My dogs killed my chickens!

[all-cracked-up]

Thank you all for taking the time to respond! I really do love the community on BYC!! I have been really busy with all sorts of things and have just now gotten around to reading this thread. It sounds like I have a few good options and will be putting up the electric fence before the new chicks arrive (3/27/09 from Privett). I ordered some Delawares and a few Brown Leghorns for fun!
BTW, my dogs are penned always except that they are escape artists! I will have the electric fence around my coop to keep out all predators (I hope!) and shock collar invisible fence to keep my dogs out of the neighbors coop!
Thanks again! You guys are great! Julie

 

[WalkingWolf]

I have two wolfs and a mutt, I did not have chickens until this recently. My dogs would kill anything and I mean anything that entered the yard, but would not bother my parrots in the house they seemed to know the difference. When my neighbor and good friend lost a few chickens do to them jumping my fence and getting in the yard is when I decided to get chickens to change and retrain them.

1) I have always been the alfa male in the relationship with my dogs. If a dog would not respond to commands I got rid of the dog. Sometimes this just happens with dogs.

2) I established that the chickens were pets by letting my dogs see me holding them and bringing one in the house to be around them while they relaxed.

3) I kept the chickens penned while outside so the dogs did not have direct contact but were close to enough to recognize that they were part of the property and their domain.

This worked with two of the three dogs, they never touched a chicken again. The third still killed a few of my neighbors chickens that wandered into the yard. The third dog for everything else is a exceptional animal and will not kill when I am around, but can't be trusted otherwise.

Instead of putting down a otherwise good and obedient pet I use the instincts to protect the chickens. During the day the dog has become a house dog and sleeps and relaxes, much like guard dogs are. After my chickens and my neighbors are down for the night Bubba is released to run the yard. Any predator dumb enough to enter the yard is now the prey. Bubba is brought in before sunrise and the chickens are out.

If your dog is safe around children and knows the difference then use the instincts to your advantage. But it will entail either keeping the dogs housebound daytime or a kennel for them until the chickens are put up. If you expect to let the dogs run with the chickens it will take work and time and YOU must establish that you are in charge, not them.

 

[sandypaws]

easiest way..???... build a fortknox coop and wrap in several strings of hotwire.... AND a strong topped dog run...

best way... train the dogs... most people wont put in the time and energy it takes to stop them..

 

[Tweeza]

Quote:
So true! When I was a kid we had a dog. Got her as a puppy but didn't get any chickens until she was well into adulthood. The chickens needed a home and so they ended up with us. She never bothered our chickens but did kill a neighbor's chicken that came onto our property.

We have a rescued German shepherd. I was concerned about him killing our chickens so before we let the chickens free range (at 4 mo) we got a shock collar. He was zapped a couple of times when he went close in a suspicious manner. He seems to do okay with them but I still don't fully trust him. My only problem is the hawks around. His purpose in life is to protect the chickens. He's outside in the mornings to show a "united front". He loves to chase flying things- birds, planes...The Greatest American Hero... He spends the rest of the day inside. His previous owner spoiled him rotten and he's good at trying to insist it continue.

 

[Chicken Fruit]

I've said it before on here, the best offence is a good fence. Part of being a responsible animal owner is having a place for everyone, and everyone in their place.

Growing up on a farm we had solid fences for all our various creatures. I grew up on an old school farm- gramma had her own tried and true ways of dealing with animals. She had a dog once that always ate the cats. So she took one that she found dead one day, stuffed it in the freezer, and then beat the dog with it next time she caught it going after a cat. not enough to damage the dog, but enough to make a point. That dog lived to be 12 years old (it was a st bernard, so thats a VERY ripe old age) and it NEVER bothered another small creature again. She insisted the same held true to chickens. Iam sure thats a bit more extreme than anyone these days is willing to go with things- but for some people chickens are money, and so are dogs.

Personally, You really need to think for the dog. Build a fence that the dog cant get into, and to leave it unattented in such a time and way that it could find a way to get at the chickens.

Certain dogs get into chickens more than others- collies and hounds are almost genetically impossible to train when it comes to leaving chickens alone once they have a taste for it.'

FENCE FENCE FENCE.

I had a husky lab mix that i taught to catch chickens for me. They were just some old biddy's we had the roamed free during the day, and didnt want to roost i nthe coop- so we had to catch them each night. I taught her to chase them down and old them on the ground with her front feet until I could get the chickens. They can peacefully co-exist. Most of the time anyway.

 

[Tweeza]

Quote:
I'm sorry but could you explain????

 

[chooniecat]

I agree that they can still be trained but never trust any dog alone with fowl. you need to become the leader and NEVER LET YOUR DOGS CHALLENGE YOU AND WIN. did not get my chics til the dogs were couple years old and by then I was the leader and made sure the dogs got their running ya yas out by chasing balls, chewies, sticks. as a matter of fact I remember the first time the chickens were free ranging and I threw the ball for the dog and the chickens chased the dog/ball for several minutes(chickens are afraid of missing something) dogs are jack russell/golden R. mix and a siberian husky so they're not known to be calm breeds. but you have to excersize the poor dogs. Plus dogs should not be free roaming either.

 

[Echobabe]

Great-Grandpa used the "tie the dead bird around the dog's neck" trick with terrific success. I borrowed from him when training a dog not to "chew shoes"--she never looked at shoes again after them dangling from her neck for a week!

Seriously, I wouldn't have a dog that went after my birds. My three dog-boys know I will KILL THEM if they make a move on the chickens. They are part of our 'pack'. Yes, I am quite the alpha be-atch with them!

My dogs roam the same fenced yard where my chickens free-range.

On the other hand, any outside-the-family-animal that gets in the yard is treated like fair game (or dead meat--as a raccoon and several rabbits found out last year).

Good luck!
Elise

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Mom to 2 teens, 3 dogs (bouvier, shepherd-dane mix, lab-brittany mix), 2 cats, 5 chickens (astralorp, RIR, BR, Black Star)