Did my dogs kill the chickens or something else?

[cmom]

Cute little dog. Last year a neighbor let her little schnauzer out to do it's business before bringing it in for the night. A coyote got it and injured it so badly that it died the next day.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I've not had issues with nighttime predators (so far, knock on wood), but I use tumbler locks on my coop door and external nesting boxes.

And I have a very feisty 11 year old chiweenie (chihuahua-dashchund mix) who i do not trust around chicks. She's fine with big girls who put her in her place if she even wanders too close. I didn't know there were training classes out there specifically for teaching doggies to behave around animals. I will see what I can find in my area. Maybe I can teach a (really) old dog some new tricks.

 

[Sorrelfur]

I have a scottish terrier, she is NOT allowed outside if I happen to have one of my girls out of the garden in my lap. That dog kills anything that runs!! Instinct, I can't train that out her.

I have a jack Russell terrier mix who I thought would be the one to chase our chickens. Nope. He's deathly afraid of them, runs with his tail between his legs when he sees them

 

[twendt]

Scotties were bred to kill vermin and hunt foxes and badgers in the Scottish highlands, they have the mouth and pound pressure of a Rottweiler. She would give a coyote more than he bargained for

 

[Cryss]

I use this kind of latch for added security, the wind blew the door closed one night when my daughter was locking up the chickens and she got locked inside, poor thing, I was wondering why it was taking her so long, I came out to find her crying and locked in the chicken run.

Hubby n I were hanging out in the run with the ladies one day. Hubby had to run to the store for bread for our lunch he had decided to make for me if I did coop duties. Off he went. I finished up quickly, gathered eggs, and tried to leave. Out of habit hubby had locked me inside! Not closed....locked!
May I suggest everyone remember to never enter the run or coop without their cellphone!

 

[twendt]

I call them little dog with BIG teeth

 

[twendt]

Hubby n I were hanging out in the run with the ladies one day. Hubby had to run to the store for bread for our lunch he had decided to make for me if I did coop duties. Off he went. I finished up quickly, gathered eggs, and tried to leave. Out of habit hubby had locked me inside! Not closed....locked!
May I suggest everyone remember to never enter the run or coop without their cellphone!

That's our rule too!!

 

[Sue S]

I'm so sorry for your loss, I just read your post. I have padlocks on the pen doors ( yes, I went alittle over board!!!) & also have a motion light.!! In my opinion I don't think it was your dogs that killed your chickens, I have a Pomeranian ( he's small but feisty ) he doesn't bother my ducks at all, in fact my male duck will attack Bacon ( my Pomeranian) & he just runs around & tries to play with him!!! My friend has a German Shepard & chickens & they get along just fine. I would set up traps & catch whatever got your chickens cuz I'm sure it will be back for the other ones.

 

[Kris5902]

I really really hope it wasn't my dogs, but I know it could always be a possibility. So that's why piper will be getting training, the course I'm looking at teaches them how to be around an leave alone things like bunnies, guinea pigs, goats, etc so I'm hoping taking that course will help teach her to leave it.

That’s awesome, I wish there was something like that in my area, I need to get a good guardian dog for my chickens that I can train to leave them be, but discourage the Raccoons, mink, and hopefully Eagles/hawks.

Hubby n I were hanging out in the run with the ladies one day. Hubby had to run to the store for bread for our lunch he had decided to make for me if I did coop duties. Off he went. I finished up quickly, gathered eggs, and tried to leave. Out of habit hubby had locked me inside! Not closed....locked!
May I suggest everyone remember to never enter the run or coop without their cellphone!

This has also happened to me! It was early spring and quite chilly out. It was over 45 minutes before he wondered why I wasn’t back inside helping tidy up for dinner! I was trying to figure a way out without damaging too much of my Chicken Tractor! This seems like a fairly common problem

I think a lot of the dog/chicken interactions are also somewhat breed specific, some breeds/individuals have a higher prey drive certainly.

 

[Sorrelfur]

HUGE UPDATE: Good news the chicken we thought our dogs killed has been found! She was out in our horse pasture!! As for the bones and feathers our leading theory is that when Misa and Piper got out they found one of the remains of the chicken that the foxes killed, since there was zero blood on my dogs or anywhere in the yard. They also brought back an old mallard duck wing. Wherever they went they seem to have found the stash of fox victims. Which it's good that they didn't harm our chicken but bad as they could've bumped into the fox family. It's not good that the foxes are still preying on our flocks but good that our little chicken was found safe and now they'll all be put away at night. We aren't sure how to deal with the fox family, taking to our neighbors-rural so neighbors aren't super close-the fox family seems to be hitting all of us. Mostly killing chickens, but one neighbor lost ducks too.