My Husky is killing my chickens and ducks, I need help!

[PurpleCArTires]

As an option, I have a very powerful fence charger. If anything touches the wires they will hurt for a couple of days. One BYC member has the same fence charger as I have and she said her husband touched a wire and was sore for a couple of days afterwards. Here is a good web page with some good info.
http://www.plamondon.com/wp/faq-simple-electric-fences-chickens/
This is my fence charger and it is very powerful. I do have a cutoff switch below it or I can unplug it. You wouldn't have to leave it on, only when your dog is out. Electric wires may not be an option for you but they work for me. You probably don't need a charger that is quite this powerful. Again, good luck...
https://www.amazon.com/Parmak-Energ...electric+fence+charger&qid=1608651027&sr=8-21
View attachment 2459584
This one should also do the job. At least 1 joule.
https://www.amazon.com/Zareba-EAC25...=electric+fence+charger&qid=1608651481&sr=8-6
View attachment 2459598

I use the zareba with two hot lines running around my chicken run... I dont have any problems with the wild life getting near the fences lol. I got hit on my shoulder once, i am pretty sure my heart stopped for a minute, lol... That sucker is powerful.

 

[Nikuchan]

Old farmers tie a chicken to the dogs collar and make the dog wear it for a day or two. My sister who has four dogs did this and the dog(s) never touched another chicken. Better to lose one then all.

 

[Dakota60]

Hey all,

This is my first post for this site. I am in DESPERATE NEED of help with my 4 year old husky killing my chickens and ducks.

We began letting out our ducks and chickens to freely roam and forage our property this year. Knowing she may attack them like she did as a puppy one time, we got a shock collar and tried training her not to mess with them. It seemed to work for a few months as she showed no interest in them until one day she killed 7 out of 10 chickens in one day. She ran through the invisible fence straight to their coop while we were gone. The shock collar appears to no longer work as she now just blows through it. We also had it on the highest setting. We did scold her when she came running up to the house with a dead one in mouth. Last week, she killed two Pekins and today killed one call duck.

I am at my wits end and need any help / advice. We also tried putting her on a 15ft leash close to the house while the chickens & ducks are out(she has access to food, water, and shelter), but that does no good as she still manages to get a hold of them(probably them getting too close). She won’t attack them while we’re present, but if we go in the house for a few seconds, bam, she kills. I hate scolding her and hate keeping my chickens/ ducks up, but I can’t have her eating them anymore. Please let me know if you have ANY advice!

**EDIT: Thank you all so much for the advice! **

Which came first, the chickens or the husky ? You can’t mix oil & water. I took in a husky 3 yrs ago, that was probably a little less than 1 yr, that showed up at my gate. Never ‘allowed’ around chickens that are kept in horse pasture, but he managed to get in. First playing/chasing to death, then killing. MUCH research has lead to, this breed is NOT responsive to ‘obedience’ training. They absolutely ARE diggers. I have come to ....He is NOT allowed outside UNLESS I can watch him, EXCEPT at night, which he generally chooses to STAY out all night. I DO NOT have automatic doors on my coops, so he CANT get to the chickens during the night OR early morning before I bring him in. There is a fence between the house & the pasture (where the chickens are) so during the day outings he can’t just run to them. He does NOT go out unsupervised while the chickens are out, period. Once a dog starts killing, it is highly unlikely that you will stop it. Some have said if you TIE A DEAD CHICKEN to them (for the day) they will stop. I’m not willing to lose anymore trying that, so I can’t agree. Plus I have 8 other dogs & that might cause trouble within the ‘pack’. A kennel made of horse panels, with concrete around the bottom, is MY solution....not quite finished yet. “Going to extremes because it’s not their fault.” & I’ve really come to love him, he’s a beautiful & great dog otherwise. *ALSO, the very first night he showed up, he destroyed a ‘chain link’ kennel door to get out, so DONT rely on chain link fence for kenneling. Good Luck.

