Flock massacre, what now......

[RedShuffler]

I lost 17 hens and pullets today to dogs, my girls free-range. I'm pretty deflated right now but not defeated, I had 16 laying hens (HyLine Browns and Production Reds), 6 of those are gone and I'll probably lose a couple more. I had 34 pullets that just turned 3 months old last Wednesday and 11 are gone with two of the remaining girls being "iffy". That leaves me with 33 and likely 29 before this is over.

These girls were ranging together but cooping in different coops, for the most part hens eating layer pellets and pullets eating starter/grower; they each ate some from the other coop during the day, but everyone is happy and healthy. I know the pecking order will be upset and they're all licking wounds right now to boot. I want to get replacements started ASAP, the only way to do that is integrate what's left to one coop and start new chicks on the other side. What would be the best solution for feeding until the chicks are ready for the calcium in layer feed? Just feed everyone starter/grower until they're all ready for layer and keep free range oyster shell out?

I think the pecking order would work itself out in short order really, they have already been around each other all day for weeks only splitting up at night to roost. I want the feed issue resolved before I integrate and I don't want to wait two months to start on my replacements.

 

[Mace Gill]

Thanks MG, I'm kicking myself in the ass over the dogs....I ran them off Saturday against my better judgment, shoulda killed them then. My policy forward is ANY dog on my place that ain't mine gets killed.

I'm not about killing any animal for no good reason, but I consider the decimation of my flock to be a darn good reason! Who the heck's dogs are they? Why are their owners controlling their animals? If one of your he s strayed off of your property, well that's your problem. Other peoples' animals wandering onto YOUR property and destroying YOUR livestock is not okay!

 

[spiritbrook]

When I ran sled dogs (very hard on livestock if they get loose) I went around to the neighbors and introduced myself and asked if they saw a dog they thought was mine in the stock please come get me. If I couldn't call them in I'd shoot them myself. I was on the Army high power team at the time and I knew my dogs wouldn't suffer. It always irritates me when folks don't take care of dogs.

You might consider geese, pea fowl, or guinea fowl. If I was going for a stock dog I would go for a traditional one like Akbash or Anatolian. They have rescue organizations for most of those and are willing to place a dog who will do their job (or did last time I checked)

 

[Mace Gill]

I'd say on the day you integrate, let the feed be 50/50 and as you refill, reduce the amount of starter/grower. At three months you'd want to get the pullets on the layer in about a month anyway and the bit of one feed or the other in each others' diets is not going to kill anyone. A little extra protein might be good for the injured and nervous hens now anyway.

Beyond that, shoot the dogs, get a couple of aggressive roos (no, they won't win against the dogs, but will be an early warning system for you and they'd put themselves in harms way which could save a few more hens) or even get a herding breed of dog yourself!

 

[RedShuffler]

Don't know who owns them, it's pretty remote here. I'm on 6 acres myself......I've never had anything good come out of a stray dog. I don't like to kill animals willy-nilly either, that's why I ran them off........but I have free-range birds and have to consider any animal a threat to them at this point.

 

[RedShuffler]

Thanks MG, I'm kicking myself in the ass over the dogs....I ran them off Saturday against my better judgment, shoulda killed them then. My policy forward is ANY dog on my place that ain't mine gets killed.

 

[TominWa]

I couldn't agree more with Mace up above. You need a good dog, perhaps two. And I would bet there is one older dog sitting in a shelter near you right now wishing it had a home. One good German Shepard or Rott will take care of this problem fast. Not all older dogs would be a good fit, you will find any shelter will work with you.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Sorry you lost so many of your birds. I had three dogs that kept hitting my place, and i finally got rid of them but it took me a year! They were very sneaky
. They will not kill any more birds.

 

[Mace Gill]

I couldn't agree more with Mace up above. You need a good dog, perhaps two. And I would bet there is one older dog sitting in a shelter near you right now wishing it had a home. One good German Shepard or Rott will take care of this problem fast. Not all older dogs would be a good fit, you will find any shelter will work with you.

I'd say an Australian Shepherd ... might stand toe to toe with other dogs, might not ... but would certainly herd those chickens away from danger

 

[3riverschick]

Where are you Redshuffler?
Karen