Ok I live in the country sorta, like so many of you. 5 acres, I have a secure pen that no dog can get in. My pasture is mostly fenced. I had a second dog attack yesterday. One chicken mauled with in 5 feet of my front door on my sidewalk. Two others with in 10 feet of their pen. Same dog that mauled a Buff Orp in my front yard a month ago and another dog from the same owner. Owner lives about 1000 yards away and between us are at least 4 fences.
Thanks giving, near Kansas City weather was warm enough to have my windows open. My chickens were out I was just inside for a break from out side projects when I heard a chicken screem in my front yard. Out the door I went to see the same dog attacking another chicken. I yelled and it dropped the bird and left. I scooped it up and started around back only to hear another chicken screem from another dog. I ran as fast as I could I yelled and that dog too ran off. I placed the first injured mauled chicken on the back deck and grabbed my gun. I went out near the pen to find piles of feathers with in feet of my pen. I searched for the dogs and my chickens. More and more feathers I finally found one of my cinnomen queens torn open you could see the hundreds of eggs that would now never be. At least she was dead. So walking the back pasture I heard someone calling dogs accross the field I see neighbors calling the dogs that I had just run off. I put the gun away and drove right over there. Huge family gathering for Turkey day. I got out of the car and every one could see I wasnt there for fun. I was so mad. 15 people hanging out drinking beer someone said Hi can I help you. I Need to know who owns these dogs! Both dogs were right there. I went on to explain to the owner in front of all his holliday guests that his dogs had just wiped out my whole chicken flock. And one had been there before. If I had known who owned it I would have been here before. Well he had to be polite and say he would be good for the damages. I explained that he couldnt really pay for the pride and attachment a person puts into chickens. Yes I was looking for return for a little egg money but I also had these chickens friendly enought to jump up on my lap. In the end you can pay for new chickens but the things you cant pay for you have to create a plan or way to prevent these dogs from running free so that this does not happen again. Once the dogs learned where fun squeeky toys are they are going to come back. And so that leads me to the point of Another Dog attack story! Some of the people that read these stories might be arrogant enough to think it will never happen to their chickens who are always locked up in a muddy pen with no fresh green grass to eat or what ever. It may not! I think the problem is far bigger than simpathy, and ingnorance. I think there needs to be an action plan that all of us can follow to help prevent this. Dogs will always think chickens are squeeky toys thats a fact. What if we drafted a non aggressive letter that explained the basics and we mailed it to neighbors who owned dogs. At the same time copy the local law with the letter. What is the cost of replaceing a chicken? I know there are more things we can do like sturdy pens, fencing our property. I am thinking there could be a check list of things we can do to prevent attacks with a common goal. I want to have good relations with my neighbors, I want my rights and property protected on my property, I dont want to shoot any dog. Like it or not there will be follow up to this story. My Neighbor will pay for my dead chickens and the damage done. He will also secure his dogs or I will involve the law. I will have my American rights! Ok I have vented have a great day everyone!
Thanks giving, near Kansas City weather was warm enough to have my windows open. My chickens were out I was just inside for a break from out side projects when I heard a chicken screem in my front yard. Out the door I went to see the same dog attacking another chicken. I yelled and it dropped the bird and left. I scooped it up and started around back only to hear another chicken screem from another dog. I ran as fast as I could I yelled and that dog too ran off. I placed the first injured mauled chicken on the back deck and grabbed my gun. I went out near the pen to find piles of feathers with in feet of my pen. I searched for the dogs and my chickens. More and more feathers I finally found one of my cinnomen queens torn open you could see the hundreds of eggs that would now never be. At least she was dead. So walking the back pasture I heard someone calling dogs accross the field I see neighbors calling the dogs that I had just run off. I put the gun away and drove right over there. Huge family gathering for Turkey day. I got out of the car and every one could see I wasnt there for fun. I was so mad. 15 people hanging out drinking beer someone said Hi can I help you. I Need to know who owns these dogs! Both dogs were right there. I went on to explain to the owner in front of all his holliday guests that his dogs had just wiped out my whole chicken flock. And one had been there before. If I had known who owned it I would have been here before. Well he had to be polite and say he would be good for the damages. I explained that he couldnt really pay for the pride and attachment a person puts into chickens. Yes I was looking for return for a little egg money but I also had these chickens friendly enought to jump up on my lap. In the end you can pay for new chickens but the things you cant pay for you have to create a plan or way to prevent these dogs from running free so that this does not happen again. Once the dogs learned where fun squeeky toys are they are going to come back. And so that leads me to the point of Another Dog attack story! Some of the people that read these stories might be arrogant enough to think it will never happen to their chickens who are always locked up in a muddy pen with no fresh green grass to eat or what ever. It may not! I think the problem is far bigger than simpathy, and ingnorance. I think there needs to be an action plan that all of us can follow to help prevent this. Dogs will always think chickens are squeeky toys thats a fact. What if we drafted a non aggressive letter that explained the basics and we mailed it to neighbors who owned dogs. At the same time copy the local law with the letter. What is the cost of replaceing a chicken? I know there are more things we can do like sturdy pens, fencing our property. I am thinking there could be a check list of things we can do to prevent attacks with a common goal. I want to have good relations with my neighbors, I want my rights and property protected on my property, I dont want to shoot any dog. Like it or not there will be follow up to this story. My Neighbor will pay for my dead chickens and the damage done. He will also secure his dogs or I will involve the law. I will have my American rights! Ok I have vented have a great day everyone!
