Hunting dogs keep attacking my birds

[Sir Sacabambaspis]

Unfortunately over the past 3 years I've had a least one hunting dog within the valley I live in, attack my birds. My rule is kill on sight, and I genuinely don't care what others have to say on it, but that's my rule of these kinds of things.

Unfortunately I had pair of dogs attack one of my flocks and they killed all my baby guineas, my phoenix rooster, and brutally injured a few other birds. They had ripped through a part of my fence I had restored from when I had a badger problem and made there way in and out several times. My own dogs are actually what alerted a well trusted neighbor of mine and they called my parents since I was an hour away. The two dogs were shot, and they had no collars, nothing. They were buried after the dead birds were.

Unfortunately my elderly Lilith (the last remaining bird from my first ever flock) died just a few hours ago over night due to injuries.

I'm honestly really unhappy with these reoccurring events. I want to find a way to keep other peoples dogs out FOR GOOD. I don't want to shoot them, and I want my birds to be safe. Fixing fences is getting expensive, and I'm stressed out this entire time of year as it's hunting season in my region of Italy this time of year. I want to know what others more experienced than me have done to solve this problem. My own dogs will protect my birds but aren't trustworthy around them unattended so keeping them together is a no go. Any advice is very appreciated. I don't want hate for killing the dogs, if you don't like it I don't care, it was done as an immediate stop to the situation.

 

[Sir Sacabambaspis]

Hunting dogs will get loose all the time in my valley as well, but especially in fall and winter

 

[SourRoses]

Electric fence?

No need to be defensive, people here understand defending one's own animals.
In conversations like these, most people say either "I would too" or "I try to handle it non-lethally if I can". No judgement.

Another possibility is a double fence. The inner fence keeps the chickens separate from your own dogs. The outer lets your dogs run all the way around them so they can ward off any attack. And it has a deterrence factor for many predators when they see the expanse of bare ground they have to cover between the chicken fence and escape (keep it mowed).

 

[Sir Sacabambaspis]

Electric fence?

I'm going to definitely look into doing that! I think I did in the past and never really found anything in Europe but maybe I could get something shipped over from the states

No need to be defensive, people here understand defending one's own animals.
In conversations like these, most people say either "I would too" or "I try to handle it non-lethally if I can". No judgement.

Sorry, I've just had a lot of people at my throat about it in the past

Another possibility is a double fence. The inner fence keeps the chickens separate from your own dogs. The outer lets your dogs run all the way around them so they can ward off any attack. And it has a deterrence factor for many predators when they see the expanse of bare ground they have to cover between the chicken fence and escape (keep it mowed).

That's also a pretty good idea! I do have a double fence on 2/4 of the chicken and the other 2/4 has a 2/ 1/2 meters drop with a concrete wall. The only problem is that hunting dogs will hop/climb the outer fence

 

[Debbie292d]

The only problem is that hunting dogs will hop/climb the outer fence

That's horrible those dogs will do that. I absolutely would do the same thing as you in that case.

I really agree with the electric fence idea though. Especially since you can't watch 24/7, the fence works 24/7. They take a zap is better than a shot, and they most likely wouldn't be back again.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I'm so sorry for your losses, that's horrible. I sincerely hope you find something that works. I really like the idea of an electric fence. Please keep us posted, let us know what works for you.

 

[Sir Sacabambaspis]

That's horrible those dogs will do that. I absolutely would do the same thing as you in that case.

Thanks, almost all the hunting dogs here are massive bird killers as they're bred to hunt ducks and especially pheasants so they'll kill chickens on sight

I really agree with the electric fence idea though. Especially since you can't watch 24/7, the fence works 24/7. They take a zap is better than a shot, and they most likely wouldn't be back again.

I'm so sorry for your losses, that's horrible. I sincerely hope you find something that works. I really like the idea of an electric fence. Please keep us posted, let us know what works for you.

I'm really hopeful I can find something that'll work, unfortunately all I seem to find are fences in the USA. I'll see about shipping something over if I can't find anything

 

[Debbie292d]

Thanks, almost all the hunting dogs here are massive bird killers as they're bred to hunt ducks and especially pheasants so they'll kill chickens on sight


I'm really hopeful I can find something that'll work, unfortunately all I seem to find are fences in the USA. I'll see about shipping something over if I can't find anything

I don't suppose you have a Home Depot there. That's where we got our solar electric fence for the bee hives.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thanks, almost all the hunting dogs here are massive bird killers as they're bred to hunt ducks and especially pheasants so they'll kill chickens on sight

This seems so different from what we expect of our bird dogs here. A good hunting dog would never maul or tear a bird! Instead it would swim out to the fallen bird, gently pick it up and deliver it unharmed to the hand of its handler. A good bird hunting dog has what's called a "soft mouth." I don't hunt but years ago a friend of my son's wanted to borrow my Golden to retrieve ducks. I spent a couple of weeks teaching him to pick up and retrieve some of my live pigeons. He never harmed one. Unfortunately, he was frightened by the sounds of the guns so the outing came to nothing.

 

[Folly's place]

I also don't know what's available in Italy or nearby, but check with livestock sites, ask people having cattle, or your university or livestock clubs. Electric fencing is so practical, it seems there will be sources somewhere.
Mary