Baptism by fire

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Welcome to BYC
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I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. How awful! You are going to have to talk to the dog owner, insist they keep their dog under control, pay you for damages etc. Once is a lesson learned, but twice is unacceptable. Good luck!
 
The neighbor knows this has been going on and apparently does nothing to prevent it from continuing. The best thing for you is SSS
(shoot,shovel, shut up). The dog disappears w-hen they ask if you have seen their dog - you can truthfully say "not lately."
 
Keep your young bird in the coop along with your older flock, but separate them by a small enclosure, making sure all the birds can see and hear one another but cannot touch. Do this for a couple of weeks then integrate them. There will be a few pecks to the youngster at the feeder and other times but they should do fine and no real harm will come to it. You may find a hen will take an interest in her and try to mother her a little and that would be a good thing. She will bed down in the bedding if she cannot make it to the roost and all will be well.

As for dogs...you will soon grow tired of the feeble efforts of the authorities to prevent livestock loss from your neighbor's dogs and you might find it advantageous to practice the time honored law of the farm....Shoot, Shovel, and Shut up...SSS. Very soon all your neighbors will be sure to keep their dogs at home as they mysteriously and steadily disappear. A .22 rifle is good for this as it makes very little sound and it can lay a dog down quickly and efficiently if you have practiced on your marksmanship.

One way to prepare neighbors for the eventuality of the disappearance of their pets is to catch the dog, spray paint a bull's eye on their side and send them on home. If they ignore that warning, it's open season on all dogs on your land. I wouldn't talk to the neighbors, call the neighbors, complain about the neighbor's dog before you exterminate their pests....don't say a word..they know their dogs are running loose and loose dogs disappear out there in the wilds. Keep silent, do what you have to do.

If you don't want to resort to that, then getting a few good livestock guardian dogs of your own to ward off potential predators and stray dogs may be to your advantage. A good combination is a Great Pyrenees paired with an Anatolian Shepherd.
 
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I am so so sorry.
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And I hate to say it also, but if the neighbors dog is a problem after repeated pleas to keep it contained, I would also bring out the gun and shoot the dog. I am a huge dog and animal lover, I believe that everything has a right to live and exist on it's own terms and turf. But if the neighbors do not have enough compassion and respect for my property, then I have none for theirs. And if there are no other avenues to take to stop this dog, and when he comes on my property again, he gets killed. Cruel, but so is killing my birds. They can not prosecute you if you kill the dog on your property.

Meanwhile you need to build the birds a secure area that they are safe from harm.

As for the lone pullet, I would try to work her into the other flock. Keep her separated but in with the others for a few weeks and by 7 weeks, she should be able to be mixed in with the rest of the birds.

Good luck with this issue and please protect your babies.
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! So sorry about your losses. You've received some good advice about integrating the lone pullet or getting another friend for her, and about dealing with the problem dog, good luck with both.
 

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