Why dogs kill chickens, how to stop them from hurting chickens, why you shouldn't feed your dog chicken or chicken flavored treats if you have chickens, dog breeds which protect chickens, and how to protect your chickens from stray dogs.
Dogs & Chickens
Dogs. The Unsuspected Chicken Predator. Photo by Justin Veenema on Unsplash
Your loyal companion, your neighbors dog, or a stray dog might be injuring or killing your chickens. Dogs are not a natural predator of chickens. If a dog attacks a chicken it is usually for one of several reasons.
Hunger
Playfulness
Protecting their food
Jealousy
Lack of proper training
If you own a dog then you should watch how your dog behaves around your chickens and it is a good idea to get a camera to see how your dog acts around them when you are not around. If the dog is good with the chickens while you are in sight, try going in the house and watching from a window or some place close, to see if the dogs behavior changes or better yet use a baby monitor or camera. If you are unsure of how your dog will act when you are not around then you need to make sure the dog does not have access to your chickens when you are not there. In most cases dogs who are raised as puppies around chickens will not usually bother them once they are trained not too but a playful puppy can be a severe threat to your chickens and as such you should supervise their interactions at all times. If you do decide to have a dog around your chickens you should consider getting a livestock guardian dog such as Great Pyrenees, Kangal, Mareema Sheep Dog, or Collie.
Stray Dogs
Stray dogs who are hungry have been know to attack, kill and eat chickens. Make sure stray dogs cannot get to your chickens.
What to do If your dog has attacked, killed, or eaten a chicken
You will need to keep the dog locked away from the chickens in a cage or pen when they are not supervised. Do not feed your dog table scraps which include chicken. Dog do not understand that chicken from table is okay and chicken in the yard is not. If you feed your dog chicken or chicken flavored treats your dog will automatically think the chickens in the yard are food too. If your dog has attacked, killed, or eaten one of your chickens you will need to either need to do one of three things (killing the dog is not an option).
Hunger
Playfulness
Protecting their food
Jealousy
Lack of proper training
If you own a dog then you should watch how your dog behaves around your chickens and it is a good idea to get a camera to see how your dog acts around them when you are not around. If the dog is good with the chickens while you are in sight, try going in the house and watching from a window or some place close, to see if the dogs behavior changes or better yet use a baby monitor or camera. If you are unsure of how your dog will act when you are not around then you need to make sure the dog does not have access to your chickens when you are not there. In most cases dogs who are raised as puppies around chickens will not usually bother them once they are trained not too but a playful puppy can be a severe threat to your chickens and as such you should supervise their interactions at all times. If you do decide to have a dog around your chickens you should consider getting a livestock guardian dog such as Great Pyrenees, Kangal, Mareema Sheep Dog, or Collie.
Stray Dogs
Stray dogs who are hungry have been know to attack, kill and eat chickens. Make sure stray dogs cannot get to your chickens.
What to do If your dog has attacked, killed, or eaten a chicken
You will need to keep the dog locked away from the chickens in a cage or pen when they are not supervised. Do not feed your dog table scraps which include chicken. Dog do not understand that chicken from table is okay and chicken in the yard is not. If you feed your dog chicken or chicken flavored treats your dog will automatically think the chickens in the yard are food too. If your dog has attacked, killed, or eaten one of your chickens you will need to either need to do one of three things (killing the dog is not an option).
- Keep your chickens in a safe secured area, use electric fencing or a secured run around their hen house where dogs and other predators do not have access.
- Re-home the dog to someone who does not have chickens or other birds and make sure you let the new owners know the dog has harmed a chicken before.
- Take the dog to animal control and tell them the dog is not safe around chickens.
Training Your Dog Not to Attack Chickens
Some pet dogs can be trained not to attack chickens. However, once a dog has attacked a chicken it is impossible to stop them from killing your chickens and you will either have to separate them or get rid of either the dog or the chickens. Dogs who have not attacked a chicken can usually be trained. It is best to get a puppy and raise it around your chickens while teaching it to protect and not harm your birds. Do NOT ever leave your puppy alone and unsupervised with your chickens.
Take your dog (on a leash) around your chickens and watch how they interact with one another. If your dog acts aggressive or playful discipline by pulling him away and sternly telling it "No". Do not allow your dog around the chickens unattended until you are very sure that the dog will not hurt them. One way to do this is to install an inexpensive camera so you can see how your dog acts with your chickens when you are not around. The best way to keep your chickens safe from any dog and other predators is to keep them in a secured chicken coop and run which is covered on all sides with hardware cloth and electric fencing.
Take your dog (on a leash) around your chickens and watch how they interact with one another. If your dog acts aggressive or playful discipline by pulling him away and sternly telling it "No". Do not allow your dog around the chickens unattended until you are very sure that the dog will not hurt them. One way to do this is to install an inexpensive camera so you can see how your dog acts with your chickens when you are not around. The best way to keep your chickens safe from any dog and other predators is to keep them in a secured chicken coop and run which is covered on all sides with hardware cloth and electric fencing.
Photo credits:
- Photographed this beautiful dog named... | HD photo by Justin Veenema (@justinveenema) on Unsplash. (2019). Unsplash.com. Retrieved 14 June 2019, from https://unsplash.com/photos/_c_I5GMZYR0
