Hi Everyone,
since I last posted we have put up a hot wire fence and have had no further incidents until yesterday. I heard the horrible sound of chickens in distress and looked out the window and saw nothing. I went outside and saw nothing- but I also didn't see any chickens. It was way too quiet. I have 10 so normally they are fairly easy to spot in their normal hang outs. So I figured one of our cockrels was messing with the girls again. Then I happened to look out again and saw THAT DOG chasing my girls! I ran outside and he ran into the woods next to our house. That is part of our land too and the edge of the woods has the hotwire on it. I don't know for sure how he got in but it was obvious he didn't want to go through the hotwire to get out. I could see he had at least one chicken. From what I could tell it was dead but I couldn't be sure and I couldn't get close.
This is a pitbull for those of you who missed the first go round of postings. He has killed at least 5 chickens. We have talked to the owners several times and the police. The police said get pictures for proof or just shoot it if its on our property and doing harm.
Luckily my hubby was only just down the road at a friend's and I called as I was running to get my camera and told him to come home NOW. So stupid me stands there about 30 feet from him and was taking pictures of him next to what I thought was a dead chicken. But he just stood there looking at me. If I moved closer, he would move towards the chicken so I didn't try that. As soon as my hubby pulled in the drive the dog took off. We were trying to get to the chicken and he came back. Aron had his shot gun and shot in the air to scare him off and for a minute it did but he turned back. My husband told me to go in the house and I told him we had pictures now and we didn't have to shoot him but he was headed back towards the chickens and the house. So I ran (crying) back in the house. I have been so angry with this dog and its owners but it was obvious he thought this was a game. Like cat and mouse only with a dog and a chicken. Without any help from the owners we had no choice but to defend our home and our chickens.
I heard another shot when I was inside. Then I heard another shot and the dog was yelping. That killed me inside.
My husband is a GOOD shot- a hunter- so I was confused to hear the dog yelp. We would never want it to suffer.
Come to find out my husband shot another warning shot with the shot gun to scare him off (the first shot) and hopefully send him back home. But the dog didn't run off, and instead turned on him and started growling and coming towards him. He also had his pistol. He said he was panicked and that is why he didn't shoot him right on, because the dog was coming after him. Well the dog ran off and he went after it. It was in a neighbors yard. We tried to let the neighbor know but no one was home. He went back there to see if the dog was dead and it wasn't and came out at him again, got shot again and then ran home! We saw the owners fly down the road in their pickup after that, no doubt to take the dog to the emergency vet. We can't believe it was able to run home after being shot twice.
We both feel awful. I know many of you will say we did the right thing- especially after it was trying to attack my husband. We think we did too but it is a horrible feeling when you are an animal lover and you know its the OWNERS FAULT that there is a problem at all.
So the crazy part is that after we got ourselves together we went to take inventory of the survivors. Out of 10 there were 7. We were heartbroken. We went into the woods to collect the one chicken we knew of. As we walked into the woods we saw one of our hens coming towards us! Then a roo and the hen that we thought was dead too! So they were all accounted for but with as many feathers as we saw we figured they had to be injured. It was already dark by this time and so we let them go to roost and came back out to inspect them. We did not find any major injuries other than the one hen we thought was dead is missing almost all of her tail feathers and looks really messy. She seems still kind of shaken up this morning. The others seem fine. We are going to keep an eye on them.
You can imagine how bad my husband feels now. No dead chickens and one dead dog ( I would be shocked if he lived but we don't know for sure). The only reason he did it in the end was to protect himself.
So there is a happy ending in that I think our hens are going to make it. The roo that survived is missing his tail feathers again. He has narrowly escaped death twice to that dog. He had all his tail feathers and then some missing and some cuts last time the dog got to him.
