I need to vent. So Sad, Lost my chickens. UPDATE The last one is gone.

[Terri O]

Quote:
THis is very smart and true! Dont get any more chickens until you can be sure Buddy cat get them. It sounds as if he needs a kennel to be locked into while the chickens are out like the poster above has stated. Or, you could do like I did; I have a JRT that LOVES to chase chickens and has killed a full grown drake muscovy and a toulouse goose. (lost an eye doing it, but she did it!) I made a dog run type of fence for my poultry! Now the dogs can run the yard but the poultry are behind a dog kennel type fence and are safe. The only dogs that can come in there with me are the Border Collies (because they are SMART!) so they can help get the stubborn chickens in at night.
Good luck with your future chickens! Terri O

 

[bigstack]

I am SO sorry for your loss!

If you use the apron method it works really well. Lay the wire fencing on the ground around the pen and attach the wire to the bottom edge of the coop or run. Once a dog, any dog tastes blood they never forget! It re kindles the wild hunter in them.

Good Luck and God Bless!!!!

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

Quote:
THis is very smart and true! Dont get any more chickens until you can be sure Buddy cat get them. It sounds as if he needs a kennel to be locked into while the chickens are out like the poster above has stated. Or, you could do like I did; I have a JRT that LOVES to chase chickens and has killed a full grown drake muscovy and a toulouse goose. (lost an eye doing it, but she did it!) I made a dog run type of fence for my poultry! Now the dogs can run the yard but the poultry are behind a dog kennel type fence and are safe. The only dogs that can come in there with me are the Border Collies (because they are SMART!) so they can help get the stubborn chickens in at night.
Good luck with your future chickens! Terri O

I am so sorry for your loss.

Unfortunately, I must agree with Terri O. Don't set yourself up for more losses and heart ache. Ironically I have a Buddy (Black Lab) and he is a chicken killer. Our solution was more and better fence. It is pretty much impossible for him to get to the chickens now.

 

[peachie]

im sorry to hear we are having the same problems here charlie is our dog and so far he has taken 10 that we raised from day olds they were pol when they died then we got 7 more he took them so major changes and building changes we now have 17 and there are 2 fences and gates you have to go in but silly kath decided to fly over one the go throgh a not propley gate prob 6 cm gap got out he also her we are now in the process of finding him a new home its not fair for ether him and the chocks

 

[cuisle]

I would not be able to bear it if the dog got my chickens. Yes, if he has killed chickens once, he will continue to do so. You'll have to make a choice. The dog OR chickens. It's really not fair to poor defenceless wee chickens to do anything else. Sorry.

 

[Oblio13]

What kind of dog do you have? Some breeds are easier than others, but we've been able to train all of ours so far, two Danes and two terrier mutts.

Terriers have very strong predator instincts, but look on the carpet for the quail chick:

 

[Siler]

Aww that is so sad. We have a black lab/pitt bull mix and from day one we worked with him to be gentle and loving. He was 2yrs old when we got our chicks and we made sure he understood that we'd protect them at all costs and that he was to be "gentle" and "easy", but he was young and impressionable. Now he keeps a watchful eye for predators and barks when he thinks he sees something. The chickens run for cover when he barks. He pees around their coop and that, I think, keeps away predators.

Hopefully you can get more fencing put around their coop to keep away the dogs and other predators. Good luck!

 

[bonniebe]

whenever i am outside and need to pee, i go over by my chicken house and let loose, than my dogs come over and mark also. i don't know if it makes a difference, but anything is worth a try'

',

 

[no1male]

Am i reading that right? You pee near your chickens? How would that help?

I thin it is pure luck and the tempermant of the dog. We have a British Bulldogs which are renowned for killing. We have the softest Bulldog imaginable, she gets chased by the chickens.

So sorry for your loss

 

[littlethorn]

Sorry to hear about your losses

I have kept large dogs alongside various birds for many years and can tell you that the main thing is that the bird's run must be STURDY. As others have said, if you will be making a pen for the chickens you need to use hardware cloth and bury it or use timbers so that they cannot dig under or chew through. You really cannot use those portable arks with dogs that are not trained to get along with the birds. You should also fence off at least two of the sides of the aviary so that the dogs cannot herd the chickens to a place where they can be injured through the fence. Even without a run for the dogs I have never had any losses using these techniques.

In my experience, once the dog figures out it cannot get the birds it eventually starts ignoring them and the aviary just becomes another part of the yard.