Texas

[kajira]

We did string her up and his collar and left him for about an hour, he knew he was in trouble. It seems he has the 'better to ask forgiveness than permission' mentality

When we started with the shock collar we dedicated "back" to keep him away from the chickens, it works pretty well. But like I said, when he chased this last one the gate was not locked and those little turds got out.

What's weird, is the dog that decimated the poor chickens body, is the one who's TERRIFIED of the chickens if he gets into their area.... apparently though, he's a tough **** when he's got a 100lbs bulldog behind him to back him up. The little F....er.

 

[kajira]

We have Danes and 2 chihuahua mixes. The two little dogs don't pay any attention to the chickens and one of the Danes would probably ignore them but the others would love me forever if I let them in the run...

I'm not sure if it's an option or not but to help avoid chickens getting out in the future, could you do a 'storm entry' into your run/coop. It doesn't have to be a large area, maybe 4ft x4ft x 6ft tall, completely closed in with chicken wire, top too. It's only to catch any chickens that might get out as you're coming/going. As long as your daughter makes sure to close the entry door each time before entering the coop or run and then repeats on the way out, any chicken that slips by will be contained and easily directed back in. You could reinforce it with something stronger than chicken wire if you feel that your dog will really push at getting to it but more than likely something simple and inexpensive will work for what you need it for. It's not predator proof or made to leave the chickens hanging out in, just a little something to keep a 'good dog' good.

Our chickens are allowed to free range in the goat area. The chicken jumped the fence. The dogs being on the outside of the fence had been enough to deter them so far, but the chicken got cocky and thought she could handle it I guess. I warned my daughter if they decided to leave the goat area, they'd probably die.

Our other chicken coops/runs have roofs, and can't be escaped, but they can only hold a couple of chickens, compared to a fairly unlimited amount in the goat pen area since it's fairly large.

My guess, is she got tired of my daughter taking her eggs, she acted broody. This is the one who'd scream at my daughter everytime she came out there to get the eggs. so I'm guessing she was looking for a new place to lay eggs, where my daughter couldn't take them.

 

[jtn42248]

Our chicken got out of her fenced area, when my daughter was out there getting the eggs. She told them to leave it alone, and they ignored her. The chase was just too much for them. They'd never intentionally tried to get through the fences to get to a chicken... but once it was out, it was fair game. My daughter wants a dog who won't harm a chicken, even if it "gets" out on accident.

An LGD (livestock guardian dog) breed would be best probably but while they have protective instincts they MUST be trained to protect poultry. For instance, our Anatolian. Duke is his name. He would be very protective of the birds if he had been trained to be. As it is he spent his first year caged and mistreated until being rescued by our Vet. We took him in and he has shown his true protective and affectionate nature toward us and our other dogs, even to a degree the birds, but to have been properly trained he would have needed to be raised with the birds and live with them full time, not in the house with us. He has caught a couple of raccoons that came on the property and the results have not been pretty. But, he was following his instinct to protect his home. However we would not let him with our birds because he has not been trained to be with them.

We have, besides our chickens ducks and geese, hundreds of wild birds that we feed. Everything from doves to starlings to Purple Martins and sparrows. The dogs just ignore them completely. But if a hawk, buzzard, vulture or eagle come over the property our Boxer/Bulls (BT and Sara) go ballistic and run and jump to ward them off. So, with their ability to determine what is a harmless bird and what is a predator can we trust them alone with the poultry? We have not tried and probably will not.

Look into LGD's...especially the Kangal breed. If you got a pup and raised and trained it you might have success. I know there are plenty of pictures here on BYC of dogs with birds, do a little checking and see what breeds and what amount of training those members have. I am sure they will be more helpful than I.

 

[NinasNest]

Frankly, seeing my dogs do that in front of *me* would have traumatized me, so I can understand her feelings. My german shepard I grew up with killed my chickens when someone forgot to shut a gate and he got into our barn.... I didn't eat chicken for 10 years because it traumatized me so bad - so I can understand my daughters feelings. And I didn't SEE him do it, I just came home to the bloody mess when he was done with it. So, imagine what she felt not being able to get the dogs to stop with their "fun" in the heat of the moment... Yeah, it sucks. But it does happen.

Chickens aren't very bright, and dogs are natural predators of them. 

What's weird, is the dog that decimated the poor chickens body, is the one who's TERRIFIED of the chickens if he gets into their area.... apparently though, he's a tough **** when he's got a 100lbs bulldog behind him to back him up. The little F....er.

We haven't put the collar on our boxer but if he sees the remote in our hands he still *thinks* he can get shocked, not too bright

Poor guys lips are too flappy for him to handle

 

[kajira]

We haven't put the collar on our boxer but if he sees the remote in our hands he still *thinks* he can get shocked, not too bright

Poor guys lips are too flappy for him to handle

Yeah. It's always the stupid dogs, that seem to cause the most trouble, too. My boston terrier is dumb as a rock. and I mean, dumber then a rock. He's the dog who got zapped once by the electric horse fence, and keeps touching it... kind of dumb.

