My dog killed my hen... :(

[BenAnnaMama]

My hens get out of their pasture once in a while and my new dog will chase them and twice I have caught her on top of the hen playing with her but never hurting her. The hen would lay there limp and then get up, shake it off, and I'd get her back in her pasture. I was wrong to assume my dog wouldn't hurt her.

Today after I realized my dog had been out a long time in the heat (about an hour) my son went to let her in and found her with Buddy, our hen. This time my dog had used her as a chew toy. It was horrifying...

I'd always planned to clip their wings but they never seemed in any real harm... I was dead wrong unfortunately. My flock of 4 is down to 1 now.

If I clip the wings on my next flock, how high will they be able to fly? My fence is 5 foot but the gates are only 4 foot tall.

Sad, sad, day....

 

[gamebirdsonly]

Sorry hear about your lose. I have lost a lot of birds to my dogs and neighbors dogs. It hurts . Good luck with your next flock.

 

[Fly 2006]

I am sorry this has happened for your poor chickens sake! I am sorry but this makes me angry, why would you even think it acceptable for your dog to "play" with the chickens? This was obviously going to happen, as for the above reply... "It hurts", yes I imagine the chickens hurt a lot! I M O if you are going to keep any animal, it is your duty to keep them safe, yes accidents happen even to the most careful people but not much care going on here!!

 

[dawg53]

Clip both their wings. If you plan to get light bodied birds such as Leghorns, Hamburgs, Seabrights etc...you might have to clip their wings several times like I have had to do with Leghorns and Hamburgs.