I woke up to a mess.Dead birds everywhere!Graphic! UPDATE!

[RedRoosterFarm]

LOL. The thing killed all the hens and I have 2 coronation X and 2 light sussex roos but no good with no hens now.
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[RedRoosterFarm]

Im by Tacoma so even shipping is not bad. I just hatched 12 of 12 lavendar orps shipped from Oregon last month. I would want eggs. I am going to the puyallup fair to see if there will be breeders there that might sell??
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I'm not sure where in WA you are--but we're planning a swap/sale next month, maybe in Cle Elum?? I could bring chicks/eggs/roos, whatever with me. I will also (hopefully) have some Salmon Fav (bantams), bantam Orloffs and maybe a few (standard) Rosecomb White Dorkings...

 

[RedRoosterFarm]

WOW, you put some thought and money into that. We are getting new fence tomorrow and making it 8 foot tall. Only the eagles and hawks will be allowed in.
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[TheReidHomestead]

Oh my, I'm soooo sorry for you loss. That is just heartbreaking.

 

[RedRoosterFarm]

The fence is 5 ft. tall and has a hot wire on top and bottom. Cant believe they are so gutsy.
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[Tropical Chook]

So sorry for your loss, but I can see you're strong enough and determined enough to get over it. I also think it's the work of a dog, and unless you kill it, it will be back. If it's a stray, then I would simply kill it outright, but if it belongs to someone, then I think they should be shouldering some of the responsibility too, over and above their dog being put down.

Here in Thailand, if your dog kills someone's chickens, the owners have the right to shoot your dog, or at least, the police do the actual shooting, and you the owner then have pay damages for the dead chickens.

Strangely enough, Thailand has a huge stray dog population, and yet it's never the street/stray dogs that kill chickens. They are born on the streets and I suppose they just grow up being accustomed to chickens. It's always "owned" dogs that are the problem here. Fortunately I have a Dalmatian and a Rottweiler on the property, so other dogs are never stupid enough to jump over our wall/fence. Actually, our two dogs really surprised me because I never for a minute thought I would be able to let them mix with our birds, and yet they can be trusted 100% now. They are often alone with the birds when nobody is home, and they even allow the hens to lie down next to them. My dogs are outside dogs so the birds have ended up with 24/7 security/bodyguards

I only just started closing the coop at night again because the Rottweiler will charge in there chasing a rat, and it startles the birds, but it just goes to show how alert the dog is, even at night. Is there no way you could get a dog for protecting your flock?

Anyways, we do all feel for you, and I for one certainly hope justice will follow.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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Yes but how is the hot wire around the top grounded? I mean if it's a 40lb dog climbing the fence--and it reaches the top, it wouldn't get shocked, right? It would have to be a HUGE dog with it's back feet on the ground and it's front paws touching the electric wire...unless it jumped/climbed and avoided it that way?? I have covered runs (with 1" wire) and my 1/2 Anatolian...so far, so good...I've considered electric before but with all of the snow we get it wouldn't work 3/4 of the year

 

[Bizzybirdy]

Good luck "hunting" tonight! I hope you get the dog(s) that did this. Looks like the massacre I woke up to at 3am years ago. Dogs, three of them, broke into my chicken house and killed almost all my poor chickens and all my guineas, pulled them off their roosts. So sad, I feel for you.

I actually saw one of the dogs running away with one of my white roosters in it's mouth. When I confronted it's owner he thought it was funny.

When his dogs didn't return a week later he was no longer laughing. I found terrified chickens days later hiding under bushes by my pond. The geese survived because they stayed in the pond. Had to start over with my chickens and now have a "fortress". I have sat up many a night waiting for predators...takes patience and lots of determination but have to protect my chickies.

 

[suburbanhomesteader]

I think the Chunnel cost about $450, but since I normally keep 20-30 hens and they give me a couple of dozen eggs most days, it seemed like it was worth it. Also, I know how sickening it is to have to experience what you are going through.

I've seen bobcats and coyotes climb a fence and apparently never touch the hotwire, or perhaps it was shorted out.

I've seen coyotes and pit bulls easily climb 6' fences, both wooden and chain-link. All they have to do is get high enough to get their front paws hooked over the top and they're in.

I live in a neighborhood which is over-run with free-roaming pit bulls, and I've been a hunter all my life, so I've seen a lot of sh*t. Not that they prey on chickens, thank goodness, but I've seen a 10pt buck jump a 10' game fence like it wasn't even there.

One of the coolest anti-climbing device I ever saw was this:
http://www.coyoteroller.com/home

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

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I have been here/done that. We have had this exact thing happen. We left the carcasses in a pile to attrack the next night, whatever it was from the previous night. Well, it was a PACK of huskies. There were 5. Hubby killed 4 with 1 shot of a shot gun. It was awful.

I am sooo sorry for your heartache. This is a very hard thing to happen. My heart goes out to you.