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Chicken Killer / Eater

5K views 40 replies 21 participants last post by  Gerry Clinchy 
#1 ·
Help Guys! I have a friend who has a young Retriever that has caught, killed and eaten on one occasion and on a second occasion was caught in the act of killing another. The owner snatched the chicken before the dog consumed it. She will probably not hunt or trial the dog. But has shown it in obedience. Yes the dog is force fetched. She asked me for help or any ideas. I suggested a collar correction similar as to snake proofing a dog. Was I on the rite track.

Thanks
 
#2 ·
start training with chickens. Make good fliers.
 
#3 ·
I wouldn't want to make the dog bird shy, but if all she does is obedience trials, then "chicken proofing" would be a good solution.
 
#4 · (Edited)
How old is the dog? Are these pet chickens?

I have kept a few in my city back yard for a couple of years. Both of my dogs leave them alone, I don't know why. When the young one was a pup someone accidentally left her in the back yard when they were loose. I think she played with Big Beak as she was later missing some feathers. This dog still gets a rise out of charging them as they go a fluttering when she does that, I guess she thinks it is funny, but she hasn't otherwise bothered them for a long long time. I don't intentionally leave her out with them in my tiny back yard but I think she would leave them alone if I did. My older dog has never harassed them at all.

Anyhoo if she is a pup and playing with them and they happen to die, that is one thing. If the dog is mature and stalking and killing chickens, that is another.

Sorry I am no help, but if you could give more info maybe someone else could be.
 
#6 ·
We moved to the country when My youngest son was in College. He gave us a rooster for Christmas. It was felt that Russell needed a friend so we acquired Henrietta the hen. Background, We had 5 labs of various ages that we trained for field trials, hunting & Hunt Test. They were constantly chasing chickens. We didn't have enough E-collars. We used a sling shot with marbles & sharp NO when caught in act. After several days they became best of friends & aggression ceased.
 
#8 ·
I knew a person that tried this with her Collies. You get one of those pop can size square batteries (not sure what they are for sure) and a piece of plywood and a piece of wire. You wire the wire to the battery and to the chickens leg. You set the wood on top of the battery and the chicken on top of the wood. Supposedly when the dog grabs the chicken it completes the circuit (not for sure how exactly) and the dog gets a zap. It worked on her Collies. lol
 
#24 ·
I would agree 100% so keep your dog at home. That's why they make kennels and why they should not be allowed to run. I grew up on the farm and we lived close to a town. More than one dog never made it home. Had one guy in town that had a dog that we were having trouble with. I told him and he denied that his dog ever left the yard. That was one that never made it home. Kennel it when it's not with you or you will loose it. Don
 
#11 ·
Who is joking? A proper forced fetched and obedience trained dog will only go when sent and will not eat birds. Train with chickens. The dog has holes in its obedience and ff.
 
#12 ·
MMM, Makes me want to have fried chicken for dinner. My dogs trap the young one all the time. They bring them to me and I throw them back over the fence. The older chickens have caught on and fly way before they get there. Sound like the dog is left to do it'd own thing. That the problem.

Keith
 
#23 ·
Bird dog?? Mine will not be even mildly disciplined for catching the chickens until they are at least 3 years old. I have come to terms with having both barnyard poultry and gundogs - they do not mix and even in the best of situations they sometimes come together and the dog wins...

I have discontinued using bantums and other extra chickens for training. My dogs were so crazy about them that they were preferring them over ducks. Long story short - big fences between your laying hens and your retrievers works for me
 
#29 ·
I'd also fondly guess a few dogs in the pedigree of those you've owned got a lot of chickens in training during their early years. I know one fella who got a few from me for his latest pups before moving from Washington. Hard to argue with points
 
#30 ·
One of the most accomplished pointer trainers of all time tells me he gets real excited when his young dogs eat birds. He lets them do it for quite a while before ff to make the retrieve and mouth. Gladly pm you names.
 
#34 ·
I have heard stories of people doing this with the pigeon coop..

Sounds like the OP NOW has a bird crazy dog... Good for you!!! NOW,,, Focus the training, and take advantage of it...

I would do NOTHING to make the dog bird shy...

I would just keep them scary arse chickens away from my dog,,,andkeep in the back of my mind, that I now own a body guard for the times one may get loose,,and come squawkin and bitin at my knee caps..

Damn fool things anyways...

I'll take Him!!!!

Gooser
 
#33 ·
How come nobody has suggested tying an dead chicken around their neck until it rots off? That was in one of the last threads about dogs and chickens lol
 
#35 ·
This thread has made my day!

It brought back very special memories of my past dog Miss Bailey.

She LOVED birds..... any birds.... She LOVED to chase a crippled pheasant !!!

I took a trip to visit a exclusive Upland Hunt club in eastern Colorado to investigate a possible membership.

I incorporated the trip with a dove hunt, and visited the grounds and talked with the owner that afternoon, after the hunt.
As I pulled into the Farm Yard, Bailey was ridin Shotgun on the front seat of my truck. I pulled in and parked, and noticed Bailey really focused on something. There were a few chickens loafing around the farm yard..

I told her I would be right back,, and left her in the truck..

I spent quite a bit of time visiting with the owner, trying to convey I was a fine outstanding Sportsman, would respected the land and alll the Flora a nd Fawns that existed there.. WE hit it off pretty well.

He walked me to my truck, as I was leaving..

He saw Bailey sittin on the front seat,, and said,, "Oh,, You brought your dog! Let me see her!"

before I could say anything he opened the truck door, and let her out.

before I knew it,, she had caught 2 of his prised show chickens. 1 hen,, and the prised rooster..

Bailey immedialtly killed the hen,,, chased the rooster all over the yard with me yellin at her,, then finally caught it and shook the everlivin crap out of it......

Dead as hell!!!!:(:(:(

Them was expensive Chickens.....

I didnt dare ask if I coulds come back and hunt..

Best foot forward regards,,,

Gooser
 
#39 · (Edited)
The dog will learn to stay away, from chickens once you teach it to stay away from chickens, e-collar when your out in the yard. Then leave the chickens out, you sneak inside with remote and watch from the window. Dog learns there are consequences to messing with your yard poultry. Still if a birddog is left out alone in the yard with chickens, even if it has been trained No, chances are he's gonna chase, chances are he's gonna catch and he's gonna kill (they are fragile animals, heart goes a lot ;)), if your not out there to take the bird away chances are; he's gonna do what we'd do all with a perfectly good chicken eat it ;). So commands to enforce; Here means Here, No means NO. Then be smart enough not to let a chicken chaser, out in the same yard with poultry unsupervised. Of course I've done OB drills out in the Chicken yard and have people chase the chickens, as distraction to proof basic commands; but I still wouldn't leave even my most trustworthy dog out alone with them. Despite knowing better (she's a bird-dog) if I'm not there she'll chase them, once they kell-over from exhaustion, and I'm not there to deliver to; it would be stupid for her to waste good meat ;).

Tie a dead chicken around their neck and all you end up with is feet on a string. ;)
 
#41 ·


No chicken-eater here :) Sorry this didn't come through as the video ... (it was on FB), but it's a really cute video of the young Golden trying to get the bird to play with a stuffed toy. Toward the end of the video the bird comes close to engaging with the toy and the dog.

The dog has been raised from puppyhood with the bird.
 
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