And then there were seven ...

[AuburnChickenNewbies]

Just a quick warning. We have a temporary pen set up in the yard while we finish our coop and permanent pen. Everyone has been behaving reasonably well until today. Today one of our golden retrievers managed to push aside the chicken wire that was folded up and under cement blocks ... to get into the pen and kill three of our 10-week old chicks. The other seven managed to fly over the 4-foot wire and hide in the yard. Took us 2 hours to find them and round them up.

Two of the rescues appear to be injured. I can't tell for sure. One of them is sitting by herself on the roost in the temporary coop. The others are huddled together as they normally do. I've checked all of them over the best that I can and can't really find any obvious injuries, but maybe.

Do chicks act like this when they're stressed? We had two of each of five breeds and they truly did sit two by two. The one by herself is now missing her buddy.

Anything I should be doing or watching for?

 

[tammye]

they are probably stressed, I would be. give them a calm place to recover, give them some electrolyte solution in their water for a boost/ chicks should be getting it anyway and more important get that coop finished and secured, your dog will do it again, it is in his nature!! I see way to often here the folks that got the chicks before the coop end up with dead chicks, lesson learned.

 

[AuburnChickenNewbies]

Quote:
It IS lesson learned. Hubby is beside himself as he promised to have the coop/run finished by mid-May, but weather and life held progress back! My change orders haven't helped either. Other than a couple of minor things and painting, the coop itself is largely finished and the flock could use it ... but the pen isn't yet.

And yes, the dog will do it again -- or his sister will. We knew that the dogs were chicken obsessed, but I was really surprised to see them push through the fencing. They don't seem to push their boundaries in any other ways. It definitely is instinct (they're bird dogs, after all), and now that he's had his fun once, I'm sure he'll decide to try it again.

Anyway, I'll have to figure out where to get the electrolyte solution today.

Thank you so much for your thoughts Tammye!