Brutus attacked.

[mjdtexan]

Our dog Brutus (not yet 6 month old pitt bull) managed to get into the chicken pen this morning and attack one of the black sexlinks. I was reading this forum when I heard an unusual chicken noise. I look out the window and there he was with a pullet in his mouth. The pullet is alive, and seems to be doing fine. Yall may not agree with this but I beat the heck out of the dog and chained him up. He managed to push the chicken wire in the one space that I didnt have staked to the ground very well. I have to assume resonsibility for that.

Moral, make sure the bottom of the chicken wire is staked very well

I cant believe the pullet aint dead. I just went into the coop and she is acting like it didnt happen. I have five black ones and I cant tell which one got attacked. There are even feathers all over the run.

Mike D

 

[rooster0209]

Glad to hear the chicken is alive.

My MIL's golden Ret got one of my Guinea's a few months back and I was sure it was dead. Luckily the dog has a soft mouth. Those birds are alot tougher than they look.


Keep working on Brutus and he will learn to leave the chickens alone. I don't totally agree with your method of training, but sometimes..you just gotta do what you gotta do. I don't condone the use of shock collars either, but I had to borrow one. Freddie was intent on catching Guinea's. 30 minutes was all it took and he leaves the birds alone. Also had to use a paint stick to bop him on the head after I first got him. The shelter volunteers had allowed him to put his feet on their chest. Needless to say he was knocking me down, covering me in bruises. I tried all the methods everyone said to use, the paint stick was the only one that taught him to keep his feet on the floor.

Good luck with Brutus.

 

[mjdtexan]

I hope that I can train him. When I was young we had a dog that killed a neighbors chickens. It wouldnt quit going over there and killing that mans chickens. My dad made me kill the dog. George was his name. I loved that dog.

I once saw a man tape a dead chicken into a dogs mouth once after the dog killed that chicken. That dog had that chicken in his mouth for 2 days. He wasnt interested in chicken after that for some reason.

 

[nzpouter]

Most people forget that there are 2 species of animals involved.

1st thing to do is to get your dog use to the chikens, but in saying that, you have to get your chooks use to your dog as well.

Any chicken running, flapping and squawking will trigger the dog's chase instinct.

 

[SarahBeth9394]

Chicken wire is meant to keep chickens in. It's not meant to keep dogs out. You really need to fortify the coop with hardware cloth.

 

[mjdtexan]

Quote:
I think you are right. I even have a whole bunch of hardware cloth.

He just pushed under the wire in the ONE spot that I didnt have staked very well. I just ordered a bucket of plastic stakes and I am waiting for them to come in.

I cant even tell anymore which of the black sexlinks that he attacked. All seem healthy.

 

[SarahBeth9394]

Also you should bury chicken wire in the ground about a half a foot around the run so animals (whether your dog or another predator) can't dig it's way under and in.

 

[mjdtexan]

I woke up in the middle of the night last night with the very same thought. I'm gonna do it


Mike D

 

[Cetawin]

Ya know...sometimes a good butt kicking is needed. If I saw my dog with a chicken in his mouth...he'd get his butt kicked too...but he would know that is NOT acceptable.

Just keep working with him and watching him now. Good luck.

 

[KareyABohr]

I had a lab that killed one of my best laying hens, probably because she was easy to catch sitting in the next box.
The old timer up the road told me to take bailing wire and wrap it around the chicken really well and then wrap the wire around the dogs collar and make the dog drag that dead chicken around "until it rotted off of his neck."

I did it and he NEVER went near my hens again.

No beating involved, but a pretty bad punishment!
Good luck