I just wish it hadn't turned out the way it did. We are hoping the guy's son doesn't do something crazy. He is the one who keeps bringing pit bulls home and letting them run the road and attack dogs and chickens. He had one before that his father shot after it attacked two of another neighbor's dogs. He shot it rather than pay the vet bill the neighbor brought him. I have gone on long enough. Sorry but this is my therapy! You guys are awesome!
since I last posted we have put up a hot wire fence and have had no further incidents until yesterday. I heard the horrible sound of chickens in distress and looked out the window and saw nothing. I went outside and saw nothing- but I also didn't see any chickens. It was way too quiet. I have 10 so normally they are fairly easy to spot in their normal hang outs. So I figured one of our cockrels was messing with the girls again. Then I happened to look out again and saw THAT DOG chasing my girls! I ran outside and he ran into the woods next to our house. That is part of our land too and the edge of the woods has the hotwire on it. I don't know for sure how he got in but it was obvious he didn't want to go through the hotwire to get out. I could see he had at least one chicken. From what I could tell it was dead but I couldn't be sure and I couldn't get close.
This is a pitbull for those of you who missed the first go round of postings. He has killed at least 5 chickens. We have talked to the owners several times and the police. The police said get pictures for proof or just shoot it if its on our property and doing harm.
Luckily my hubby was only just down the road at a friend's and I called as I was running to get my camera and told him to come home NOW. So stupid me stands there about 30 feet from him and was taking pictures of him next to what I thought was a dead chicken. But he just stood there looking at me. If I moved closer, he would move towards the chicken so I didn't try that. As soon as my hubby pulled in the drive the dog took off. We were trying to get to the chicken and he came back. Aron had his shot gun and shot in the air to scare him off and for a minute it did but he turned back. My husband told me to go in the house and I told him we had pictures now and we didn't have to shoot him but he was headed back towards the chickens and the house. So I ran (crying) back in the house. I have been so angry with this dog and its owners but it was obvious he thought this was a game. Like cat and mouse only with a dog and a chicken. Without any help from the owners we had no choice but to defend our home and our chickens.
I heard another shot when I was inside. Then I heard another shot and the dog was yelping. That killed me inside.
Come to find out my husband shot another warning shot with the shot gun to scare him off (the first shot) and hopefully send him back home. But the dog didn't run off, and instead turned on him and started growling and coming towards him. He also had his pistol. He said he was panicked and that is why he didn't shoot him right on, because the dog was coming after him. Well the dog ran off and he went after it. It was in a neighbors yard. We tried to let the neighbor know but no one was home. He went back there to see if the dog was dead and it wasn't and came out at him again, got shot again and then ran home! We saw the owners fly down the road in their pickup after that, no doubt to take the dog to the emergency vet. We can't believe it was able to run home after being shot twice.
We both feel awful. I know many of you will say we did the right thing- especially after it was trying to attack my husband. We think we did too but it is a horrible feeling when you are an animal lover and you know its the OWNERS FAULT that there is a problem at all.
So the crazy part is that after we got ourselves together we went to take inventory of the survivors. Out of 10 there were 7. We were heartbroken. We went into the woods to collect the one chicken we knew of. As we walked into the woods we saw one of our hens coming towards us! Then a roo and the hen that we thought was dead too! So they were all accounted for but with as many feathers as we saw we figured they had to be injured. It was already dark by this time and so we let them go to roost and came back out to inspect them. We did not find any major injuries other than the one hen we thought was dead is missing almost all of her tail feathers and looks really messy. She seems still kind of shaken up this morning. The others seem fine. We are going to keep an eye on them.
You can imagine how bad my husband feels now. No dead chickens and one dead dog ( I would be shocked if he lived but we don't know for sure). The only reason he did it in the end was to protect himself.
So there is a happy ending in that I think our hens are going to make it. The roo that survived is missing his tail feathers again. He has narrowly escaped death twice to that dog. He had all his tail feathers and then some missing and some cuts last time the dog got to him.
I just wish it hadn't turned out the way it did. We are hoping the guy's son doesn't do something crazy. He is the one who keeps bringing pit bulls home and letting them run the road and attack dogs and chickens. He had one before that his father shot after it attacked two of another neighbor's dogs. He shot it rather than pay the vet bill the neighbor brought him. I have gone on long enough. Sorry but this is my therapy! You guys are awesome!
Last edited:
