6 Week Old Chicks and Dog

[Eckielady]

I think in this situation if you can financially afford it, I would get a necropsy done on the chicken. That way you will know for sure if the dog killed it or just found it dead and grabbed it. Once you have all the info you can make a plan. Anyway you can put up a fence dividing the yard in half?

 

[Cindy in PA]

Don't know how your Lab might behave. I think you really have to train them to be around them, by having them on a long leash or something & seeing how they react. My Lab was 7 when I got chickens & the first day I left them out she went bounding toward one, but all I did was yell no & she stopped. I think she was a particular case. I had to remind my last 2 Springers even the summer before my first one died at 13 about not chasing after the guineas. Again I was always with them when any birds were out. I think any dog can be trained, but it takes patience. Good luck.

 

[Spiresbuilt]

Okay my BackYard Chicken people,
I have a major delema, that is both heartbreaking and frustrating. (Sorry in advanced for the long post)

I have a spunky 8 year old westie terrier that has been around my chicks since week one. He had grown comfortable around them being inside in their brooder but I have made the transition to them being outdoors in their coop now. Which happens to be in my dog's backyard.

My dog loves his backyard, any day he is not able to be out in his backyard is a bad day for him.
I slowly acclimated the chicks to the yard, closely watching the dog and the chicks for a full week. My dog never seemed to have an issue with them, both just really kept to themselves and it was a very cohesive environment. I felt comfortable with my dog in the back with them because I have quite a few neighbors who let their cats roam free.

Me and my husband felt comfortable leaving the dog out with the chicks while they roamed only while we were home, checking up on them every 15-30minute. I got off work one day and went out in the back to say hi to both parties to realize my dog had one of my precious baby chicks, limp, in his mouth.

And let me tell you, I take FULL responsibility for this situation and can't describe enough how heartbreaking that moment was for me. Losing my first chick, it was like a part of myself died right then, and to know it could have been so easily avoided. I can't believe how attached you get after so few weeks of raising them.

I just want to get some thoughts from you guys on how I should go about this situation from here on out. My husband was so crushed he almost threw the dog out who we've raised since he was a pup. He doesn't want to put the chicks in harms way again knowing we can't trust the dog around them anymore. It was natural behavior for my dog so I have an understanding for it, not that I am happy with the dog at the moment.

How many of you let your ladies roam in the yard without supervision? Because now I am afraid of cats and just their overall safety. I feel overbearing protective over them now and don't know how to get rid of that feeling. I only feel comfortable when they are in their coop, but they love to scavenge the yard.

Also will my dog want the chickens even more now that he has a taste of them? Can I teach the dog that the chickens (prey animals, poor things) aren't food? Will I always have to divide their time in the yard between the two of them?

I do apologize for the overload, this situation has been a terrible one, that I wouldn't wish upon my enemies, and any reassurance or advice I can get from people who understand my situation would be so much appreciated.

I am so sorry for your loss..... I have 2 dogs...jack russell terrier & a border aussie and a cat.... and never had one problem with any of them interacting. If anything.... the chickens overrule my 2 dogs and the cat. I think once they are older... they have a better chance of defending themselves/ hide etc. But once they have thay taste....I would never trust them together....but that my opinion.

 

[Kates Chooks]

I free ranged my very first batch of girls long ago.
Back then I had a lab sheltie mix that grew up right along with the chickens. He became like a nursemaid, they would walk on him, sit on him , sleep between his feet, he guarded them. Now I have a German Shepherd and raising another batch of girls. I let him smell them, while I hold one, tell him 'nice, nice, no bite' but he does
also have a high prey drive, so I know that if they were loose , he would undoubtedly chase them. They are going to be outside in the coop and covered run. I would love to free range them eventually, but the area the coop and run is in also has a 4ft fence that I can
shut the gate on. I am thinking of only letting them out of the run about an hr before dark, AFTER they have
gotten to know that the coop is home, AND with my beautiful but instinct driven German Shepherd is on a tie out and not able to reach them, only watch. I know how easily you get attached to these girls, I do too!
I am so sorry this happened to you. Also, I would not
trust the local cats to leave them alone. Chicken is eveyone's favorite 'what's for dinner'

