I'm afraid I'm about to have a predator problem...ideas?

[Mattemma]

Give the dog owners a cheap pound of hot pepper flakes to sprinkle where the dogs are digging.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Quote:
You're right, the fact that her chicken flying over the fence tipped their dogs off to the fact that there is something much more exciting on the other side, therefore provoking them to dig when they previously had no interest, is not an excuse for them to do nothing to try to prevent their dogs from leaving their yard. However, that doesn't quite seem to be the case here.

Weeeeelll, now their dogs are showing a lot of interest in digging under the shared fence and their owner thinks a few bricks will stop them.....

The neighbors are trying to prevent their dogs from digging into the OP's yard. She's just concerned (and rightly so) that what they are doing is not going to be adequate.

To complicate matters, they have a newborn baby so the dogs are being supervised less than they used to be

This, in addition to possibly a lack of experience, does complicate things. Having just been there, done that myself (my dogs' physical needs are met, but their exercise/socialization needs have been sadly neglected for the past 9 months since our son was born) I know that these neighbors may not have the time or even quite enough cognition to realize that a few bricks along the bottom of the fence aren't going to stop determined dogs from digging under the fence or to do more right now. That doesn't make it any less their responsibility, but it does mean that I would handle the situation differently than if they didn't have a newborn. I would recommend mentioning your specific concern about their preventative measures. Tell them exactly what a determined dog (particularly a bored one that is also stressed by the major upheaval of a new baby) can dig under to clearly illustrate that a few bricks aren't going to be adequate to keep their dogs away from your chickens. Given that they have less time with a new baby, I would suggest a specific solution (such as burying wire) to them and offer to come over and help them implement it. Yes, it's more work on your part, but if their dogs had no interest in digging under the fence before your bird flew into their yard you can't pretend that this problem isn't partially your fault (again, that doesn't excuse the neighbors from their responsibility to keep their dogs in their yard, nor does it preclude your right to protect your chickens with lethal force if you feel it's absolutely necessary).

My chicken flies out of my yard and gets killed. Their dog gets out of their yard and gets killed. EXACT same scenario. Fair is fair.

Sorry, but we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. Even if we don't consider that their dogs wouldn't be trying to get into your yard had your chick not provoked them by going into theirs first, the dogs were acting on instinct, whereas the decision to shoot them would be a carefully thought out logical choice on your part. Not "exactly" the same scenario at all. That said, it IS your right to shoot them if they are killing your chickens. But I think your neighbors have a RIGHT to know that you WILL shoot their dogs if you catch them killing your chickens so that they know how important it is for them to beef up their security to keep their dogs in their yard. Right now, they probably figure that if their dogs do manage to dig into your yard they will simply have to replace/pay for any chickens they kill and any damages done. They probably don't realize that you intend to kill their dog. If you want to make it sound like less of a threat, put it forth as a general "I don't want to shoot your dogs but I won't stop to check ID before killing a dog that I find killing my chickens." Either way, you NEED to make it crystal clear what will happen to their dogs if they kill your birds on your property.​

 

[Dogfish]

Build a secure coop and run and you shouldn't have any problem.

 

[nightcap]

See if you can get the owner of the dogs to put in one of those invisible fences and shock collars. That would keep their yard nice and the dogs away from the fence all together.