Free range and battery hens need homes -please help

[Hilary B]

Makes you feel sick doesn't it?
I'd be tempted to get a paintball gun with permanent die and shoot at the dogs if they trepass again ( I wouldn't want to shoot any animal unless I was certain of an instant kill)- that would be proof to the owners.
Problem is, I understand that a dog which has killed and eaten fresh meat is more than likely to actively hunt out fresh meat again. ...bit like tigers and humans in India.
Correct me if I'm wrong.

Dogs biting humans ..... a DEFINITE no-no

A dog which has killed and eaten what it killed is already associating killing with a meal. That is the problem, but the instinct to hunt is not directly connected to hunger. The man-killing tiger has learned that a human is relatively easy to hunt, AND is hungry. The livestock-killing dog may not be hungry enough to hunt 'for food', but he will still hunt because he enjoys hunting (they all do to some extent, that is nature), and once he has decided that this 'game' is good fun, he will only be stopped by changing that 'fun' perception. The taste of freshly-killed meat is not actually relevant.

[HayleyB]

Mmmm, it's exactly that which makes me worry about my chooks with Philly, the red mist comes down when she see hares or rabbits or pheasants and she goes instantly deaf too

[Hilary B]

Mmmm, it's exactly that which makes me worry about my chooks with Philly, the red mist comes down when she see hares or rabbits or pheasants and she goes instantly deaf too

Is it the sight of 'prey species' that sets her off, or 'prey running/flying away'? Might be worth trying this: bring her close when she can't 'get at' them and they can't run away (eg in a travelling crate) and 'scold' her if she reacts to their presence. Gemma has 'grown out of' selective deafness at sight of 'something worth chasing' and now comes back at first call. It has only taken 6 years.......

[HayleyB]

6 YEARS

[CarolineW]

good tip

Is it the sight of 'prey species' that sets her off, or 'prey running/flying away'? Might be worth trying this: bring her close when she can't 'get at' them and they can't run away (eg in a travelling crate) and 'scold' her if she reacts to their presence. Gemma has 'grown out of' selective deafness at sight of 'something worth chasing' and now comes back at first call. It has only taken 6 years.......

Sounds like good advice, Hilary. I'll give that a try. I introduced our staffie puppy to the hens today, keeping her on a lead. They were at one end of the garden, and she at the other. They all just stood and looked at each other, a bit unsure. Think I'll do that a few more times, then move onto the travelling crate idea. Would like to train this dog to leave our hens alone more proactively than our last one. There I thought that I could just keep them apart (plus, she wasn't a puppy). Until the day when they managed to get together. One ex-hen later, one dog very scolded and then ignored for rest of day until so miserable she never forgot the lesson (nor did I - I was miserable too. For the hen, and for the dog. So hard to ignore her when she was sad). Thereafter she ran away from hens if any came toward her.

Does anyone else have tips for training their dogs to co-exist? I did also think of letting her get close to them while she's still young enough for them to give her a good peck, so that she learns to respect them and leave them alone? I'm just not quite sure enough that she wouldn't bite them first? I've heard that hens can stick up for themselves so long as the dog isn't too big and strong - is that true?

Any advice on getting her used to them so that she's not a major hazard around them would be much appreciated.

[Suechooks]

Dogs are by nature "hunters" and hens are prey. Staffies are terriers who have strong hunting instincts. I'd keep them apart. One bite from a staffie and another ex-hen or more.

[BrideXIII]

with care and proper aversion therapy dogs can be trained to 'avoid' prey, but you need to read up on it really well.

I have seen dogs trained to avoid snakes rather than go near them to save them from being bitten.

Its a pretty serious thing to try to do though, you have to know what you are doing otherwise you can make matters worse and end up with a neurotic dog.

[Suechooks]

with care and proper aversion therapy dogs can be trained to 'avoid' prey, but you need to read up on it really well.

I have seen dogs trained to avoid snakes rather than go near them to save them from being bitten.

Its a pretty serious thing to try to do though, you have to know what you are doing otherwise you can make matters worse and end up with a neurotic dog.

Good training generally relies on working with the dogs natural instincts. Good trainers are few and far between. You'e right about bad training ceating neurotic dogs! I'd still keep them apart!

[BrideXIII]

Good training generally relies on working with the dogs natural instincts. Good trainers are few and far between. You'e right about bad training ceating neurotic dogs! I'd still keep them apart!

I totally agree, i have a border collie, would be a disaster to let him roam free with chooks, well trained as he is, his instinct would be to herd them, theirs is to run away, he would end up biting them, not cos he wants to kill them, but that's what a collie will do to control sheep that don't stand still/go where directed when they are told ( nipping their heels)

know your dog, know your chooks, hunters and prey rarely mix well, so just don't do it.

[lynda66]

totally agree bride ....... can just see her saying oh god not again, i'm gonna eat you in a sec

oh and as cute and sweet as she is, she's still a jack russel, .........and i know absolutey that she wouldn't attempt to eat one, she just ignores everything, except rats (she has been trained to chase them) ......... but even knowing her as i do,........ i still wouldn't leave her alone with them.