Backyard Brahmas!!

[GAFarmGirl87]

I left a door open and all of my chickens are dead except for the ones in the brooder. I am absolutely devastated. Don't know what I am going to do.

Enclosed by a fence. Raccoons I think. tore fence to shreds getting out I think. Didn't eat any just killed them all. have found one partridge brahma hen still breathing but in shock. trying to save her.

So sorry about your babies!!!

 

[GAFarmGirl87]

@bumpercarr So glad your survivors are doing better!!

I just got quite a scare a moment ago. Dad came inside to say he found a pile of feathers by our neighbor's fence, and that my girls were scattered all over the yard, including over the fence in the woods behind our house. This has never happened before. I was sure one of my girls was a goner. And we pretty well know who to blame - the neighbor's pit bull. They don't take care of her, and she's skinny as a rail right now, and she has spent time in our yard many times before. I've nailed her hiney with a pellet gun before, and it appears I must do so again.

Anyways, after rounding up everyone - which took several minutes - I found the dog DID NOT kill one of the chickens. THANK GOD! But she took the entire tail off one of my hens, poor girl! That was the pile of feathers we found. I can only assume my awesome roo went into action and nailed that dog - I don't know how else to explain how she got away from that bull dog! Let's just say I won't be free-ranging the girls for a while without supervision.

 

[bumpercarr]

@bumpercarr So glad your survivors are doing better!!

I just got quite a scare a moment ago. Dad came inside to say he found a pile of feathers by our neighbor's fence, and that my girls were scattered all over the yard, including over the fence in the woods behind our house. This has never happened before. I was sure one of my girls was a goner. And we pretty well know who to blame - the neighbor's pit bull. They don't take care of her, and she's skinny as a rail right now, and she has spent time in our yard many times before. I've nailed her hiney with a pellet gun before, and it appears I must do so again.

Anyways, after rounding up everyone - which took several minutes - I found the dog DID NOT kill one of the chickens. THANK GOD! But she took the entire tail off one of my hens, poor girl! That was the pile of feathers we found. I can only assume my awesome roo went into action and nailed that dog - I don't know how else to explain how she got away from that bull dog! Let's just say I won't be free-ranging the girls for a while without supervision.

Wow! One of the suspect dogs is a pit bull mix as well. The other is a shepherd, it is unusual for a shepherd to want to kill something....I suspect the pit bull mix is the one that did the damage. Police found the dogs, owner has been cited for having loose dogs, which is the most that they can do. I told them that the next time they are on my property, they will be dead dogs. They said they understood, would rather that I called them, but please shoot safely so that no unintentional targets are hit. So, coyote traps are going out tonight, hopefully in the morning I can put one or both of them out of their misery.

It is sad, it really isn't the dogs' fault, it is the owners that should be shot, but that would REALLY be against the law.

 

[Gryphon]

Pretty much any dog can be goaded intobkilling when it has another dog with it, "pack mentality" takes over especially with fluttery squeaky soft toy-like things like chickens.

 

[GAFarmGirl87]

Wow! One of the suspect dogs is a pit bull mix as well. The other is a shepherd, it is unusual for a shepherd to want to kill something....I suspect the pit bull mix is the one that did the damage. Police found the dogs, owner has been cited for having loose dogs, which is the most that they can do. I told them that the next time they are on my property, they will be dead dogs. They said they understood, would rather that I called them, but please shoot safely so that no unintentional targets are hit. So, coyote traps are going out tonight, hopefully in the morning I can put one or both of them out of their misery.

It is sad, it really isn't the dogs' fault, it is the owners that should be shot, but that would REALLY be against the law.

Yes, similar issue here. Except it isn't against the law to let dogs run loose out here. However, when I once complained to my neighbor about his dogs hanging out on my property (I was actually offering to keep the dogs - they were puppies at the time) He told me to just shoot at them. *face-palm* He cares nothing about his animals, and the pellet-gun seems to do the trick, since it hurts them pretty bad. I certainly don't want to kill the dog, but if I ever caught her with a chicken in her mouth, on my property, I just might.

 

[bumpercarr]

Yes, similar issue here. Except it isn't against the law to let dogs run loose out here. However, when I once complained to my neighbor about his dogs hanging out on my property (I was actually offering to keep the dogs - they were puppies at the time) He told me to just shoot at them. *face-palm* He cares nothing about his animals, and the pellet-gun seems to do the trick, since it hurts them pretty bad. I certainly don't want to kill the dog, but if I ever caught her with a chicken in her mouth, on my property, I just might.

I'm thinking about getting a flock guard dog. Right now, I think my husband would go for anything since he couldn't bear to see the pain I was in yesterday. I was thinking of an Anatolian Shepherd. Does anyone have any experience with flock dogs?

 

[GAFarmGirl87]

On a lighter note, here's some updated pics of my Brahmas. They are 7.5 wks old today.
Definitely have 1 girl, and 5 boys.

 

[GAFarmGirl87]

I'm thinking about getting a flock guard dog. Right now, I think my husband would go for anything since he couldn't bear to see the pain I was in yesterday. I was thinking of an Anatolian Shepherd. Does anyone have any experience with flock dogs?

That would be a good idea. Likely it would be best to get a puppy that you could train, unless you can easily get a hold of a mature dog already trained with chickens.
I have cats, so I'm not much help here.

 

[carcar80]

Hi guys. I'm new to Brahmas so I'll be browsing, admiring and absorbing. I got my first big kids last weekend and I also have eggs coming next month! All partridge.. I'm fairly addicted to the whole partridge thing right now.

Here's a shot of the roo from feeding time tonight. These guys are awesome and so laid back- even big boy!! I just love it.

(Excuse the thing he's standing on. Something they unearthed today lol)

Edited again to remove multiple smilies.

 

[bumpercarr]

Hi guys. I'm new to Brahmas so I'll be browsing, admiring and absorbing. I got my first big kids last weekend and I also have eggs coming next month! All partridge.. I'm fairly addicted to the whole partridge thing right now.

Here's a shot of the roo from feeding time tonight. These guys are awesome and so laid back- even big boy!! I just love it.



(Excuse the thing he's standing on. Something they unearthed today lol)

Edited again to remove multiple smilies.

He's so pretty, looks just like the one that was killed.