Getting sick of dogs killing my chickens

[bobbi-j]

I agree with most of what you say, but not the idea for the birdshot. Most law enforcement will tell you if you are going to shoot an animal, shoot to kill. Shooting to hurt or maim can be considered animal cruelty. Just my $.02.

@Chicken Keith I am sorry for your loss

and you have a lot of options mentioned here that you can explore. I hope you find a solution that works for you soon.

I agree - either shoot to kill, or don't shoot at all. I think a person would get in more trouble for animal cruelty charges than for protecting their livestock. Especially if the culprits are repeat offenders.

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

I agree with u only if it is reapeted culprit though

 

[centrarchid]

Sorry for your frustrating losses. It sounds like it's time to beef up your security. You're right, you shouldn't "have to" keep other peoples' dogs fenced out of your property, but as a chicken keeper, it is your responsibility to keep them safe. That might mean a sturdy run for them for a while until the dog problem is resolved. I'm not sure why the electric poultry netting didn't work (it should have), but if it were my flock, I'd have them in a very secure run, with strands of electric around the run. I'd have that hotwire starting about 4" off the ground, and then  go up another 4" for several strands. As far as the dogs - you have no idea if it was the same two or not, so not much you can do about that. A game cam would have given you some needed evidence there. You can get a "chicken loving dog that hates other dogs", but how much can you afford in vet expenses if that dog gets torn up by a couple of strays? Pretty sure that would be spendy, too. 

The electrified poultry netting is a very effective detourant but us not dog proof. It has to be hot. It may not stop a sufficiently motivated dog like man can become when a raccoon is corner close by on other side. Some dogs can learn how to jump such a fence which is something I exploit.


The poultry netting or any fencing for that matter can be rendered much more effective if hotwire is offset 6 inches to a foot from them more physical fence on the side the dog approaches from. Dog will then get zapped while probing perimeter. The probing then stops as dog cannot keep mind on trying to defeat the main fence.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I know you are in Northern Alabama but electric netting is no good in snow. A wet snow shorts it out. A dry snow will insulate the animal from the ground so the circuit is not completed.

 

[centrarchid]

If predator has expereinced shock and cannot determine if fence is hot or not then it generally will not challenge fence if it is standing. I get protection even with snow because predators have already learned to avoid it.

 

[poorfarm]

If it gets to the point that you have to shoot a dog, you are best off to follow the 3S rule, shoot, shovel, and shut up. Anything else will get you involved in lawsuits, vendettas, vet bills, and too much grief. My neighbor back on the farm interrupted 2 Rottweilers eating his purebred breeding boar alive, inside his barn, inside the pen. He shot and killed them but was foolish enough to tell their owner. And in that state/area it is legal to kill a dog that is "harassing livestock". Long story short, although the dog owner did not win the lawsuit, my neighbor spent several thousand dollars in lawyer bills. When I've had to shoot a dog, and I've always tried to catch them and turn them over to the dog warden first, I've taken off any collar and tags and gotten rid of them and buried the bodies deep.

 

[jak2002003]

Make a new coop.. concrete base and metal sheeting around the bottom. then strong wire mesh.

Dogs won't be able to get into that.

I had the same problem.. packs of dogs coming onto my land at night and killing my guinea fowl... then actually working together to rip the wire mesh from the coop and rip the door off!!

They would grown at me and look really scary when I went out to chase them off.

In the end I re built my coop stronger and have had no more problems.. The dogs gave up after they realised it was imposable for them to get the chickens.

I let the chickens free range in the day... when I am at home. But the dogs don't come them.. they liked the security of the dark at 2.am to attack.

 

[centrarchid]

If it gets to the point that you have to shoot a dog, you are best off to follow the 3S rule, shoot, shovel, and shut up.  Anything else will get you involved in lawsuits, vendettas, vet bills, and too much grief.  My neighbor back on the farm interrupted 2 Rottweilers eating his purebred breeding boar alive, inside his barn, inside the pen.  He shot and killed them but was foolish enough to tell their owner.  And in that state/area it is legal to kill a dog that is "harassing livestock".  Long story short, although the dog owner did not win the lawsuit, my neighbor spent several thousand dollars in lawyer bills.  When I've had to shoot a dog, and I've always tried to catch them and turn them over to the dog warden first, I've taken off any collar and tags and gotten rid of them and buried the bodies deep.

What state is that? Must be more to the story than that.

 

[poorfarm]

That was in Ohio, and the only story was that I had 2 huskies get inside the electric high-tensile fence after my sheep, the mastiff chased them off, and I called the dog warden. He told me to shoot them. With other, less aggressive dogs, he brought out a very large live trap and baited it with canned dog food, OUTSIDE the fence. When he caught the dogs and the owners bailed them out, he would ask them if they knew where their dog had been found (and how far away from home), and tell them that "the farmer" (because he was careful not to give exact location or property owner's name to prevent starting any feuding) "would have been legally justified in shooting your dog".

I only ever shot a dog as a last resort, it literally makes me ill. The huskies came back and were actually inside the barn, and the only reason(s) they hadn't gotten to the sheep were the mastiff and the horse, who had a thing about stray dogs. Both of those animals were between the huskies and the sheep. The huskies had collars but no tags.

 

[centrarchid]

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/955.28