Hi Jean - I know what you mean about "dog killing chickens" posts - they get heated up more than anything and every one I've seen gets locked or deleted. I can't understand why those that don't have anything good to say or condolences to offer can't just leave well enough alone.
I too might have a potential problem brewing. Just came in from putting everyone in coop - the baby Marans always the last to go in and have to be herded in. Was heading back into house when I saw our dog Lucy take off after something. It was the Minicher Pincher we've been seeing down by the road for the past few days. He was under my carport and then ran into back yard. The dogs chased it off. We tried to get it come out of hiding a couple of times over the last week but it always charges at us barking, growling and bearing teeth before running off. Tonight it was right there between coop and carport. I shudder at how easily it could have taken out the chicks or chickens and it wouldn't be hard for it to get into duck or goat pens either. Hubby and I don't know what to do. We were hoping it was someone's dog though we know we don't have neighbors but the hunters are returning to their hunting camps and setting up their feed plots so we thought it might belong to someone in a hunting camp across the road since it was always at the road which is a ways from our home. But seeing it on my back steps tonight, still growing and snarling at us, made me realize we have a real problem and I have to make a decison as to what to do. I don't think it can be captured and tamed and the hungrier it gets the more in danger my free roaming cats, kittens, chicks, ducks, are. We had been warned that since we live in the country and have a big plantation house on the hill, people would be dropping off stray animals.
Now I'll ask everyone with an opinion to respect everyone else's opinion. I'm well aware that my option might be to shoot the dog. I've never visited our local pound and only know I've heard it mentioned in very negative light as being the place to take animals to be killed so I guess capturing it and taking it there is also an option. I truly wish it were gentle and would come to me and would love having a home here but I don't think that's an option as far as the dog is concerned.
I am worried though and don't have a means of keeping everyone locked in till the stray dog is caught because I don't have fences other than short picket fences which the chickens jump daily.