A lovable rescued dog is the perfect guardian for a clutch of baby chicks.
Named Mac, the sweet golden retriever mix was rescued by Brittany Gillott at her local adoption center Love at First Sight! in Nashville, Tennessee. The shelter lived up to its name: As soon as she looked into his soulful brown eyes, it was truly “love at first sight.” She welcomed him into her family that day.
“He is gentle, happy, and overall, the sweetest pup around,” says Gillott. “When you look at his adorable eyes, you can just tell he is full of love and sensitivity.” A goofy golden who loves to chase a tennis ball but hasn’t quite caught onto the “retriever” part of the game, Gillott says that he spends his days going on long walks, running around the yard, and even enjoys watching an occasional TV show.
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As a lifelong animal lover, Gillott says she’s always dreamed of raising chickens. “A friend of mine works for Tractor Supply Corporation and suggested we check out their Chick Days.” She didn’t hesitate. “We went to a local Tractor Supply the day before Easter and came home with six new little friends!”
Image Credit: MacandChicks/Instagram
Gillott wasn’t sure how Mac would respond. Some dogs are incorrigible chicken killers. (In certain parts of the country, those dogs end up in a shelter.) But Gillott was counting on Mac’s gentle nature.
Her instincts were right. Mac took one sniff and was smitten. “As soon as we brought the chicks home, Mac was enthralled with them.”
Image Credit: MacandChicks/Instagram
She put them to bed in a “brooder,” which keeps the chicks safe and warm at a steady, specific temperature. “The enclosure we used was a clear plastic bin. Mac would just sit and stare at them. He watched their every move with curiosity.”
Image Credit: MacandChicks/Instagram
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While it was apparent that Mac wasn’t thinking of dinner when he gazed longingly at his new friends, Gillott wanted to make sure that the chicks were safe. “I was a little nervous because they were so small, and Mac is 70 pounds, but Mac was very gentle with them.”
Image Credit: MacandChicks/Instagram
She kept the chicks in a separate room, and Mac was always supervised around them. Though she knew he had a calm temperament, she didn’t want to take any chances. “He’s a sweet dog, but we just wanted to make sure nothing happened to either of them,” Gillott says.
Image Credit: MacandChicks/Instagram
The little brood soon became part of Mac’s daily routine. Most dogs’ first thought in the morning is food. Not so with this golden.
“Our morning routing consisted of Mac waking me up, then running upstairs so we could go check the chicks.” The same thing would happen in the evening when she got home from work. “He’d jump up and down in excitement to see them again.”
Image Credit: MacandChicks/Instagram
To prepare the chicks to “fly their coop,” Gillott would take them out of their brooder, so they could stretch their legs for short periods of time. Mac was calm as a nanny. “The chicks were very skittish at first,” she says. “I mean, he’s a giant compared to them. But after some time, it because normal for them to be around him.”
Image Credit: MacandChicks/Instagram
The chicks are about 10 weeks old now. They spend their time in the great outdoors. “We have a coop on the side of the house where they sleep. Otherwise, they have free range of the yard. They like to pick around in the herb garden and sit under the bushes lining the fence,” Gillott says.
Image Credit: MacandChicks/Instagram
While at first, the chicks were probably confused by the big dog, now they just follow him around the yard. “I have a feeling we’re going to have to go egg hunting once they start laying eggs,” she says.
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The chicks now consider Mac part of their flock. Gillott reports that they’ve all become completely comfortable with each other. “Mac and I go out every morning to let them out of the coop and give them fresh food and water. They all explore the yard together, and Mac even helps me wrangle them out from under the deck. It’s like they’ve known each other for ages.”
