New Dog Attacked Pet Chicken

[chickiebean85]

We recently adopted a Jack Russell and I did not know much about the breed but everyone kept saying watch her around your chickens and ducks because Jack Russells will chase everything that moves. I have been slowly trying to introduce her to the animals. When I go out back to tend to the animals I put her on a short cable. Well 4 days ago she was out back with me I was giving the ducks their water and my buff brahma got close enough so she could grab she but 4 holes in her back. 2 are just at the muscle the other 2 are right on the surface. It would have been worst than it was but my rooster stepped in and she pulled his tail feathers out. I have been cleaning the wound with saline and vetricyn. But one of her wounds has a smell almost like a sour smell. The color of the skin is not even pink it is white there aren't any weird colors just a smell. I keep looking to see if there is skin rot and there does not seem to be. Not sure what else to do for her. She physically seems fine I let her free range with the others still so she won't be stressed out. They have not been picking on her either.

 

[SourRoses]

I'm sorry about your chicken
We've had JRTs since I was a kid so I can say that's pretty standard for a female Jack. The boys are a little more laid back.
My current 12-year-old boy who was raised with chicks still shows interest in them when they're little, but he's learned that adults have pokey-stabbers on the front of their faces and he's scared of them. If they ran from him things would be different.
I make sure he sees me holding them when they're small and when he approaches, tell him "No, Mine." until he backs off. He doesn't understand the word "Mine" of course but he gets the possessive body language and tone.
It's highly unlikely you could ever train this girl to be good around the birds without the help of a professional. As you learned the painful way, they are waaay too fast. They are such smart dogs but most of that brain is focused on how to get around rules rather than follow them. Teach them something once and they *know* it, but then you have to repeat yourself endlessly to convince them you really mean it and No, you didn't change your mind since the last time.
What you can do to reduce the problem somewhat is demonstrate, over and over again, that the birds are yours. Having her leashed won't work because you can't get between her and the birds easily. If you instead have her on one side of a sturdy, high fence with the birds on the other side, tempted by scratch perhaps. You start on dog side and whenever she gets close or focused on them you move blocking her line of sight, bend slightly overhead so you look intimidating, and say "NO" very firmly until she backs off completely. Prepare for a battle of wills.
There is a standard "correct" way of teaching a dog, but with Jacks it really comes down to a matter of will. If you can convince them to respect you they make wonderful companions.

 

[Karianne]

I'm sorry. Maybe a picture might help understand what's going on? How often are you cleaning the wound? Is it oozing? It needs to be kept dry. Antibiotic ointment might be helpful to try.

 

[chickiebean85]

It is not oozing. I clean it between 1-2 × a day but she runs from me. I did get original neosporin. But I have only been using vetryicyn and other poultry spray I picked up at tractor supply. Also blue kote but I read not to use that because you cannot tell if a infection is occurring. But I clean it out with saline wash. When it first happened I just used regular warm water because I did not have the saline wash. I will try to post pictures.

 

[Karianne]

It is not oozing. I clean it between 1-2 × a day but she runs from me. I did get original neosporin. But I have only been using vetryicyn and other poultry spray I picked up at tractor supply. Also blue kote but I read not to use that because you cannot tell if a infection is occurring. But I clean it out with saline wash. When it first happened I just used regular warm water because I did not have the saline wash. I will try to post pictures.

I can't see any pictures, but if it were me I would be tempted to stop with the sprays, clean with saline, let it dry and then just apply the neosporin on its own for a few days. It might work better.

 

[chickiebean85]

Thank you on another note would the dog attack cause my roosters eye to swell up so he can't see out of it? My dog ripped his tail feathers out.

 

[chickiebean85]

I'm sorry about your chicken
We've had JRTs since I was a kid so I can say that's pretty standard for a female Jack. The boys are a little more laid back.
My current 12-year-old boy who was raised with chicks still shows interest in them when they're little, but he's learned that adults have pokey-stabbers on the front of their faces and he's scared of them. If they ran from him things would be different.
I make sure he sees me holding them when they're small and when he approaches, tell him "No, Mine." until he backs off. He doesn't understand the word "Mine" of course but he gets the possessive body language and tone.
It's highly unlikely you could ever train this girl to be good around the birds without the help of a professional. As you learned the painful way, they are waaay too fast. They are such smart dogs but most of that brain is focused on how to get around rules rather than follow them. Teach them something once and they *know* it, but then you have to repeat yourself endlessly to convince them you really mean it and No, you didn't change your mind since the last time.
What you can do to reduce the problem somewhat is demonstrate, over and over again, that the birds are yours. Having her leashed won't work because you can't get between her and the birds easily. If you instead have her on one side of a sturdy, high fence with the birds on the other side, tempted by scratch perhaps. You start on dog side and whenever she gets close or focused on them you move blocking her line of sight, bend slightly overhead so you look intimidating, and say "NO" very firmly until she backs off completely. Prepare for a battle of wills.
There is a standard "correct" way of teaching a dog, but with Jacks it really comes down to a matter of will. If you can convince them to respect you they make wonderful companions.

Thank you she is wicked smart but came from a shelter and everything is new also plus we believe she came from abused backgrounds. But when I take her walking in the woods she does not take off she stays close to me. I tried putting a bell on her collar so the chickens can hear her. We did get a fence but she will still be tied around them.

 

[chickiebean85]

Not great pictures and I did put blue kote on before I read that I should not use it.