 

[Debutante]

As many have suggested, I think much depends on the breed of dog and it's inherent prey drive. I've heard that some dogs can be trained to NOT "lock on" to chickens (followed quickly by the chase>catch>eat sequence) but it's damned hard to win against DNA. Right now, I have a giant Bernese Mountain Dog who was bred to pull carts and do similar farm chores. Chickens offer only a slight bit of amusement to her. Formerly, I had a Retriever, and to him, chickens were lunch... and no one could convince him otherwise. I am very sorry for your loss but I believe that physically separating the dog and chickens is your best bet at this stage -- certainly the safest. Even a dog on a leash can snap one up in a flash, and naive little chicks are particularly defenceless. Having said that, keeping livestock/poultry is a life-long learning experience. Don't beat yourself up, these things happen. I'm sure you'll have a good plan in place, moving forward. Best of luck!!!

 

[Eggstatic1727]

As many have suggested, I think much depends on the breed of dog and it's inherent prey drive. I've heard that some dogs can be trained to NOT "lock on" to chickens (followed quickly by the chase>catch>eat sequence) but it's damned hard to win against DNA. Right now, I have a giant Bernese Mountain Dog who was bred to pull carts and do similar farm chores. Chickens offer only a slight bit of amusement to her. Formerly, I had a Retriever, and to him, chickens were lunch... and no one could convince him otherwise. I am very sorry for your loss but I believe that physically separating the dog and chickens is your best bet at this stage -- certainly the safest. Even a dog on a leash can snap one up in a flash, and naive little chicks are particularly defenceless. Having said that, keeping livestock/poultry is a life-long learning experience. Don't beat yourself up, these things happen. I'm sure you'll have a good plan in place, moving forward. Best of luck!!!

Thank you for your kind words. I feel so responsible for her death, how I could have prevented it. But I just keep reminding myself it could have been worse. Thanks for the advice.

 

[jeria]

I think sometimes they just get over rough in their play. I don't have chicks yet but have a tiny Quaker parrot that I do not let loose in the house with my 2 yo lab/rotsy mix and he loves to be loose. Pup has no idea how strong and big she is.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I am having the same problem. Big gentle lab who lets cats kids anything crawl all over him. Loves everything. Slided up to the brooder and in an instant had one in his mouth. I don't think he wanted to kill it, just keep it. It was alright. Two weeks later after much talking too the same thing happened. He just snapped and I don't think I will ever be able to trust him around them. I wonder if the instinct is just so strong that there is no getting around it with some dogs. My cats completely ignore them.

Follow up question: Do you think that our lab will behave differently when the chickens are grown. He already now patrols the run like he is protecting them. I wonder if there is a difference between the way they behave with strange little chicks brought home that he hasn't seen before and now, weeks later and grown up chickens....or.....are some dogs just never going to get over it. Same thing here, I think he was trying to take one and keep it, not kill it. He did it twice even after his good "talking too"

It is something to watch the dynamic the chickens have walking up to the big dog on the other side of the fence, no fear of him at all. Dog psychology and all, I just wonder wonder what is going on in his head after a month of watching Dad feed and fuss over them if it isn't getting that they are part of the family now, not something to chase or kill. Its a life and death experiment the first time I put them in the yard with him.

OUR LABS ARE BIRD DOGS PLEASE READ
I have a Lab he is the most loving good natured dog to our pom
8 cats ... my Chickens no way run, catch bring to me when it comes to birds
they where bred as bird dogs

 

[Cindy in PA]

My Springer is a bird dog also. I agree they are bred to be bird dogs, but my dog is bred to flush a bird & retrieve a downed bird on command. they are not bred to kill birds.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

My Springer is a bird dog also. I agree they are bred to be bird dogs, but my dog is bred to flush a bird & retrieve a downed bird on command. they are not bred to kill birds.

This true, but a dog is still bred from a wolf...