My dog accidentally killed my chicken.

[Annnies]

Not really much to say. Just feeling very sad & everyone keeps saying "she was JUST a chicken" or "did you have chicken for dinner then?" so tasteless......

I have a Border Collie x Kelpie, 8 months old. Her & my chicken grew up together from very young ages. They played together everyday (she was free range during day & in the coop at night)

Last night after dinner I went to feed 'chicken' & put her back in the coop like I do every other day, and found her half-dead down the side of the house. My dog new straight away that she had done something bad & was just sitting beside chicken. She is a nipper - by breed. She nips at the horses to "keep them moving" because she's a herder by nature, but obviously didn't know her own strength and went a little too far with chicken. Chicken was beyond repair unfortunately.

Most heartbreaking day of my life to date......
It's even more upsetting knowing that my dog has lost her 'bestfriend' and I know she is feeling guilty - she's not a nasty dog.

Only hours before we took all the measurements to build her new coop this weekend as I wanted a longer run for her....

I feel so guilty.

Poor chicken... she was just lovely. I'll miss her pecking my toenail polish & following me around like a bad smell... and standing on the pool box by our back window staring at me




Week old chick














Snuggled up best I could for them at my work for the day






Moved them to the outdoor cage






Pip following her friends






We soon found out the black chicken was a rooster so he lives on my friends farm now







Pip & "chicken" sharing dog bikkies...






Watching me..








Spot the visitor...









Sleeping by my side at the window... now she's sleeping forever


I am completely devastated.

 

[zazouse]

Sorry for your loss.
Sounds like you got a good dog i would just teach him that herding them is a no no, it does not look like you have a need for a herder , i have a herder and i use her to round up birds from places i do not want them but even i have to be careful , she can not be left out at night or she will herd the ducks in the night trying to get them off the pond, i could never break her of it and she earned her titile of house dog at night unless the other dogs are after something.

 

[Annnies]

She is usually really good, she normally just watches and follows and doesn't actually try to move them places but I have just had an operation & haven't been able to walk her every morning so I think she is maybe just bored at the moment. The horses are a different story though but I want her to "herd" but it's hard for her to differentiate between the chicken & horses I suppose, they're all just objects to her.

 

[missnu01]

I'm sorry for your loss, but if this is the worst thing that has happened to you thus far then you should consider yourself supremely lucky.

 

[Annnies]

Thank you, I am blessed that my life thus far has been rough but okay.

 

[zazouse]

She is usually really good, she normally just watches and follows and doesn't actually try to move them places but I have just had an operation & haven't been able to walk her every morning so I think she is maybe just bored at the moment. The horses are a different story though but I want her to "herd" but it's hard for her to differentiate between the chicken & horses I suppose, they're all just objects to her.

I understand you have to be there to stop them when they are in the act, that is why i never could break my aussie but i need my sleep and she is a great housedog/herder

 

[Annnies]

Very true - I'm just in shock to be honest. They adored each other, quite often I found them asleep together in the sun cuddled up. I wish I knew what happened - there was no noise no sounds nothing, and they were right outside the open window I was sitting at (but had the roller shutters down)

 

[peafowl]

This may sound silly, but was there blood on your dog's mouth? What of something else killed it and your dog was guilty? Just a thought.