Ruby Rogue
Free Ranging
Mine were killed by a predator that started getting into the coop after the rooster was put down. Didn't have a problem before that.
But dogs, some dogs just kill chickens. I have a year old (good) dog that was raised with the birds but I still wouldn't trust her around them for very long unsupervised. She's getting better now but before I hatched my new flock she would bark at and chase any bird or cat or deer, whatever. My own cat wouldn't even come downstairs for a year. Since the chicks hatched and they've been living inside with us, it's almost like training a toddler to be gentle with a baby. My brooder has a clear window in front so the dog could see the birds all the time. Once she stopped aggressively sniffing and licking them every time I opened the door to the brooder, I started putting a chick on her back or belly while she was laying down...just things like that. The chicks are 6 weeks old now and still sleeping in the brooder but they go out into the run during the day. We also have meat birds the same age. When I go out to feed and water them she jumps right over the fence and sometimes I catch her trying to pounce on them or chasing them but she hasn't hurt any of them and she really doesn't seem to have that much interest unless I'm around them. The cat even comes downstairs now....I guess she doesn't perceive a threat anymore, she still hates the dog.
I don't know if my experience is going to help you with your dog but if you allow supervised close contact where you could watch your dogs signals at arms length and intervene immediately if the dog shows any form of playfulness or aggression it could help.
But dogs, some dogs just kill chickens. I have a year old (good) dog that was raised with the birds but I still wouldn't trust her around them for very long unsupervised. She's getting better now but before I hatched my new flock she would bark at and chase any bird or cat or deer, whatever. My own cat wouldn't even come downstairs for a year. Since the chicks hatched and they've been living inside with us, it's almost like training a toddler to be gentle with a baby. My brooder has a clear window in front so the dog could see the birds all the time. Once she stopped aggressively sniffing and licking them every time I opened the door to the brooder, I started putting a chick on her back or belly while she was laying down...just things like that. The chicks are 6 weeks old now and still sleeping in the brooder but they go out into the run during the day. We also have meat birds the same age. When I go out to feed and water them she jumps right over the fence and sometimes I catch her trying to pounce on them or chasing them but she hasn't hurt any of them and she really doesn't seem to have that much interest unless I'm around them. The cat even comes downstairs now....I guess she doesn't perceive a threat anymore, she still hates the dog.
I don't know if my experience is going to help you with your dog but if you allow supervised close contact where you could watch your dogs signals at arms length and intervene immediately if the dog shows any form of playfulness or aggression it could help.
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. I will have to be more vigilant for coyotes.
