Crying... everything is dead. UPDATE POST #54

[spatulagirl]

The kids and I came home about an hour ago and saw the coop/run door was wide open and the yard was strewn with bodies.

Somehow the door was opened (we leave them all shut in there unless we are home and can have our dogs in the yard with them to protect them) and then something killed every single one of our chickens and guineas. Every. single. one.

A dozen chickens ( 6 adults, two teens, four Silkies) and all three of our guinea fowl. Killed all over the yard, the woods, the run and the back of the coop. I just finished cleaning up the bodies. The kids were freaking out. I had a fox kill my other guineas this summer but all I found of them were their feathers. This must have been a dog? Although some were ripped open, most were just dead. Feathers everywhere.

I might know whose dog. I will be going up there to confront them when my children's playdate is over.

Anyway, I cannot figure out how the door was opened. Unless the lock wasn't in the latch properly and it was nosed open? Ugh. I suck. I don't mind foxes getting them sometimes but I have now lost 20 chickens to dogs roaming around. Now I have nothing. And I didn't leave them out. I have even been locking the guineas up so they were safe.

 

[canesisters]

I am so sorry.

 

[Magnolia_1971]

I am sorry this happend to you and your kids.

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

I'm sorry. I've had that happen, too. It hurts, I know.

 

[easttxchick]

Oh crud, that is awful.
It really does sound like a dog attack. I'm so terribly sorry this happened.

 

[peterlund]

Could it have been your dogs??? Were they outside then?

 

[CapricornFarm]

That does sound like the work of a dog. I know how you feel, had the same thing happen to my point of lay pullets I raised from chicks. I recently found out whose dog it was, and solved the problem after a year. The dog will be back. Be ready. I am so terribly sorry for your loss . Deb

 

[UrbanFarmerGreg]

That sucks... sorry to hear it. Do you think it could have been a person that opened it up? I hope not but its a possibility... or maybe it was just not latched properly and nosed open or jumped on and knocked open.... either way I hope you find an answer...

 

[Alyssa516]

How horrible.. I am so very sorry for your loss and that your children had to see it. I lost 2 RIR s to a raccoon attack and it was traumatic for me.. and I'm 47 years old.. Again, my sincere condolences..

 

[spatulagirl]

This has been our third dog attack. But my chickens weren't loose this time. The other two times (by the same two dogs) they were loose. Now when they are loose we have our dogs and us out there with them. If it was the same two dogs, I don't know who they belong to.

It was not our dogs. They let the chickens climb all over them. However, they were in the house as they are indoor dogs.

All that time and money put into them and I cannot seem to stop these darn dogs from killing them. The coop is an a-frame open coop with a run. Nothing can get in there. But I guess I didn't latch the door all the way when I fed them this morning. It must have been opened by the dogs. The chickens and guineas were all in the coop when we left the house at 11am this morning. They had the chance to lay their eggs, the door is too heavy for them to open themselves. But I remember closing it tightly.

The dog(s) has been back several times and won the lottery this time. How is it that it never happens when I am home and can shoot them? I guess they can come back but I have no more birds for it to kill.

Off to try and find the last three bodies.