Dogs that kill weasels but not chickens?

[parvani]

Last summer my little backyard flock was attacked by a weasel. I know it was a weasel because I went out in the middle of the attack and it vanished, after killing chickens that were inside a large kennel cage (for protection from the "raccoon" I thought had attacked them the night before.)

Weasels are the only predator small enough to slip between bars and vanish in the night, unseen.

Now I'm terrified to let my chickens forage out of their coop even during the day, because weasels are not strictly nocturnal.

Is there a dog, like maybe a rat terrier, that would hunt weasels but NOT kill my chickens?

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

I personally like aussies, but those are herding dogs and need a lot of exercise. Blue heelers aren't bad either. If you would want a dog that doesn't attack your chickens, you would probably have to get him as a puppy and associate them from day one. Full grown dogs are quite unpredictable.

 

[aart]

Dogs that kill weasels but not chickens?

A very well trained one.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I agree any pup needs trained herding dog or working dogs need guidence, understanding

 

[bobbi-j]

I'm going to throw my 2 cents' worth in about free ranging and weasels. I have never lost a chicken to a weasel while they were free ranging. The mink and weasel kills that I've experienced in my flock have always been when they've been penned. Not saying it would never happen, but I have personally not seen it.

 

[parvani]

I'm going to throw my 2 cents' worth in about free ranging and weasels. I have never lost a chicken to a weasel while they were free ranging. The mink and weasel kills that I've experienced in my flock have always been when they've been penned. Not saying it would never happen, but I have personally not seen it.

They were free ranging the first night, when the weasel killed three of them. Tore sweet Chick Fillet to bits. Took the head off one of the others. Disemboweled a third, dragged her gizzard across the yard.

If course I thought it was a raccoon. The kennel cage would have helped if it had been a raccoon.

But it wasn't.

 

[bobbi-j]

They were free ranging the first night, when the weasel killed three of them. Tore sweet Chick Fillet to bits. Took the head off one of the others. Disemboweled a third, dragged her gizzards across the yard.

If course I thought it was a raccoon. The kennel cage would have helped if it had been a raccoon.

But it wasn't.

"Free ranging" as in out and about doing chicken things? Or "free ranging" as in roosting unprotected in trees and such? I have never lost a chicken in the daytime while out hunting and pecking and scratching about. I did, however, lose one to a mink in the run in the middle of the day just a couple of months ago.

 

[parvani]

Free ranging as in, they had the run of my fully-fenced, 1/3 acre urban property, with all the delights that implies. At night they preferred to roost on my metal patio table or chairs, although they were also roosting with the goats under the laurel trees.

 

[parvani]

"Free ranging" as in out and about doing chicken things? Or "free ranging" as in roosting unprotected in trees and such? I have never lost a chicken in the daytime while out hunting and pecking and scratching about. I did, however, lose one to a mink in the run in the middle of the day just a couple of months ago.

Honestly, it doesn't sound like you have very determined predators in your area.

Maybe you could help me more with a solution if you actually had experience with the problem?

 

[parvani]

A very well trained one.

Well, I've trained my 4 cats not to kill chickens. They don't stalk the chicks in their brooders, either.

But I think dogs are harder to train than cats are.