Dogs....grrrrrrr!

[Carolyn]

I wish I could write "dogs shot for trespassing" but that is just wishful thinking. My chickens free range on my 11 acres and we have not had a loss in several months. Today I saw two chickens pass the window in a hurry but did not realize the dog was there untill it came back by the window with a hen in its mouth....he caught her on my front steps. I called my hubby to get the gun and went out, there was another dog which ran into the woods going west. The other dog was on the east side of the house and I got there first, it dropped the hen and ran. My hubby shot but missed.

The roo I recently purchased for protection of my hens....did not even crow.
DH only had rat shot in the gun.
One of the dogs was a stray that one of the neighbors took in; I wanted to shoot him last spring when I had to change my walking path because of his harrasment but he wasn't tresspassing then.
The hen ran under the deck, then crawled into a totally inaccessable corner. She did not come out to roost so can't exam or treat her. (there were lots of feathers and only one small blood splatter with no trail of dripping blood so hopefully she is not hurt too badly).
My chickens have learned to fly over the electric net fence so I can't keep them from free ranging without keeping them in a small run.

I do not know who is the owner of the offending dog but I know it does not belong to my good and nearest neighbor....his young dog did make a trip thru the yard a few weeks ago sending chickens running everywhere but he left when I shouted at him and has never been back. They do not allow their dogs to run free but he was out feeding the cows that day.

I just needed to vent and I can't do it on facebook for sure. You see I read the Bible to say God created man in his own image and He created the animals.....some of my friends and family seem to have dyslexia and read dog = god. Why are dogs perceived by the majority to be on a higher plane than other animals, especially chickens? One of them even posted a cartoon of a woman burping her blanket wrapped puppy while her friend says "I thought you used to have children". The woman replies" we did but we gave them to the orphanage so they wouldn't hurt the puppy".

It's nice to have a community of chicken fellow chicken lovers who've been there, done that and understand. Thanks for listening to me rant. I probably won't be telling if they come back since I will apply the SSS policy!!!

 

[kari_dawn]

That really bites...as if we chicken keepers didn't have enough to worry about fending off WILD life...now too we have to worry about neighbors, and irresponsible people in general. Im so sorry, I hope your girl is okay!

 

[Carolyn]

Thanks; me too.

 

[Mattemma]

Hope the SSS works out for you. Never a pleasant choice,but better than stressing over constant kills by roaming dogs.

 

[CMV]

I am sorry for your situation. Roaming dogs are a menace on many levels, but they get infinitely more destructive when there is poultry around. Feel free to vent away. We won't be anything but supportive.

Several years ago some friends convinced us to get chickens. It began our foray into animal husbandry and poultry keeping. Those same friends lost all their birds not long after to a wandering dog. They re-upped their flock, but lost flock #2 to a different roaming dog. Being ever the optimists, they just kept beefing up their set-up and getting more birds. Flocks #3 and #4 also were killed and their set-up started taking a beating when it was ripped apart by the wandering dogs. They didn't have the SSS option open to them as they live in the middle of a city with neighbors close by on all sides. After the remnants of flock #4 were also killed in another dog incident, they just gave up. It was a sad day for them to finally realize that nothing they did was going to allow them to keep poultry. Too many loose dogs roaming around, bored, with a taste for poultry.

I hope you resolve your issues. Good luck.

 

[Ole rooster]

Carolyn, as you keep reading Scripture, it says after God created animals, then man, he put man's dominion over the fish of the sea and the animals of earth. But where I think most folks misread the intent there, is we are overseers of the earth and all it's creatures. We eat what we are instructed is good and healthy, and let the others go. To abuse the "other" is wrong. But we are also instructed take care of and protect what we've taken responsiblilty for. Just like a man has for wife, family and possessions. At times that calls for lethal means to accomplish. It''s not a mark on you, it's what you've been instructed to do.

I just had a neighbor evicted for non payment of a lease/buy agreement. She left 6 dogs. Well 2 dogs and 4 puppies. I have no use for them but I have been feeding them and making sure they had water. I called animal control and they came and got the puppies but are having no luck with the adults. I think they will probably just shoot them as that's what going to happen when and if they caught um. I told the sheriff I felt kinda strange feeding the dogs. If they stay where they are to me everythings fine. If any of them come back in here with me and mess with my chickens I will bury um. They said the law allows for that. But I said it didn't seem right I was fattening them up to kill.

Anyway I think they're all gone now. I'll check in an little bit to see.

One other thing, what in the world is your husband doing with a gun loaded with rat shot? That's useless against anything, cept a mouse. I would never pull a trigger without the intent to kill.

 

[wpalmisano]

I agree with SSS. Shoot Shovel, Shut up. Listen, I take no pleasure in killing. I do it to feed my family. I was a widower at 40 and the eggs and chickens and food I grow help to feed my boys on a Paramedics salary. I appreciate that folks have pets, but your "pet is stealing food from my children's mouths. " I will give a warning to the owner to keep his animal off my land, never mention the the killing thing, just a friendly warning among neighbors. Next time however, the dog gets shot. The ironic thing is, dogs are great protein for growing pheasants. : )

 

[harveyhorses]

I am so sorry you have to put up with this, but glad you are prepared. You make me feel so lucky, I live in a weird sort of area, our house was one of the first 4 on our street 50 years ago, now it has built up, but everyone has at least an acre, and it's pretty friendly. I got a call this morning that someones scottie had escaped and please go make sure the girls were up. They actually called me before going to catch their pooch.
He was in the car and slipped past one of them when the door opened. He is captured again.

We hardly ever have strays and only one family lets theirs run, and it has learned about electric fence.

 

[Carolyn]

Thank you all for your comments. The hen is doing great; looks a little ruffled and lost most of her tail feathers but no other injuries. No further dog appearances as yet.

 

[Peaches Lee]

Quote:
Yeah, ya know, good point about dogs being regarded more than other animals. I always wonder why everyone is fine with "freezer camping" a mean roo, but an aggressive dog deserves a chance, rehabilitation, training.