will a lab kill a chick

[bamagirl68]

I believe a lab would kill a chicken too. I also have an 8 year old choc lab that is the sweetest thing in the world. You should have seen her the first time I let my chickens out into their run. I thought SHE was going to have a heart attack! She will still stand at the pen and stare them down while licking her lips. It's a funny thing to watch. I believe she would kill one in a minute. She loves birds!

 

[silkiechicken]

I think every dog has the ability to kill a chick, even that pesky toy poodle who looks like a cotton ball. Imagine that, a puffy poodle standing next to a silkie.

But yes, your did did, even the best trained things can slip up.

 

[Berynn]

I knew that she did it. She had a look on her face,before she did it. I went out side with her and she saw them. I told her Java come here. I was outside smoking a cigarette, while talking to my husband, we went inside and for goet to bring her in with us.
My nine year old daughter began screaming, I knew that I screwed up, I just knew it. I feel so guilty.
If anyone knows where I can buy a two month old feather footed chick, can you let me know? I live in Murrieta California. We have our chick coop caged in now. These chicks are going to be our pets.
My phone number is 951-698-5372' my name is Jenny

Thanks

 

[herechickchick]

Quote:
I agree, Does this look like the face of a killer?

Well she is. She killed my first two peeps! Never underestimate a dogs prey drive!

 

[Berynn]

That is a perty puppy, my nine year old daughter Berynn is so mad at our lab, that she wants to get rid of her. It is totally my fault.

 

[herechickchick]

No it is not your fault! You are going to have to make your daughter understand that the dog did what it was born to do. Tell her that this doesn't not mean that we can not have chickens, we just know now that while our dog is a good dog he/she cannot be left alone with the chickens. I can find no fault in your dog.

Good Luck!

 

[ole-crone]

Our sweet Lab would love chickens to death off an on. We never punished him for it - he had no idea they were dead. He was such a bouncy fun guy. Our chickens ran loose and he normally ignored them. Once in a while, he'd feel frisky and friendly and would play with them like he would another dog. He'd nudge them with his nose, get them to run, give chase, catch them and take them around the yard to see all of his favorite things. Poor things, they just couldn't take it. It was so sad to see him nudging the poor, dead chicken, trying to wake it up so it could continue to play. There was no mallice in his mind - he was just a BIG HUGE DOG doing what he was bred to do - carry a bird around in his mouth without doing any damage to the body. Sometimes, he'd bring us the bird with a look on his face of "Fix it."

I never considered him a killer. He never killed for fun or hurt the birds physically. Yes, the end result was a dead bird but he only intended to play.

We partially solved it when a neighbor threatened to shoot him for chasing her horse. He wasn't the dog doing the chasing and we knew it (the dog doing the chasing was out when ours was with us) but we knew that our dog would roam the neighborhood to eat any catfood and bird seed he could find. We didn't want him being shot for the dastardly deed of another dog. So, he became an inside dog. He could only go out with someone, or while we were home.

I hope our neighbor's cattle dogs never get loose. They sit by their fence just watching our poultry roam around in our field. Our dogs now don't pay any attention and even our cats ignore the baby chicks running around outside.

 

[ksacres]

Oh yes, ANY dog is capable of it. I brooded out 75 chicks that I ordered from a hatchery this spring, the dogs were around them since the time I got them as day olds. When they were about two months, the dogs decided to have a play day, when I realized what was going on, I had 15 left... Headless and mutilated chickens EVERYWHERE! As I came out the door our dog Midget was tossing one to himself and looking pleased as punch. Thanks dogs, for killing over $300 worth of poultry in half an hour, thanks. Needless to say, the dogs are NEVER outside unsupervised any longer. If we don't go out with them, we stand at the window and watch. They still watch the chickens like hawks no matter how I scold and scream and yell. Lesson learned, when mixing prey species with predator species, you must WATCH at all times...

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Thanks for the info. I have a neighbor with a lab and she seemed really upset that I wouldn't let her and her dog come into our fenced yard while the ducks were free-ranging. I don't mean to be exclusionary and all

but I've gotta look after my flock! I figured it was the best policy, but now I will be sure to stick with it, even if it upsets those with sensitive temperments.

 

[picklespickles]

even my chihuahua who is three pounds tops put her teeth on a chicken. very delicately, as any chi would, but none the less, she did it. all dogs have that instinct.