I am sad and chickenless...

[silkhope]

If you remember, a week ago, a dog came thru and killed all my seven week olds and also got my neighbor's... he didn't touch our big coop with the two roosters and girls so we figured it wasn't a battle he was willing to go thru... I was so wrong.

We went away over the weekend and came back yesterday to the rest of my flock destroyed. I knew as soon as we pulled in the drive that something was wrong. Patches always greeted us with a crow and there was silence.

We have figured out what type of dog it is (my other neighbors had to chase them out of their yard - they don't own a gun) but we can't pinpoint where it lives. I'm calling animal control today and will possibly put flyers in mailboxes throughout the neighborhood asking for help to track it.

I just can't stop sighing this morning. My two beautiful roosters, gone, but it looks like they put up a valiant fight. My girls, gone. Saddles are on their way for them too. I was looking forward to giving those to them. Sounds silly huh...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1867

Thanks for letting me share...

 

[okiechick57]

I am so sorry for your loss..........I have been through it one to many times myself.....begiinning to wonder if I have to build fort knox out here to keep chickens...... hope you find that dern animal......I now own a gun.....I will shot now.to much loss for me not too.......... keep trying.....its so worth it

 

[yearofthedog]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Your story has made me cry and I'm sending a prayer out to you and your babies.

 

[Whirlwind]

So sorry

. Poor babies.

 

[bantymum]

Im very sorry to hear yet another sad story.
We need fort knoxes, I hope you get them and make the owners pay big time!!!!for letting them roam. Its just not fair.
I hope you can put it behind you soon.Maybe some new babies will help cheer you up. make sure its predator proof though.
Hugs

 

[fowlweatherfriends]

First, I am VERY SORRY your babies are gone-I know myself-been through it.

Second, I am pretty sure I posted this to your original thread-Dogs will NOT stop until the free chicken meals are gone. If there is anything someone can gather from this sad event is that A DOG WILL COME BACK AGAIN AND AGAIN.

Now, that being said (and I am only stressing it because it does not seem very many new chicken owners grasp that a dog returns), you MUST either set a trap IMMEDIATELY after the first kill, or you set out and WAIT with your gun. Or, all your chickens now become "house" chickens, OR, you can feed every roaming dog free chicken meals until there are none left.

I am not stating this towards the original poster-I am deeply sorry for the loss. Like I said, I lost 7 of mine myself. This is meant as a warning. I have learned from my experience and am trying to help those newer chicken owners who think it won't happen to them. Dogs have EXCELLENT sense of smell, and have huge prey drives (to chase and kill). Also, If you have a female in heat or neighbors have a female in heat, it will bring EVERY dog through your area the entire time the female is in heat. So, you cannot guarentee that you won't have strays running through that happen to smell a "free meal" while on the hunt for the female in heat. I said the same thing as others, "I've never seen a stray around here". Then the neighbors dog went in heat and I saw 4 in 4 days. A male dog can smell a female in heat for over a mile (possibly up to 3 according to research), and will rip through any cable, chain, or fence to break out and get to that female.

OK, so that being said, spraying a dogs butt with rock salt ain't gonna' cut it. Scaring it away ain't gonna' cut it. Calling animal control MAY cut it, but only if the dog chooses to hang around till they get there, and then the dog may be returned to the owner only to break away again and return to eat more. A trap MAY cut it, but only if it's large enough and the dog is dumb enough.

I WILL NOT allow any dog a chance to return to clean me out. I am NOT paying for chickens to feed other animals or for their entertainment, or because of an irresponsible dog owner.

Again, I've been there and lost chickens myself and know how much it hurts and how lonely it feels without the babies around. I only hope I can help someone understand a dogs drive and mentality when it comes to protecting your flock.

 

[silkhope]

Thanks everyone. Fowlweatherfriends, I heard the same thing from my dad, who asked after their first free meal if I wanted him to housesit for a few hours a day to shoot them because they WILL come back. I just "hoped" our coop was secure enough and that's why they didn't touch it the first time... believe me, had we been there yesterday when it happened, they would have been shot. If anything comes out of calling animal control, I just want to find out whose dog it is. They owe me. They owe my neighbors.

I do want to replace them. I have gotten so much joy out of them over the year I have had them. I've had one or two killed over time, but never my whole "crew" at once.

Thanks again...

 

[fowlweatherfriends]

Hi silkhope,

My friends are dealing with a returning dog. They found the neighbor that owns it, and having been dealing with animal control for more than the past month. The next step for them is court. Each owner has to make their own decision about how to handle a dog predator. I have found in my own case that animal control does not always work. My friends neighbor just is plain out careless when it comes to their dog getting out. Now my freind has to go through the legal system to protect her yard, children, and chickens.

Here's my local law on dogs (hope this helps someone else so they don't have to go through what we did-I still miss my babies):

My local laws:
Animals at Large
It is unlawful for any owner or keeper of an animal other than a cat to willfully or negligently allow the animal to run at large on any public property or on any private property of another without permission of the property owner.

It is unlawful for your animal to:

Disturb the rights of, threaten the safety of, or damage a member of the general public or interfere with the ordinary use and enjoyment of their property.
Damage the property of anyone other than its owner, including turning over garbage containers or damaging gardens, flowers or vegetables, or repeated defecation upon the property of another.

Females in Heat
You must confine your female dog or cat, while in season, in a building or secure enclosure in such a manner that she cannot come into contact with another dog or cat or create a nuisance by attracting other animals.

 

[Judymae]

We also have had the same problem with other people's dogs. Our neighbor and 3 large dogs with no fence at all. She wouldn't tie them up because that was mean. But she let them roam all over the country side. They took out my other neighbors goat. They took several of my chickens and attacked my goats on many different occasions. They even chased my horses. Nipping at them and leaving bites on their legs. It was horrible. But everytime we tried to shoot them they ran home and there was no way we could aim and shoot in the direction of their house. If we missed it would have gone straight into their home. It was kinda like the dogs knew when we were coming outside and the would run and hide under the neighbor's house. We tried with all our might to get rid of them. The neighbor just claiming that dogs are dogs and that this is the country so they should be allowed to run. I explained to her that we moved out to the country to have livestock not someones dog attacking it. Should have known we'd have probs with them. First nite we lived here we left our boots on the front porch and her dogs brought them to her house. All chewed up and not wearable. She just brought us the boots and told us we shouldn't leave stuff like that outside where her dogs can get to it. How dare her! Our property! We should be able to do what we want on our property. She's telling us we can't even leave our boots on our own front porch! Anyways--we could never get to those dogs but someone else that was fed up did. All 4 ended up poisoned. I have never been so happy to see dogs die.

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

So sorry for your loss! That is terrible. I expect to lose a few along the way (although that'll still be sad) but to lose the entire flock.. just heartbreaking.

My thoughts are with you.

-Meghan