Have you given up your flock because of neighborhood predators?

[The Moonshiner]

2 chickens are not livestock period.

Our legal definition of livestock includes poultry here so according to our laws they are livestock.
And I know places around here that are zoned for no livestock sure consider a chicken livestock.

 

[centrarchid]

Regardless of legality, or acknowledging what you do to dog offending dog owner, the shooting of dog is an ongoing effort that creates additional strife and is a reaction to you already loosing stock. Investing more in better fencing and pens is closer to a terminal effort where you largely get work done at one time and it is a more broadly preventative approach to stock loss.

The act of killing dog and resources, if you already have them are cheap. The exception is the time investment. Last dog I killed maybe cost $0.15 to actually kill. Several dog visits and time out of my schedule required to get it. Then I had carcass to deal with. Real cost was a lot more than $0.15 plus it did little protect chickens in the future. Developing a reputation for killing dogs which contradicts SSS was more impactful but also socially costly. Having a reputation for being the neighborhood butthole is not something to brag about.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

'Butthole' is a good way to describe people who let killing machines run loose.

 

[petunialuvur]

All you can hope for is the dog owner is co-operative. In my case they denied the dog belonged to them. We both knew it was their dog. By claiming it was a stray they avoid any financial responsibility. It was concern for the rest of the neighborhood flocks as well as their dog that prompted me to talk to them. The egg money helps keep everybody healthy and happy but that's not why we do it. We do it because our feather babies are just so darn cute and we love them. I have fur babies and they prefer to camp on my sofa, but they have a half acre fenced kingdom to keep them out of trouble. You have to consider the safety of other family members over-reacting can result in an endless cycle of retaliation.

 

[abraga]

We are on our second year of having backyard poultry. We started with a few ducks last year and got a few chickens this year. We had our third incident with neighborhood dogs today. The first time, we talked to the owner and haven't had a problem since. The last couple of times, it was different dogs/owners (same for those incidents). We talked politely to them, too, but it would appear that didn't do any good. Has anyone else given up on raising their flocks? I'm almost ready to. I've fallen in love with my birds, so they are like pets to me.

At one time, i had chickens, ducks, horses and pygmy goats...and a small child. I had a neighbor who let his bulldog mixes run loose. They were a problem.i tried the nice thing..2nd time i told them I would have no choice but to call animal control..and i did. It is the owners responsibility to control thier animals. I explain to them my pets r important to us and not to mention time and money. I put it on them and tell them straight up if thier pets come on to my property I will have no choice but to call animal control and take them to court to recover my investment. I refuse to a victim due to ignorant and irrisponsible dog owners. They need 2 b accountable. If thier pets will attacks ur animals, they r also likely to attack CHILDREN. I fenced in my property and hotwired it. Fence in your poultry...dont let those buttholes get away with irresponsible dog ownership..

 

[bajabirdbrain]

At one time, i had chickens, ducks, horses and pygmy goats...and a small child. I had a neighbor who let his bulldog mixes run loose. They were a problem.i tried the nice thing..2nd time i told them I would have no choice but to call animal control..and i did. It is the owners responsibility

This is a reasonable way to handle a serious problem. I just have difficulty accepting that I have to go to the trouble and expense to fence off MY property to keep irresponsible neighbor's animals away. I, too have called animal control and so far no further trespassing, BUT, we don't let our guard down and IF any of girls are hurt/killed there will be consequences. The loss of money is the least of our concerns, this is a family matter!

 

[wolf15]

This is a reasonable way to handle a serious problem. I just have difficulty accepting that I have to go to the trouble and expense to fence off MY property to keep irresponsible neighbor's animals away. I, too have called animal control and so far no further trespassing, BUT, we don't let our guard down and IF any of girls are hurt/killed there will be consequences. The loss of money is the least of our concerns, this is a family matter!

I agree. I don't feel like I should have to invest extra money to fence in my yard. We have a pretty small yard as it is, but it would also make our yard a bit smaller. And, somehow, we manage to keep our pets on our own property.

 

[AquaDuck]

I didn't read every page here, but I had a thought. You say you don't want an electric fence because of your children (understandably, I'm terrified of electricity, and I'm an adult. lol! ). And that you have already fenced in the area of the animals.
Can you put an electric fence on the OUTSIDE of the another fence? Get a cheap sheep wire fencing with poles around your entire yard, and then put electric wires going on the outside of those poles? That'll keep both you, kids and animals safe from the el, and will only be shocking to the dogs.
Yeah it's an economical expense, but compared to the mental stress of dealing directly with those a**holes regularly, I at least would have taken the blow.

It really sucks you have this problem. Some dog owners are so irresponsible.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

We are on our second year of having backyard poultry. We started with a few ducks last year and got a few chickens this year. We had our third incident with neighborhood dogs today. The first time, we talked to the owner and haven't had a problem since. The last couple of times, it was different dogs/owners (same for those incidents). We talked politely to them, too, but it would appear that didn't do any good. Has anyone else given up on raising their flocks? I'm almost ready to. I've fallen in love with my birds, so they are like pets to me.

A quick call to your Counties Animal Control. They will loan you traps as well. And a big fat whopping fine to the dog owner may teach a valuable lesson of being more responsible and respectful to his neighbors.
Free range dogs is a pet peave of mine. I am a responsible dog owner. I keep my behind a fence.
Ask Animal control for a trap. It is free here. Trap it and they come and haul it off. If the owner wants it back.. $$$$$. Even if he doesn't.. $$$$$.

 

[animals1981]

no never not with my monster dogs