Charlie killed my chicken :(

[Pearce Pastures]

Thanks all. I went out and sat in the pasture today and he walked very very slowly over by be, head bowed, and lay at my feet, inched closer and closer until I couldn't help but give him a rub. I think he knows how sad I am, maybe not why but that I am sad.

I am going to take some fencing and bury it in the ground along the run wall and replace the concrete blocks he pulled it. He did this in a matter of hours so at least if he tries again when I am not there, the wire will be an added barrier. Hot wire---I think I will go ahead and do it too. Just need to go see what I need to get and make this my next weekend project.

And I think I will try to have some more supervised visits with the birds as you all suggested and work to get him to maybe ignore them at the least. I don't expect him to guard them like the goats, but I hope I can get him to not tunnel in to eat them.

 

[babsbag]

Sorry about chickie

Mine didn't start chasing birds until they were about 9 months old; and the chickens were with them all the time. Everyone can hate me for this, but I used an electric collar on them. I tried the socialization and it was fine, when I was in the barn with them. So what I did was put the collar on them and then leave the area and let them chase the chicken. I didn't say NO, I didn't scream, I just zapped them and zapped them hard. They stopped chasing and would look at the ground, like where did that come from. Every time they even looked at a chicken I let them have it. I had to do this for a few days, and then a refresher course in a month or so. It worked.

Now when I bring new birds into the flock I have to put them in a cage first and let them get to know each other. I also found out the hard way just last week that this does not work with young birds. I have some that are 9 weeks old and even with a 2 week introduction my female LGD killed one the day I let them out of the pen. So the chicks are back in the intro pen for a while longer. A new rooster I brought home that is 6 months old was released into the flock after about 3 days and the dogs ignore him.

But for the most part my dogs are chicken safe, I have probably 50-75 birds than roam the pasture and barn with the dogs all day. The dogs even tolerate the chickens in their food dish. I think that the little chicks just pique their play desire a little too much. The e collar may need to be resurrected if they don't knock it off.

 

[autumnprairie]

Molly my LDG never chased the chickens but has chased goats and Brownie my queen took care of that. I have had to train the family dogs and outdoor cats that the chickens and chicks are mine. My dog Beebe is not even allowed to perk her ears in interest ( she is an Irish setter/golden retriever mix) she also shows interest in kittens but it is more of "hey Mom I found the kittens"
Now if I could get KeeKee the momma cat to realize that even if I physically do not raise the chicks they are still mine and not open season on the chicks that are being hen raised

 

[CrazyCatNChickenLady]

If you are serious about chicken proofing him, sit down with him for a while each day, with chickens. At least 15 minutes but longer is better. Then scold him whenever he goes near a chicken. Praise him when he stays away from him.

I recommend using surplus roosters for this training exercise. You will loose a few.

I'm doing this with my pup now. The rooster grow out pen is down in his day pen (when he's off duty). I go down there and let them out and he doesn't get to chase them. He's about 7 months old and is such a pleaser. Not an LGD but he's a mastiff mix that I'm gonna use as a guard dog. He LOVES his goats, He's almost got the no chasing cats down, and now it's dont eat chickens. Not that he's tried.. I just want to get him used to them as frends.

I did have a broody bust out and kick the crap out of him. He's 60lbs plus and here is this little 4lbs chicken throwing him across the pen. Fierce little thing.

 

[treeclimber233]

My LGD Drift is funny about chickens. I have one rooster he will not tolerate in his pen. He doesn't chase the rooster. He just stays between him and the hens. He wont let him in the stall or even very close to the barn. I also had a setting hen that brought one baby off the nest. She was wrapped all around Drifts head/face one day when he dared to try to sniff her baby. He just snorted and found a safer place to lay (after he got a good sniff of the baby)

 

[Baymule]

We have a GP that was given to us because she killed chickens. I do know that she was punished severely and came to us absolutely hating chickens. It took over 2 years to overcome the mistakes that were made with her. She is now the supreme chicken protector and even lets them eat her dog food! She is food aggressive, so that is a major concession to the chickens. Here is the posting I made about her.

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=24453&p=1

Then our dog Parker, a black Lab/Great Dane cross had an incident with a rooster. I rescued the rooster in time, before Parker played with him to death. But Parker had to be dealt with and I made an impression on him with a newspaper. I caught him in the act, so that made correction a lot easier. Parker has NEVER made a move toward a chicken since then. I can let the girls out of the coop in complete confidence that Parker and Paris will not harm them. I posted about Parker on TEG, here is the link to that.

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=35617

I hog ringed 2"x2"x2' wire laid flat on the ground all around my coop and run. I had in mind all the terrible stories I read in the predator section on BYC and didn't want to find all my hens dead and the predator gone. Then I got Paris, the GP, and I was glad that I predator proofed the hens coop and run. laying wire around your coop is a very good idea, but attach it somehow to the coop so Charlie can't dig the wire away from the coop.

I posted the two links to show you that a dead chicken does not necessarily mean a chicken killer forever. Just for the record, I have never hit Paris, the GP with even a newspaper-it would kill her soul. I have hit Parker only a few times with the newspaper and whatever he was corrected for never happened again. Two different dogs, two different correction strategies. Charlie is a puppy. Chickens are the ultimate squeaky toy and irresistible. It will take time and patience, but it can be done.

 

[bcnewe2]

Jesse has joined the ranks of chicken chaser. I caught her playing with a hen. Before I could get to her she had her by the head gently carrying her around (I was looking out my office window) by the time I got out there she had switched to picking her up by the tail feathers.
I went running, screaming out the door with a big stick. She had already dropped the hen by the time I got to her but she knew what she had done. Chicken was upset but otherwise fine. I yelled and scuffed an already flopped over Jesse. She is so sensitive that she acted like I shot her. Became unmovable. I let her lay there a while then got her a treat since I couldn't drag her back in her area and lead her into the barn, without talking to her. They are all a bit nervous around Jesse right now. Not all the time, but seems to be in the early morning and evening that they want to be away from her. Just as well while we get through this. She has looked but not chased again that I have seen and I'm trying to keep a good eye on her or listen to the chickens to hear when they are stressed.
We're also working on teenage issues with sheep but she's not hurting them just running them a bit. It's to hot in the day but I find her doing things in the early morning. She does have one ewe friend whom I find her licking her ears and the ewe nuzzling her. That ewes older lambs will let her groom them too.
She is still a great dog and I'm so glad she hasn't killed something playing with it.
Guess we're lucky that it's so hot out during Jesse's teenage years!

Trials and tribulations of teaching an LGD what they can play with and what they can't! Ouf-tah

 

[lovinglife]

I found an air horn works great, you can sit and watch them, when they start after a chicken give them the horn, they HATE the air horn. Or you can walk them by your chickens and when they start getting interested in them, the horn, actually works good.

 

[bcnewe2]

An air horn sounds way better than me yelling.
I will try one. Thanks for the suggestion.
Poor girl decided she had to go in the coop this morning when I let her out. Got a wap on the bum with the feed scoop I had in my hand. You'd swear I shot her!
That was early, now everyone is resting in the heat. Including her!