dog ate my entire flock today

[Uppity Peon]

Bill the owner for the hardware cloth, labor, and a new flock, and all the feed you bought for the shickens his dog killed.

And tell him next time the dog enters your property all bets are off.

 

[flopshot]

sorry about your birds. the fact that you were in the process of improving security adds even more frustration to the situation. if you can locate the owner of the dog you still may not have a case if you can't prove the dog's guilt. i would at least warn the owner that you will take action in the future if the dog is on your property. i would file a complaint at this point noting only the damage to your property, and maybe a call to animal control. lay a foundation to cover your actions down the road. warn the dog's owner that you will first call animal control and if the dog is actively attacking your birds you will dispatch the animal on the spot.
as far as poisoning goes, that's a cowards method. man up and either seek law enforcement or dispatch the animal yourself.

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
a dog enters my property and kills my livestock I'll do what comes natural for me too..........

 

[sred98]

Just saw this...I am really sorry. I've been having a rough time with my neighbor's dogs, too. I agree with the SSS method. Telling the owners and giving them a bill sounds like a good idea, even filing a police report, but it doesn't take care of the problem.

Hope you get the dogs that did this!

Shelly

 

[speckledhen]

The rules are re-posted here for your reading pleasure:

*Dealing with predators and pests is not always pleasant. Although sometimes hard to do, please be as sensitive as possible when explaining procedures and results. Some younger members and/or squeamish adults will appreciate it.

*Although some ways are not considered ideal to some, it serves the purpose of removing the offending predator. If you have an idea or a helpful comment, please do reply. If it is a sarcastic comment about the disposal or capture of a predator, please keep your thoughts to yourself. We are not here to judge one another on methods or ways and means.
*Compassion will go a long way toward helping to educate and help solve someone's predator problem. No matter the reason, most members' birds are their pets and being a chicken doesn't make it less of a pet than a house cat or companion dog. Please don't lecture or hassle anyone about their losses. Glass houses......

Now that my moderator duties are taken care of here, to me, doesn't matter that a predator is doing what comes naturally. I sure hope you don't want to pull up a lawnchair and watch them be "natural". This isn't the Nat'l Georgraphic Channel. To me, your duty as a chicken owner is to protect your birds. If it's my own dog, shame on me. If it's someone else's dog on my property, shame on them....and the consequences will be the dog's as well as the owner's. I would not poison a dog, but he would be removed from my property and not return.

Someone reported "lead poisoning" as cruelty to animals being advocated in this thread. Folks, this means a bullet, not actual poison.​

 

[horsejody]

Even if you don't know who owns the dog, file a report. That way when it returns law enforcement will have a record that it's a second offence. It had a lot of fun at your house. It will be back. Keep track of your losses, and shoot the dog when it comes back. Then bill the owners. Irresponsible dog owners are just like spoiled chidren. They only learn when there are consequences.

 

[hbutterfield]

I am so sorry for your loss, I am a newby and have just acuired 7 Rhode Island Reds 6 hen and 1 rooster. I would be very very understanding at the lead poisoning (for those of you that hadn't caught on it the lead from either buckshot or bullet). My peeps/pullets are about 4 weeks old and have them pinned in the roost and I am slowly introducing my dog to them and hopefully she doesn't think of them as a snack when I decide to free range them. Once again sorry for your loss

 

[maf2008]

I agree. AYONE with chickens NEEDS an electric fence. Even I can put one up. My dogs are afraid to even get close to the coop.... ha!

This will deter preaditors.... Sorry to hear about your loss. I wish everyone would get an electric fence (cheap and easy about $100) and you will prevent losses.
Quote:

 

[highcountrychickens]

Quote:
Throw a raw whole salmon out in the yard. Dog eats the salmon and then gets sick.. Not many dogs survive it with out going to the vet. It would teach the owners a leason about letting their dog roam..

we use ex-lax ... it's cheaper and more fun to think of the results if it happens to be a house dog...

To the OP - cheeky responses aside, I'm heartbroken for you. I hope you will start again.

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Sorry about your birds and your grief.

Years ago my father complained to a neighbor a half mile away about his chicken stealing dog. The dog owner insisted that the dog never left the yard, my father must be mistaking it for another.

My father peppered the offender's hind quarters with bird shot when it was in the hen house the next day.

Being a small town, the local vet called my dad to let him know he spent the better part of the day picking the shot out while the family's children cried. The neighbor was certain someone had driven by his yard and shot his dog out of malice.

Soon we saw that the dog had returned to our farm, this time during the night. Dad brought it (covered in blood) and the dead birds to the neighbor in the middle of the night making certain he woke the kids up too. He stated that while he appreciated this was a loved family pet, he was within his rights to not use bird shot next time.

The dog was kenneled.

It can be quite frustrating dealing with a neighbor's animal. If it is a stray you will not have to worry about these ramifications. Make disposal as quick and painless as you can.