sorry to hear about your loss. i keep a pellet rifle beside my back door and shoot any trespassing animals that i see. if you are like me and don't have the heart to kill an animal although it deserves it... the pellet rifle won't kill a dog of that size but it sure knows its been shot and will learn to stay away. my neighbors dogs got hold of some of my chicks and when confronted about it they refused to do anything to restrain the dogs and the next time i caught them and hauled them off. this was before i invested in the pellet rifle again... sorry for your loss
to Chillin' With My Peeps I have a regular pen with a door. No it's not buried but about 6 in underneath the ground. These are stray dogs, have been tring to locate them since it happen. Sherrif said I can file a civil suit againt the owners. My chickens only come out in the evening when I can watch them. I just don't understand y y y y y me????? I had them in a fence doing all the right things.
and far as the weapon concern. IT'S DONE WEAPON ON GUARD!!! Even though I don't have anymore chickens. My 3yr old and I sometimes play outside. Along with my Jack Russell. (Cheri)