Dog trouble

[LaBuenaVida]

We have three dogs who have been cohabitating with our 4-6 chickens for three years. I recently added two sweet lavender Oppington adolescents to our flock. In a few months they have both been killed. I blamed hawks but found the carcass of one today and now suspect one of my dogs!
Would dogs go after newcomers for some reason? My heart is broken and I am Mad at my dogs!
Hope this isn't a new habit. I will have to cease with free ranging.

 

[PirateGirl]

I find that when my chickens ignore my dogs, everyone is calm and gets along fine. If for some reason a bird gets startled and runs and flaps and makes a ruckus, the predator instincts kick in and my dogs get really excited and will chase the excited chicken, which of course makes the chicken more upset which of course makes the dogs more excited... you get the picture. If your new chickens are not accustomed to your dogs and are frightened by them (or not used to their environment and flighty in general), it's possible this is triggering the dogs' instincts. I can't for sure say this is what is happening in your situation. I can only offer this possibility based on what I have seen with my own dogs and my own chickens. Perhaps your dogs and new chickens will need a bit of an introductory period.

 

[centrarchid]

We have three dogs who have been cohabitating with our 4-6 chickens for three years. I recently added two sweet lavender Oppington adolescents to our flock. In a few months they have both been killed. I blamed hawks but found the carcass of one today and now suspect one of my dogs!
Would dogs go after newcomers for some reason? My heart is broken and I am Mad at my dogs!
Hope this isn't a new habit. I will have to cease with free ranging.

Dogs can go after new birds or birds out of place. Part of the training process for dogs that takes until dog is about 2 years of age involves dogs not going after chickens that new, out of place (in yard when should be near barn and neighbors birds on our property versus on neighbors property). Do not rule out another predator killing bird and dog taking carcass.

 

[tacothechicken]

All my dogs have been raised whith the birds and they'll still chase given circumstances. We had a litter of puppies we sold one year and when a family brought a dog that wanted to chase our chickens, OUR yorkie ripped the tale off our cockeral! There was blood! I slapped her butt so hard im positive she's probably traumatized but I will NOT lose any of my birds to my own dogs. They know exactly what happens if they think they can hurt the chickens and so they stay away. Plus the fact we have grown roosters who will basically attempt to maul any dog coming near thier food or coop now. but dogs will also dig up corpses buried by coyote, coons etc so it could be either.