My Dogs killed all my Chickens

[JaiBanana]

we left town and had a sitter for our home and pets. Unfortunately, due to neglect on the sitters part, my chickens got out and my dogs killed them. I am so mad and hurt I can’t believe it. I don’t even want to keep my dogs anymore. I don’t trust them. I have young children...plus the sitter I mean really? Common! How negligent can you be? Unfortunately he’s family so I can’t cause problems; but I’m so mad. I don’t know what to do. I’m not ready to start our flock over but our daughter loved them and always helped me. This is my first time owning chickens but they were pets we got them for eggs not meat. We loved them and are in mourning. Are these normal reactions? I’m not sure if I want to run the risk of loosing my flock again. I’m sorry for the rant I’m so mad and don’t know what to do.

 

[16Chickens Keeper]

wow, sorry for your loss

 

[Quackter]

we left town and had a sitter for our home and pets. Unfortunately, due to neglect on the sitters part, my chickens got out and my dogs killed them. I am so mad and hurt I can’t believe it. I don’t even want to keep my dogs anymore. I don’t trust them. I have young children...plus the sitter I mean really? Common! How negligent can you be? Unfortunately he’s family so I can’t cause problems; but I’m so mad. I don’t know what to do. I’m not ready to start our flock over but our daughter loved them and always helped me. This is my first time owning chickens but they were pets we got them for eggs not meat. We loved them and are in mourning. Are these normal reactions? I’m not sure if I want to run the risk of loosing my flock again. I’m sorry for the rant I’m so mad and don’t know what to do.

It sucks, I know, my sympathy, and it's OK and normal to be upset. I will say it is near impossible to break a dog of killing chickens once they start. At the same time, the not trusting them, killing a chicken has nothing to do with whether they will be mean towards you, your kids, or anything else. It's just the chase and food There are some people who say they can break them of it, think it involves a shock collar and the dog not knowing you can see it. You may try Youtube.

 

[pennyJo1960]

we left town and had a sitter for our home and pets. Unfortunately, due to neglect on the sitters part, my chickens got out and my dogs killed them. I am so mad and hurt I can’t believe it. I don’t even want to keep my dogs anymore. I don’t trust them. I have young children...plus the sitter I mean really? Common! How negligent can you be? Unfortunately he’s family so I can’t cause problems; but I’m so mad. I don’t know what to do. I’m not ready to start our flock over but our daughter loved them and always helped me. This is my first time owning chickens but they were pets we got them for eggs not meat. We loved them and are in mourning. Are these normal reactions? I’m not sure if I want to run the risk of loosing my flock again. I’m sorry for the rant I’m so mad and don’t know what to do.

I am truly sorry for the loss what are the breed of dogs please first and foremost do not blame them second now you know they can not be together I have 2 dogs cannot be with birds birds have their 1/4 acre the dogs have theirs.. Please do not give up mourn but get more when the time is right but if your going to have a sitter be sure they know the rules

 

[centrarchid]

we left town and had a sitter for our home and pets. Unfortunately, due to neglect on the sitters part, my chickens got out and my dogs killed them. I am so mad and hurt I can’t believe it. I don’t even want to keep my dogs anymore. I don’t trust them. I have young children...plus the sitter I mean really? Common! How negligent can you be? Unfortunately he’s family so I can’t cause problems; but I’m so mad. I don’t know what to do. I’m not ready to start our flock over but our daughter loved them and always helped me. This is my first time owning chickens but they were pets we got them for eggs not meat. We loved them and are in mourning. Are these normal reactions? I’m not sure if I want to run the risk of loosing my flock again. I’m sorry for the rant I’m so mad and don’t know what to do.

This not not a good way to start participating here. Back off on the the judgments as they make you sour. Look at how risks can be reduced or eliminated if you try this again. Dogs can be worked with. Sitters can be better trained or made so birds more confined away from threats while in you absence.

I would get into the management forum to see how you can prevent problems and otherwise streamline the chicken keeping. Learn from the loss. Do not be defeated by it.

 

[Folly's place]

I'm so sorry for your losses, and understand how upset you are right now.
It's possible but difficult and time consuming to retrain dogs who have already had this great experience. My current dogs love chicken too, and one of them killed many of my birds this spring when my fencing failed. It was awful!
Having good fencing to keep the birds and dogs separated at all times will work, and having a failure, as we did here, makes us hyperaware and careful.
I still have the dogs, it's not their fault that I didn't train them to avoid the chickens!
Killing chickens is in no way related to their behavior with people!!!
I did a lot of ranting too, it was necessary, and I now have new pullets and cockerels, and will go on with the birds because they are so worth it!
Welcome!
Mary

 

[BaaKaaawk]

Guessing you didn't raise your dogs around the chickens then, huh? I have a 100 pound Doberman who defends my chickens like a champion. They're his flock as far as he is concerned. If a hen or a roo lets out the well-known "trouble call" he's there in an instant. But he was raised with them, we literally put chickens on his back and he would walk around with them on him... that may have a been a bit over the top but it was sure cute!

As for your killer dogs... you really can't blame them if you never trained them. They're animals and they see something move fast and they want to chase it. I wouldn't worry about your kids because dogs really do know the difference in animals and people... but if you have other small pets- like cats for instance- they may be in grave danger.

 

[TwoShepherds]

I'm so sorry for your loss. That must be devestating, especially since it was done by another animal in your family. It's completely understandable how you are feeling. Hard as it is though, try not to blame your dogs. (I would be more than mad at the sitter though!)

Some dogs have more prey-drive than others. Your dogs didn't mean to make you sad, they were just doing what comes naturally to them. I have two German Shepherds, and just recently got chicks in May. The GSDs don't seem terribly interested in the pullets so far, but I haven't done a lot of training with them yet, so I don't trust them at all. I keep the pullets in their chainlink chicken yard and the dogs in their own area.

Just because the dogs were aggressive towards chickens doesn't they will be aggressive towards your small kids. I wouldn't worry about that, unless the dogs have previously shown some danger signs around your children.

I know you are rightfully grieving right now, but I hope that later when the time is right, you'll be able to restart your flock. I'm sure that you will be much wiser after what happened and will be able to come up with a set-up or a plan that prevents the dogs from getting the chickens again. Maybe that's as simple as finding a more responsible sitter (grrrrr), or boarding the dogs while you are away. This is probably why I never travel and don't have a life, haha. I don't trust people with my animals.

I'm so sorry that this has happened to you. Wishing you the best.

 

[JaiBanana]

Thank you for your comments. We are admittedly new to raising chickens. I thought we had proper protections in place but obviously they failed. We had an enclosed coop made and put an extra fence around it in case a chicken got out. The dogs are a lab mix and a dachshund. They are good dogs I’m just upset. The obviously need training but they should never had been left outside over night. Somehow the chickens got out (a door not properly secured) and the dogs dug under the fence once they saw the chickens were loose. I’m so heartbroken. I attached a picture of our setup. If anyone recommends any fixes please let me know.

 

[TwoShepherds]

Looks nice! You could consider an anti-dig/predator apron around the run and coop if you don't have one already. Also if you travel again, you could get an automatic chicken door that opens and closes on its own so you don't have to rely on a human to do it. These are both things that I want to add to my own set-up and haven't yet. Mine is still somewhat of a work-in-progress.