Massacure last night

[Buckhunter76]

Consider possibility track pictured was made by coyote but that was not perpitrator. I see coyote tracks fairly frequently but they seldom actually go after birds.

Coyotes around these parts go for most anything, even cats and dogs

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Never say never...they will drop their prey and run, esp if you are shooting at them.

 

[cjwaldon]

Definetely dog. Domestic dogs kill for sport. They kill and leave the body and move on to the next victim. They will take out entire flocks if given the opportunity. They do not eat their kill. They're bored and killing is fun. Wild animals kill for food. They kill only what they need. They will either take the body, or eat on the spot. There may or may not be some remains left. Wild animals do not leave entire carcasses. Since you live in a populated area, there are surely dogs around (and either clueless or careless owners.)

 

[enel 1]

Definetely dog. Domestic dogs kill for sport. They kill and leave the body and move on to the next victim. They will take out entire flocks if given the opportunity. They do not eat their kill. They're bored and killing is fun. Wild animals kill for food. They kill only what they need. They will either take the body, or eat on the spot. There may or may not be some remains left. Wild animals do not leave entire carcasses. Since you live in a populated area, there are surely dogs around (and either clueless or careless owners.)

well, dogs dont "kill" out of boredom it is out of excitement,and so do coyotes ,wolves and any other k-9, they maybe going to the chicken out of hunger but most likely its opportunity and once the chickens get excited the whole scenario erupts into an uncontolabe excitement fest as a matter of fact this happens with just about all predators.Ive seen largemouth bass crash a school of fish maybe eat 1 or 2 and in the process kill many more than that the term frenzy mean uncontrollable excitement,we have wolves around here and they kill stock without eating it all the time. predators have triggers that set them off and panic is def one of them so a flock of panicky bird would def pull that trigger. As far as tracks go...that isn't a dog track its -for sure- a coyote

 

[Chicky-dees]

Hard to tell on my end - coyote tracks have more of a narrow foot than dogs of the same size - but that one is in soft footing so the foot expands a bit in the mud.

Dogs around here get excited and kill everything they can catch, most often all of the birds available to them. They may eat the first one or two, but then the rest just get murdered and left. I live in TX with hundreds of acres of woods and wildlife around and the coyotes here are very much 'at home' and they will come right up into the driveway and kill my chickens. BUT the difference between the coyotes where I live and regular dogs, is that the coyotes take only what they will eat and will cart it off somewhere (often a mile or more away) to eat their kill. They won't kill for fun in the masses. I've tracked them. A mom and her pup killed three of my chickens - the mom coyote took two and the youngster hauled off one. I tracked them a mile away down to a creek bed and found the scattered feathers and wings of my birds - not a bit of meat wasted.

I've had to deal with many many a dog killing my birds and leaving messes, but the coyotes (around here anyway) will only take what they can cart off to eat. So if it IS a neighbor dog, I can guarantee you they will be back - and it will be time for revenge. Regardless, sorry for your loss and maybe you can reinforce your pen a bit before you get more birds. I've had to deal with this quite a few times myself and it gets old really fast, especially if your birds are pets.

 

[The Big Dog]

Dont care what it is.....bring em on, 1 or 6 I dont care

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Actually six will take down that dog..unless you've got him trained and experienced in dog to dog combat as few as three will kill him. You need a pack of dogs to coyote hunt/defend, it's another reason they're successful...nice looking dog though.

 

[centrarchid]

Actually six will take down that dog..unless you've got him trained and experienced in dog to dog combat as few as three will kill him. You need a pack of dogs to coyote hunt/defend, it's another reason they're successful...nice looking dog though.

Six coyotes will not unite to take that dog. Coyotes are not as packy as wolves or even dogs. Coyotes are survivors by avoiding the fight, not by engaging in life risking confrontations over a piddly chicken.

 

[Buckhunter76]

Six coyotes will not unite to take that dog. Coyotes are not as packy as wolves or even dogs. Coyotes are survivors by avoiding the fight, not by engaging in life risking confrontations over a piddly chicken.

That's not necessarily true, my Father-In-Laws Pit Bull was savagely attacked by a trio of coyotes, and was nearly killed by them. Was seen by a nearby Hunter.

 

[Buckhunter76]

Not to mention another buddy of mines dog was attacked and almost killed, barely making it back home with its insides hanging out.