Hello! I am looking for advice on two issues... the first, and most important, is that for the either third or fourth time, my seven and a half month old German Shepherd puppy has killed/maimed one of my birds. The first time it was a Buff Orp hen that she tore apart (literally, the chickens lungs had been removed from its body) and in the same day--- although she was never found--- a Black Giant hen disappeared into thin air. This was around October-November, not exactly sure. We have speculated that the cause of this behaviour was a bear attack a few weeks earlier, taking just under 3/4 of our 14 birds in two seperate days. We figured that all the blood, fear scent, etc. that was in and around the coop and run could have triggered it.
Meanwhile, two or three weeks later, my mother looked out the window to see her relentlessly attacking our Pekin drake. He survived, but his air sac was puctured and it cost us $80 in vet bills to stitch him up.
And now, after a month of vacation in Hawaii, we come home to find that our petsitter, not wanting to ruin our trip, had kept to himself that she had killed my last guinea fowl THREE WEEKS AGO! According to him, she brought him her head and he later found a pile of her feathers near our hen coop. He says that while two of our dogs where accounted for, our third dog and his pitbull most likely participated in the kill, because there was nothing beside the head left and there was no way she ate my guinea all by herself! So now, this mutt has dragged our other dogs into the mess too, in addition to all the bird losses she's caused!
And despite all this, my parents downright REFUSE to rehome her, despite the fact that we have lost two good laying hens and a dear pet to her!
So... I need help! I have heard that some people say, "once a dog gets a taste for livestock blood it'll want more" and blah blah blah... I know this is not true in some cases because I have a setter mix that killed our Rock pullet five years ago and hasn't touched a bird since, and I trust her completely around my birds--- but she did nothing more than break that hen's neck... this GSD has TORN APART three birds, or at least two, since we don't know what happened to the Giant... although one can only assume...
Is there anyone here who knows what type of training she needs? Any suggestions? I am trying my best to keep all five of my remaining hens inside the pen but I am sure one of them will get out someday, and in the meantime I have an order of nineteen day old chicks on the way, due Apr. 1st!!!!!!
The second issue is far more minor, but still aggravating. For months now, every time I go up to our chicken coop in the morning, always before 10:00 AM, there are anywhere from 2-5 ravens in the pen! They are stealing my chicken food and scaring the chickens; when the ravens are in there they hide, looking absolutely terrified, in the corner! And I've been worried about the ravens spreading disease/mites/whatever among my flock. I have gone on several chases through the forest with my BB gun, but every time the ravens see me coming they recognize the gun (and me) and fly away as fast as possible... I still haven't had any luck hitting them... yet...
We plan on covering over the roof of our pen with chicken wire, it's already partially done... but in the meantime is there anything I can do? These birds are driving me CRAZY!
Meanwhile, two or three weeks later, my mother looked out the window to see her relentlessly attacking our Pekin drake. He survived, but his air sac was puctured and it cost us $80 in vet bills to stitch him up.
And now, after a month of vacation in Hawaii, we come home to find that our petsitter, not wanting to ruin our trip, had kept to himself that she had killed my last guinea fowl THREE WEEKS AGO! According to him, she brought him her head and he later found a pile of her feathers near our hen coop. He says that while two of our dogs where accounted for, our third dog and his pitbull most likely participated in the kill, because there was nothing beside the head left and there was no way she ate my guinea all by herself! So now, this mutt has dragged our other dogs into the mess too, in addition to all the bird losses she's caused!
And despite all this, my parents downright REFUSE to rehome her, despite the fact that we have lost two good laying hens and a dear pet to her!
So... I need help! I have heard that some people say, "once a dog gets a taste for livestock blood it'll want more" and blah blah blah... I know this is not true in some cases because I have a setter mix that killed our Rock pullet five years ago and hasn't touched a bird since, and I trust her completely around my birds--- but she did nothing more than break that hen's neck... this GSD has TORN APART three birds, or at least two, since we don't know what happened to the Giant... although one can only assume...
Is there anyone here who knows what type of training she needs? Any suggestions? I am trying my best to keep all five of my remaining hens inside the pen but I am sure one of them will get out someday, and in the meantime I have an order of nineteen day old chicks on the way, due Apr. 1st!!!!!!
The second issue is far more minor, but still aggravating. For months now, every time I go up to our chicken coop in the morning, always before 10:00 AM, there are anywhere from 2-5 ravens in the pen! They are stealing my chicken food and scaring the chickens; when the ravens are in there they hide, looking absolutely terrified, in the corner! And I've been worried about the ravens spreading disease/mites/whatever among my flock. I have gone on several chases through the forest with my BB gun, but every time the ravens see me coming they recognize the gun (and me) and fly away as fast as possible... I still haven't had any luck hitting them... yet...
We plan on covering over the roof of our pen with chicken wire, it's already partially done... but in the meantime is there anything I can do? These birds are driving me CRAZY!
