[lina]

My mum has just lost all her lovely chickens 

Between 8 and 9 this morning something killed all 4 whilst they were freeranging in her garden in the country. The guilty party was assumed to be her terrier who was out in the garden as she had blood round her mouth - but I'm sure it would be possible for a fox to strike at that time of the morning. There was no noise (everyone was in the house / neighbours in their garden) and only one of them actually looked like it had been chewed.

I'm not much of a dog psychologist (or criminologist!) but would the dog turn on chickens she had previously shared a garden with?

Any ideas?

Lx

[barney rubble]

What a pity, unforunately I've heard of Jack Russells doing it.

[joyfull]

yes they could, it's is in most dogs nature to kill for food. Which is why my dogs are only allowed out under supervision, one I know will walk a mile to avoid the chickens but the other is still young, but even so neither are allowed out without us.

[lina]

The dog concerned is a Jack Russell crossed with many other things! Personally I can't stand the little critter but it is a big conflict of interest for my mum if she is to blame.

Lx

[woodside farm]

My Jack Russells are great with chickens and birds, they know not to touch them, one even caught an escaped quail and bought it back to me un-harmed.
But show them a rat or rabbit and it's a different matter.
It has a lot to do with how you bring them up, my daughter recently got a kitten, and we where a bit worried about the dogs with that, but after a few days they where playing with her, and she even goes to sleep with them.

[barney rubble]

Nice to hear what woodside farm says and yes I will always agree its how you bring them up, but unsupervised it can sadly be a very different story.

Dogs are by nature territorial - terriers in particular (not sure if thats where the name came from). If a fox had tried to come in whilst the dog was there, I'd be very surprised if a challenge hadn't been made by the Jack who (quite rightly) thinks its his patch.

Nobody knows if the chickens hadn't been inadvertently "winding" the Jack up ever since he was first introduced.

Dogs invariably will operate and exist within a pecking order. You, their owner, or another human with enough command, will always be top dog in the order (unless anothe wild animal can top that). The dog may feel he's bigger than he is, but whilst you are there he will generally, toe the line. Given his freedom , without you there, he's got the run of the place - he is top dog. That, in some breeds can bring out the "control freak" if you will, and the killer instinct kicks in. He's asserrting his perceived place at the top of the pecking (and food) order.

Sorry if this sounds brutal, but it is the generally held "law of the jungle".

The only other senario, I can come up with is, if the fox did get in and do the deed, the dog would be automatically drawn to the smell of blood, and probably want to taste the blood - they are happy to eat raw meat after all, so not surprising that blood is found round its mouth.

If the Jack  hadn't had it's dinner already that morning and was hungry, all the more reason for his feasting - whatever the catalyst

Don't know if you saw this news article a few weeks back

http://www.express.co.uk/features/view/93772/Castaway-dog-survived-months-on-desert-isle

It was the best I could find on google front page, but the previously domesticated dog reverted to natural instincts for food. Winding up is the other senario.

Pass my sympathies on to your Mum - not good to lose any animal

[dalesman]

 I to have lost chickens to a Jack Russell. It lives in a neighbouring garden. I can no longer let my girls free range because of it. It is upsetting when this happens and I too am a believer that it is how the dog is brought up. When my husband went round to complain he was told by the dogs owner that her purpose was to kill ( mainly rats) as they have a farm. It still comes into the garden if given the chance, although the owner has kept it in more. Be careful as once it knows the chickens are there it will be back!

[JuneFR]

Terriers are known to do it, I had a patterdale/lakeland terrier with my chickens and she never killed 1.  Mothered them and warmed them and protected my daughter from Cadbury the cockrel!!! 

I suffered a lot with urban foxes as I live on an estate backing onto farm land, they would strike at all sorts of times but generally fall into a time pattern.  Look at the grass they work in figures of 8, then try timing them.  I am monitoring one in the mornings its routine is 8.30 am to 12.30.  My german shepard has not managed (thankfully) to meet it face to face as yet. 

To find out if it was the terrier, put it near some more chickens - watch, wait and be ready.  When terriers are in working mode they are normally hungry although they will kill for sport, if they are used to the birds it is unusual.

[Hensington]

If it wasn't the dog then it surely would of barked at a fox as it would consider it an intrusion into it's territory?

It's a terrier, killing small fluffy things is what they are good at.

[SMD66]

even a dog well used to sharing with chickens will sometimes chase if the chicken runs away, one of our dogs is scared of our cat but if he's got his back turned and she's in a playful mood, she will chase the cat.  If the jack russel chased and caught 1 hen then maybe it thought it was a great game and carried on till it got all of them.  Dogs are predators and even the best trained ones will revert to type occasionally.  What a shame to loose hens this way though, poor things, poor Lina's Mum.

[matilda duck]

Poor Linas mom. nwhat a shame.

I'm afraid dogs are dogs after all, and their nature is to survive. 
We have a Red Setter stupid thing he is and wouldn't hurt a person at all ...might knock them over though!!!  Up until receintly he hasn't been allowed near our girls....at the end of the day he is a gun dog through the breeding process.

Last week he went for one of the chickens she terrorises him and stands her ground yet with the ducks he watches them and never bothers with them. Just keeps predators out of the garden
Terriors are fiesty thigs and wont give up easily without a fight.

Sorry but It looks like the dog is to blame!!!

[Aunt Sally]

There are far more chooks killed by dogs than by foxes !

[woodside farm]

There are far more chooks killed by dogs than by foxes !

I have had over 100 chickens killed by foxes, and only 1 by a dog.

[Aunt Sally]

Well that's nasty for you woodside 

I should have qualified the statistic 

There are more back garden hens killed by dogs than by foxes.

[too many girls]

There are far more chooks killed by dogs than by foxes !

i think want Aunt Sally meant is that back garden chickens are more likely to be killed by the family dog or a neighbours dog than a fox, i live on a farm, my hens are not penned, this is under review as i don't want to lose any more but i can't see how i'm going to afford to pen off such a vast area.

Foxes 36
Casper 1

even Casper the friendly dog has his moments..........................