First predator loss in years....Lost half my quail flock

[ScaredOfShadows]

Lost half of my quail flock to a single darn dog last night. Thank god I was awake to hear my dogs having a fit, or else I'd have lost them all. Didn't grab my gun going out, just figured it was a wondering hunting dog like usual in the neighbor's yard my girls were after...So The dog runs off when I holler at it, about breaking its neck to get out of the pen when I smacked the tin trashcan.

I lost half my laying hens and 1 roo (out of a total of 20 grown birds) the dogs hadn't been fussing but for a couple minutes - so the dog wasn't in there but a total or 2 or 3 minutes minusing the time it had to take to get INSIDE...and that fast. UGH

I have never seen a dog be able to CHEW/Pull a hole through 1" welded wire. After collecting the living birds and putting them up, the dog was in the neighbor's yard...At this point I'm thinking it was a neighbors hunting dog, as it was a blue tick dog, and I know one of the neighbors beside me own a couple...

By the time I get the live quail up and go in the house and grab a gun to take out with me while I clean up dead body parts the dog was back in the pen through its hole and snacking on a body...

Needless to say with 2 bullets the dog was dead INSIDE the pen...Being 1 am in the morning I just left it there to take pictures in the daylight and call AC/Deputies to report it.

Did that this morning, AC came and collected the body. Thought it was the neighbors dog but it didn't have one of their collars on (color coded and name plated, this dog just had a plain collar on, so I know it wasn't one of theirs as they are avid hunters that put the time and money in the dogs and keep their dogs tagged so they can get them back)...So now I have lost birds, potentially a good bit of money these birds would have brought me, AND have no one to collect monetary compensation from.

My daughter who loved the quail, is devestated. I had to put one of the other hens down this morning when I checked them all over, she had been halfway gutted and they are just too fragile skinned to try and stitch up.

NOW To rebuild and try again, this time with a bit more ingenuity on keeping a big predator OUT. first issue I have had with hunting dogs when I am surrounded by 4 neighbors with 40+ dogs, and lots of the time they run them, and I had yet to have an issue with the dogs bothering anything except stealing catfood off the porch or knocking over trash cans...


Just very frustrated and upset over birds I had raised this long, and were in the prime of their lives...just WASTED.

 

[Ole rooster]

Agreed. A lot of waste. I really am sorry for your problems. Sounds like you have good neighbors, all but one. But you took care of business and that one won't be back.

 

[TheChickenCameFirst]

Ugh, I'm really sorry you lost so many of your birds! I'm glad you were able to get out to them before he did any more damage though. Hopefully this is a one time incident, and none of the other dogs decide to go after your flock. Good luck!

 

[Lunar Ice]

If I were you, I'd be letting your neighbors know your policy about their dogs on your property...even if it wasn't one of their dogs, it might make them careful about securing their own pets in the future (so that they don't lose any of their animals either). Most people don't want to lose their dogs anymore than you want to lose your quail.

Real sorry about your birds though.

I've lost a lot of nice chickens to predatores lately, so I can definitely understand the fustration, anger, and loss. Good luck with rebuilding.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Lunar yes my neighbors know my policy on dogs who bother anything in my yard. 2 of my neighbors who hunt also own livestock and poultry and full heartedly agree, they don't tolerate killer dogs, a hunting dogs job is to flush out and chase NOT catch and kill.

My neighbors beside me almost always let me know if they still have a few stragglers out when its getting dark, they catch me outside when I'm doing the dusk chores of putting everyone up. They give me a heads up that their dogs are loose and if the get into anything give them a shout OR if need be deal with 'em how I have to. Most of their's I do recognize, especially if catch sight of collars. Most of my neighbors are good people. In that I am lucky.