 

[bethgsd]

You've received loads of good advice so far. I agree with those who are saying to keep them separated. If you had managed to stop the problem either before it started or after the very first chicken you might have had a chance. Now you would need an excellent trainer and most of us aren't that trainer. And you would still be fighting Mother Nature.

 

[leslielbk]

Once a dog kills chickens it's pretty hard to break the habit. So you're left with the battle of keeping the dog completely away from the chickens. Keeping them safe is 90% of the battle and it's on us to do that. so if your dog kills chickens, don't let it anywhere near the chickens. That means fencing them in with a barricade the dog can't circumvent. I would definitely say until you can resolve this don't get any more birds. I've had people come over with their dogs who say the craziest things like "oh my dog won't be interested It's never killed anything" only to watch the dog's true nature wake up once it sees a flapping squawking chicken running like heck. I'm truly amazed at how many people actually believe their dog is not a predator. Good grief. Of course they are.
I've always had dogs and they do mingle with the chickens. But since yours has already turned into a killing machine I don't think you'll be able to break it. Fort Knox is your only option.

 

[Chickenclaude]

You may not like what I do...but for me it works. I have 3 large pit bulls however too old to train when I got chickens. Dogs are out? Chickens are not. No exceptions. They wear a training collar. When hubby accidentally lets the dogs out when the chickens are out..1 warning buzz is all it takes.

 

[bobbi-j]

If you can't make a predator proof run, (your dog being the predator), I'd decide whether I want that dog or chickens. I know that a lot of people will have a problem with thatstatement. Its reality.

Sometimes hard choices have to be made.

This situation seems to call for strict separation management:

When the chickens and ducks are out, the dog has to stay inside the house or his kennel.

When the chickens and ducks are confined to their secure run, the dog can run freely.

As Huskies are known for their strong prey drive, there will not be much else you can do but to keep them strictly separate.

I am sorry for your losses.

And by the way: Welcome to BYC! Hopefully we will be able to help you with your problem.

I agree with this. Birds are out, dog is contained. Dog is out, birds are contained. I will add that I would also suggest putting electric fence - at least a couple of strands - around your coop and run (especially the run) as another layer of protection.

 

[writerskramp]

Hey all,

This is my first post for this site. I am in DESPERATE NEED of help with my 4 year old husky killing my chickens and ducks.

We began letting out our ducks and chickens to freely roam and forage our property this year. Knowing she may attack them like she did as a puppy one time, we got a shock collar and tried training her not to mess with them. It seemed to work for a few months as she showed no interest in them until one day she killed 7 out of 10 chickens in one day. She ran through the invisible fence straight to their coop while we were gone. The shock collar appears to no longer work as she now just blows through it. We also had it on the highest setting. We did scold her when she came running up to the house with a dead one in mouth. Last week, she killed two Pekins and today killed one call duck.

I am at my wits end and need any help / advice. We also tried putting her on a 15ft leash close to the house while the chickens & ducks are out(she has access to food, water, and shelter), but that does no good as she still manages to get a hold of them(probably them getting too close). She won’t attack them while we’re present, but if we go in the house for a few seconds, bam, she kills. I hate scolding her and hate keeping my chickens/ ducks up, but I can’t have her eating them anymore. Please let me know if you have ANY advice!

**EDIT: Thank you all so much for the advice! **

There is no fixing that which is not broken.. except to break it. An old farmer told me to tie a dead chicken around his neck till it rotted off.. worked 100%. Those chickens could walk right upto him and he wouldn't even look at them anymore.. and mean literally.

 

[LaFleche]

An old farmer told me to tie a dead chicken around his neck till it rotted off.. worked 100%.

This old wife's tale comes up every now and then.

As dogs love to wallow in rotten stinky dead animals and love the stench, they will not be punished by having something 'smelling deliciously' around their neck.

 

[writerskramp]

This old wife's tale comes up every now and then.

As dogs love to wallow in rotten stinky dead animals and love the stench, they will not be punished by having something 'smelling deliciously' around their neck.

Oh yes they will.. try it. You'll like it, they won't.. not no old wife and I've done it. No more chicken killer..