Dogs killed all 6 of our chickens.

[I'mTheDude]

I received a call from my wife about a week ago while I was at work, she was hysterical, her and our 6 year old daughter had come home to a pair of pit bull (pocket bully?) type dogs inside the chicken fence standing over the bodies of our dead chickens. I told her to go inside and call animal control ( I work about 30 minutes away) I left work immediately and got there at the same time as Animal Control was arriving. They caught both dogs and took them away. We live on 40 acres of property and have never seen these dogs (or any dogs other than ours) before. We had 4 RIR's, a Barred Rock and a gorgeous Black Maran (who my daughter lovingly named Oreo) They were all around 4-ish months old and we were expecting our first eggs any day.

When the owner came to get his dogs out of lockup, he gave Animal Control permission to give me his phone number so that I can call and ask for some sort of payment for birds and damage to coop and fencing. I still haven't called, but probably will soon.

I suppose part of the blame is on me. Since we haven't had any problems with predators, we let them free range during the day in a fence we made from T-posts and chicken wire. A very simple and cost effective fence. It was more to keep the birds IN than anything OUT. The dogs ripped it down. A very hard lesson learned.

We have 4 barred rocks, 2 easter eggers and 3 silkies now about 3 weeks old in the brooder. We will definitely be purchasing an electric netting kit from Premier1 (or similar) for them to free range in now when they're old enough. Would love to hear some input on electric fencing for predators if any of you have had any similar incidents.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You can also use regular electric fence wire and run a few strands, and connect them together in a few spots, which is cheaper than the netting I would think. That way you can use something like welded wire for fencing and run the strands around the outside of the fencing with extended insulators. But definitely do what you are comfortable with.

Sorry you lost all your birds.

 

[Sara Ranch]

*hugs*

 

[SOHC-FTW]

My "pit" is good with our birds but it takes time with any breed of dog to teach them what you expect from them.

Hopefully the fella with the dogs pays up and starts watching his dogs better any lose k9 is bound to get into some kinda trouble.

 

[Howard E]

Dude:

Sorry to hear about the loss of your birds. As you and a lot of others like you have discovered, a lot of things will kill your birds. Wild animals will kill them to eat......dogs...sometimes yours, but mostly those belonging to neighbors and some just strays......tend to kill them for sport. So they kill them all.

Your idea of using an electric fence is a good one. I have the poultry netting in two forms, but have found it easier to manage (and nearly as effective) to use 4 strands of 17 gauge aluminum electric fence wire. It looks like this:

This may not look like it would work to keep dogs and varmints out and chickens in, but it does. Lowest wire is about 5" off the deck, then about 5 inch intervals or so. Same height as spacings on the white step in posts.

Most animals, including dogs, will try to crawl through the wires and get zapped in the process. I saw a Great Dane mix walk into it and it caught him in the chest (he didn't see it or ignored it). This fence is cranked up pretty hot, using a 12 volt fencer good for 30 miles of fence.

Voltage tester shows it puts out 13,000+ volts. It will get a YIP! out of the toughest dog......usually one yip only as they seldom if ever come back for more.

Keep in mind with electric fences, these are NOT physical barriers. They are a psychological one. Dogs and varmints encounter physical fences all the time and learn to crawl under, crawl through or climb over them to get to the other side. They don't respect physical fences. This isn't that. Touch this and it sends a jolt through them to their core. They don't have a clue what it was the hurt so bad, they only know where it happened, and may learn to recognize the physical strands of fence as the barrier they dare not cross, else they get another dose.

Poultry netting works the same way, except is more of a physical barrier in addition to an electrical one. Poultry netting is also harder to maintain to keep weeds and brush down, and is also more expensive. About 4X more expensive per linear foot. If doing a large area, (one acre or more), this would be the way I'd go.

BTW, I've never lost a bird to a dog or varmint inside this fence. Been more than a couple dogs have tried that I know of and all ended up regretting it.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Dude:

Sorry to hear about the loss of your birds. As you and a lot of others like you have discovered, a lot of things will kill your birds. Wild animals will kill them to eat......dogs...sometimes yours, but mostly those belonging to neighbors and some just strays......tend to kill them for sport. So they kill them all.

Your idea of using an electric fence is a good one. I have the poultry netting in two forms, but have found it easier to manage (and nearly as effective) to use 4 strands of 17 gauge aluminum electric fence wire. It looks like this:

View attachment 1130095 View attachment 1130095 View attachment 1130100 View attachment 1130095 View attachment 1130100

This may not look like it would work to keep dogs and varmints out and chickens in, but it does. Lowest wire is about 5" off the deck, then about 5 inch intervals or so. Same height as spacings on the white step in posts.

Most animals, including dogs, will try to crawl through the wires and get zapped in the process. I saw a Great Dane mix walk into it and it caught him in the chest (he didn't see it or ignored it). This fence is cranked up pretty hot, using a 12 volt fencer good for 30 miles of fence.

