My submissive dog

[danahud]

We've had chickens for 7 months now and our dachshund lulu has never shown any aggression towards them. She is a great mole and mouse hunter but is very submissive to our chickens. ( they run her away from her dog food bowl!) anyway we boughten daughter 3 more easter egger chicks, integrated them into the flock through the use of a playpen we built into the lot. Long story short. Each of the chicks was killed. We found the first 2 being chewed on, but thought the dog had come into the fence due to the babies flying about because older hens were pecking at them, but today lulu was actually eating our little pullet. My question is : we're these chicks vulnerable because they didn't have a momma? Lulu is usually very submissive to our hens and rooster. Would things possibly be different if chicks were hatches to a broody hen, therefore being protected?
Help!

 

[fluffychicken24]

It's probably not a good idea to let your dog be with the chickens, even if she's usually submissive. Remember she has hunting instincts, and she may attack them. Is there any way you can keep the food bowl (and Lulu) away from your chickens? I am very sorry for the loss of your chicks, by the way, and hope this issue is resolved soon. Best of luck!

 

[centrarchid]

Dog knows chickens as individuals. Chicks did not register as off-limits. Elder chickens did not help outcome by chasing the new birds. You need to teach that younger birds are not to be touched. Broody hen would have helped.

 

[bobbi-j]

A broody hen may have made a difference. One way you can have a hen raise your hatchery chicks is to wait until you have a broody,let her set on fake eggs for at least a couple of weeks, buy some chicks (under a week old, if possible) and sneak under her at night, taking away the eggs. MOST of the time, this works. She wakes up in the morning and figures all those babies hatched during the night. Well, figures as best as a chicken can figure things out, anyway... I wouldn't trust the dog with chicks. My own dog was fantastic with chickens, but it was years before he got anywhere near the chicks, even when I was right there. They are just too easy to snap up. One question, though - are you sure he killed the chick, or could something else have killed it and he found it and started chewing on it? Just a thought.

 

[drumstick diva]

I think your dog took advantage of the situation - no grown birds to defend the chicks. Chicks are much smaller and making cheeping noises - different from the sound of mature chickens. Personally I would never trust the dog around chicks or chickens ever again. The dog had fun, the chicks did not.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

We've had chickens for 7 months now and our dachshund lulu has never shown any aggression towards them..... ( they run her away from her dog food bowl!) anyway we boughten daughter 3 more easter egger chicks.... Each of the chicks was killed. We found ...lulu was actually eating our little pullet.... Would things possibly be different if chicks were hatches to a broody hen...

Don't blame Lulu. Any dog and I mean any dog will show aggression even to a T-Rex if the dinosaur messes with the dog's food bowl. It's called K9 food jealousy and it can torque a dog totally out of shape in only a second.

In the German the word "Dachshund" means badger hound. A dachshund was originally bred to go into the dens of badgers and drag said badgers (the old world badger) out of his den business end first. It requires a special dog with heart, dedication and stick-to-it-ness to do this feat. Keep your chickens away from your dog's food bowl, you are only courting trouble if you don't.

 

[danahud]

I did not see her kill the chick. I only know that in all 3 situations she was found inside the chicken lot chewing on a chick. The chick was oitside of her playpen, so I am questioning whether my hens went after her causing her to fly about the main area which made lulu excited also. A broody would protect her hicks and keep the other hens from attacking them too correct?

 

[danahud]

One question, though - are you sure he killed the chick, or could something else have killed it and he found it and started chewing on it? Just a thought. 

My RIR hens could have attacked her if she flew outside of her playpen, causing her to freak out, but still lulu came in and was found finishing the job in all 3 cases. We let the dog roam our property freely, because she has chased and killed many opossum snooping around the chicken lot at night. She is a helpful animal, I just need to teach her somehow that the chicks are hers to protect as well.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

First:
How old were the chicks? I ask because hens are poor at recognizing their own children. They may or may not intervene in a squabble between a dog and a single chick or two, at least as long as the hen has a clutch of chicks to distract her.

Second:
Chicks over 8 weeks old are likely to already be weaned by their mama and on their way to a root hog or die life style. In that case a brood hen is a moot point and would not have made any difference in the outcome.

Third:
The only difference I see is that a mama hen may have helped the chicks integrate themselves more seamlessly into chicken society, MAYBE, helping prevent the older hens from chasing the chicks to the point that they flew the coop as it were, or jumped from the frying pan and landed in the fire.

Fourth:
There is a poultry phenomena called imprinting. Imprinting means that at hatching the chicks, goslings, etc. consider the first big object that they see that moves as that chicks' mama and not only follows this animal or object like a puppy but depends on this object for lessons in survival. In my opinion imprinting is the biggest advantage that hen raised chicks have.