Anyone have any experience with Huskies and chickens?

My neighbor's dog is part husky. It has killed some of my chickens, twice. It won't be coming back again.

Huskys have a very high prey drive. Not saying it isn't possible to have a husky and chickens but I'd be prepared to be able to keep them permanently seperated if need be.

 

We had a husky. And he liked to "play" with the chickens. He didn't eat them, he's just shake them, and then start plucking them. They are escape artists like you would not believe. Are you prepared to have a dog that you can *never* have off-leash unless you are in an area with a 6ft+ fence? I strongly recommend checking out itsahuskything forum if you are not super-familiar with the breed as they have a lot of personality quirks that don't *seem* like they would be difficult to put up with, but can be really aggravating. Seperation issues, stubborn/thinking for themselves, digging (OH THE DIGGING!), they're loud/talkers and a NEED to run a LOT. As a result of their escape-artist ways, and love to run, huskies get lost a lot. Check out CL and see how many huskies people are missing or have found.

Our husky was a good dog, but he had a whole lot of other issues that we were ultimately unable to cope with, and we ended up putting him in a rescue where he could find a home that was better equipped and able to have the life he deserved. We got him partially because he was absolutely gorgeous, and mostly because he was amazing with our kids. That being said, I will never have a husky again. "Pretty" was a very stupid reason for us to initially fall in love with him. They are a very "doggy" dog.

You *could* have a husky that tolerated chickens, but I would never ever ever leave them unattended. (Sersiously. Never.) Investing in a hot-wire to protect your chickens would be a good idea if you go the husky route. A LOT of desensitizing and training with your birds, and still expect some of them to be killed.

Sorry to sound dismal. I'm sure there are success stories out there, but we are not one of them.

If you DO go the route of getting a husky please please please check out rescues first. There are several in our region, and they will be able to give you support if you DO have behavior issues and hopefully match you with a dog that may be better suited to your lifestyle and even have some chicken experience! (You never know!) Howl At the Moon Sib. Husky Rescue, Hairy Houdini Sib. Husky Rescue, and several others have lots of dogs for you to choose from.