Dogs....grrrrrrr!

[CMV]

Glad to hear she is doing well, Carolyn. Keep up the good work.

 

[southerndesert]

Quote:
Glad all is well.....


They will return so be ready with the gun!

 

[Carolyn]

Thanks folks. Haven't seen them back but on the watch and ready. The hen is doing great. Sometimes it helps to have a fluffy butt; her's is not so fluffy now.

 

[Mattemma]

Glad to read the hen healed and there are no dogs. I really hate *dealing* with the dog or their owner.Never want to rock the boat, and darn mad when I am forced to do so.

 

[eggboy]

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".

Sicko

I too have a problem with dogs attacking my chickens from several of my neighbors. Personally I don't believe I would intentionally kill anyone's dog unless the dog is mean and possibly a threat to me or another person. Most of the dogs that chase my chickens are very nice and friendly to me. A few however are mean and I probably wouldn't have a problem killing. The closest I have had to one of my chickens being killed was one of my RIR hens. She was chased by two dogs and one had her in its mouth just as I caught up to them and made the dog drop poor Ruby. Ruby lost a lot of feathers but was okay. After I knocked the dog off her she just huddled on the ground until I carried her to safety. I am planning on getting a less lethal method of keeping my chickens safe such as a paintball gun or airsoft gun. I haven't heard of anyone using it but I see no reason not to.​

 

[wyoDreamer]

Quote:
In some areas it is called animal abuse.

To be honest, I have thought the same thing, just too cheap to buy the gun and paintballs.
I like the idea of catching the neighbors super friendly - but loves to play with the chickens- dogs and painting a bullseye on them as a warning.

 

[Zootopia]

So glad to hear your hen is no worse the wear. I raise, train and show large guardian breed Dogs (NOT livestock guardians) and so I see both sides of the problem on occasion. My personal dogs are raised following us as we do chores so we rarely have an issue there and strays are usually sent packing by whoever is running around (our home raised are boundry trained). We have secure kennels for "Newbies" and "Trainees". Hot wire is usually pretty effective against dogs as well, though sometimes the hens wander under the fence. We also use bird shot for rattlesnakes or unwelcome 4 legged critters. BB guns are often useful to warn off the curious neighbor dog that needs to learn about boundries.

That being said, I have resorted to SSS in the past and will have no problem doing so again should it be necessary. I have told ALL of my neighbors that if any of my dogs is OFF my property to please send them home, if the dog is acting threating in ANY way while OFF my property they have my permission to shoot the dog and I will pay for the bullet. Am I serious? you bet, we live in the country where there are no leash laws but you DO have the right to protect yourself and your stock. Dogs are not the "Gods" out here. I find that mind set madding. A predator is a predator, is fertilizer. Training is everything, leashes are used for belts.

Sorry about the soapbox, I just can't imagin not being able to protect my chickens.

 

[can you hear me now?]

It's like I have always said, if they are not going to be responsible with the dog by making sure it is kept from being a a burden running around freely, then it is our responsibility to protect our flock. Here the law will tell me to shoot a dog if hey are bothering my livestock or threatening one of the family. Hey have even said to walk down the road with a rifle for a certain neighbor of ours. I will never do that but it just shows that there is justification. Some of the areas here in the states still have good common sense.

 

[MusketeerinFla]

Absolutely, SSS ! MiF

 

[Carolyn]

After the problems I had when I started this thread I lost my roo and another hen to dogs so my remaining hens have been confined to their house and run. Neither the hens or I am happy about that arrangement but that seemed my only choice. I would love an opportunity to SSS but no such luck. I had not seen a dog here in 2-3 weeks.
This morning the sun was shining & I planned to be home all day so it seemed like the perfect day to let my hens out for awhile. I was looking out the window watching the birds and the hens in their pen when a red fox ran thru the woods back of the chicken yard; he was followed by two dogs and soon all the dogs for miles around were barking. Too far away for a shotgun and not a safe shot for the rifle.
The sight of a flock of chickens running thru the yard, taking weeds, ticks, chiggers, grasshoppers and other pesky bugs while leaving bits of fertilize and scratching up this clay soil is becoming dimmer and dimmer. I am so disgusted.