Am I over-reacting about my Neighbor and his dog who ate my chick? (kinda a lengthy vent)

[FireTigeris]

This is a great discussion, since we are now in a similar situation, though with a neighbor, not a relative or friend. His dog has come on my property at least three times - the first time he chased my old cat up a tree. The cat fell out of the tree and had to go to the vet for injuries (at great cost to me.) A few days later one of my chickens disappeared, and last night the dog raced onto my property and took one right in front of me - she was dead before I could get to the dog.

Our local dog warden says that he has to compensate me, and that I have the right to shoot the dog if it comes back (not that I ever would.) She also says that if I can catch it the next time it shows up she'll come get it and take it to the pound. I am afraid to let the chickens out - while I agree that I don't want them to live a terrible life, we only have a few and they are our pets -we are not farmers. (This IS backyard chicken dot com, not poultry farmer dot com!) I'm afraid the dog will kill my cats, too, since he now has a taste for blood, so I'm keeping them inside. (The one is too old to get away, and the other is declawed so she couldn't climb a tree at all.)

I'm pricing electric fencing, but it is awfully expensive - I am not happy at having to spend the money since I am quite broke! But I guess I was naive going into this, and didn't realize, despite warnings from friends, how likely it was that we'd lost a bird to predators. (We live in the center of a small town - coyotes and foxes and even raccoons are rarely seen around here, though I know it only takes one.) I just thought people keep their dogs on leashes! My bad, and the trauma of seeing poor "Dandelion" ripped limb from limb in front of my eyes (and my children) has sure taught me a lesson.

Set up a dog trap... use a live chicken in a kennel as bait, allow only one way to get close... and trap (like a fox trap) if you look up fox traps... and then call the pound for a trapped dangerous dog...

 

[joan1708]

This is a great discussion, since we are now in a similar situation, though with a neighbor, not a relative or friend. His dog has come on my property at least three times - the first time he chased my old cat up a tree. The cat fell out of the tree and had to go to the vet for injuries (at great cost to me.) A few days later one of my chickens disappeared, and last night the dog raced onto my property and took one right in front of me - she was dead before I could get to the dog.

Our local dog warden says that he has to compensate me, and that I have the right to shoot the dog if it comes back (not that I ever would.) She also says that if I can catch it the next time it shows up she'll come get it and take it to the pound. I am afraid to let the chickens out - while I agree that I don't want them to live a terrible life, we only have a few and they are our pets -we are not farmers. (This IS backyard chicken dot com, not poultry farmer dot com!) I'm afraid the dog will kill my cats, too, since he now has a taste for blood, so I'm keeping them inside. (The one is too old to get away, and the other is declawed so she couldn't climb a tree at all.)

I'm pricing electric fencing, but it is awfully expensive - I am not happy at having to spend the money since I am quite broke! But I guess I was naive going into this, and didn't realize, despite warnings from friends, how likely it was that we'd lost a bird to predators. (We live in the center of a small town - coyotes and foxes and even raccoons are rarely seen around here, though I know it only takes one.) I just thought people keep their dogs on leashes! My bad, and the trauma of seeing poor "Dandelion" ripped limb from limb in front of my eyes (and my children) has sure taught me a lesson.

sometimes animal control will loan you the cage. I think you should trap that dog a few times and see how the neighbor likes the fines. Maybe they will get their own fence to keep their dog at home.You will still have to get your own fence or electric wire because sadly there will be other dogs.

 

[jpcode]

I like the previous 2 posts, and I think he owes You at least a $100 for a good layer. I have dogs on two sides of me, and I have 6ft chain link around my yard I know those dogs drool on the fence line I am grateful because skunks won't come near us. I only have 7 chickens and they all have names. I would be very upset if I lost one. I lost one chick to my own cat, and I blame myself for using chicken wire, I now use hardware cloth. I am sorry for your loss, and I think if you charged him $100 per chicken and your husband needs to do the collecting, his attitude would change.