View attachment 1130108 View attachment 1130095 View attachment 1130100 View attachment 1130108 View attachment 1130109 View attachment 1130109 Voltage tester shows it puts out 13,000+ volts. It will get a YIP! out of the toughest dog......usually one yip only as they seldom if ever come back for more.

Keep in mind with electric fences, these are NOT physical barriers. They are a psychological one. Dogs and varmints encounter physical fences all the time and learn to crawl under, crawl through or climb over them to get to the other side. They don't respect physical fences. This isn't that. Touch this and it sends a jolt through them to their core. They don't have a clue what it was the hurt so bad, they only know where it happened, and may learn to recognize the physical strands of fence as the barrier they dare not cross, else they get another dose.

Poultry netting works the same way, except is more of a physical barrier in addition to an electrical one. Poultry netting is also harder to maintain to keep weeds and brush down, and is also more expensive. About 4X more expensive per linear foot. If doing a large area, (one acre or more), this would be the way I'd go.

BTW, I've never lost a bird to a dog or varmint inside this fence. Been more than a couple dogs have tried that I know of and all ended up regretting it.

That is perfect.

 

[enoryz]

We also went through this a couple months ago. We live in Louisiana and were on vacation in Alabama. My oldest son and neighbors were watching our chickens and ducks. We had 7 hens, 1 roosters, and 2 ducks. The very next day after we left we were woken up by the phone to tell us 3 dogs get everything but 1 hen, 1 duck, and the rooster. My wife was ready to leave and come home but we stayed. A week later before I can figure out a new fence 1 of the dogs came back and got the hen and duck. I bought some wood snow fence from TSC. 4' tall by 50' They were regular 45 a roll. My wife got them on clearance for $20 a roll. It used t post also and put some 2' tall chicken wire around the bottom. Hopefully that will last and keep any future dogs out. The owner was not as nice as yours. The cop was also a jerk. Since then the owner has gotten rid of all the dogs. We now have 12 hens, the same rooster, and 2 ducks. It was tuff. I'm trying not to get to attached this time.

 

[I'mTheDude]

Thank you all so much for your kind words and your fencing advice! Our main reason for wanting to go with the electric poultry netting is so that we can move the chickens around the yard/property whenever we want them on fresh grass! I built their coop up on a platform with treated 4x4 posts underneath with angles cut on the tips to act like skis...it can be dragged around with the truck or ATV and moved wherever fairly easily.

If we did go with a permanent fence solution like some of you have mentioned with the 17 gauge wire, it seems as though we could probably do most of the yard for the same price as 100' net kit from Premier1...We're thinking of adding a few goats in the future, so that may be a better option for us....

 

[I'mTheDude]

Dude:

Sorry to hear about the loss of your birds. As you and a lot of others like you have discovered, a lot of things will kill your birds. Wild animals will kill them to eat......dogs...sometimes yours, but mostly those belonging to neighbors and some just strays......tend to kill them for sport. So they kill them all.

Your idea of using an electric fence is a good one. I have the poultry netting in two forms, but have found it easier to manage (and nearly as effective) to use 4 strands of 17 gauge aluminum electric fence wire. It looks like this:

View attachment 1130095 View attachment 1130095 View attachment 1130100 View attachment 1130095 View attachment 1130100

This may not look like it would work to keep dogs and varmints out and chickens in, but it does. Lowest wire is about 5" off the deck, then about 5 inch intervals or so. Same height as spacings on the white step in posts.

Most animals, including dogs, will try to crawl through the wires and get zapped in the process. I saw a Great Dane mix walk into it and it caught him in the chest (he didn't see it or ignored it). This fence is cranked up pretty hot, using a 12 volt fencer good for 30 miles of fence.

View attachment 1130108 View attachment 1130095 View attachment 1130100 View attachment 1130108 View attachment 1130109 View attachment 1130109 Voltage tester shows it puts out 13,000+ volts. It will get a YIP! out of the toughest dog......usually one yip only as they seldom if ever come back for more.

Keep in mind with electric fences, these are NOT physical barriers. They are a psychological one. Dogs and varmints encounter physical fences all the time and learn to crawl under, crawl through or climb over them to get to the other side. They don't respect physical fences. This isn't that. Touch this and it sends a jolt through them to their core. They don't have a clue what it was the hurt so bad, they only know where it happened, and may learn to recognize the physical strands of fence as the barrier they dare not cross, else they get another dose.

Poultry netting works the same way, except is more of a physical barrier in addition to an electrical one. Poultry netting is also harder to maintain to keep weeds and brush down, and is also more expensive. About 4X more expensive per linear foot. If doing a large area, (one acre or more), this would be the way I'd go.

BTW, I've never lost a bird to a dog or varmint inside this fence. Been more than a couple dogs have tried that I know of and all ended up regretting it.

This is extremely helpful, thank you! How do you have your fence charger wired to power? The area we're wanting to fence isn't anywhere near a power source, so we would most likely be looking into the solar chargers.

 

[MagpieDucks]

Similar situation here. Can't free range because the neighbors have "free range" dogs.