My dog killed my ducks

[Zookeeper9000]

Ruth I am so sorry for you loss. Now if you wouldn't mind my adding my best ever learned advice.

Live your life by and for what you believe in. And what ever you do don't make someones elses problem or opinions yours.

I am not sure what anyone else believes but I will state right now in front of God and everyone. I TRUST GOD IN ALL THINGS good or bad.

Enjoy your new babies

 

[ruth]

Quote:
Amen to that. It is God who has gotten me thus far and God who will lead me home. I've had an amazing life and overcome obstacles that would cripple most - only by His Grace.

There's even a story as to how God led us to this old plantation home and farm - how He told me to put a note on their door - a week later they sold it to us on a promissory note and we just packed some things and moved in because He told us to. Still need to move from other home and put it on market but we are following His lead.

Most of this story can be found in my thread on "Life on the farm".

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=24540

 

[austinhart123]

Quote:
I think I have to find a home for her as well. I can't trust her and I don't want to lock everything else up on her account. I do so enjoy them all running all over the farm.

why not just keep her in a run or indoors

 

[peruvian_princess]

She doesnt like to see animals in a cage.

 

[amazondoc]

Quote:
Hiya Ruth --

I'm not telling you that you mistreat your animals, or that you did anything to cause this specific incident. I am just reacting to a few of your earlier statements. Specifically, you said:

Yes Henry a run would be one option for the dog but I just can't bear to see anything locked up or caged in.

and

I would rather see chickens living a more natural life free ranging even if it means getting killed by a predator. To me a short life of great quality is better than a long life of confinement any day. And, I've had total free ranging, never locked up chickens for over a year with no losses (except a broody that kept running off to her nest).

and

What I believe is you can't ever protect/control a living being 100%.

and

If I could let my children go out into the world with all of it's possible dangers, I can certainly raise livestock/chickens/ducks to do the same. When we think we can play God and totally control nature, we just make God laugh. Instead I will trust in Him.

I am simply trying to get you to understand that there is a middle ground between total lack of protection and 100% control, and that no matter how much we may trust in God it is still our responsibility to make reasonable efforts to protect those under our care -- and those actions may include some restrictions on free movement, like fenced yards. I'm sorry that I'm not expressing myself clearly enough for you to understand my point.​

 

[ruth]

Amazondoc - I understand your point quite clearly - now please stop making it.

 

[jossanne]

Hi there, I just want to share with your our success story of rehabilitating a chicken-killing dog.

When we first got our chickens, we had a pit bull dog and a lab cross in a fenced back yard. The hens were in a pen about 200 feet from the back yard. One day we went to town, 30 miles away, and left the chickens out roaming, thinking we'd be home well before dark and would lock the chickens when we got home. We took longer in town than we expected, and when we got home we found that our pit bull had chewed/dug his way through the fence and chased and killed chickens for sheer pleasure. He had killed 6, just leaving them where he caught them. He was still chasing them when we pulled into the driveway, so we were just minutes too late getting home. We rounded up terrified, hiding chickens, and got them closed in for the night.

I was very angry at DH's dog, and insisted that he kill it, or find it a new home, or something, but the dog couldn't live at my house anymore. DH half-heartedly tried to find his dog a new home, but ultimately never did. He worked with his dog quite a bit, and now the dog is a good protector of the birds when he's loose in the yard with them. We, unfortunately, do not live far from neighbors, even though we're out in the boonies. Our dogs spend most of their day in the house, but when they're not right with us they are tethered. We have moved to a new home with no yard, and have yet to make a run for the dogs. A chicken coop came first...

We had a lone little duck who was not accepted by the geese, so she hung out with my hubby's dog. They'd nap together in the shade, and spend most of the day together. The geese and chickens eat out of the dogs' dishes, and he's very mellow with them. He is excited at the brooder full of new chicks, and loves to sit with his big, fat nose in the box watching the babies. He mothers orphan kittens, and is an excellent all-around protector dog.

Best of luck to you and Lucy! I hope she will take the new ducks under her "wing" and take care of them like Rex does.

 

[dixygirl]

I watched the same scene you just described but i saved the day instead. The dog ran out of the house into the yard straight into the duck pen and pounced on top of one and was about to start biting and ripping at its neck when I instantly grabbed the dog, whipped the mess out of it with my bare hand, and threw it on the ground.

It layed there looking stupid and i scolded it some more and spanked it some more just to make it clear that it was NOT to try to murder my ducks. Then I took it back inside and would not talk to it or play with it all day as additional punishment. I do not know if it worked or not because since then I will NOT let the two breeds anywhere near each other again to test it out.

So sorry for the way your situation turned out. Best of luck.

 

[Emzyyy]

I had a duck for almost 9 years, his name was Cinnamon. Our dog got along great w/ him, they played together. Plus Cinnamon could fly but never did he stayed in the yard. He even came in the house, but this year our neighbor got a new hunting dog and was careless and let him run loose. He killed my duck when I was away at school. Came home to feathers all over the yard.

 

[chickenzoo]

So sorry Ruth, that is so terrible! I too was thinking about rehoming one of my dogs that liked to try and kill my chickens. If you want your dog to protect your flock but end up not being able to trust them around them, then I agree to either try to train the dog to avoid the flock (not possible for some dogs) or find a home for him/her were it's skills would be useful, a.k.a guarding a house that has no small farm critters. Sometimes a wire muzzel works, or the collar too. I said before I wish someone would invent a shock collar that had leg bands for your chickens to wear- that would trigger the zap if the collar wearer came too close. Anyone out there that makes this I want my 50%.LOL