I lost so many today

[aggie2013]

I'm in shock.

I came home from work and my boyfriend sat me down. At noon today two neighborhood dogs broke into my pens. They killed almost my whole laying flock. I lost 15 birds altogether. They were so tame and lovable. They were my first to ever raise. 3 of them were my neighbors that were given to me to get me started. The only thing that kept my show birds safe was the hog paneling they had.
I knew my fence wasn't the best but I never expected this to happen.

 

[henny1129]

I'm so sorry! That's awful!

 

[bobbi-j]

So sorry! The first thing I would do is call Animal Control, or whatever thing you have that resembles that and file a report. I would have taken pictures of the damage (and the dogs in action if I could have.) Do you know the neighbors? I'd go have a talk with them, giving them a bill for the replacement costs of your hens. I wouldn't suggest threatening to shoot the dogs or any such thing, mainly because if something did happen to those dogs, you'd be the first one the neighbors would be looking at and accusing. You don't need that. If these dogs are usually contained and not a problem, I wouldn't do any more than that. If they are a regular nuisance around the neighborhood I'd be tempted to call AC every time I saw them running loose. (Or implement SSS the next time they showed up at my house if you live in an area where you can get by with that.)

 

[aggie2013]

So sorry! The first thing I would do is call Animal Control, or whatever thing you have that resembles that and file a report. I would have taken pictures of the damage (and the dogs in action if I could have.) Do you know the neighbors? I'd go have a talk with them, giving them a bill for the replacement costs of your hens. I wouldn't suggest threatening to shoot the dogs or any such thing, mainly because if something did happen to those dogs, you'd be the first one the neighbors would be looking at and accusing. You don't need that. If these dogs are usually contained and not a problem, I wouldn't do any more than that. If they are a regular nuisance around the neighborhood I'd be tempted to call AC every time I saw them running loose. (Or implement SSS the next time they showed up at my house if you live in an area where you can get by with that.)

We have pictures of them in the pens. Not necessarily of the bodies. We have filed a report/complaint. I do know all my neighbors dogs and I don't recognize these ones. What is SSS?

 

[bobbi-j]

We have pictures of them in the pens. Not necessarily of the bodies. We have filed a report/complaint. I do know all my neighbors dogs and I don't recognize these ones. What is SSS?

Shoot, Shovel and Shut up. (As in, don't tell a soul) Glad you have pictures of them in the pens. That's a good start. Do they have collars? Could they have been dumped?

 

[Folly's place]

So sorry for your losses, that's so very sad. Mary

 

[aggie2013]

Shoot, Shovel  and Shut up. (As in, don't tell a soul) Glad you have pictures of them in the pens.  That's a good start. Do they have collars? Could they have been dumped?

My other chicken owning neighbor almost had a problem with them too. They tried to get into her yard before mine. She didn't know they'd head to mine next. They aren't strays or dumped. We've seen them around the opposite side of town before. (It's a town of 500 people) so everyone knows everyone.
A friend who helped pick up the bodies before I could see them took pictures of all the carnage. A neighbor got a photo of them in the pen and we have a comparison photo of afterwards with the bodies. It's hard to tell if they have collars though.

 

[BunnynChicks]

Quote: OH I am soo sorry.

 

[Teila]

Oh No, aggie2013 I am so very sorry to hear that.

That is my worse nightmare. It is bad enough that we lose them to illness or disease but to suffer such loss in such a way is heartbreaking

 

[Howard E]

Sorry to hear about this. Losing birds for any reason is bad enough, but losing them like this is sickening.

Too late to help the birds you lost, but you can do something about any birds that remain, or new birds you will get to replace these. An electric fence. They are not difficult to install and are highly effective. Video below is a good example of what is needed, how to do it and if you stick with it to the end, how a fence works. Imagine yourself, or better yet, a dog or other varmint taking his place. Not many animals come back for a second dose:

I'm sure you will also get suggestions to shoot these dogs and it is understandable to think that way and to even want to do it. But that is after the fact.

If a person has a fence like this up, it may save the birds and prevent having to go on a bad dog hunt......again after the fact. I"m suggesting this not only for Aggie, but for anyone else with birds who would like to prevent this type of fate for their own birds. Dogs and other predators can be shot, but are easily replaced by more dogs and other or different predators. Electric fences work and repel most of them. Shooting is a short term solution to a long term problem. A really hot electric fence is the long term solution.