HEEEELLLLLLLLPPPPPP!!!! I need serious help!

[Elliebear]

I am so sad, today I lost two of my best hens to my dog. He is in HUGE trouble right now, I need to know about one of my surviving Rhode Island Red Hens; she is alive and in the hen house, but ALL of her tail feathers are gone! All of her beautiful feathers! Will they grow back? Will she be warm enough tonight? It's going to get down into the 40's, is that too cold? Also I have two other Kelso hens that are much more agile and are in other neighbors yards right now, they are hunkered down for the evening because the sun has gone down but will they come back? I am going to keep the dog out of the yard, I hope they do! Im so upset, if anyone can help me I would really appreciate it. Thank you. -Nicole

 

[nurse_turtle]

The hens feathers will re-grow and your other birds will return home. In my opinion, dogs are the worst predators of chickens than any other. Many of us have lost birds to our own dogs. All 4 of my dogs are on a wireless containment system so they can't reach the chicken area. My flock does free range from noon til bedtime, but they have learned where to roam and where to stay away from. Now I worry about other predators. At this very moment, there's a skunk in my live trap. I'll call animal control later today.

 

[fried green eggs]

It's not uncommon for hens with roosters to get bare backed and lose all or most of their tail feathers. If all she lost was feathers and isn't seriously injured, she wll be fine with temps and the feathers will grow back. You can spray Blue Kote on bare skin to give it some protection if, skin is red. The chickens that have gone visiting and are sleeping over - probably got scared by the dog and will need reasurance that their home is going to be safe. Go lure them back with scratch in the morning and maybe don't let them free-range for awhile until they forget and lock them in the coop at night.

 

[Elliebear]

Thank you both so much, it's reashuring to have someone tell you that things should be ok. This situation really sucks! I raised the ones lost from a week old so it's hard. Anyway I'm pretty new so I guess it's a learning experience. Thank you so much again for your responses!

 

[fried green eggs]

It's always hard to lose one

but, your dog is just being a dog. My female rottie loves them when they are day old chicks but by the time they get a little bigger - she would kill them if, given a chance

 

[dainerra]

there are lots of posts here on how to train your dog to coexist with your birds. Look into them and start training ASAP.
In the meantime, manage the situation - dogs out = chickens contained. chickens out = dog contained

 

[Elliebear]

This is a before pic of my RIR hen (Georgia). (Before she was attacked.)


After the Attack, this is what is left of her.


This is my Kelso hen, she is an American Game breed, these are bred for cockfighting mainly (not into that).

UPDATE:

So it turns out my dog wasnt the culprit at ALL! I feel so freakin bad! I gave him such a hard time because I was so mad, and upset! And all along he didn't do anything. Anyway I have all of my hens back! They all came back, untouched, but a little ruffled. It turns out one of my Kelso hens was the agressor. Being new to chickens, and only being a chicken Mom for about 6 months now, I guess I didn't realize how much damage a hen could do! Still I think she is a bigger agressor than most. I mean I have half a hen from her now because the agressive Kelso hen took all of her tail feathers! I just can't believe it still. Before I knew it was the Kelso that was the culprit, I had caught her and put her back into the coop with my 2 RIR's (Rhode Island Reds- way bigger than her). The one she mauled stayed in the hen house, and the other one that wasn't mauled, completely submitted to the Kelso hen, like hens do to a rooster. I was really confused to what the heck was going on (remember at this point I still thought it was my dog). I was so confused my video taking instincts kicked in and I started recording. Anyway then the Kelso started attacking the RIR, pulling out feather after feather and the RIR wasnt fighting back! Just running away. Such a strange experience. The Kelso by the way is for sure a hen, people keep asking, are you sure its not a rooster. Well the answer is yes, she looks like a hen number one, is about 1.5 years old and gives great eggs! so definately a hen. My RIR submitted about 3 times during this time and continued to be attacked fearcly, while I was in the coop until I removed the Kelso hen from the situation. I am not sure what was going on but I think she may have been a bit broody? I had also brought out a couple of chicks into the yard to say hi, a few days earlier, but never allowed full contact. Maybe that had something to do with it. I have no Idea. But I was right about my dog, he wouldn't have eaten my chickens, My female on the other hand would have in a heartbeat. But she wouldnt never be left alone with the hens, EVER! and just to be safe neither will my boy. Anyway, any input from those of you with similar experiences or a lot of hands on experience with chickens, fire away! THX>

 

[NovaAman]

Well, the Kelso could be attacking the injured bird, because she is injured. This does not mean that the dog did not do this. You may need to put the RIR in a hospital for a few days, and/or blu-kote her where the feathers have been torn out. And yes, your dog would eat your chickens. I have 2 dogs. The one gets loose and she doesn't touch the chickens... the other one gets loose also, and its mayhem. A chicken flies over to the dogs enclosure, again, mayhem, but by herself, she is just fine... SO, I would say that she would never attack one of my chickens... but I know she will... If I am there, she won't and neither would my boy...

If the feather picking continues after the blu-kote, or she starts going after the other hens, you might want to try pinless peepers.

Sorry about the 2 hens you lost. Hope your other makes a quick recovery. The way that tail is missing, I wouldn't say the Kelso did it... I'd say the dog, and that is why the other birds fled the yard.

 

[Elliebear]

Thanks for the response, but I didnt loose any of my hens afterall, they all came back so none are missing. That is how I knew my dog didnt do anything. Also there are small piles of feathers around the yard, as if a hen were chasing another hen and plucking in attack mode. So that was my other reasoning for that. The attacking hen is no longer with us. Shes too agressive and I dont want her anymore after what she did.

 

[galanie]

A hen plucking feathers out of another isn't going to leave piles of feathers. It will leave a feather here and a feather there. I still think it was the dog.