 

[joan1708]

When you really think about it. Trapping the dog could also save the dogs life and benefit the neighborhood. A free roaming dog is a menace to the neighborhood and the dog could get run over by a car. Trapping it would likely force the owner to either take better care of the dog or re-home it.

 

[millesfollies]

Sorry for you loss!!! I feel your pain. I almost had my hen taken by a neighbors dog. While I agree that we all need to be on the look out for predators of all kinds and take the necessary precautions, this is a domesticated animal and should be looked after by the owner. We all have a responsibility to do that as pet owners.

 

[furbabymum]

Oy at people's weird dog beliefs. Like the belief that once a dog bites a human it will crave biting and is ruined forever. Total myth. Not to say that that dog won't eat more chickens if given the chance. Bet your butt that it will. Dogs are predators. Our St Bernard killed 30 chickens. I know he'd kill more if given the chance. He's a DOG. Taste of blood, oy.

All these posts about family not giving a crap about family makes me really glad I live far away from family though!

 

[Heat]

I like the idea of the trap, that might be a good thing to invest in (I know we have coons around so it may not hurt to possibly get them gone humanely as well....).

I do feel bad about the situation since this is the only issue with the dog and as far as I know its the only time he ever beat her. I just don't trust her due to the incident and the fact my dog doesn't like her (which he is fine around most dogs) doesn't help. I think I am going to price some electric fence and what-not tomorrow and see about adding that around the perimeter of their run. I am also picking up the PVC piping for the cover of the run tomorrow so hopefully they will be in a secured run tomorrow afternoon/Thursday (just in time for the heat to finally reach us).

I chewed on the idea of throwing prices at uncle, but the problem is he is cheap... plain and simple. I haven't had much to do with him since I married my hubby 5 years ago because of my opinion of him... and it only gets worse as the days wear on. But I definitely posed that point to my hubby and told him I would appreciate him kindly letting his uncle know... whether he will or not is a different story, hubby is all about keeping the peace and he feels really close to his uncle (even though his uncle NEVER listens to him... because he knows right...)

I will post pictures once our run is covered tomorrow. Thanks for all the helpful insight and suggestions.

 

[MamaMarcy]

I'm not even going to bother reading beyond page 2 with some of the comments I'm reading . OP...so sorry about your chicks and your uncle. I'm also sorry he beat his dog. I'd turn him into animal control and hope that dog finds a better home.

Do you best with what you have. I love my own flock, who free range our property most nice days. They do not always have a roof over their heads. We know the risks (bobcats, coyotes, roaming dogs, hawks, bald headed eagles, etc). Still, we allow them the pleasure of natural forage and not always being in a "cage." We have yet to lose one from a predator, but know it will happen. That does not mean we love them any less than any other chicken parents. Their coop & run are pretty predator proof (none is entirely), but for those romps in the yard and dust bathing in the sun...we do expose them to the natural world.

 

[FireTigeris]

There are no legal ways here to humanly dispatch a coon in a trap- they cannot be released becase they can never get trapped again, they cannot be moved here due to rabies and territories of other predators... when a coon is dumped somewhere else he/she will have to fight- to the death- for a new home territory OR try to walk home... not a good walk either. Check out what humane things are -actually- humane which will not cause undue stress or problems finding food- if there is a place that can have a rule or urban predator, there is one there already, the other one may have never bothered human, the other one that might get displaced may have better genes...

Check your local laws about relocating 'nuisance wildlife'

The most humane thing here a live trap does for a coon is make sure the bullet cannot miss-

Ugggg-

 

[toomanydogs]

OP, sorry uncle is behaving like such a jerk. The run you are building sounds great. If the yard is accessible to the dog, or any dog, you might consider using electric poultry netting around your run or a few strands of hot wire. That will deter any dogs that attempt to break in. And a whole list of other nasty critters as well, very easy to do and very effective. Good luck. Oh by the way, the Uncle really needs a few zaps of the hot wire too for his crummy attitude!

i second the hotwire. lost 11 of my first 12 chickens to my own dogs but after putting up the electric fence after a few touches the dogs don't even look the birds way anymore

Lisa