I have 2 lab mix dogs about 4 years old. I have to keep them penned up all the time because they kill chickens. How can I get them to stop?

[estxchk]

I have cats also, so far dogs haven't hurt them, but I don't trust them. I would like for my neighbors birds and mine to be safe around them without electric fencing

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I have cats also, so far dogs haven't hurt them, but I don't trust them. I would like for my neighbors birds and mine to be safe around them without electric fencing

Well.. here's my humble opinion.
It's going to be really hard once they've already been doing it.
But. I think it can be done if your willing to put a lot of time and effort into it. I would work on them by taking them on leash where they can see chickens but not be close to them. Reward them when they focus on you and ignore them.
You want to desensitize them to the birds being around. Every time they show interest, redirect them by engaging in play with them and make it more interesting than the chickens are .. get their attention focused on you.
When they start getting good at this at a safe distance from the birds move a little closer to the birds. Keep it up. Every single day.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Also start working on teaching them a "leave it" command.
Never let them have the thing you have told them to leave.

 

[CateLV]

If they are primarily Labs, introduce it as their job. Speak to them the whole time and explain chickens are part of your family and we protect them. While on a leash a "no, naughty" if they leap toward a chicken. My lab/australian cattle dog, does a great job of herding them back into the coop. You made your job harder by penning up the dogs. Dogs that don't feel apart of the family are much more likely to have unpredictable behavior. Maybe consider giving the dogs away.

 

[mowin]

My labs are fantastic around my chickens. If they were not, I definitely wouldn't lock up my dogs, I'd lock up my chickens. My dogs are a much bigger part of the family then any chicken could be. Plus, I've had the dogs longer.

 

[Opiumbrella]

I have cats also, so far dogs haven't hurt them, but I don't trust them. I would like for my neighbors birds and mine to be safe around them without electric fencing

With my husky/wolf, who has a crazy prey drive, and got to the chickens before (because my sister in laws kids opened their kennel without permission after being told to leave it alone, and just left it opened). What worked for us was free ranging the chickens around their kennel. They have a giant chain link fenced in with a ceiling, section of the yard. And after spending so much time in their kennel/run, with the flock roaming and squawking and running around right on the other side of their fence, they just ignore them now. They got out of the house recently due to a broken door, and I was right behind them, came around the house hearing my chickens yelling, fearing the worst. They were just sniffing around, and paying zero mind to the panicking chickens around them. I was so impressed. Started walking them near the chickens, with a soft muzzle just in case, they paid no mind. Where as before it was blood lust. Exposure without access to them seems to remove the excitement.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

There are some good posts in this thread where someone had a similar situation. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/anyone-have-success-free-ranging-with-labs.1517700/