I lost my first four babies to the neighbors dogs today.
They were our pets. I had one for each of the kids. Yes I know they are livestock, but these 4 were specifically bought not only to lay eggs but also as pets, and we treated them as such. They were not skittish around us at all. They were out in the chicken tractor and the neighbors apparently don't keep their dogs penned up. I did not know this; it was my understanding that they had them fenced in; they do have fencing but when my husband went over there after everything happened he found that they only fence the horses and the donkey in; nothing to fence the dogs in. We had always heard them and not seen them in our yard so we thought they were fenced. And the neighbors weren't home. So seemingly they let their dogs out while they are gone, but don't have anything to fence them in but 3 strands of barbed wire. My husband went outside to bring them in for the night, and the chickens weren't in the tractor. Then he saw the dogs. He walked the perimeter of the backyard part of our property, and found the one that was in my lap happily sleeping today, dead by the firepit. Then he went over to the neighbors yard, and found some Buff feathers. That's all he found of the rest of them.
I don't even know what to do about this. I am so beside myself. We hadn't talked to the neighbors yet, to tell them we had chickens. We did plan to, so as to try and prevent something like this. IOW give them a heads up. We don't have fencing on our property, b/c we just moved here a couple of months ago, and only part of the property is fenced. We were going to look for some this weekend These four were our first chickens. I know that things like this happen, but it is awful b/c they were our first, and b/c they were so personable. I am sick to my stomach over this. What do I do about this? I realize that I don't have fencing yet, but I feel that they should have kept their dogs in their own yard. They clawed into the chicken tractor and dragged them out! My husband wanted to shoot the dogs right away, and would've if they had come back. But I just don't want to do anything to cause a rift between people that we have to live next to, and so far they seem friendly. I'm not against shooting the dogs if they come back and do the same thing again, after they have been warned, but I want to go over there and tell them to keep their dogs in their yard or we will have to take measures to protect our animals. When we get goats, ducks and turkeys will they do this to the them too? Please no criticism or negativity, I feel bad enough as it is.
I don't even know what to do about this. I am so beside myself. We hadn't talked to the neighbors yet, to tell them we had chickens. We did plan to, so as to try and prevent something like this. IOW give them a heads up. We don't have fencing on our property, b/c we just moved here a couple of months ago, and only part of the property is fenced. We were going to look for some this weekend These four were our first chickens. I know that things like this happen, but it is awful b/c they were our first, and b/c they were so personable. I am sick to my stomach over this. What do I do about this? I realize that I don't have fencing yet, but I feel that they should have kept their dogs in their own yard. They clawed into the chicken tractor and dragged them out! My husband wanted to shoot the dogs right away, and would've if they had come back. But I just don't want to do anything to cause a rift between people that we have to live next to, and so far they seem friendly. I'm not against shooting the dogs if they come back and do the same thing again, after they have been warned, but I want to go over there and tell them to keep their dogs in their yard or we will have to take measures to protect our animals. When we get goats, ducks and turkeys will they do this to the them too? Please no criticism or negativity, I feel bad enough as it is.
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