My dogs ate my chicken!

[farmgirl1995]

Yesterday two of my dogs killed one of my sweet Light Brahma hens. We put the dogs in the garage but when my mom let them out to go to the bathroom they went after another Light Brahma hen. I had just gotten out of the shower when I saw the dogs run down to the coop. So I chased after them in 29 degree weather. I saved the hen just in time. Why all the sudden are the dogs going after them? We've had one of the dogs around chickens her whole life and the other is a huge german shepherd puppy...did they start cause of her? What can I do about this? I have to let my chickens free range. How do I get the dogs to stop?

 

[MakNat]

The pup started it. I once broke a smaller pup who killed a chicken by beating her with the dead chicken.. I know that sounds horrible. I didn't 'hurt' the dog, just scared it to death. She has NEVER done it again. And I'm 100% confident that she won't. Some dogs are just born killers. German Shepards shouldn't be. They are very smart.

 

[andythescot]

My dog is doing the same thing... But I think with her she just hasn't had any energy outlet so she's taken to chasing the chickens. Fortunately I don't think she'll do anything except chase.

 

[caspernc]

Do not know if this works but I was told that if you tie the dead bird around the dogs neck for a couple of days the dog would get so tired of the chicken smell they would stop chasing the chickens. BUT my cattle dog LOVES something that is stinky. The stinkier the better in his opinion. So I don't think it will work but

.

 

[Judy]

You can train dogs to leave chickens alone, usually, but it takes time and patience. In your situation it would be best to rehome either the chickens or the new puppy, I feel.

 

[cafarmgirl]

My personal opinion is that dogs and chickens just don't mix. Mine are kept separate at all times. Yes people have dogs that leave the hens alone, I've had a couple myself. But once a dog has engaged in chasing and killing of chickens I don't believe they should ever be trusted again. It's when your back is turned or your not around then bad things are going to happen eventually. Many people have had good dogs that never chased or killed a chicken, until the day they did.

Two choices here. Pen up the dogs or chickens or both and if that's not an option to you then re-home dogs or chickens.

 

[Rozzie]

Dogs are by evolution a hunting animal. Their natural prey is anything they can catch, birds included. While you may curb that hunting instinct in a dog by training and discipline, you cannot remove it from their genetic make-up.

Either keep the chickens penned where they cannot get loose AND where the dog cannot get to them, or keep the dog penned in a manner where it cannot reach the birds and the birds cannot get into the dog pen.

This is the only certain way to prevent poultry deaths.

The advantage of protecting the chickens is that if you have protected them against your own dogs then you have also protected them against most larger wild predators (though not necessarily small ones, like weasels, minks, rats, and snakes).

 

[nzpouter]

Quote:
what sort of training have been done for both species prior to the incident...?

 

[farmgirl1995]

Quote:
what sort of training have been done for both species prior to the incident...?

None

 

[nzpouter]

Quote:
None

there's your problem.... better start now.