:( Just joined and now tragedy

[SpottedCrow]

Oh that just sucks!!!
I'm so sorry for the loss of Dottie...
If you know who owns the little chicken killing anklebiters send them photgraphs of the damage that they caused and a picture of your now dead baby. And let the local constabulary know also, especially if there's a leash law in your community. They can be ticketed for a loose dog and for the harrassing livestock.
I have to keep my chickens inside my fence, but it's okay for the neighbour's dog to roam even though there's a leash law...Don't let me get started on that!
MinPins are notorious for digging out...I have one behind me.

 

[shemarie]

Thanks so much for all the comments...somehow they do make you feel better. I did go talk to the owner and he was very very apologetic. He has promised to contain them and not let them just roam the neighborhood. So we will see....In the mean time I am going to try to come up with a way to keep the others safe. But I do know if I catch them in my yard again..they won't be going home on their own.
The electric fence sounds like a pretty good idea...I may have to look into that one.

 

[Verlin]

I'm so sorry shemarie. As one the many who have lost their very much loved little chicks & wept profusely over them, I can truly say I understand completely. I lost four this past year & it sent me into a fairly serious depression for a while, but I finally got myself back on track remembering that we, along with all our pets, are only here on a trial basis & I firmly believe that how we care for, love & sorrow over these innocent little ones will be a direct indication to the Lord as to what is inside our heart.

It's only "strange" that anyone would weep over the loss of a "chicken" to those who have never had a chicken for a pet, or came to the understanding that these little creatures too are one of God's special creations, which He made for our enjoyment to love. They too have individual personalities, they hurt, cry out with pain, show love, fear & even loneliness. So be glad that you have such an alive, sensitive conscience that you can still feel sorrow over the loss of your special little chick pet. Our world has far too many people who's conscience is seriously seared & has become dulled to the point that they have no love for man or animal.

This is the part we constantly hear about in the news & it appears that they are the majority of the population & we who do have some sense of moral right are doomed, but that is a false picture my friends. The real truth is that moral rightness is still the majority, it is simply not "appealing" enough to the news media & they pay very little attention to that which is good. Always remember this; "where sin abounds, (All the bad stuff that the media loves to report about) Grace much more abounds!" (All the good that happens in our world & is mainly ignored by the news media)

The pain of the loss only becomes a memory after some time, but the hurt really never leaves for good. And that my friend is good. Keep the memory alive & know that God is the One who gave you this kind of love that could only result in hurt & sorrow at the very real loss of your loved little chick.

God bless you & please know that there are many here who cry with you.

Be of good cheer friend, you have found the right place for sympathy & support.

Many ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( HUGGS ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Verlin

 

[jjthink]

So sorry for this sad happening. It continues to amaze that so many dog owners are clueless until there is death and pain, if even then. An epidemic of unconsciousness. I can't tell you how many hundreds of hours I have spent nursing back to health feathered friends attacked by dogs that were roaming free and whose people later remarked - "but my dog is so sweet, really..... ". Tons of time off work, tons of bills, and worst of all, pain and suffering for my feathered friends. The only hope of reducing these tragedies is educating the public about these heartbreaking happenings (in newspapers or wherever) and urging them to never ever let their dogs roam free if there is any chance vulnerable animals are in their path. And then also presenting the dog guardians (and I use the term loosely) with vet and any other bills associated with the damage their dog(s) cause. I have not done this in the past, always absorbing costs myself (usually because I am in a panic trying to save the birds life and then the dog or the person and their dog disappear in that frenzied moment), but it's wrong because this does not help people learn. Again, I am really sorry. Wishing you much brighter days ahead.

 

[dwa]

Sorry to hear about your loss. My wife and I lost or beloved hen earlier this month and we are still grieving.

--Don

 

[chickbea]

There's some beautiful stuff written above - so many members who love living creatures so much - the reason why I am becoming addicted to this forum!
I've only had one chicken lost to a dog, but I'll never forget her last gasps as she died in my arms, when minutes before she had been scratching so happily in the garden. I never did figure out where the dog came from, I was too busy scrambling around the woods all afternoon looking for the rest of my scattered flock, while my own valiant dog had to continually fight off the killer as he attempted to sneak back multiple times the rest of the day. Finally, about 9:00PM, I had found everyone but my favorite hen, Alice (mentioned on the "favorite chicken" thread). I was resigning myself to the fact that she had been killed as well, but just as I was closing up the coop for the night, she shot out of the woods, cackling and screeching. It was a great end to an atrocious day.
As for my personal dogs, I have owned a variety of German Shepard and hound crosses. People are amazed that my current beagle X protects the chickens and doesn't eat them - what is amazing is that so many dog owners don't seem to realize how easy it is to teach a dog to "LEAVE IT", or any of the other basic obedience commands. Bad dogs aren't the problem, but bad owners certainly are!!

