- Dec 14, 2009
- 21
- 1
- 22
Last Thursday morning I got ready to take my daughter to preschool and to my horror noticed the door to my coop open. I got out of my car and went over to it, finding white feathers caked all over the entrance. I took a look in the hen house, which was empty except for some black feathers.
I walked around the yard a bit, but I was running late and left. My heart sank. I'd left the door unlatched and something got in over night. We live at 3800 feet in the Sierras in Northern California, so, predators are many. At preschool, the other moms assured me that it was a strong possiblity whatever got in only got a few and the others are probably hiding.
I got back home and started really searching. My older kids came home on the bus and helped out. We found a pile of red feathers out by the mailbox near our neighbors yard. I could see the neighbor in his yard, but he never looked up at me. Then my son called me over. "Mom, I found a foot..."
It was a foot- coming out of the ground in the driveway- attached to my barred rock, Molly. My 6 year old daughter was hysterical. Then I heard the neighbor talking to his kids...I peeped over the fence and he went into the house. I asked one of his boys "Have you seen any of our chickens?"
The boy smirked. "Yeah...they're all over. Ones right there." He pointed to my dead Rhode Island Red. They have chickens too, so I asked, "What happened last night? Did you see anything?"
He laughed and looked at his brother. "My dad got drunk and let Ruby off her chain. She killed all our chickens and then got all your's too. What do we do with this chicken?"
I was ticked. "Ask your dad what to do with it."
I was so upset that this jerk did this. This dog killed half their flock last year and has been chained up since. And this same neighbor has been asked by us several times to keep his chickens in his yard (which I've posted about here a few times). He obviously doesn't care about his animals.
My husband called the landlord on the property, who said he'd tell the guy his dog has to go, but, I don't think that happened. This neighbor proceeds to call us and chew my husband out for not calling him first. "Lets talk about this, man!!" He says. But he could have!!! He could have stopped me and told me!! He could have even lied! But, no...he avoided me.
We called animal control, but I guess theres not much else we can do.
Should we demand he pay for a new flock? Take him to court?
We have already bought new chicks, and spent about $40 in feed and equipment to replace the old ones.
I'm really, really sad. I was very attached to my girls and I'm just sick that they were slaughtered like this. It would have been better if a wild animal got them for food- but this dog apparently just broke all there necks and buried them in the neighbors yard. I feel bad that I didn't latch the gate, but it was still closed and on our meager 1/3 of an acre. Even if it was latched, that dog could have forced her way in- thats how she got the other chickens- she dug in.
Ok, I'm rambling. I knew people on here would understand.
I walked around the yard a bit, but I was running late and left. My heart sank. I'd left the door unlatched and something got in over night. We live at 3800 feet in the Sierras in Northern California, so, predators are many. At preschool, the other moms assured me that it was a strong possiblity whatever got in only got a few and the others are probably hiding.
I got back home and started really searching. My older kids came home on the bus and helped out. We found a pile of red feathers out by the mailbox near our neighbors yard. I could see the neighbor in his yard, but he never looked up at me. Then my son called me over. "Mom, I found a foot..."
It was a foot- coming out of the ground in the driveway- attached to my barred rock, Molly. My 6 year old daughter was hysterical. Then I heard the neighbor talking to his kids...I peeped over the fence and he went into the house. I asked one of his boys "Have you seen any of our chickens?"
The boy smirked. "Yeah...they're all over. Ones right there." He pointed to my dead Rhode Island Red. They have chickens too, so I asked, "What happened last night? Did you see anything?"
He laughed and looked at his brother. "My dad got drunk and let Ruby off her chain. She killed all our chickens and then got all your's too. What do we do with this chicken?"
I was ticked. "Ask your dad what to do with it."
I was so upset that this jerk did this. This dog killed half their flock last year and has been chained up since. And this same neighbor has been asked by us several times to keep his chickens in his yard (which I've posted about here a few times). He obviously doesn't care about his animals.
My husband called the landlord on the property, who said he'd tell the guy his dog has to go, but, I don't think that happened. This neighbor proceeds to call us and chew my husband out for not calling him first. "Lets talk about this, man!!" He says. But he could have!!! He could have stopped me and told me!! He could have even lied! But, no...he avoided me.
We called animal control, but I guess theres not much else we can do.
Should we demand he pay for a new flock? Take him to court?
We have already bought new chicks, and spent about $40 in feed and equipment to replace the old ones.
I'm really, really sad. I was very attached to my girls and I'm just sick that they were slaughtered like this. It would have been better if a wild animal got them for food- but this dog apparently just broke all there necks and buried them in the neighbors yard. I feel bad that I didn't latch the gate, but it was still closed and on our meager 1/3 of an acre. Even if it was latched, that dog could have forced her way in- thats how she got the other chickens- she dug in.
Ok, I'm rambling. I knew people on here would understand.
