*my* dog killed a neighbor's chicken!!!!

[sourland]

Hi, Jenny, welcome to BC - sorry for the circumstances. Great advice has been given by many. It was an accident that you can learn from. Get the gift card, assure the neighbor that it will never happen again and make sure that it does not happen. Good luck.

 

[CluckCluckJenny]

Thank you SO much for all of the support and great advice. I summoned my courage yesterday and took the long walk to the neighbor's house, 3-year-old twins in tow. The house is a short distance from my backyard to theirs, but much farther if I go around the proper way down the driveway. I figured that it's a lot harder for someone to get irate and yell and scream if you have toddlers with you.

I was very nervous because I really don't know these people at all and I had no idea how they might react.

Excellent - no, stupendous - news! First of all, the husband had had a couple of days to calm down. The wife was very nice. Best of all...

THE CHICKEN IS NOT DEAD!!!

Here is what appears to have happened: They have 5 or 6 chickens and a good-sized coop inside a large chicken-wire fence. They do regularly let the chickens out to roam around the yard though. Apparently my Old Man decided to take a walk around the neighborhood, saw the chickens and got very excited. I think the neighbor heard the chickens going mad and ran out there to find my dog, one chicken lying in the grass, and no others to be seen. He went to my guy to look at his collar and find out to whom he belongs. My dog slipped his head right out of the collar and then decided to play with the neighbor's dog (who, btw was not in any sort of fenced enclosure).

The neighbor told me that when he went to gather the dead chicken, He started to lift it up with the pitchfork and the dear thing startled awake. They told me that it had even laid an egg the next morning. Apparently it had been frightened nearly to death but not mauled by my dog. I can not tell you how relieved I was. I nearly broke down in tears!

The man has a large property with lots and lots of trees. He has a sawmill in his yard and had recently cut down a number of trees that had come down during a recent ice storm. He showed me the stack and said it was drying out and that we could use some to build our own coop. I assured them both that we have *always* been good neighbors, that we are taking steps to ensure that Apollo doesn't get out again and that I would love some advice when I'm ready to get my own chickens.

All and all, very good news.

 

[Starfire669]

Thank you SO much for all of the support and great advice. I summoned my courage yesterday and took the long walk to the neighbor's house, 3-year-old twins in tow. The house is a short distance from my backyard to theirs, but much farther if I go around the proper way down the driveway. I figured that it's a lot harder for someone to get irate and yell and scream if you have toddlers with you.

I was very nervous because I really don't know these people at all and I had no idea how they might react.

Excellent - no, stupendous - news! First of all, the husband had had a couple of days to calm down. The wife was very nice. Best of all...

THE CHICKEN IS NOT DEAD!!!

Here is what appears to have happened: They have 5 or 6 chickens and a good-sized coop inside a large chicken-wire fence. They do regularly let the chickens out to roam around the yard though. Apparently my Old Man decided to take a walk around the neighborhood, saw the chickens and got very excited. I think the neighbor heard the chickens going mad and ran out there to find my dog, one chicken lying in the grass, and no others to be seen. He went to my guy to look at his collar and find out to whom he belongs. My dog slipped his head right out of the collar and then decided to play with the neighbor's dog (who, btw was not in any sort of fenced enclosure).

The neighbor told me that when he went to gather the dead chicken, He started to lift it up with the pitchfork and the dear thing startled awake. They told me that it had even laid an egg the next morning. Apparently it had been frightened nearly to death but not mauled by my dog. I can not tell you how relieved I was. I nearly broke down in tears!

The man has a large property with lots and lots of trees. He has a sawmill in his yard and had recently cut down a number of trees that had come down during a recent ice storm. He showed me the stack and said it was drying out and that we could use some to build our own coop. I assured them both that we have *always* been good neighbors, that we are taking steps to ensure that Apollo doesn't get out again and that I would love some advice when I'm ready to get my own chickens.

All and all, very good news.

That is the best news ever! I am so happy for you. And you probably made a friend by going over and talking to him. Sad to say a lot of people either deny their dog is a killer or don't care and so never follow up with the person who lost chickens. By showing up you let him know you are neither of those and IF something happens he will be way more willing to work things out. I would definately keep up relations, especially if he is offering free building materials for your coop. A couple years from now you may be great friends with your neighbor.

