Dog Attack!!!

[ninabeast]

Short version: A pickup truck stopped at our country street corner yesterday afternoon. A pit mix in the back seat of the truck got a look at my chickens free ranging in my neighbour's wood (with her blessing, I hasten to add), and jumped out an open window to get to them. The owner was unable to control of his dog, or even get a hand on her, as she had no collar.

The dog scattered my flock of ten, and injured one quite badly. It took the guy two HOURS to get his own dog to come to him, but not before it had charged at and growled at a few people. Nine hens came home in time for dusk, unharmed. Wounded Buff Orpington is an inside girl for two weeks. It could have been SO much worse...

Long version: http://heedleyshens.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/well-that-happened/

Updates: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Heedleys-Hens/161787617267891

 

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

Chickens are sturdy things, luckily. Its aweful that happened, but you are right about how much worse it can be. If your injured one makes it through the night I am sure she'll make it. I have seen some grizzly dog-attack injuries heal without a trace.

 

[ninabeast]

This happened yesterday afternoon, and I had the exact same thought: I'll feel better when she's made it through a night. She is chipper today, and impatient to get out of the crate! She's had topical and oral antibiotics, eaten, drunk water, and pooped. She's wearing the cutest little dog dress (cut up) to keep her from the wound. I darn near slept by the crate though...




Does this look like a chicken with a deep 6" gash in her back? They're amazing creatures...

 

[amberflea]

She's beautiful...... I hope she heals well...

For one who has worked many hours and different areas with a search dog, our worst enemy for us and our search dogs is being attacked by another dog... we all carry grizzley pepper spray for this.
Sometimes these dogs are so aroused that even pepper spray doesn't help, but it beats not having anything.

 

[sourland]

Sourland HATES

animals in clothes/diapers, etc, but i have to admit that is cute.

Good luck with her recovery.





Sourland who has just ruined his image.

 

[ninabeast]

I agree, but it's for her own good. It's the ideal solution; she can't torture the wound, but it still gets air.

Plus, if she'd picking at her dress, she's not picking at her back.

 

[mohillbilly]

if that had happened here the owner would not have had any trouble catching it as it would have been shot on the spot.

 

[ninabeast]

Yeah, I'm not normally so inclined, but I was thinking along those same lines. That dog should be put down.

In happier news, poor Buffy laid an egg! That HAD to hurt...

 

[Ole rooster]

To say the least, that dog is a menace to everything and everybody. Two hours to catch it. But like mohillbilly said, had that happen here all he would have to do is pick it up. Very easy to catch.

 

[JenellYB]

How ironic. My "Chicken little" bantam hen, rescued from dogs by my daughter, was half skinned alive by them, amazingly survived.
The dogs that attacked her were two medium size mutts. Ny daughter couldn't keep this little hen, because she has 5 dogs, and her Choc Lab, 2 LabXchowX??? and her peke-a-poo all wanted to finish the job the others started, obviously not safe for this chicken...
The irony? My daughter's year old pit bull was GAURDING and protecting this chicken! She would even just stand or sit by watching it "lovingly" when my daughter and the kids would have this hen out to clean its cage, in the house, even the kids sit on the floor with the chicken, and that pit bill never acted at all like she'd hurt it! They'd have to keep the other dogs out of the house and far from even the cage, they'd try to get the chicken, but not the pit bull!
Goes to show you, you just can't generalize!
(Except maybe stupid people that shouldn't own animals!)