They were the best first chickens anyone could have!

[CCourson05]

Quote:
IT IS ALWAYS YOUR FAVORITE! The world knows it too!

 

[memiller123]

I have a blue heeler and it's taken several months to train him not to kill my chickens. I'm having to re-train him, though, with my new chicks because he sees them as separate from the others. They are more flightly and when they start flapping, he gets excited and wants to pounce them. You need to keep reinforcing their training.

 

[fifenashia]

So sorry for your loss

 

[1livelychick]

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Boy isnt that the truth. I just lost one of my favorite roos to coyotes! So sorry for your loss, Chickenrandomness. It's never easy.

 

[NuttyForNucks]

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IT IS ALWAYS YOUR FAVORITE! The world knows it too!

We joke that names equal certain death here. It really is the favorite ones that always get killed.

Sorry for you losses OP.

 

[hensonly]

Quote:
not out here. i live outside city limits.
besides, they're hearding dogs, a blue heeler and an australian shepherd, they can't stay on leashes. i don't blame the dogs too much. i mean, its only instinct. but, i have been teaching those pups not to chase the chickens which was working until today

HOrsefeathers, they can't stay on leashes! I have two Australian Shepherds, and I know many others, and they don't run loose! They live in the house, hang out in the dog run a few hours a day in nice weather, and go for walks on leashes. It's just if they're not allowed to run, the owner has to spend more time training and exercising them. Mine do herding, agility, Rally Obedience, regular Obedience, tracking.... ANY dog can be confined to its own property. I agree, it's not the dogs' fault, dogs are predators. Though Aussies are used for herding ducks, so it shouldn't necessarily be put down to "instinct" for them to slaughter poultry. One of mine would kill my chickens if he could, the other would hurt them trying to herd them. The other thing is that two dogs make a pack, and a pack will do things neither dog would do invidually. As a kid, I had my cat killed in my own back yard by a neigbor's dog and one belonging to a visitor. The neighbor's own dog never left their yard, and the local cats wandered through there all the time, unmolested. But the two dogs together came across the street into my fenced back yard and killed my cat.

So sorry for your loss, hope it doesn't happen again.

 

[kelar]

So sorry for your loss

 

[ChickInDelight]

My daughter keeps mentioning that when my babies cheap and flap, they are igniting the dogs' prey drive.

Aside from licking lips at the sight of ducks and chicks, my 2 dogs and 4 cats seem well-acclimated to the feathered friends, but I worry that if squawking and flapping happens, the furry pets may have other instincts.

Eventually, I expect these pets to ward off other predators. We shall see.