Flock decimated! Dog or coyote(s)?

[horsejody]

It sounds like a dog or dogs. It will be back. Be ready for it.

 

[Buster52]

I free range a good portion of my birds, and the only reason I feel safe doing it is because I have a good dog. I have found her so effective I picked up another one for the back of my property.

I can't guard my property all the time. They can.

 

[CMV]

Quote:
A good dog is worth its weight in gold.

 

[rachiegirl]

I'm so sorry!

It definitely sounds like dogs. Give it a little more time, you may have a missing one or 2 show back up. My husbands beagle got out one Sunday morning and the last scared straggler to return was my sons Polish on Monday evening right before bedtime!

 

[ChickaD]

Thanks for all the good advice and sharing your experiences, good and bad. We have a lot to mull over, especially on how to get a dog (or puppy) again, and it sounds like one is needed...our big, varied yard isn't fenced in (includes a brook, part of a marsh, etc.) and really isn't about to be, which seems to present a huge problem for getting a Livestock Guardian Dog, don't you think?

Your suggestions are really appreciated!

 

[CMV]

I don't use traditional fencing because of the same reasons- varied terrain, wetlands, rocky soil... I do use portable electric fencing on solar chargers to contain various animals to their spaces. I have 2 dogs- one of which would never dream of leaving the property. She was tied to a run as a pup, but grew into a dog who never wanders. She was trained by my old wolf-hybrid, who was the absolute best teacher, to stick around. She is now training our younger dog to stay put as well, but he's still young and likes to visit the neighbors occasionally. I wouldn't veto the idea of a dog just because you don't have fences. Just work with the dog to keep it home. Dogs are a great deterrent for a variety of predators if you get a good one and train it well.

 

[Mom2Cool]

Quote:
ChickaD I agree & like the idea of the Guardian Dog & I think they have them where they come trained to just know the how & what to do. I think initially you'd want to aquaint it to your live stock etc but I imagine they'd come with direction from the breeder/trainer. In the mean time I agree with the thought of the portable electric fence. I would do a small enclosure with 2 or 3 strans of while tape around it. It'll be an inexpensive answer to security until you've got a dog there.

 

[ChickaD]

Yeah, the portable electric fence is something we'll have to look into - it's the first time I've heard of it. I'm curious how the chickens within the fenced area can get back to the coop's nesting boxes as needed for laying eggs - ours seem to pooh-pooh any hint of a regular time for egg laying!

 

[Mom2Cool]

Well mine all free range my back yard which is fenced. But within that fenced in area (that's like a 1/3 of an acre) I have the enclosed area that's off the coop. I had put that up initially for the chickens when they were chicks so that they could be outside & not all over the yard &/or it was easier to train them to go in. So the coop opens right up to it. We have issues here with black bears & the electric fence has worked well with them. So at the time we were figuring the electric fence thing out & we had a lot of clearing to do around the split rail & so that's when hubby put up a smaller version of it going right around the coop & enclosure to just give protection till we got the yard fence done. We've kept it there as an extra layer of protection at night & it is *great*. Hubby used left over split rail posts but just the poles that stick in the ground will work for the time being & when you're there you can turn it on & off. I've got a wood gate that opens up to the coop & that's why he's used them. It's hard to undertand it till you've got it there & then it'll be so simple & so *effective* you'll wonder why it took so long to do it. The thing has stopped dogs in their tracts & they'll touch that tape but once & it won't happen again, well actually a tail brushed it here while in play twice & that was certainly the last time... LOL We've all accidentally touched it at least once & it won't require a hospital visit but it will pack a wallup! My golden retrievers will trot out there & then if they realize they're close they'll go wide eyed & jump like somethings after them... LOL It'll just give you a bit of peace of mind while you're figuring things out, so you're not feeling like you can't leave the yard at all. I know the feeling well believe me.