 

[kajira]

An LGD (livestock guardian dog) breed would be best probably but while they have protective instincts they MUST be trained to protect poultry. For instance, our Anatolian. Duke is his name. He would be very protective of the birds if he had been trained to be. As it is he spent his first year caged and mistreated until being rescued by our Vet. We took him in and he has shown his true protective and affectionate nature toward us and our other dogs, even to a degree the birds, but to have been properly trained he would have needed to be raised with the birds and live with them full time, not in the house with us. He has caught a couple of raccoons that came on the property and the results have not been pretty. But, he was following his instinct to protect his home. However we would not let him with our birds because he has not been trained to be with them.

We have, besides our chickens ducks and geese, hundreds of wild birds that we feed. Everything from doves to starlings to Purple Martins and sparrows. The dogs just ignore them completely. But if a hawk, buzzard, vulture or eagle come over the property our Boxer/Bulls (BT and Sara) go ballistic and run and jump to ward them off. So, with their ability to determine what is a harmless bird and what is a predator can we trust them alone with the poultry? We have not tried and probably will not.

Look into LGD's...especially the Kangal breed. If you got a pup and raised and trained it you might have success. I know there are plenty of pictures here on BYC of dogs with birds, do a little checking and see what breeds and what amount of training those members have. I am sure they will be more helpful than I.

Yeah, I just figured if I asked here, someone who got their dog *in* texas may have a recommendation. I know aussie's can be trained pretty easily and are super smart. If raised to heel and herd, but not bite, they usually can live peacefully with livestock most of the time. It just depends on the situation i suppose, and the specific dog.

I'll mention them to my daughter. So she can research with her dad. The dog's listen to me, but she was too little to help train them when we got them, so while they respected her in the house, outside, with something as fun as a chicken, they ignored her. She's finally big enough/old enough to work with a big dog and have it learn to listen to her.

 

[MandyJ]

Look what we caught on our game camera Sunday. This is after my ducks. I don't think it is the one killing them during the day. I think that is a coyote (See next picture lower right). But this is scary!!!

Can ducks die of fright? Day after this was taken I had a duck go down, didn't see any injuries but she died the next day.

 

[ChicKat]

How does your heeler do with them? I know aussies and other herding breeds can get nippy sometimes.

Have to say that my heeler is great with the chickens and even helps me out. -- the factor is more 'excitement' that switches the brain behavior than it is anything else.

These were myvvery first chickens in 2011 --

This dog is pretty much saying -- "chickens, so what?"

This dog is a bit better at cattle work -- and she is waiting for a cue from me -- as far as if she should herd them. LOL I trust her 100% with my chickens.

These photos are my first chickens 5-years ago. I'm sure over the years since then the dogs were exposed to 100s of chickens and vice versa. Different people have different expectation of dogs -- but animals that are bred to work with livestock, IMO less likely to harm them.

If you get a chance to see the trailer for this video
http://canterlc.com/StopChickenKillerDogs/site/pages/home/

I did use his principles to train my dogs - to a degree......

The man who makes the video has such a way with dogs -- and the video explains that chicken killers can be conditioned NOT to kill chickens. Mine never harmed chickens -- however when there is a lot of screaming, squawking, hollering going on -- she does click into excitement gear...

Haven't read all the posts - and I know that some people say dogs can never be trusted -- on the other hand some people have dogs specifically to guard their livestock. Part of it is what you expect the dog to do -- and I don't want to weigh in to stir up controversy.

kajira- you sure woke out this thread! :O)

I'm sure different people have different experiences with dogs and chickens -- but IMO - it isn't just all one way or the other.

 

[ChicKat]

Look what we caught on our game camera Sunday. This is after my ducks. I don't think it is the one killing them during the day. I think that is a coyote (See next picture lower right). But this is scary!!!

Can ducks die of fright? Day after this was taken I had a duck go down, didn't see any injuries but she died the next day.

wow - MandyJ -- that first game cam shot would freak me out!!

That is a very daunting predator - (beautiful game cam photo too). That's one healthy feline.

BTW for everyone out there in Texas... if you have a very cool picture -- the deadline for the next BYC calendar photos is August 31.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1111133/2017-byc-calendar-your-pictures-needed

 

[MandyJ]

wow - MandyJ -- that first game cam shot would freak me out!!

That is a very daunting predator - (beautiful game cam photo too)

Yea, the scary part is that the photo of the bobcat was taken at 10:19, we had just walked the dogs for the last time at night at about 10:10!!! But like my husband said, if the bobcat stays around while we are out, it is dead, because it is ill or something else. So far all of the ducks have been taken during the day after 3:00 pm. I have been letting the ducks out for about 3 or 4 hours in the morning while I am out with them but they are locked up by 2. Poor ducks! They're not happy! But at least they are alive!

It took us a little while to figure out whether it was a bobcat or a cougar. We got about 3 or 4 shots of it over a 10 minute span. Fortunately, it is a bobcat, no tail! But still....daunting and scary!