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My poor chickens. I am so sorry.

When I came home tonight, I found one of the dogs obsessed with something over in the corner. It was the Welsummer. It turns out the chickens escaped when I was at work and the dogs, well, were dogs. I only found a pile of feathers for Hatshepsut. Athena lost a lot of feathers, but will be, I think, okay. I don't want to isolate her from the other chicken. Hecate is fine. She was roosting in a bush. I put them both in the coop together and hope that Athena will be all right.

I am not positive the dogs killed Hattie. I say this because the other two were alive and vulnerable in the yard with them, and the dog wasn't chasing or attacking Athena, he was just sniffing and confused. The other dogs were completely disinterested.

I now empathize so much more with people who suddenly have their flocks devastated, completely out of the blue.

Poor, poor, Hattie. She was so pretty, with the blue and gold feathers. Crazy, but pretty. I am sick.
 
WAIT! Hattie is still alive! I heard squawking just now, ran out and the dog showed me where she was roosting. Lost a lot of feathers on her wing, but walking, standing, reacting. I am so happy for them!

If the dogs were killing them, wouldn't they kill them? The only one that shows interest is the GSD mix, and it would take one good crunch. Could he have been harassing them, maybe got them cornered but couldn't get a grip because of the feathers? What is going on?

I guess I am confused and uncertain whether it was the dogs, which seems most likely, or something else. I live in the city. I know the neighbors cats stalk them, but could a cat pull out bunches of feathers? I think it must be the dog, and he will have remedial "LEAVE THE CHICKENS ALONE" training, but should I be worried about something else?

Freaked out, but hoping they will all be okay.
 
Dogs can have very tender mouths.... think of bird dogs and duck dogs that go and fetch the game and bring it back unmauled, swimming and running all the while. Unfortunately, getting the live bird is another matter and your dogs might've just gotten a lot of feathers when they went to fetch.

I have a greyhound who is a stealthy birder.... i.e., he runs, leaps and is so quick that he can pick pigeons out of the air. Then he very tenderly brings them back into the house (yeah, great), for the most part unharmed, but occasionally one got *caught* just a little too hard. The birds are stunned and shocky, but most of them live to see another day.....
 
It must have been the dog. I am just so glad he didn't kill them. I moved Athena to a crate inside the house, away from the other two, because she had open wounds and I was afraid they would gang up on her.

I am just amazed I still have live chickens. Zeph was the one dog I thought would be least trustworthy. I think we can safely say that was a good policy. Poor chickens. Why did you squeeze out of your run?
 




My Buff Brahma pullet was Grand Champion of the Four Corners Poultry Show. My son also went Grand Champion of the Youth Show.



We also had the Reserve Ch. Feather-legged and Champion Asiatic with a Black Cochin Pullet



 
Awwwww, Athena, the poor little Welsummer that got the worst of it, died while I was at work. Did I do the wrong thing to isolate her from the others? I thought they would peck at her and I wanted to give her a chance to heal up. Poor little chicken. The other two seem back to normal.

What a horrible adventure.
 
dak said:




My Buff Brahma pullet was Grand Champion of the Four Corners Poultry Show. My son also went Grand Champion of the Youth Show.



We also had the Reserve Ch. Feather-legged and Champion Asiatic with a Black Cochin Pullet



Click to expand...

Congratulations! They look like beautiful birds.
 

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