Sheepdog Killing Our Hens

Hello and good morning curiosity killed the cat.

I truly wish I had a good solution to offer, but I do not.

Having spent many years on ranches, I realize that dogs are more than a companion; they are a security system, an intruder detection system, an early visitor warning system... and so much more. A good friend and a good tool, all rolled up in one.

Hardwired into dogs is the thrill of the chase, the thrill of the hunt, the thrill of the kill. As we domesticate and train them, these instincts become pressed deep into the animal.

In my experience, if this present but depressed instinct rises, there is no going back. You will probably have to destroy your trusted companion. If you give her to someone in town, the instinct will only manifest into killing neighborhood cats, other dogs, and perhaps even children.

Again, I know this is an agonizing thought, but I know of no other way to deal with it. I do hope another member has a method I am unaware of to avoid my unsavory solution. What ever you do, you should do it very soon.

Best of luck, and my heartfelt sympathies.

Hi Doorman,

woah that was a bit radical!

Im not at that stage yet. Im sure a few electric shocks will quell that killer instinct.

Someone has the answer im sure!

Cheers!

I took a quick look at their web page and did not see technical specifications. If you add the specs to your post it would make it easier for people to make suggestions. If all you need are very low power sources of frequency X then it might not be too difficult. If modulations or digital codes are needed then that is a different story.

The material I saw at their web site had frequent "we care, please call" comments with their phone number. Have you called them with this question/issue?

Taking a moment to twist your question a little, does your dog bark when chasing and killing the chickens? I didn't read about it but I did see that Innotek has collars to stop barking. It is not exactly the same thing, but it is worth a thought.

Back to your original question... I suspect that the buried wire might (I said might) be a little better behaved with respect to range than an above ground transmitter. You probably know when the dog will get a shock to within a few feet when the wire is buried. I don't know the risk of wandering chickens DXing Fido from across the farm and creating a real life horror story for him.

To be fair you might consider getting little collars and teaching the chickens to stay on their side of the playground. ... Ok, it has been a slow morning and this might be going a little too far. But, I still think that it would be fair.

Bruce

Hi Bruce

yeah ok sure will find out about frequency and post info. Havent called em , should be fun!

Don't know if dog barks when killing as im away when happens... id say he growls allright.

collars on chickens...i suppose , why not...now that would be hillarious but i wonder if a chicken is just too damn stupid....mayb they d stand back....?! They might even tease the dog! ha!

Yeah, I sort of doubt a chicken will respond to operant conditioning very well...

Once again, I am hoping someone has a good answer for you. I have heard of the "hang the victim around the dog's neck" treatment before, and have heard of some success. As grisly as it sounds, that may do some good. Sounds better than my suggestion anyway.

Is she eating the birds she kills?

last two kills, just found feathers left over so i guess she does eat em...

I do not forsee good luck with that method. Even if she leaves you a carcass to use, you are just making it a convenient snack, not a remembrance of the 'deed' done.

well proof is in the pudding so i will find out soon enough if it works or not...seeems to have worked before...

curiosity killed the cat, please forgive me.

I should have ended my last post with a note similar to yours, something like:

"But, it certainly will do no harm to try. Best of luck to you."

I do not wish to sound goulish, pessimistic, or anti-dog. I do hope it works, or that you can find another, perhaps better way to stop this unacceptable behavior.

i m not having much luck on the phone so far (contacting Innotech company) but from what i can gather surfing around the frequency is like 7 - 9 K...

it sems the dog gets a shock near our old fridge...maybe i could attach that to the hen's leg! But then it would probably need to be plugged in which would be unfeasable...

Hi CKTC,

Dogs do respond to teaching and discipline. In fact, they thrive on it. Now, doing this is time-intensive and breaking a habit like this will require you to be "on her a$$" constantly. The second she steps out of line, you deal with it right then and there. As you continue this she will be mostly compliant and may have some relapses. On every relapse, you must be harsh. She'll find out that you are not going to forget or let it go.

Once she has been broken of this habit, you won't have to worry about it any more. In a nutshell, you must be the boss.

A link: http://www.cesarsway.com/

Hi Mikeho, thing is im gone most of the time when attacks occur so im not sure if disciplining the dog hours latter would work. If i caught her in the act ofcourse id nail her a$$...

Hi CKTC,

You are right, she would have to be caught in the act to be effective.

Don't you feed that doggy? No wonder she's eating the chickens; it's just plain survival!

Seriously though, you could get the chickens tiny cans of mace.

OK - really seriously, maybe have the collar activate when an RFID reader (on the dog) detects an RFID tag that is on the chicken. I don't know the ranges of detection of the readers - it may not be far enough, and it may be too expensive of a solution.

I'll keep thinking on it.

Hi Mikerho,

please tell me more about RFID reader & tag as have no clue what you mean but seems like the beginning technical solution im looking for.

cheers!

Radio Frequency Identification. This specific technology is not really applicable here.

Animals are often fitted with RFID tags (for example, beef steers) for individual tracking.

ok thank you

When I was a young lad living on a small farm in Ontario, we got a collie/shephard cross named Happy. It was a wonderful dog and very obedient but it had one nasty habit. It killed the neighbor's chickens which roamed freely on the adjacent farm.

My dad scolded the dog on several occasions, all to no avail. Finally, dad scolded the dog, confined him in a fenced enclosure, tied the latest killed chicken to the dog's collar and left it that way until the the bird eventually rotted and fell away from the dog. I think it took about a week for that to happen. Happy needed a bath after that but he never went after another chicken again.

That was close to 70 years ago.

Looks like others have had the same problem. Here are a few links.

thank you

i have no doubt i will overcome this!

seems a common problem alright

I couldn't help but think that maybe you could change your 'handle' to "curiosity killed the dog . . ."

With the "hang the chicken around his neck" idea you might want to add something to the chicken. I heard of the Air Force after WW2 dipping the Japanese children's fingers into something bitter tasting (Quinine?) to make them stop sucking on their fingers. This was done to improve public health. Having the chicken around the dog's neck or tied to the dog with a couple of feet of rope might just be providing him with a snack. If the chicken was treated with something safe but very bad tasting then that would prevent snacking (posting #11) and promote behavior modification.

Also, I don't know anything about RFID tags (posting #17), but in terms of small size and range from the chicken that seems like something to look into.

Bruce