Irresponsible dog owners=dead chickens

[Charrisse]

I Am so very very sorry for your loss. It truely makes a lump in my throat. I've had that nightmare wake me and send me running to check the girls countless times. I let my 9 week olds free range while I'm home. Mg husband just set the timbers for the fencing and hopefullywe will complete it this week. I'm terrified of dogs getti.g them. We have two random dogs that will visit once every few months and the (insert expletiveshere) lady up the road who allows some other neighboring rot to walk with her unleashedon her walks.. I bought a .22 and a .38 . I've talked to the local police AMD they tolde if the dogs set paw on the property.. shoot to kill.
I digress.. but I really did wish to offer my condolences.. big hugs

 

[blitz1027]

We actually caught the dog that killed all of my birds. We first asked all the neighbors if it was they're dog but it wasn't. The we tried to take it to the pound and they wouldn't take it. What is the point of having animal control when they won't take strays that are causing problems for the people that pay the taxes that pays them?

 

[Snowygirl]

I'm so sorry for your losses!!!

 

[Mattemma]

Sorry for your loss.SSS.Don't go at them with a pellet gun or pepper sprays.That will just get YOU fined.Just remove the problem.Roaming dogs disappear all the time.

 

[RaeRae2]

So sorry to read about your chickens. That had to be horrible

We spent over $400 on a used chain link kennel for our dogs after one of them killed 3 of the neighbor's chickens. I have chickens obviously and the dog never harmed any of mine. But one night we were outside working on the new chicken run, and the dog was laying right there with us the whole time, and then he was gone. Just disapeared! We called and called him, we walked the property, we look everywhere. We could NOT find that dog.

Then all of a sudden someone drove in the driveway with the dog running beside his car. He was furious and said the dog killed 3 of his chickens, ripped into his duck pen, and was going after his Golden Retriever puppy. He said that if he had gotten hold of the puppy, he would have killed it. He said he actually didn't care about the chickens, they're just pains in the @ss anyway, and his wife lets them free range with no coop or no run. But it was his puppy he was terrified for.

The next day I spent hours on Craigslist looking for a suitable run. It is 11x17 feet, and all 3 dogs can stay in it every minute that they're not on a cable, or in the house. NONE of them get any freedom to hang out with us at the barn any more.

I feel so horrible that it happened, but I wouldn't call myself irresponsible. The dog did something very unexpected, and uncharacteristic. He is part Lab and he's just a big dumb teddy bear that loves to hang out with me while I do stuff around the farm. He is (was!) constantly by my side, and was the perfect companion dog. But he did that and now he's locked up. PERIOD.

When we have animals, things just happen. Particularly with dogs who are natural born predators. They have a prey drive and they are roamers and migrators by nature. I learned to never trust ANY dog, regardless of how well trained and gentle they are. ALL animals are unpredictable, and especially predators are.

 

[nick7764]

So sorry for your loss! Thats one of the things I'm afraid of when I get chickens this summer.... I have to say, stuff like that is what gives dogs a bad name! It always amazes me how irrisponsible some dog owners can be. I say some, because there are also plenty of good ones (I have 2 dogs myself), but all it takes is one to do such damage . We have a neighbor who's dog is constantly let loose, which is dangerous both for the dog and other neighbors/animals! I just hope the fence I put up this summer will be enough to keep them out...

 

[RedDrgn]

Dogs usually do just that; play and don't even eat. Chickens are just noisy fun toys to them, and unless they were raised with chickens and trained to be around chickens, they simply don't know any better. Now, the idiot owners on the other hand....

I'm very sorry you all had to go through this. I hope that you can find out whose dog(s) it was and at least get some compensation for it; perhaps start a new flock. Unfortunately, I fear that I may find myself making a post like this some day. Despite our dog-proof run and coop, we do let our flock free range. We don't even let them free range unsupervised (my DH and/or I are always out with them), and we've still had four close encounters with dogs; two within the past two weeks. We can't fence in our yard because it's 2/3 of an acre with a stream splitting it in half - way too expensive for us to do at this time. So all of the dog threats were idiot neighbor's dogs running loose. In one neighbor's defense, the dogs had actually dug out and were not supposed to be out. It was a complete accident. The other three times have been with a medium sized ******* who I've run off with a stick each time while it barked, snapped, and growled at ME on MY property. This is a dog that is left to roam completely free during all daylight hours and with no supervision from the owner (who is almost never home).

We added a rooster to our flock a month ago because of this crap. He gives a clear warning, gets the girls behind him, and has given the dogs pause long enough so far for my DH or I to interject ourselves between him and the threat and then run them off. I can't WAIT until his spurs come in. I may help him out by sharpening with a file now and again, because I'd love to see him nail an errant mutt in the nose some time....but I digress.

This isn't a new situation. People have always been that irresponsible and careless. If it doesn't adversely affect them, why should they bother? That seems to be the attitude of some of these people. I would suggest, as I have done, calling your local law enforcement. Explain your situation and ask them what you are within your rights to do in such a situation. Then follow through, as necessary.

 

[Oregon Blues]

I agree that people should keep their dogs and their cats home.

But there is always someone who won't be responsible.

I've learned, over the years, to keep my poultry behind a fence that stray dogs can't breach. I keep my own dogs behind a fence that they can not escape from. Problem solved.

If anyone allows their dogs to run, they can't get my birds or my dogs. Leave them out more than a day or two and the local coyotes take care of the problem for me. There is a different problem around here, though. I am on the road to the BLM and people ride their horses or ATV's with their dogs running along with them, and they all allow their dogs to travel through every yard they pass, running up onto people's front decks, pooping all over, hunting, chasing cats, killing and harassing livestock. All while the owner is close by and ignoring their dog.