My Dog Keeps Killing Our Chickens!

Is this a challenge on your farm? Read below for an idea that's worked for us.

We originally bought chickens to help with parasite management for the alpacas. Then they turned into friends that produce healthy food that we now rely on daily.

Livestock Guardian Dogs are essential on our farm. They protect the herd, and the flock of chickens. LGD’s are raised differently than your personal dog; they are working dogs, trained to bond with their charge first. This is why they must stay with their charge 24/7. Naturally, during the training, they bond with you, too, their shepherd. I’ve learned so much from our LGD’s. They aim to please, and each have such different protection methods. I am a better person because of these dogs.

We lucked out with the first guardian dogs that came with the alpaca herd we inherited. Buzz and Jessie, mature Anatolian Shepherds. They had no interest in the chickens once they were teenagers. Any time before that, they were tasty little chick bon bons! Regardless, they never chased or harmed the chickens. They saw them as their charge and protected them. We lucked out once again, with Amara, our newest livestock guardian dog in training. She took her job protecting the chickens very seriously, even as a puppy. Amara was trained extensively from the very beginning, from her breeder. Which cost quite a penny, but well worth it.

Buzz passed on, and Jessie was showing signs of slowing down. We decided to get another Anatolian puppy that would receive as much training from Jessie as she could give, before she was too old. Training from other mature guardian dogs is quite a benefit, versus strictly human training. Not to mention, it takes 2 years for a dog to be a successful guardian dog.

This new guardian dog had zero training. It was quite a learning curve and took a lot of time and patience. And we lost 3 chickens with him. His name was Hendricks. I researched and talked to breeders, and nothing was working with him and his chicken quest. He just wouldn’t stop! I tried attaching the dead chicken to his collar; he just started eating it. I tried so many different things. And only one method worked. Advice given to me by a homesteading momma that I love and respect.

When your dog kills a chicken, you immediately put them in a pen they can’t get out of or put them in a shed where they will be isolated. Feed them and give them water like normal, but do not give them attention. The only thing you should say to them is to shame them and point to the dead chicken. I put the carcass where the dog can see the chicken the whole time they’re in the pen. I did this for 2 days with Hendricks and he learned his lesson. It was a long, grueling 2 days to ignore him and give him no love. But it was well worth it in the long run.

Hendricks passed after 1 year of age, due to an epileptic disease. Now down to one guardian dog, Amara, whom was already 8 years old, it was time to start training another puppy. Violet arrived on the scene last Spring. She also, had zero training, except from her mother on the farm she came from. Mind you, she knew what her job was, but she was used to cows. Alpacas and chickens are lots of fun to chase! So once again, we had lost a chicken to her early on in her training at about 5 months old. We used this method, and it worked up until just a few days ago; she is over a year old now. Violet is in her isolation, learning once again, that she is to protect the chickens and not hurt them.

I know it sounds sad, but really, it’s the only thing that works for us, so far. You’re not harming your dog; you’re just showing them what they are doing is wrong. These days, an egg producing chicken is worth a lot, so nip it in the bud immediately.

If anyone has any other success stories, I would love if you drop me a note to let me know your process. Do keep in mind my article is mostly geared towards working dogs.