Hi there
First I want to say, you're chickens will be ok as long as there's not any permament or deadly physical damage. Chickens seem to forget bad experiences quickly and return to normal behavior. They will be ok emotionally.
Second to address your dog. You've learned a tough lesson, and one I'm sure you won't forget. But be assured you can help your dog with training. Of course you need to fix your fencing so it's dog proof. The dog needs to learn that negative interactions with the chickens (ie, barking at, chasing, running after) are NOT tolerated. Ever. Put him on leash when he goes out. Bring treats with you if he's food motivated. Do some fun obedience work near the chicken pen, and correct him with a stern NO! and quickly move away from the chickens if he focuses too much on them or barks. You can do this.
I will warn you though, that if you want the training to stick, you'll have to work on this for several weeks! Don't give him the opportunity to be too aggressive with the chickens. He needs to know you are in charge of his behavior and learn to work with you and focus on YOU instead of the birds. Use food or toys to motivate and be consisten
Good luck
First I want to say, you're chickens will be ok as long as there's not any permament or deadly physical damage. Chickens seem to forget bad experiences quickly and return to normal behavior. They will be ok emotionally.
Second to address your dog. You've learned a tough lesson, and one I'm sure you won't forget. But be assured you can help your dog with training. Of course you need to fix your fencing so it's dog proof. The dog needs to learn that negative interactions with the chickens (ie, barking at, chasing, running after) are NOT tolerated. Ever. Put him on leash when he goes out. Bring treats with you if he's food motivated. Do some fun obedience work near the chicken pen, and correct him with a stern NO! and quickly move away from the chickens if he focuses too much on them or barks. You can do this.
I will warn you though, that if you want the training to stick, you'll have to work on this for several weeks! Don't give him the opportunity to be too aggressive with the chickens. He needs to know you are in charge of his behavior and learn to work with you and focus on YOU instead of the birds. Use food or toys to motivate and be consisten