My dogs are demons.

[Ruler of the Roost]

Of course, I'm very happy to read your latest comments and that you're working on predator proofing. I think you're being responsible

Thank you. Materials are not cheap, and I’ll be rearranging and expanding the chicken run to accommodate a growing flock. So I need to see where that goes before I start buying hardware cloth. I can’t afford to waste any once I am ready to install it.

 

[LydiaB]

Or instead of using a shock collar, you could just be responsible and keep predators and prey separate to avoid problems.

Fencing works until one species escapes. You need to do both- predator proof the fence AND prey proof the dogs as much as possible.

 

[BelovedBirds]

Fencing works until one species escapes. You need to do both- predator proof the fence AND prey proof the dogs as much as possible.

Oh I agree, that's why I suggested training the dogs to help with impulse control, which it sounds like OP is doing.
Help them to understand boundaries and make it a positive experience which will stick in the long run. Negative reinforcement with animals only usually tends to work in the short run. Prey drive never just goes away. Consider a border collie bred and trained to herd. That instinct is prey drive. Its simply trained, controlled and channeled.
What happens when the dog gets a surge of instinct? They might just realise that they no longer get shocked. Instead of looking to you, the trainer and positive experience- instead of listening to you when you tell them to leave, the instincts may just get the better of them. Not a risk I'd be willing to be take.

I'm no expert, but I do have experience training dogs with very good success. Especially when working with strong impulsive dogs. This is my two cents, I'm sure many people will disagree with me, hopefully we're all adult enough to accept our differences- but in my view shocking a dog is a lazy training method. If it can even be considered true training. It's more just a negative association, the dog doesn't learn a whole lot.

 

[TexasBlues]

we all have opinions on on how to train animals.
My opinion is that positive reinforcement is the best avenue for creating a trusting bond.
Creating positive behaviors and preventing bad behaviors is a lot more effective than correcting bad behaviors.
I spent a week or so with a clicker and my dog and instead of free feeding her at meals I would reward good behaviors with a bite of kibble preceded by a click from the clicker. I was amazed at the results. I would reward her when she laid down and was calm on her own, come when called, sit, stay, etc…
That bond made it easier to change bad behaviors like barking at door, fence fighting. No force or shock or anger or intimidation was needed. I don’t use the clicker or food rewards either after the initial training.

 

[McChooky]

Or instead of using a shock collar, you could just be responsible and keep predators and prey separate to avoid problems.

I had to retrain mine when I rescued a young pair of geese last summer. What a pain!

 

[Altairsky]

I definitely would get rid of those dogs and get a more functional breed, like a rat terrier and/or a border collie or any suitable shepherd breed. At least they're breeds that makes great pets, are well trainable and can do a useful job in a farm. Huskies unfortunately will never get their wolf instinct trained out of them. Hunting is in their genes.

 

[McChooky]

I definitely would get rid of those dogs and get a more functional breed, like a rat terrier and/or a border collie or any suitable shepherd breed. At least they're breeds that makes great pets, are well trainable and can do a useful job in a farm. Huskies unfortunately will never get their wolf instinct trained out of them. Hunting is in their genes.

Focusing on making everything predator proof is all that is required.
I kept my Husky and chickens both contained and suffered no losses

 

[BelovedBirds]

I definitely would get rid of those dogs and get a more functional breed, like a rat terrier and/or a border collie or any suitable shepherd breed. At least they're breeds that makes great pets, are well trainable and can do a useful job in a farm. Huskies unfortunately will never get their wolf instinct trained out of them. Hunting is in their genes.

All of the breeds you just mentioned have high prey drives which would need about the same amount of training and socialisation to leave the birds alone. I'd also be careful about reccomending bcollies to anyone who isn't going to be training them to herd, or running them for hours a day with tons of mental stimulation. I think in this situation advising to only get LGDs in future is fair, since accidents are always a considerable risk with pretty much any other breed. But this is still only relevant when talking about in the future- as OP has already said they won't be rehoming the current dogs.

Having huskies and malamutes while keeping poultry is possible. You just have to be very careful. I have a husky mix and also a malamute, no close calls have ever happened. The only downside is the constant paranoia and double checking every gate and fence.

 

[McChooky]

All of the breeds you just mentioned have high prey drives which would need about the same amount of training and socialisation to leave the birds alone. I'd also be careful about reccomending bcollies to anyone who isn't going to be training them to herd, or running them for hours a day with tons of mental stimulation. I think in this situation advising to only get LGDs in future is fair, since accidents are always a considerable risk with pretty much any other breed. But this is still only relevant when talking about in the future- as OP has already said they won't be rehoming the current dogs.

Having huskies and malamutes while keeping poultry is possible. You just have to be very careful. I have a husky mix and also a malamute, no close calls have ever happened. The only downside is the constant paranoia and double checking every gate and fence.

A lot of people keep Huskys as inside dogs.

 

[BelovedBirds]

A lot of people keep Huskys as inside dogs.

What do you mean by inside dog? My dogs live inside, but they still spent hours outdoors every day. Not sure I understand your point