my dog just killed all of my chickens

[luluash]

I am extremely upset. My mom and I just went out to check on the chicks the last time for the night before bed and they were all dead inside their little home. somehow my dog found a way in the room and around all of the precautions we set up. he must have broken the chicken wire set up we had so nothing could get in (and they couldn't jump out). I feel so terrible. They must have been terrified. I'm not sure what to do now ): I feel a bit defeated after spending all that time and energy on those little babies just for them to die in 2 minutes. I feel like a bad mommy. I'm not sure what to do about my dog. I'm just a mess.

I need suggestions. My mom wants to get more chicks but I will not do it if my dog will kill them. That would not be fair to those poor chicks to even chance it.

 

[schimbare]

Oh, I am so sorry for your loss. Perhaps after some time passes you will want to try again with the chicks - Now that you know what the dog will do, maybe you can train the dog and better secure the chicks.

I worry about the same thing myself.

Sorry again for your loss

Schimbare

 

[SobbaChickens]

I'm so sorry! I have a few ideas on what you could do to the dog but I'll keep my mouth shut.

I love my dogs and cats but I don't tolerate any harmful behavior.

How many chicks did you have? My chicks are outside in my garage. I took a medium/large wire dog crate, wrapped chicken wire around the outside of the crate and placed cardboard in between the crate wire and the chicken wire so the chicks stopped trying to put their heads through the wires, plus it blocks any draft (for the most part). I then got two very large brackets and attached them to my garage wall about four feet off the ground. I got a board that was the same size of the crate and placed that on top of the brackets and the crate on top of the board. I then attached the top of the crate to the rafters using chains. It's not the prettiest set up but they have been outside for weeks and although we have 3 mean tomcats hanging around fighting with my cats, my chicks have not been messed with at all. Because there is no extra space, there is no room for anything to jump up there next to the crate. And if something did try to jump at the crate the crate would not fall because it's attached to the rafters. Can you tell I thought this through?

I didn't mean to go on about myself, but I wanted to tell you what I did in case you decide to try again. If you want to have chickens then you have to get your dog to behave, plain and simple. Everyday take your dog to the chickens with you and just be there with him and slowly (very slowly) work up to coexisting.

Hugs to you dear!
Katie

 

[JorasoliFarm]

I'm so sorry! We have 2 dogs on our farm. Our oldest is curious but does not chase the free ranging large chickens. He does try to get to the new 2 month old ducks that are now out in the chicken run and I reprimand him anytime he is stalking the run. We have 9 baby chicks inside in the brooder box. I have brought the dog in a few times to "look" at them. I have chicken wire on top of the box so he cant get to them. We are hoping supervised introductions halt too much curiosity when they go outside because I have seen him eat squirrels & rabbits bigger than the chicks. Our other dog is always either on a lead or in the dog run when the big chickens are loose & only when they are secured in the coop is she released. I have the same fear that all it will take is one unsupervised visit & the dog will get them. Please know that dogs are animals no matter how domesticated we make them! I'm so sorry for you & feel your pain, yet it is not your fault & perhaps you can try again & keep the dog far away from the baby's. Will be praying for your comfort!

 

[kacklinkelly]

So sorry to hear about your experience. I was shocked when our geriatric dog who is always calm and friendly went after our chicks. She acted like she could hardly move prior to getting our chicks and then suddenly she came to life. She almost took their heads off, if they stuck it out of the chicken wire. She also went for some tail feathers a time or two.

I also did the large dog crate wrapped in chicken wire. I had it on the ground and also used the card board but to keep the chickens from sticking their heads through. Eventually the chicks grew and were put outside. The dog was introduced VERY slowly and always supervised. There was an obvious change in the pecking order, when I got bold enough to let the dog off the lead and let the chickens out. Of course, I was close enough to grab a collar. The dog sat patiently, one of the chickens came up to the dog and immediately pecked her in the nose and ran off. The dog looked at me like, "what the heck was that for". The chickens have done the same thing a few more times. The dog has left the grown chickens alone. They can even share the yard now.

However, we got meaties 6 weeks ago and her previous behaviors returned. She keeps trying to get to them. I have no idea what it is about the smaller chickens. I hope you choose to try again when the time is right for you. I have learned many lessons in my life "the hard way". Forgive, make a new choice and move forward everyday.

 

[BrendaJ]

So very sorry to hear that - how devastating . Don't let this stop you from getting more chickens if you really want more. Your dog can be trained - it takes a lot of work but it can be done. You can find threads on here about different ways to start training.

