I can't believe this happened..

[blckbrnfamly]

Just three days ago we started letting the chickens out of their coop and run area, and into the yard whenever we would go outside, so we could babysit them, I am always worried about the fox and big birds out here, but my husband said that if we were outside they would be fine. And they were.. Spot (our sweet 1 1/2 yr dog) never paid these chickens any mind. If one came around he would just walk away or go into his house. I stayed close to him these last three days just incase he got a little aggressive toward them. But nothing for three days, so I though I could relax.
I was about thirty feet away when I saw Spot walk out from behind some bushes and he had a dying chicken in his mouth! I started yelling and running to him... he dropped her and walked away. There wasn't even a sound!!! I didn't know an attack was happening!!!
I brought her over to my husband after putting Spot away, not a scratch on her, he said her neck was broken, Spot must have shook her.
I love my dog dearly.. I'm not really beside myself with grief, I am rrrrreally bummed though. Putting my kids to bed tonight was not fun like it usually is. This stinks!

 

[Jess N Jeff]

Sorry. I know dogs and chickens can be hard, I'm not gonna give you advice or judge because I've been there. Just another

cuz I know you need it!!!

 

[blckbrnfamly]

Thanks.. I knew it was a possiblity, I was hoping he'd continue to shrug them off. Oh well now I know.

 

[slickchik]

I am so sorry about this. My dog killed two chickens... she ignored the chickens until she struck without warning... And she even brought one of the chicken's legs into the house. We though we could trust the dog....

And then we had to teach the dog a lesson. After that lesson, she refused to even look at a chicken and never ever bothered one again.

We forced that dog look at the dead chicken and put her face in it and kept telling her "BAD Dog!! BAD DOG!!!!!"

After that the dog ran away from them.

We had friends that had a similar problem and they tied the dead chicken's leg to the collar and made it wear the dead chicken until it fell off. Their dog never bothered the chickens again.

It is truly heartbreaking... I am so sorry.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

I just don't mix my dogs and chickens. Sorry for your lost chicken.

 

[nzpouter]

sorry for your lost... can you be certain that the chicken's neck actually broken? or is it possible the dog actually pick it up when it's actually dying of something else? Most chickens died of puncture through the side of their ribcage in a dog attack.

 

[gsim]

nzpouter raised a valid question. If I did not see it, I would wonder too. Cannot help as I never free range. Just cannot watch 24 chooks. Doubt my dog would care one way or another about them. She is 8 and they are 7 mo so no chicks to excite her.

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
The ones I have seen were more likely to have died from being shook.

 

[gryeyes]

I'm sorry for the loss of your chicken, too. I have been there. My elderly dachshund has killed 3 of mine. I love the dog, he can't help it, I've learned to be super-super vigilant. (And secure every single bit of the run where he shows any interest at all.)

And the chickens died of broken necks. 2 shaken, one stepped on and held down, with a yank to the neck. I felt SO bad that I couldn't get to any of them in time - the silly things run and me chasing the dog chasing the chicken just didn't stop the tragedy.

Oh, wait, I DID get to one in time, so there was a fourth incident, actually before the third death (it that makes any sense). Before I put the bird netting up, the Head Pullet flapped up and over the pen fence and when she landed, ran INTO the dog. I destroyed the fence going over it myself from inside the run, snatched up and FLUNG that dachshund, and rescued the chicken. She was pretty shocky for 15-20 minutes, but I held her calmly, and then gently put her in the coop. One of her flock-mates came inside and sat with her. After about 45 minutes or so, she came out the pop door and joined the others.

 

[quietheart]

When we bought our first batch of babies we had them on the gazebo and our JR jumped up on it while I was feeding them, he'd broken his leash. He went right for em but I was really lucky they were all in the little cage we'd just brought them home in and he couldn't get to them. After that he is kept over near the garden on a chain with our female mutt that adopted us. He's my youngest girls dog and she walks him daily but always keeps a tight hold because she knows the first time he gets a chicken he'll go bye bye. I hate keeping him chained up and am hoping to get him a large outside kennel sometime this year.