Stevie Nicks Feathered out! and What to do about my dogs?

Here's the silver sebright/silkie that was so unusual I had to keep her. She and her three cuckoo marans roosters are out in the hen house now. I will post her chick pic and one a few weeks later.
We did have an incident with my two small dogs and one of the young rooster. My dogs have never bothered with any of the chickens, until this morning. I heard a lot of barking etc and went to the door and they were attacking the young rooster! I ran out screaming at them scooped up the roo. He had a most of his tail ripped out and feathers from his back and sides. A couple of puncture wounds, everything is superficial. I cleaned him up, put blue coat on him and started him on a week of liquid antibotics. He is snuggled up in a warm blanket beside me. I have to get to the store for another heatlamp.
The dogs got punished. They will no longer be allowed to roam free to do their business or play. I got out the runs and thats where they will be from now on! I am not a happy camper. Now I wonder if they hunted down that partridge and the silkie roo?. I got them because they are not bird dogs, papillion and chihuahua, 15 and 9 pounds. What to do? They will be supervised or on their leads from now on, I don't care if my husband thinks its mean. I am just thankful it wasn't anymore serious.

Here she was a chickie, she's the one on the far right second up with a white head with black in the middle.

Here she a little later

Ooooooo Bad Dogs! It is probably pack instinct. I can go out with my one dog while the pullets are free ranging, even though she has the highest prey drive, but I would never ever trust her on her own--or any of the dogs, even with me there, if there was more than one dog at a time. I heard somewhere that chihauhuas were originally hunting dogs--must have been rats or other vermin. Like a very small terrier. Pappilons--they are spaniel types? Maybe some latent hunting instinct. My mother's Maltese suddenly went all terrier when he discovered rats in a woodpile. We would never have thought he had it in him.

That is a stunning pullet!

what facinating colors! she IS a beauty ^_^

i have heard chihuahuas can't be trusted, can take down a whole flock if they are in the pen with them. don't know what a papillion is though. really sorry they hurt your roo. he may have attacked or threatened them first, protecting his hens...

we will eventaully have to find homes for our puppies. they get along fine with the nubians, but want little to do with us humans. i appreciate that they bark at other dogs coming around though. but no we need to keep the milking goat separate, can't have those dogs biting udders!!!

next time i have a chance to rescue a guard dog, DH won't be so quick to stop me LOL

tf

LoraK all dogs are predators no matter what breed. They can't help it since they are meat eaters. Even those dogs we call flock guardians would eat their charges if they were hungry enough. I think you are doing the right thing in showing displeasure with their behavior. It tells them they did the wrong thing and the head honcho ain't happy with them! I wouldn't let them out at the same time if you can help it and certainly not by themselves.
Dogs (including our own) are my biggest worry about the animals we're getting.

MollyD

I was just on the phone with a friend in Florida. She just sold her horse, she raises parrots and boer goats. The newborn goats kept being found dead. Her husband caught her horse killing one. I never knew horses were like that. She hasn't been able to ride him ever since she broke her back so he is better off with someone who can ride him.
As for my lil ones, they still haven't showed their faces all day. They are smart and they know they are in big trouble.

Your are right MollyD. I never thought of my dogs as predators. I see them in a different light now! And this is one ticked off Alpha female. They will find that being tied up is not fun.

LoraK did you watch the Dog Whisperer episode training a dog to not kill chickens? http://www.self-sufficient-life.com/Keeping_Chickens/DogVideo.htm it might help with your dogs.

MollyD

Great video. I tried to get that link on another thread at one point, but it didnt work. Glad to have been able to watch it. That guy is amazing! He could teach my dogs a thing or two!

I only have dial up up here in. Verizon/Fairpoint says it only a matter of time till I get high speed LOL I will check it out at my parents on sunday.
Today I had a chick hatch that is the exact coloring of cuckoo marans chick but the size of sebright! I feel that I might need to keep this one too! I am having a problem with my chubby marans hens breaking the eggs as they are starting to hatch and the chicks aren't ready to come out yet. I am hoping its just a new mother thing and they get the hang of it. Or else they won't be sitting on anymore eggs! I have a marans in ICU correctly who is still trying to suck in the rest of the egg sac. I started her on mild antibotics and I am dipping her beak a lot. So fingers crossed!

Good luck with that baby LoraK. Hope it pulls through for you.

MollyD

this is of special interest to me - I soooo want some of the bigger, heavy layers roaming around in my back yard - about an acre with lost of daylily beds and other plantings - totaly fenced with shribs and trees galore........I have a WONDERFUL Australian Shepherd who does not bother the kittens or cats - actually shares the responsibility of kitten caring - but am concerned about the fate of chickens - I will pull up the Dog Whisperer segment mentioned earlier - any other suggestions???

i had a wonderful australian shepherd. she would do anything to protect my horses. personally i am willing to bet you can eaily teach her to protect your chickens, at least mine was very obeident, eager to please, and not nippy or hyper...

and i have heard great things about german shpeherds with chickens too...

thank you for the encouraging words - nothing ventured, nothing gained....right???

right!