Good luck and best wishes!

 

[centrarchid]

Thank you SO much for all of the support and great advice. I summoned my courage yesterday and took the long walk to the neighbor's house, 3-year-old twins in tow. The house is a short distance from my backyard to theirs, but much farther if I go around the proper way down the driveway. I figured that it's a lot harder for someone to get irate and yell and scream if you have toddlers with you.

I was very nervous because I really don't know these people at all and I had no idea how they might react.

Excellent - no, stupendous - news! First of all, the husband had had a couple of days to calm down. The wife was very nice. Best of all...

THE CHICKEN IS NOT DEAD!!!

Here is what appears to have happened: They have 5 or 6 chickens and a good-sized coop inside a large chicken-wire fence. They do regularly let the chickens out to roam around the yard though. Apparently my Old Man decided to take a walk around the neighborhood, saw the chickens and got very excited. I think the neighbor heard the chickens going mad and ran out there to find my dog, one chicken lying in the grass, and no others to be seen. He went to my guy to look at his collar and find out to whom he belongs. My dog slipped his head right out of the collar and then decided to play with the neighbor's dog (who, btw was not in any sort of fenced enclosure).

The neighbor told me that when he went to gather the dead chicken, He started to lift it up with the pitchfork and the dear thing startled awake. They told me that it had even laid an egg the next morning. Apparently it had been frightened nearly to death but not mauled by my dog. I can not tell you how relieved I was. I nearly broke down in tears!

The man has a large property with lots and lots of trees. He has a sawmill in his yard and had recently cut down a number of trees that had come down during a recent ice storm. He showed me the stack and said it was drying out and that we could use some to build our own coop. I assured them both that we have *always* been good neighbors, that we are taking steps to ensure that Apollo doesn't get out again and that I would love some advice when I'm ready to get my own chickens.

All and all, very good news.

Still work on dog. Behavior is not appropriate.

 

[Sonya9]

Still work on dog. Behavior is not appropriate.

Apparently the elderly dog just walked out the gate and went to see the neighbors and play with their dog. The dog did NOT do anything wrong. Keeping the gate closed will fix the problem.

 

[Sonya9]

...duplicate...

 

[centrarchid]

Apparently the elderly dog just walked out the gate and went to see the neighbors and play with their dog. The dog did NOT do anything wrong. Keeping the gate closed will fix the problem.

If dog had anything to deal with chicken playing dead then dog behavior needs adjustment. A stressed bird has all sorts of problems that need not involve death and sometimes does not even involve visible injury.

 

[Starfire669]

Apparently the elderly dog just walked out the gate and went to see the neighbors and play with their dog. The dog did NOT do anything wrong. Keeping the gate closed will fix the problem.

To be fair, the dog may have chased the chickens before playing with the other dog. However if the chicken was laying in the grass without bite marks the dog was not trying to kill. Pobably just had lots of doggy fun chasing the loud, flapping toys it had never seen before. That could still lead To chicken killing later, but the OP is already taking measures to ensure her dog doesn't get out again. She could also, if she was so inclined, start teaching the dog not to bother the chickens, just in case he does get out again to go play with his new friend. Dogs, when motivated enough are very creative finding ways to escape their enclosures, or bust our a screen door, some smart dogs learn how to turn door knobs.

I think the OP has a firm grasp of the situation and also knows she got very lucky her dog did not kill some chickens. I also think that if properly managed this near miss can result in a long and lasting friendship with her neighbor. Turn something negative into something positive type thing.

I wish the OP luck

 

[sourland]

Great update!

 

[Fowl Mouth]

The neighbor told me that when he went to gather the dead chicken, He started to lift it up with the pitchfork and the dear thing startled awake.

Aww a pitchfork? Poor girl wasn't on his favorite list apparently. lol

Glad everything worked out ok, and glad you stood up and took responsibility for your dog. I did laugh when you said you had the twins in tow though, haha, good way to protect your butt from a yelling.