I let my girls free range yesterday & when I was inside eating my supper, the neighors mutts decided to have supper too. I went outside after supper & the pug was chasing them so I ran him off. I noticed my blue Ameraucana pullet was laying in the driveway dead. I counted & found 1 more missing. As I was looking for it, my neighbor, who is a lady that lives alone next door came carrying a towel with my EE pullet wrapped up in it. She said her dogs were going to kill it & asked what I thought it was! I told her it was one of my chickens. Her terrior mutt had chased it over into my neighbors yard & both dogs were terrorizing her. She said she would have never guessed that it was a chicken & was sorry. She apologized& asked if I could teach her dogs to not bother my chickens since my German Shepherd doesn't bother them. I said I would try. I don't want to kill her dogs. The EE is in a box with some straw in the barn. She was still sitting there resting this morning when I went to work this morning. She is sore & has a little blood around her vent . I hope she will be ok. My girls are only 9 weeks old & this is the first incident with predators. I just got into the chicken thing in September. I had 10 of them, now down to 9 with 1 injured.
I'm very sorry to hear about your girls! I hope that your EE will make it. I unfortunately lost 4 to my neighbors dog this past month too. Very similar situation, I was home at the time and came outside to feathers and chaos. I wish I had some advise to give, but I'll cross my fingers for you and your girl!
I like to let them out of their run but I guess I learned a lesson. I have an 85 x 45 area attached to the run with a 4ft fence on 3 sides that I am clearing out before I put the last run of fence up. I am hoping that this will let them free range without the dogs being able to get at them. I just couldn't wait to let them out untill it was finished. Looks like I will be finishing that job to keep other peoples dogs away from my chickens. I wouldn't be so kind to other dogs from down the road but this lady lives alone with her dogs & is real nice. I even know & like her dogs (Nelson & Smokey) so I am hoping this isn't a recurring event. I want to buy more chicks but I don't want to be set back on getting my first egg!
I got home from work, went out to the barn to check on her & she didn't make it. That's 2 of my 10 dead because of 1 little mutt.
Sorry to hear about your loss. I've had chickens for over a year, my dogs for over five years. Last week they decided to attack my young flock of layers. They killed 3 and wounded 1 out of the 12 young layers. They have been around chickens alot over the last year. I've always let my chickens free range all over the yard with the dogs outside and never once did they go after them. I have been keeping them inside their coop for the last week because their outside pen doesnt have a cover over the top and the sides are only 4 feet tall. I've caught them sniffing around the coop a couple of times since the attack. I'm not sure how to fix this problem short of getting rid of the dogs which I can't do because they are the children's pets.
Oh, so sorry your chicken didn't make it. You certainly are a more patient neighbor than I would be. I have no patience with people who let their dogs run loose onto other people's property anyway. Connie
Well it sounds like you have a plan to make it not happen again. The only thing thing worse than a neighbors dog eating your birds is your own. (My dog killed 6 of mine because I forgot to latch the gate when I went inside to eat.... ) Remember if they are going to be in an uncovered 4 ft. fence, then they need their wings clipped, or they will go right over the top.
