Lost half my ISA Browns today

[cluck-addict]

Frankly, I'd like to thank you for not shooting the dogs. Really its isn't their fault. THe owner is 100% resonsible for their animals. Its a shame about your girls!

I have heard that once a dog gets a taste for chicken they are darn near impossible to keep away. But that MAY be a old wives tale.

EIther way, you showed great restraint. Offered a fair deal!

Impressive!

 

[KKatknap]

I'm so glad I have no close neighbors!

You have been kind to let the dogs live. If your neighbor is in a position to pay $250, I think that's a fair deal. If he's dirt poor, it might be tough to get it to stick. Then again, he needs to learn that dogs are a responsibility, and he blew it. In any case, I would make sure he knows (as I'm sure you have) that they got their one mercy shot. If he values his dogs at all, they need to be fenced in when they are outside. Most folks where I live would not have been as kind as you.

 

[LynneP]

It must be difficult to be calm about this and I, too, thank you for not killing the dogs. Not sure what your neighbor will do, but I think the time has come for your hens to be in a run. It's not that you're wrong, but that this will surely happen again, and to protect them you now need to confine them, unless you are there to watch over them of course. What a shame.

 

[kota1369]

Quote:
Wives Tale.
I know how hard it is not to blame the dogs but it is the owners fault for not keeping them contained. Good luck to you. Sorry about
your girls.

 

[Sequin]

Hunting is a natural dog instinct. The owners of the pets need to be their protector. In this type of situation, the dogs owner failed his pets by not having them under his control; and the chickens also would have fared better had they also been in a fenced run or pasture. Running at large and killing livestock is often times considered a crime. However, unless there is a fence or visible boundary dogs will not be able to understand where the property line is. I would suggest putting up a fence or gated area where dogs are unable to enter. Allowing our chickens to free range comes with the risk of them being attacked, even killed, by any number of predators - including dogs. This is where we need to provide and protect them. I am very sorry about the loss of your girls. It is never easy loosing any of them. I do hope that things will turn out for you, and that a peaceable agreement will be reached between you and your neighbor.