 

[patinoklahoma]

Darned dogs, anyway. Here we have coyote problems. They are so sneaky that last time they waited til we'd both left one morn around 10am, and before I returned at 11:30am, they'd killed several of my free range hens. So, for the last few months I have turned on the outside radio speakers when we let the chickens out and leave it on til they're secure in their house. To really keep them away, we usually play longhair music! I'm hopeful that the varying sounds of the music, with intermittent talking, will keep them from getting used to it and ignoring it. So far, so good.

We enjoy our small flock and their assigned task is bug patrol. I've quit naming them, though, hoping it won't hurt so much when I lose one.

Welcome to the forum. I have been impressed with the knowledge and compassion of the members, and know you will be too.

Pat in Oklahoma

 

[Marion]

Upon first moving from the city my daughter was given a little black cochin bantam hen and a very frisky little white rooster to keep her company, the two were allowed free range along with the guineas for months. One afternoon my daughter had taken her pup out into the backyard area (enclosed with a picket fence apart from the other 12 acres) when she began screaming and crying! I dashed outside and she breathlessly told me that 3 wolves had come at her and the pup but were stopped by the fence, upon not getting to the puppy they dashed over and snatched up her little hen and took off across the field with it! She was beside herself with fright and her dad came down on the tractor from the hayfield to see what was the commotion, she recounted the events as a man pulled up who had been down the road a bit and heard her screams, he said that the culprits were just on the other side of the field 1/4 mile away enjoying their feast, so hubby went for the shotgun and hopped into the truck with that fellow to go see... sure enough they found the hen being devoured by a big grey critter and hubby shot the animal dead. He went over to remove the carcass from the field when an old neighbor lady (stranger to us at the time) said, "Leave that right there!"... Hubby explained he had shot the animal and was removing it from her property when her son in law came up (hubby knew him), so hubby says to the man that he was removing the wolf and the lady stopped him, well that is when he found out that the "wolf" was not what it appeared but was actually the man's daughter's "wolf grey siberian husky" dog. Soooooo, hubby explains what happened and the old woman says,"I don't see no chicken"... hubby pointed to the little black feathers laying with the dog... she glared at him and said, "that aint no chicken thats just feathers"... well hubby offered to pay for the dog and the man offered to pay for the chicken... I asked hubby how much for the dog? He said $400 but that the man wanted to pay for the chicken, how much? I said, "well tell that man that the chicken costs $600 and I will give him a break and knock off $200 and call it even." Hubby felt horrible of course that he had killed the dog, the other two "wolves" were the dog's grown pups and were not there when he shot the dog so they were of course uninjured. I wonder when they will be around looking to use the hunting skills taught by their mother that day? So that is the end of the free ranging here and all of my birds are now in roomy runs even though I would love to have them loose to roam and enjoy the freedom of the country life as those dogs do!

 

[HandsomeBuff]

I have sat here and read this entire thread and it just aggrevates me to no end. I am an animal lover of all kinds and understand the great loss that is felt when an pet dies or is killed. I felt very hairy on the whole situation of raising chickens when I was told I would be doing it at work, but have fallen for the little buggers, their my kids now, to the point where I want my own at home. I am so frustrated at these dog owners, I own a dog, and she is the friendliest girl in the world, would never hurt a fly, I would put money on it, but still I would NEVER EVER EVER EVER let her be off the lead away from me. Dogs have in instincts to run and chase..duh they were hunters. These dumbasses give dogs such a bad name. I just want to say that in the defense of the dogs, it's bad owner 90% of the time, not bad dogs, and just to let everyone know, I won't pause for a minute to shoot a dog if mine little friends were in trouble. I feel horrible for your loss shemarie, good luck with your chicken endevors from now on. -Handsome Buff

 

[SpottedCrow]

Marion, I probably would've drilled the owner too, just for the sheer principle of her not seeing that some black feathers was just a few minutes ago a living being...