I just wanted to vent a little by telling our story here. Our chicken keeping project started exactly a year ago with 6 red sex links from an unplanned trip to tractor supply. We knew nothing about it and had to learn fast. My wife had said no to me wanting chickens for years until our 7 year old said he wanted them. I built a little coop and the deal was that we could get them if she had nothing to do with feeding or watering or any work on her part period. She thought they would be mean and dirty and didn't have any want for "farm" life. She gave in to the cuteness quickly and began playing with the chick and feeding from her hand by the second day. She now loves collecting eggs and eating "farm" fresh meals from them. We ended up adding a heritage RIR roo to the flock last summer and he became on of her best friends following her around the yard.We all had the chicken bug bad and wanted more. She said we needed "pretty" chickens" so she ordered 8 bantams from Ideal last September. We got a mix of silkies and frizzle Cochins. We have also hatched eggs from our own RIR/RSL birds. What started with "NO" chickens ended up with 27 birds and the whole family helping out. We even have our regular ladies in town that get eggs from us because they say the are the best they have ever had. One partridge silkie hen known as "Poop Butt" due to pasty butt as a chick found its way into my wifes heart. She loved to be picked up and held and was by far the nicest bird you can imagine. When we got home yesterday, I heard a chicken making noise in my fenced in backyard. I found Poop Butt being played with by our German Shepard in the yard. I ran and got her but she couldnt stand up. She had no wounds by lots of missing feathers and was limp. I was going to put her down but my wife wouldnt let me. She put her in a box with shaving, food and water in her bathroom and sat with her petting her. She died about an hour later. We buried her in our yard and now my wife wants nothing to do with any of them. I knew the day would come but it is still hard to believe. Its easy to be mad at the dog but it was where it belonged and the chicken wasnt. Sorry this is so long but I needed to tell everyone about little Poop Butt as she was so sweet and kind.
I'm sorry about poop butt, your wife will find a new favorite chicken. The ones you love the most always seem to be the ones who get sick or die. I just had to put my favorite girl down yesterday or should I say my husband did, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I love chickens and I take the best care of them that I can, they are fed well, loved much and at least I can say I gave them a very good life.
That is a tragic loss. You may consider teaching your German Sheppard to leave the chickens alone. I have never owned a dog, but I know that they can be trained to protect them, and watch over them. People here may be able to help you, and if not, Youtube will have something.
I'm sorry to hear about your loss. I remember when we lost our first chicken to the neighbor's cat. It was a little cochin bantam, which happened to be my wife's and my favorite. It was devestating to our 4 year old son as it was his first experience with death. Hopefully time can help heal the loss.
Give your wife a hug from a chicken stranger, and tell her we all understand And I'm sorry for your whole family. Each bird I've lost has been hard to get over, they work their way into our hearts just like any pet. Our first loss was, like everyone else, a favorite - she was a White Crested Blue Polish (Isabelle) and a predator got her and drug her into the fence line. I found a pile of feathers after searching for two days. DH teased me some, but I really was heartbroken. And her sister Annabelle was out of sorts for weeks. Those two would wander around squawking and chatting to each other all day and she missed her too.
