It's been a really tough fall in regards to livestock and there's been a lot of unnecessary loss of life. I don't live with my chickens - they're at a farm which is about 30 miles away while we build out our homestead. Generally the flock is well-cared for on the daily, and until recently an LGD was protecting them.
We lost our LGD to an actively malicious group member in October. It took until this week to get that person off the property and out of our lives. He owes me for a new livestock guardian animal. But I will never see that money and finding a replacement dog is too expensive right now. So my flock is unattended.
In addition, the farm owner took it upon himself to temporarily foster a bunch of starved, traumatized dogs. One of those dogs busted out and mauled the flock - it was significant. I'm still figuring out who is still alive and who took to the bush. I lost a majority of my favorite birds and breeding stock. I have to send twice as many roosters than expected to even out the gender ratios.
I'm really disappointed in all this loss....loss of dogs, chickens, money, relationships, and time. It's frustrating when priorities aren't aligned and someone else's feelings and bad decisions can completely railroad an entire community/group/flock. I am financially out thousands of dollars, a really good boi, and over half of my chicken flock. I'm used to loss and death; I'm not used to it being a person's fault. Usually nature is cruel enough that it will take an animal far before a person does.
We lost our LGD to an actively malicious group member in October. It took until this week to get that person off the property and out of our lives. He owes me for a new livestock guardian animal. But I will never see that money and finding a replacement dog is too expensive right now. So my flock is unattended.
In addition, the farm owner took it upon himself to temporarily foster a bunch of starved, traumatized dogs. One of those dogs busted out and mauled the flock - it was significant. I'm still figuring out who is still alive and who took to the bush. I lost a majority of my favorite birds and breeding stock. I have to send twice as many roosters than expected to even out the gender ratios.
I'm really disappointed in all this loss....loss of dogs, chickens, money, relationships, and time. It's frustrating when priorities aren't aligned and someone else's feelings and bad decisions can completely railroad an entire community/group/flock. I am financially out thousands of dollars, a really good boi, and over half of my chicken flock. I'm used to loss and death; I'm not used to it being a person's fault. Usually nature is cruel enough that it will take an animal far before a person does.
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How disheartening. 
