From 5 Hens to 1...not a good day

[mama579]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to being a chicken owner, about 3 months in. Yesterday I came home and found 4 of my hens killed and one in bad shape. My cocker spaniel managed to get into the pen and killed my beloved hens. I never realized how much I would love being a chicken owner, but they all had their own personalities and were just a joy to have.
I want to get more and I've read a lot about how to introduce them. I'm waiting to give my hen some recovery time after the massacre. Any suggestions as whether to get chicks and just keep them separated or to get hens around the same age. I just can't handle another loss and would hate for a new flock to come in and hurt her.
As for our cocker...she's low on the totem pole right now. Any suggestions about the dog situation?
Thank you!

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas, mam579, and welcome to BYC! Sorry to hear about the carnage. Here's a link for introducing birds to the flock.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock

There are pros and cons to both adult hens and to chicks. I think with chicks you form a better bond. With adults that are ready to lay, you pay a higher price upfront but you would have likely paid the same amount over time to raise the chicks to adulthood. Whatever your choice, good luck to you! With the dog..there are a lot of threads on BYC about dogs & chickens ranging from why it's a bad idea to how some folks (me included) use their dogs to keep predators away. Type those words - dog and chicken - into the BYC search bar and do some reading. Best wishes!!

 

[mama579]

Thank you redsoxs! My lab is great with the chickens and I was surprised my cocker spaniel was so aggressive. I know they're animals so it's no surprise, but I had thought they'd be better at warding off predators instead of being them. I'll check out the link. Appreciate it!

 

[drumstick diva]

your cocker may not have been "aggressive," many dogs (and cats) regard chicks as a squeaky toy, they are fun to chase, and make noises. When they stop making sounds(dead) the dog goes for another one. If you never taught the dog that chicks are yours and must be left alone, how would it know that?

 

[chickenpooplady]

from Ohio!!! I am so sorry about your chickens.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! Happy you joined!

 

[liz9910]

Welcome to BYC! You may have to keep the cocker in a dog run to prevent more deaths, sorry to hear about that. My Boston Terrier killed my whole flock so I know how you feel. Good luck!

 

[cafarmgirl]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to being a chicken owner, about 3 months in. Yesterday I came home and found 4 of my hens killed and one in bad shape. My cocker spaniel managed to get into the pen and killed my beloved hens. I never realized how much I would love being a chicken owner, but they all had their own personalities and were just a joy to have.
I want to get more and I've read a lot about how to introduce them. I'm waiting to give my hen some recovery time after the massacre. Any suggestions as whether to get chicks and just keep them separated or to get hens around the same age. I just can't handle another loss and would hate for a new flock to come in and hurt her.
As for our cocker...she's low on the totem pole right now. Any suggestions about the dog situation?
Thank you!

You are going to have to have a seriously dog proof coop and run. And the dog will require extensive, ongoing training. Even then it may never be trustworthy with chicks and chickens. Some dogs can be trained to be good with the birds, others never will be able to be trusted. Having had the experience now of chasing, catching and killing chickens is a big set back in your training. You might consider running a hot wire around your chicken pen. That's what I do, it works like a charm. Every dog that has tested that hot wire has never made a second attempt on my pen.

 

[sumi]

Welcome to BYC

So sorry to hear about your loss! Redsoxs gave you some good advice. Best of luck!

 

[xlisa23x]

I have a Springer spaniel n I have to have two gated areas to keep him away from they as he would have them.in a second. Maybe put another fence around the pen. Game dogs n chickens don't really mix well.