I am sick of my dogs killing chickens

[cjeanean]

Not sure exactly how big that breed is, but I gather they're pretty small. I second the training bit, but if that can't be done then go through the whole coop and figure out where they're getting in.

 

[jadude]

I just built this run yesterday ands it is a sturdy structure
My dogs ripped a hole through brand new chicken wire

 

[can you hear me now?]

Sorry to hear from your problems with your dogs. I used an electric fence around my chicken run to cure my red doberman/labrador of her chicken killng. Last year she killed all of my girls right before they hit laying age. I put up the fence and she hit it with her nose once. That is all it took. Maybe you can put one of those out there. All I used for mine is a pet box. They are relatively inexpensive and work great. I put a wire down low for smaller animals and one a litle higher for dogs like mine. I will say that dachunds are actually capable of being quite ferocious. They were originally breed for huting badgers, which is why they are so short and long. Almost forgot, welcome to BYC.

 

[12 Acres]

Sorry you're having this problem. Honestly, Dachsunds and chickens don't mix. As the previous person pointed out, they were bred to be nasty little dogs. I've never met one that I trusted. I wish you luck and I hope you can find a solution soon.

 

[ninjapoodles]

Dachshunds were created to go aggressively after small prey! That's why they're shaped the way they are. I'm not at all surprised that chicken-wire won't stop them. I mean, it won't stop raccoons or possums, so a hard-wired-to-hunt canine would have no problem.

I second the suggestion of putting in better fencing down low, like hardware cloth.

We have 7 dogs, 5 of which are small, and we keep them off our chicken runs with hot-wire, placed down low.

 

[Cara]

You have security problems with your coop. If a weenie dog can break in after one day, any predator can regardless of whether you rehome them.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
I'm so sorry about your loss and the stress you are going through. Been there, done that....

I was going to suggest this too. I have hardware cloth on the outside of ranch fencing and chicken wire - 3 layers of overkill - surrounded by dig proof buried very deep railroad ties (fencing bent underneath it). Very effective. I have 3 very strong and determined dogs who cannot even budge it. I suggest investing in a roll or two of hardware cloth if you can. It sounds like the only option because chicken wire is pretty much useless I've learned.

 

[gamebirdsonly]

I know what your going through. I have lost 15+ birds to my hunting dogs. my dogs are in the back corner of my property but my chickens free range and some of my birds fly over the wire and go into the dogs house while the dogs are just laying around and wham dead bird.

 

[FlockEweFarm]

Welcome to BYC, and I am sorry for your losses, that being said, you have to think like a predator and get down to their level and plan for the unplannable. I am the unfortunate caregiver of a German Shorthaired Pointer, manical, psychotic, hardwired to kill, poop where she shouldn't, and destroy everything she can reach, dog from heck. My ex husband saddled me with her, and I have lost 2 birds to her in over 4 months, one was due to me not having a proper fence in place and the other was because I did not stay on top of the wing clipping like I should have and the poor bird flew over the wire.
I currently have my chickens in my dooryard while the coop is undergoing some work, and I have field fencing, with chicken wire lay over and then 3 strands of super strong (3 ground rod) hotwire. I have the birddog wearing a sheep bell and dragging a short length of light weight chain so that she cannot dash past the kids.
My 12 year old had the idea of getting an E-fence and putting it around the coop and then putting the collar on the dog so that when she got close to the coop she got a shock,(kinda like containment in reverse), so I would not have to be around to shock her like a normal shock collar requires.
I can tell you that a dog with a high prey drive will not respond to the tying of the dead chicken, or even the beating with one, they will just lick the goo off and wonder why you are hitting them. I know it is frustrating, and dogs with high prey drives around their natural prey, are very frustrating, so we have to think clearly and be prepared.
Everyone has provided good ideas, but getting rid of your dogs isnt really a good option, they are just doing what comes naturally, not being disobediant children, their thought processes really dont work that far ahead. They are very simple creatures, and they want you to love them, and they want to make you happy.

 

[spencereb]

jadude,

I'm with "can you hear me now?". I put up an electric fence around our run. I introduced our murdering Husky to the hot wire...problem solved. After that, he would just sit back about three of four feet away and watch their every move, waiting for the moment that never came. Of course, the birds never came out out of the run like he hoped but he was ever ready, and ever respectful of those two runs of new wire!

One thing to remember, if you install the electric fence, be certain the chickens can not poke their heads through their run fencing enough to reach the electric wire, it would probably be enough to kill a bird, so be careful about that.

Another plus, this will also keep coons, possums and skunks out!

Good luck
-Spence