Happy Hour

Our household chickens were raised in the living room, which was also accessible by the dogs. When someone was home, the cage was kept open and the chicks would perch on the edge, usually huddled together, lightly clucking. I like to think of this scene as Happy Hour. During Happy Hour, the dogs would put their noses right up to the line of fluffy chicks or sit silently watching them from a safe distance. Perhaps they weren’t sure if they should cuddle them or eat them. But either way, there weren’t any issues. The chicks were never made to be afraid of the dogs, so now that they’re grown and sharing the yard, they never run when the dogs come around. The dogs acted instinctively around them as chicks, handling their presence as they would a human baby. It’s hard to say why it’s worked so far or if they will continue living in harmony. But for now, we have dogs and chickens sharing a yard. In my mind, it’s due largely to introducing them to one another right away, so that the chickens would grow up unafraid of the dogs and the dogs would realize that the chickens were a part of our family and not just a a chew toy.

Advertisement