 

[3riverschick]

Quote: ------------------
After breeding collies for years (retired now) I have a theory about that. I think the smaller birds (creatures) which flutter, jerk, squeak, pip, squawk, etc. awaken the prey instincts in a dog. The larger ones may awaken a protection or gathering instinct instead. I am sure there are many exceptions, but I think it makes sense as a general train of thought.
Best,
Karen

 

[shellyjimrye]

First off I want to say how sorry I am to hear about your loss. I can ONLY imagine how heart sick you must have felt. As the previous person posted though, your dog is a dog. They do not know that you loved the chickens and they do not have the human emotions that we do. Chicks and even full grown chickens make the right sounds, flutter and scatter, and they have enticing scents for dogs. It brings out the hunt instinct that is just part of any dog (why do you think dog toys have squeakies in them?). Please do not be too hard on your dog for this was its basic instincts that came out. Besides fortifying your set up, what you might want to do is when you DO get more chicks (dont let this stop you from enjoying chicks in the future) bring your dog to the cage and while you have the dog under control, use the technique to distract, or reprimand the dog when it does fixate onto the chickens. That will be the ONLY way to ensure that you can get the dog to stop viewing the chickens as fun easy prey, getting the dog to learn that chickens are NOT for their mouth! Once again, so sorry!

 

[fisherlady]

I am extremely upset. My mom and I just went out to check on the chicks the last time for the night before bed and they were all dead inside their little home. somehow my dog found a way in the room and around all of the precautions we set up. he must have broken the chicken wire set up we had so nothing could get in (and they couldn't jump out). I feel so terrible. They must have been terrified. I'm not sure what to do now ): I feel a bit defeated after spending all that time and energy on those little babies just for them to die in 2 minutes. I feel like a bad mommy. I'm not sure what to do about my dog. I'm just a mess.

I need suggestions. My mom wants to get more chicks but I will not do it if my dog will kill them. That would not be fair to those poor chicks to even chance it.

Your set up may work better if you substitute 1/2 in hardware cloth for the chicken wire. Chicken wire is way too soft to keep out a dog. and the openings are too big and allow the chicks to reach out through and again puts them in harms way. Hardware cloth isn't cheap, but it can withstand a lot of abuse also.

We used an old baby playpen (wood rails) for our brooder, we placed a lining of hardware cloth around the base of it and fashioned a cover for it that we did use chicken wire for (the dogs couldn't access the top of it) the cover was basically to prevent adventurous chicks from escaping. We also use baby gates to reinforce doorway barricades for any rooms we don't want dogs in. It depends on how determined your dog is and how he deals with barricades. I've seen dogs who would stop at a string hung across a doorway (my old girl husky mix was like this) and I've seen dogs who would chew through a wooden door to get at what they want. So you have to prepare for your own specific dog temperment. Some folks need Fort Knox, others can have open kiddie swimming pools for brooders.

One thing you do need to do is spend a lot of time introducing the dog to the chicks... with close supervision and controlled exposure some of the dog's curiosity can be reduced and many times dogs get ahold of chicks more because they were curious and their attention caused the chicks to act up and it then triggered the dog's 'chase it' mentality and the situation escalates and ends badly.
I think you can do this again with proper preparation... don't deprive yourself of the joy of having the chickens just yet!
Good luck!

 

[ShawnaScott]

What kind of dog do you have? Did he eat the chickens? How old is he?

I run a dog rescue so I have had plenty of practice keeping the dogs out of chickens/cats/bunnies/etc. I think if you want more chickens, you should definately get more, but a lot will depend on how you go forward. Is the dog a high prey drive dog? I.E. a dog that was bred for hunting, such as JRT or Rat Terrier? If it is, I doubt that you will ever be able to train him to not attack, that is, unless the chickens get bigger than him! I have a JRT that will readily attack bunnies/mice/kittens, but once the cat or chicken gets as big as him, he leaves it alone. If the dog is older, then it will definately be harder to train the attacking instinct out of him, but it can be done. Did he eat the chickens? If he ate them, not just killed them, no matter what training you give him, he will view them as prey/food and will treat them accordingly.

First off, I would establish dominance over the dog, if you have not already done so. It may sound mean, but if done right it will not hurt the dog. If you haven't established dominance, take the dog out around the chickens. Wait for him to attack (but make sure he will never be able to get the chicks) and then grab him and put him to the ground. He should roll over and expose his stomach. If he does not, roll him over so that he does. Once his belly is exposed, lightly grab him by the throat and hold him there for a bit. Release him, and if he goes to attack, again establish dominance over him. Once he does not attack, place him in a crate and put the chickens around him. he may never be able to be alone with chickens, but he should get the idea that you are dominant and that he is not allowed to attack the chickens.

Training for the dog can also be done, and I would recommend it, but it will be most successful if the dog is less than 2 years old.

***On a side note, if the dog is very aggressive towards people or other dogs, I would NOT establish dominance. I would only do this with dogs that see you as his master.