Dogs!!!!

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

I am so very sorry for you loss.

We had a dog who was starting to cause issues, but I was not attached to it, so I re-homed it before something happened.
Then we got the perfect dog, who thought she was a chicken, and the chickens thought she was a chicken. Unfortunately we lost her last Wednesday. My other dog has respect for the chickens, and also a fear of our roo, but he is missing our other dog desperately.

Resolve the issue before you open your arms to more chickens. It all depends on how attached you are to your dogs.
I am sorry you are being bashed about what happened, focus in on the comfort posts and ignore the rest.

 

[jjthink]

I don't think people are bashing the OP, they are just stating facts. It is the dog guardian's fault when these things happen, not the dogs. Unless this uncomfortable fact is faced and addressed, there is a great likelihood that the sad situation will repeat itself. No one wants to see that happen to the OP or others in a similar situation, or to any other birds.
JJ

 

[RHRanch]

Quote:
X2

 

[bobbi-j]

Not bashing, just stating the facts as JJ said. Unfortunately, chickens are pretty much at the bottom of the food chain. It's our job to protect them. If one free ranges or allows access by other animals and something happens to our birds, we don't get to complain. I happen to free range. If something comes and eats my birds while they're out, it's my doing and I have to either accept the fact that it will happen again, or I have to lock them up. If I know my dogs will kill my chickens if they get loose, I don't get to blame the dogs when I get careless if I haven't done everything possible to prevent contact between the two.

 

[Annepona]

Sorry for your loss, today we lost our beloved rooster because our dog was apparently on a break. The worst part, it is my son's 5th birthday today. As it happened, it was on our back deck only a couple feet from the glass door, the brazen coyote stole Captain away. One minute he was out there singing to his hens... the next... gone only a mess of feathers littered on the deck.
Surprisingly our 1 year old Doberman quickly learned (with the help of a remote control training device) that the chickens were not "birds" or toys, or any type of sport prey. But in fact sheep that required protection. Once understood she loved the responsibility of the task. But today one got by her.

That said I would highly recommend working with a dog on a problem issue using the remote control training device. It works like a charm when faced with what may seem like an impossible reprograming issue.

 

[dragonlair]

I know how you feel, and I'm sorry for your loss. I lost several chickens to my dogs until I managed to get solid fencing up for both.

I have 10 big dogs. Most are Malamutes who are major predators. I keep the chickens in large chain link kennels to protect them from my dogs and any other critters that want to make a meal of them. Likewise, my dogs are either on leashes or in large play areas made from heavy livestock panels topped with electric fence wire extended from the horse pasture. I haven't had a casualty in years with this set up.

 

[rufus]

Keep dogs and little kids out of the chicken yard. If the dogs don't chase and kill the birds, they eat stuff they shouldn't, and then they want to lick on you.

Little kids never seem to watch where they step. If you let them into the chicken yard, be sure and do shoe checks before they come into the house.

Rufus

 

[REDMAN4]

Our dog who is secured in a dog kennel outside somehow managed to escape her pen, rip through the chicken wire on our coop and kill all 7 of our chickens in a matter of 30 min last night!! We had just went out to feed and water them, and our son was petting and loving on them before we went in for the night. Heard a strange noise outside and by the time my husband got out there all of our chickens were dead and the dog was trying to get out of the coop. She didn't eat them...she just killed them. My son cried hysterically for over an hour, i cried and my husband was just upset. We had just gotten our chickens, they were 8 weeks old and we miss them already. Each of them had a name and a sweet personality. We are rehoming the dog. We have four and we love them however, we can't have her killing other "family members" as my son calls them. The other dog in the kennel with her also got out but didn't go after the chickens..he came to the front door barking and scratching for us to come outside. I understand that it is just her nature, but my fear is she will do it again and again. she ripped through that chicken wire with her teeth like it was yarn....

 

[moetrout]

Attach a chicken head to that dogs collar until it rots off. We had a dog do that when i was a kid and that is what my dad did. It worked on that dog, but nobody wants to be anywhere near a dog with a rotted chicken head hanging around it's neck!

 

[ladydoc1992]

Try electric fence around the chickens. If you let the dog out and he gets zapped a time or 2, he learns real quick to stay away from the chicken house...at least, it worked for mine!