Dogs that kill weasels but not chickens?

[Stepnout]

Seems like the simplest way to protect your flock is to lock them up in a weasel prof coop every night as soon as they go in. As you mentioned they have been roosting outside the coop you’ll have to train or retrain them to roost inside the coop.
Seems like you‘ve been around chickens long enough to know they are pretty much defenceless in the dark.
Yes a weasel might attack during the day but a daytime attack across your open free range area would be less likely and a good rooster in daylight would put up a good fight I ASSUME.
Hope everything works out fir you.

 

[My2butterflies]

Maybe there's no "best" breed for this, I don't know. I know that some people keep large guard dogs to protect themselves and their animals, and that they recommend specific breeds that are better than others.

For instance, so far I have never seen anyone recommend a Chihuahua.

I just figured people at backyard chickens.com would be most likely to have some experience with dogs that don't attack their chickens but do attack small predators like rats and weasels.

I wondered if anyone has had a rat terrier that didn't attack their birds?

Please don’t discount what advice you are getting from people here. No one is meaning to personally attack you. We all only want to help you find the best suited solution to your problem.

Do you want a dog? Forget the weasel problem for now. Do you want to own a dog? Many have time, money, space, and training capabilities, but not everyone really wants a dog.
If the answer is yes, then get a dog.
You can train a puppy to leave your chickens alone, but it will come with a year or more of headaches training it to get to a point that it *might* do as you are hoping it will. In that event you’ll just end up with another pet and still no solution to the weasel problem. I think that’s what most are trying to explain to you. There are better and faster actions you can take to protect them now.

To me it seems the easiest way to protect them(this is a daytime problem, right?) is to stay out with them while they free range.
In the beginning of your post I thought it sounded like you didn’t coop them at all, and so simply providing them a coop sounded like the answer. But now it sounds like you have a very sufficient coop and run for them, and do coop them at night. Correct?
If that’s the case, just hang out with them during the day and confine them to the run and coop when you are busy. They will not mind and it will give you peace of mind.

 

[centrarchid]

Please don’t discount what advice you are getting from people here. No one is meaning to personally attack you. We all only want to help you find the best suited solution to your problem.

Do you want a dog? Forget the weasel problem for now. Do you want to own a dog? Many have time, money, space, and training capabilities, but not everyone really wants a dog.
If the answer is yes, then get a dog.
You can train a puppy to leave your chickens alone, but it will come with a year or more of headaches training it to get to a point that it *might* do as you are hoping it will. In that event you’ll just end up with another pet and still no solution to the weasel problem. I think that’s what most are trying to explain to you. There are better and faster actions you can take to protect them now.

To me it seems the easiest way to protect them(this is a daytime problem, right?) is to stay out with them while they free range.
In the beginning of your post I thought it sounded like you didn’t coop them at all, and so simply providing them a coop sounded like the answer. But now it sounds like you have a very sufficient coop and run for them, and do coop them at night. Correct?
If that’s the case, just hang out with them during the day and confine them to the run and coop when you are busy. They will not mind and it will give you peace of mind.

This where I feel compelled to step in and no. There is no best answer. There is little tolerance in this thread for alternative approaches.

 

[My2butterflies]

This where I feel compelled to step in and no. There is no best answer. There is little tolerance in this thread for alternative approaches.

Little tolerance by op or other members?

 

[Geena]

I keep chickens free range 24/7 all day and all night. I trap mink and weasels around my property. Forget the dog and learn to trap them. It’s not that hard.
It’ll be less expensive to learn and buy the supplies needed to trap them than to train and feed a dog.

Less expensive and quicker, easier and more certain.
OP, this is the BEST solution to your problem.

 

[centrarchid]

Little tolerance by op or other members?

All

 

[cmom]

I think everyone is trying to help the OP. What works well for some may not work as well for others. Situations are different in many cases as well as predators.

 

[centrarchid]

I think everyone is trying to help the OP. What works well for some may not work as well for others. Situations are different in many cases as well as predators.

It needs to be worded as such at time of postings that not all approaches work all of the time. Assertions of best and being aggressively critical are easy to show.

 

[cmom]

I really don't understand your beef. The OP wants to get a dog. I and others were posting experiences with dogs and alternatives. I have no experiences with weasels but have dealt with a host of other predators over the years. You probably have more experience. Good luck...

 

[WestTNriverrat]

My advice would be to avoid adding a dog unless you really wanted a dog for other reasons too.
We raise coonhounds while most have the track push and tree instincts very few to none will just instinctually focus on raccoons.Training a dog to focus on one prey item is a time consuming and frustrating experience that will completely undo itself if not strictly enforced.
I’d prolly lean to the trap and remove nuisance predators instead of investing time and money in a dog that could prefer to kill chickens as to something that will chew its nose to oblivion.
Now if you really want a dog go get a dog. I would recommend a coonhound if you have the space. Would make short work of most mammals can run off bears and mountain lions. Your cats and neighbors might be pissed but it prolly would leave your birds alone.