I spent months training her and working with her and the chickens. At first all she ever seemed to want to do is herd them whether they where in their runs or out free ranging. I have always watched her very close and usually she was either trying to keep them all in the same place or just watching them. She never even attempted to make a move in front of me but I would still never leave her alone with them. The reason I got her in the first place (btw she is a GSD/collie mix) was to protect the perimeter of the yard and keep predators out. She turned out to make a wonderful obedient pet. Well a few months back our silkie run had a hole in it, of course that would happen on a night we forgot to close the coops. So I woke up to silkies running around everywhere and my dog trying to herd them, I look and find a dead bird (a young cochin) next to the whole where something had pulled the wire back. The head was missing, my dog did not act guilty when I called her over. I assumed she had not done it and since the head was missing it was probably a raccoon that got caught in the act. We found all the other birds and fixed the run.
Then fast forward, we had my young nieces over, they went out with my daughter to collect eggs and they did not close the door to the silkie run (again with the silkies where I also keep cochins) I go out to find my dog standing over a cochin she had plucked all the feather off her back! The poor thing was in shock. I took it in treated her wounds the best I knew how and she didn't seem to have any really bad injuries only a couple of puncture wounds, I had seen chickens with worse heal and be fine. But the poor thing didn't make it though the night, I think the stress is mostly what killed her. Before I brought her in I disciplined my dog with a technique someone who has raised dogs with chickens for many years said to do. I held her down on the ground and held the chicken over her while telling her NO.
Later again, this time a chicken got out through a nesting box that had not been closed properly in the layer run. A production red which was new to the flock had gotten out. AGAIN I found my dog with the chicken and she had plucked all her feathers out AGAIN. This time I caught it in enough time and the chicken was saved and lived to see another day. After wound cleaning (her wounds where worse than the first) and a round of antibiotics she was fine and has grown most of her feathers back. Again I disciplined her the same way.
TODAY,
today was very hot (temps in 100s) so I let my dog inside in the afternoon. I usually let the chickens free range after about 4 until dusk. Usually, when the weather is not so hot I just tie up my dog on a long lead during that time. She can still be around the chickens and they around her but she can't catch them and it's worked out pretty well. Today, I had her in and was very distracted, my DH came home and let her out, even asked if there was a reason she was inside but I didn't hear him. He didn't know the chickens where out. It took me about 30 min. (maybe less) to realize she had been let outside. I ran out and there on the ground was my sons ONLY BLUE COPPER MARANS PULLET dead. Her neck was mangled it was a definite kill, not just plucking feathers, the only part of her that was touched was her neck and the skin was gone.
I am sad b/c my son loves marans and to date we still only have one hen, we bought a trio of blues and ended up with two roos, tried hatching two batches and only got two which turned out to be roos!
I am sad and mad because my dog is now a killer and any training has failed all that work for nothing, and now what?? Added constant stress of having a predator IN the yard all the time. So far she hasn't tried to get IN any of the runs, only when they are out.
this time I spanked her, I held her down and spanked her. I feel like it doesn't matter how I discipline her, if I am not there, it won't matter. I have read and heard by many people to tie the chicken around the dogs neck until it rots. I don't think I could do that with one of my sons favorite chickens, much less stomach rotting chicken.
re-homing her is not an option, this is her home, I am just so mad at her right now!
thanks to that that have taken the time to read my rant
Then fast forward, we had my young nieces over, they went out with my daughter to collect eggs and they did not close the door to the silkie run (again with the silkies where I also keep cochins) I go out to find my dog standing over a cochin she had plucked all the feather off her back! The poor thing was in shock. I took it in treated her wounds the best I knew how and she didn't seem to have any really bad injuries only a couple of puncture wounds, I had seen chickens with worse heal and be fine. But the poor thing didn't make it though the night, I think the stress is mostly what killed her. Before I brought her in I disciplined my dog with a technique someone who has raised dogs with chickens for many years said to do. I held her down on the ground and held the chicken over her while telling her NO.
Later again, this time a chicken got out through a nesting box that had not been closed properly in the layer run. A production red which was new to the flock had gotten out. AGAIN I found my dog with the chicken and she had plucked all her feathers out AGAIN. This time I caught it in enough time and the chicken was saved and lived to see another day. After wound cleaning (her wounds where worse than the first) and a round of antibiotics she was fine and has grown most of her feathers back. Again I disciplined her the same way.
TODAY,
today was very hot (temps in 100s) so I let my dog inside in the afternoon. I usually let the chickens free range after about 4 until dusk. Usually, when the weather is not so hot I just tie up my dog on a long lead during that time. She can still be around the chickens and they around her but she can't catch them and it's worked out pretty well. Today, I had her in and was very distracted, my DH came home and let her out, even asked if there was a reason she was inside but I didn't hear him. He didn't know the chickens where out. It took me about 30 min. (maybe less) to realize she had been let outside. I ran out and there on the ground was my sons ONLY BLUE COPPER MARANS PULLET dead. Her neck was mangled it was a definite kill, not just plucking feathers, the only part of her that was touched was her neck and the skin was gone.




re-homing her is not an option, this is her home, I am just so mad at her right now!

thanks to that that have taken the time to read my rant
