Advice please, my dog chased one of my pullets

[Laffindog]

This just happened a few minutes ago.....we looked out into the backyard and one of our dogs was chasing one of our pullets. This hadn't gone on very long because he was just in the house seconds before. I quickly opened the back door and she ran/flew inside, while my husband went out another door and grabbed the dog. This is the first time she flew over the fence into the backyard (they have their own separate chicken yard). Yes, we clip their wings, but she still flies onto the top rail sometimes.

Anyway, we have the dogs locked inside now and opened the chicken yard gate so they can wander around in the backyard and eat all the bugs they want. The other three came out and happily went to work but she never came out of the chicken yard, so I went to see what was up. She was inside one of the nesting boxes inside the coop and the poor thing tried to push her way into a corner when I reached for her. I gently picked her up and took her outside with the others and set her down and she acted like she got interested in looking for bugs, so I came back inside. A few minutes later my husband asked me where she was and sure enough, she had gone back to the nesting box in the coop. Again, she tried to disappear when I reached for her. I took her back out, set her on the ground, and she quietly walked back to the coop and went inside.

Is she in shock? I think I should leave her alone for now. None of them have ever laid any eggs yet (three pullets and one cockerel, and all are about 5 months old now). My husband said maybe she is getting ready to lay her first egg? I have seen the male mount her twice in the last few days.

I feel so bad for her. The dog never touched her, just chased her for a few seconds. What do y'all think?

 

[Beekissed]

Let her be, she's had a fright and needs to self-soothe!

 

[redhen]

i'd prpbably make the rail higher.or better..put some type of bird netting/deer netting over the top..so the little rascal cant get out..lol...i have one like that..my arucana....man..she is curious!..as for clipping the wings...i also thought about that..but..then i thought.."what if they ever need to get away from something?"..i.e., dog.....and they cant fly away to safety..so i didnt clip mine...good luck with them!..

,Wendy

 

[Laffindog]

This is definitely our fault because this past week I've begun to let them out into the backyard after I've locked the dogs up. I hadn't ever done that all summer but we got alot of rain recently and it has really greened up out there, so I thought they'd enjoy the new scenery and more bugs. I guess she was ready to come out today! We really do need to look at putting up more netting on a couple of sides in case she keeps doing this.

Thanks for the advice, I'll just let her be the rest of the day and hope she's ok tomorrow.

 

[redhen]

i hear ya...i totally understand..i keep waiting for something like that to happen here with my 3 dogs..

.....accidents happen...best wishes with them all..lol..Wendy

 

[Laffindog]

It was an EGG!!!!!!!!!!! My husband just came in holding up this sweet little peach colored EGG!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gracie laid her first EGG!!!!!!!!!!!!

(I guess the dog scared it out of her!!!!!!!!)

 

[redhen]

lol...awesome!!!

 

[aggiecatholicmom]

Thank you for sharing about the egg laying experience! I just had the most wonderful laugh over it, worried about your chicken first, then hearing about what it really was!
aren't they an experience!
Sincerely,
Jennifer