My dog just killed my chicken :(

[redheadrenae]

I am so sad. I am new to backyard chickens. Got 4 beautiful 4 month old hens and a brand new coop.
Within a week the Maran was sick with a respitory and eye infection. I didn't think she would make it. But after a weekend of having her on my lap, feeding her water and mush in a dropper and some antibiotics she had made a turn around. She was walking around her temp coop (to seperate her from other hens) and acting so normal. Then....after dinner...I went out to find my dauchshound had some how burrowed under the coop and killed her. It was awful and I am so bummed.

So I know I need to keep him away and I KNOW the coop will not be good for temp and we will keep in the standard secure coop if ever happen to get a sick chick again.

My question....is there a way to discourage or train dogs to stay away from chickens? I was on an AWFUL site called Country Chickens where everyone suggested tying the carcas of the chicken around the dogs neck and shunning him for a few days

WTH?

Any idea?

 

[HEChicken]

So sorry about your marans hen. Unfortunately, dachsunds are among the worst predators because despite their size, their breeding means they get very excited over an animal that moves and runs away from them.

To be quite honest with you, I don't think you can train him from this behavior because it is so innate to him. The best thing to do will be to make sure he never has contact with him. That will require quite a commitment not just from you but from anyone else in your household, to ensure that if/when you let the chickens out to forage, the dog is kept in a crate, and when the dog is out, the chickens are securely penned.

Since he has already shown that he will dig to get to them, you will also need have wire on the bottom of your run. Alternately I would suggest a wire "apron" that extends 18" out from the run so that when he tries to dig, he encounters the wire and is unsuccessful.

I agree with you about the tying the dead carcass around the dog. That is a method used by old-timers who still swear by it today but it doesn't appeal to me.

 

[ClaytonCoop]

So sorry about your hen. We started with day old chicks and I soon learned that my Samoyed was very interested in the new squeeky snacks. We raised the babies in the house until it was warm enough and they were big enough to go out to the coop. The dog would sit at the door and whine and pant and would try like crazy to get at them. When the chickens are out the dog is inside because I am afraid she would kill them.

 

[Ladybug922]

Dogs are tough. I have one that would definitely eat the chickens if he came in contact with them, so stays inside the fence at all times if the chickens are out. As far as training your dog, you could try finding an experienced trainer to the balanced training method and work really hard on your "leave it" and "down, stays". This will take alot of time and patience but may pay off in the end. You can teach an old dog new tricks, but don't trust him entirely until you are POSITIVE that he is properly trained. The chicken around the neck thing is scary and gross, who would do that? Yikes! Good Luck!

 

[Folly's place]

I've also heard about the rotting chicken around the neck plan, but no way could I do that here! Ugh!! My chicken killing dogs are securely fenced in the yard, away from the (yummy) chickens. the dogs are both adult pound rescues, terriers, not likely to ever be safe with the birds. If a critter gets into their yard, it's dead! Your doxie was also bread to dig and kill critters, so really really hard to change his behavior. Fencing!!! Mary

 

[smilingcat]

Tying dead chicken around the offending dogs neck doesn't work.

 

[leadwolf1]

Sorry for your loss

I think that I would run an electric fence wire around the bottom of my coop and runs. Let him experience that and I think you will find that he won't be so excited to go near them again. I tried everything to keep my dogs from jumping up onto our fence. I didn't want them doing that and then finding out that with a little more effort they could clear it. One zap from the fence and the fence jumpers haven't jumped again. That's been 3 years now that the fence has been off. Training collars didn't work, they weren't strong enough. A zap from that wire worked and worked the first time.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I was raised with Daschunds and love them. But they are hard headed to put it mildly and persistant tenacious diggers. They were originally bred in Germany to hunt Badgers! Tenacious they would have to be. We once thought we lost one in an underground Snow shoe Hare tunnel system. She went in that far.

Now I'm married to a hunter who has labradors. Easily trained, but I still respect that she's a dog and that it is her nature and certain times of the year her JOB to retrieve fowl. We spent the whole summer with her in her kennel while the chickens free ranged or her on a leash. She got yard time when the chickens were in the coop. As a family, kids, me, husband, grandma, grandpa she learned that chickens were a firm "Nooo...." and a jerk of a leash if she even got "birdie". We presented her with our calmest chickens and let her smell, and told her "Niiiiiice." If she licked them or showed the slightest form of excitement we'd jerk that leash. Our voices are never raised in excitement when presenting either. Keep them calm. We got the chicks in April and just two weeks ago (End of August) I let her off the leash with encouragement from Grandpa. I still don't really trust her without me in the yard or somebody. The kids know what to do as well with her.

I would definitely do the hardwire mesh 18 inches out from the base of the coop or go to a landfill where they throw away old torn up sidewalks and get chunks of concrete and dig in a small foundation...that's my plan as it's free. I think your Doxie has proven himself/herself to be untrustworthy and probably has a taste for it now. And One thing I learned if they like it they will not back down. Sorry there isn't much of a chance for harmony there, in my opinion.

Sorry about your loss and all your work in recooperating her in the first place...so frustrating, I'm sure. Take Care.

 

[leadwolf1]

Just a word of caution with your lab and using it as a hunting dog...my daughter has never had any problems with her female lab. She and the chickens have been living in harmony for over 4 years. Two days ago, she caught and killed 4 chickens. There was no doubt it was her. She was chewing on the neck of my daughter's favorite when she stepped back outside after only being away for 10 minutes. She still has no idea what caused her to snap.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

We are Always out there with her and watching her out of the corner of our eye. Reminding her. She makes me nervous still. I hope she minds her manners. I'm getting a Run put together this fall and things will be easier and we'll do a more seperated approach again. Oh, jeez.... In fact I'm just going to re-instate the speration thing again. Thanks for your post regarding the lab.