- Jan 30, 2014
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We're pretty new to chicken ownership and are on BYC every single day. We adore them. We converted our little barn and run in into a chicken coop and started with 6 Rhode Island Reds. At the time we had our neighbor's longhorn moms and calves in our pasture and our chickens roamed our 'yard' and we enjoyed them so very much. They came to us when we went out of the house and would wait on the porch! We have miles of videos! We always secured them in the coop at bedtime.
The cattle went on to the next pasture for the season and a few weeks later we came home to find one dead chicken and two left to suffer. We had a returned a neighbors dog to them a couple of times with a warning and research indicated it was a dog that had attacked our chickens. We knew for certain it was that dog - but we felt we couldn't do anything.
At that time we secured all the openings on our barn and put an electric chicken fence around it so they could have outside time and they seemed OK so we chose an assortment of new chickens using the breed section of this site (thank you) 8 of our new chickens were 5 months old and we integrated them into our flock. But two were a 4 week old Silver Laced Wyandotte and a Black Astrolorpe.
We kept those inside our secured shop in a sturdy chain link dog kennel with wire fence cover with pine shavings and a step ladder to roost.
Yesterday my husband opened the shop door to give our new babies a little air and sun. He returned a few minutes later to the neighbor's dog covered in blood in the shop and scattered chicken limbs. The dog had pulled the chicken through the chain link (hard to believe) and the other had escaped to the center. We notified the Sheriff and they returned the dog to the owner who will be fined but we are confused and devastated.
Meanwhile - we have one 4 week Wyandotte left. Will she be OK alone? We put her by herself in a horse stall inside the barn with the other chickens since the dog is still around but know that she needs to be kept alone until she is equal weight and size.
We would appreciate any advice anyone could offer. Your site is wonderful, informative and inspiring. Thank you all.
JoLynne
The cattle went on to the next pasture for the season and a few weeks later we came home to find one dead chicken and two left to suffer. We had a returned a neighbors dog to them a couple of times with a warning and research indicated it was a dog that had attacked our chickens. We knew for certain it was that dog - but we felt we couldn't do anything.
At that time we secured all the openings on our barn and put an electric chicken fence around it so they could have outside time and they seemed OK so we chose an assortment of new chickens using the breed section of this site (thank you) 8 of our new chickens were 5 months old and we integrated them into our flock. But two were a 4 week old Silver Laced Wyandotte and a Black Astrolorpe.
We kept those inside our secured shop in a sturdy chain link dog kennel with wire fence cover with pine shavings and a step ladder to roost.
Yesterday my husband opened the shop door to give our new babies a little air and sun. He returned a few minutes later to the neighbor's dog covered in blood in the shop and scattered chicken limbs. The dog had pulled the chicken through the chain link (hard to believe) and the other had escaped to the center. We notified the Sheriff and they returned the dog to the owner who will be fined but we are confused and devastated.
Meanwhile - we have one 4 week Wyandotte left. Will she be OK alone? We put her by herself in a horse stall inside the barn with the other chickens since the dog is still around but know that she needs to be kept alone until she is equal weight and size.
We would appreciate any advice anyone could offer. Your site is wonderful, informative and inspiring. Thank you all.
JoLynne
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