Chickens of any size or sex are prey animals, and dogs are predators. You could get lucky, or you could loose your whole flock at once.
Terriers were developed to kill critters, mostly rodents, but don't count on them being good with your chickens, unless you and their owner invest a lot of time and training to make your birds untouchable.
Fencing!!! It's about fencing, and you will need to protect your flock, while the neighbor needs to keep those dogs at home.
When one of my pit bull terriers got out because of a fencing failure, she killed twenty-one of our chickens, including my avatar, a large rooster, in less than an hour!
Horrible day! Be warned.
Mary

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

A good protective rooster might TRY to protect the hens from a dog attack, by running towards their distress calls. Possibly the dog(s) might abort their attack on the hen & attack/kill the roo instead. Most roosters will give an alarm call and run to the coop with the other hens. Watching for predators and alerting the hens to danger is the best almost any rooster can do. TWO or more dogs are even more of a threat than one due to pack behaviors, even tho a single dog can be equally deadly. Plus, being terriers, your neighbors dogs likely have an innate instinct to kill prey. Even tho they are no doubt very docile and human-friendly, im not sure u could ever trust them not to harm your chickens. I know i would never trust them with mine. Especially since there are TWO of them, where hunting instincts & pack behaviors can quickly take over. A great guard dog can be a chickens best protector, but dogs can also be one of a chickens deadliest predators. Even the best rooster can almost never change that. If the neighbors wont keep their dogs from roaming, a good fence is the the first step to keep your chickens safe from dogs. Terriers are known diggers, esp small terriers since they are bred to hunt prey underground, so u will also need to watch for attempts to dig under your fence. A good fence will Help deter other predators too, so at least there is that. Many people on these forums use electric fencing. Electric fencing may be a good option for u too, since dogs that get zapped by electric fences usually dont come near it again.

 

[centrarchid]

I have some experience on this. My roosters are as tough as any out there. My dogs are relatively good natured. If a rooster attacks one of the adult dogs, a single dog can dispatch the rooster with a single bite. I base that on what I have seen done, not a guess. The roosters do have an edge against pups and dogs that are naïve, but I would not have roosters out to defend against those dogs.

 

[Folly's place]

That's how my dog killed so many, so fast. One bite per bird. One big cockerel survived, with vet care. A few birds hid up high.
Mary

 

[mcdze]

if you have a seasoned crusty large rooster that is well established in his territory he can be a force to be reckoned with, ive seen them actually get on a pit bulls back and harass it to no end and chase it off .. but thats not the norm for a typical younger rooster .. wouldnt count on it ..

 

[ackie]

I know they're docile and everyone loves them and you dont wanna be 'that person', but its within your right to call animal control if the dogs are loose off their own property