My dogs brought home a chicken...

[Sjisty]

While we don't want to run off a new poster by our candid and vehement opinions, we also want her to know 100% how wrong it is on many levels to let her dogs run free. She is only inviting trouble for herself and her pets, as she is obviously discovering with the potential poisoning and now the retrieval of a dead chicken, whether her dogs killed it or not.

Fences make good neighbors.

 

[erijn5]

While we don't want to run off a new poster by our candid and vehement opinions, we also want her to know 100% how wrong it is on many levels to let her dogs run free. She is only inviting trouble for herself and her pets, as she is obviously discovering with the potential poisoning and now the retrieval of a dead chicken, whether her dogs killed it or not.

Fences make good neighbors.

Agreed but some were getting nasty!

I could hear the screaming coming out of my computer speakers!!

 

[gryeyes]

I'm sorry that a new member arrived and kinda got beat back for what I'm sure was a request for information and perhaps some empathy for the situation.

With that said, I can tell you I didn't even move my two wiener dogs or any of my chickens to my new property until I got the fence installed. The next door neighbor has dogs, and one is a little chihuahua mix which can squeeze through the original fence between our two properties. Makes my dogs nuts. Bella is a cutie and doesn't chase my chickens, just wants to bark at my wiener dogs. They bark back. I put Bella back over the fence every now and then.

My chickens went through that fence occasionally and their very friendly lab mix killed one. She ran, Ace ran after her, cornered her, and "played with her" too roughly.

My chicken out, my fault. Those neighbors were mortified, wanted to pay for the hen, I refused the money and reassured them it was not Ace's fault - that hen had been on HIS territory. What I did do was put up some chicken wire along that fence, to keep my chickens in, and look: it keeps Bella on their side of the fence, too! When I had my fence installed, it was around the open property line with very good fencing; I left the not so great stuff up between the two properties. Next year I will replace it with the same stuff I put up around the rest of my land.

If my wiener dogs got out, I would be devastated, because I know someone might shoot them. I know this. Hence the fence completely around my two-thirds of an acre.

My neighbor on the OTHER side shot - with a pellet gun - one of two dogs roaming as they were checking out my chickens ranging freely in the yard. Both dogs had been around more than once and one of them was right up aginst the fence, starting to dig. Neighbor pumped up his pellet rifle for a "good 5-pump sting" and plonked the dog in the butt. Yipe!! And both dogs took off. Then he called me and suggested I get a gun of my own. He and his wife are retired and home every day; i am off my property 13 hours every week day.

I was impressed he felt compelled to be worried about my chickens.

Please do keep your dogs on your property.

 

[speckledhen]

These were the questions asked by the OP:

What happened to this chicken? Not sure. Could have been a predator dropped the remains.

Is there a butchering technique that would leave a bird in this state? I don't know.

Do folks leave poisoned birds out for predators?? Yes, probably so. Folks do stupid stuff all the time, in spite of whatever else may find that poison.

(Our dogs found some rat poison somewhere a couple months ago, too, and are on vitamin K).
The dogs are not running loose when we're not home and they're inside dogs at night. Though they WILL run off sometimes, for 30 minutes or so when let out to do their business.

Thoughts?


The OP asked for thoughts, didn't she? Everyone was giving theirs, some more adamantly than others, but most with one line of thought. If her dogs already got hold of rat poison somewhere, my thoughts are to keep the dogs on her own property to protect them.

If they are getting chickens, dead or alive, somewhere, my thoughts are to keep the dogs on her own property to protect them.

No matter what, dogs belong on the property of their owner 24/7, by whatever means it's accomplished, for their own protection as well as the protection of other humans and other animals.

 

[Cetawin]

Agreed but some were getting nasty!

I could hear the screaming coming out of my computer speakers!!

Oh hearing screaming is humorous? Imagine hearing a child hysterical after finding their pet torn to shreds by a ****** dog that does not belong near the birds then laugh. Nasty? Actually we have all been quite restrained, should have seen what I DID REMOVE from my original post, I was nasty and meant it! New poster or not..if you own dogs be responsible and care for them, do not let the roam and protect them from themselves. I have no problem shooting one around here, do I enjoy it? No but I will. My birds are my pets and I do not allow my dogs to bother them why should I allow someone else's dog to bother them or kill them...on their own property? Get real and remember if you cannot handle the heat, don't go into the kitchen, especially with cute smiley faces of sarcasm.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

This is what I USED to say to the owners of chicken killing dogs in my neighborhood: how would you like it if my roaming chicken killed your dog? Yes, obviously not physically possible. I feel the same way about my chickens as you do about your dog. I've tried to view my neighbors roaming dogs the same way, they're someones pet/best friend. But I put ALOT of money into my chicken hobby, and all it takes is one visit from a stray dog to destroy all I've worked so hard for. Its so heartbreaking to go to the store to pick up special treats for your prized pets, only to return and find them all slaughtered by the neighbors mutt you knew you should have already shot. Shoot first, ask questions later? That sounds pretty good to me, if that's what it takes to keep my pets safe. You've already said your dogs are on vit k for poisoning. Maybe your last neighbors got tired of your roaming dogs and tried to off them. I don't say this to be rude, but some people can get really nasty. Especially when their space is being invaded by predators/pests- and to different people your dogs will be one or the other. If you want a good relationship with your neighbors, contain your dogs. You don't have to fence anything, any pet store will sell you a runner cable without thinking twice about it. Good luck, and for the sake of your companions, stop letting them roam. If you had to choose between saving the life of your own pet vs. someone elses you might feel different about letting your dogs roam. When you get your own chickens, you'll understand everyones reaction to your post.

 

[halo]

I am so grateful the OP is not my neighbor. Ive been so fortunate that everyone on my road is very responsible about their dogs, they all stay where they belong, everyone has their properties fenced. I have my entire 10 acres fenced with non climb wire, which I did SPECIFICALLY to keep dogs out. I further have fenced paddocks inside there, so its quite a maze if a dog should go over the perimeter fence to get to my coops. The coops are all chain link fence.

That being said, if the op's dogs were in my neighborhood and running loose, if I didnt shoot them, someone else would. Everyone here has goats, cattle, horses, ponies, and have a lot of money tied up in their livestock.

A loose dog never trumps livestock. Ever. Especially around here. You might get away with it once. Never twice.

 

[erijn5]

Oh hearing screaming is humorous? Imagine hearing a child hysterical after finding their pet torn to shreds by a ****** dog that does not belong near the birds then laugh. Nasty? Actually we have all been quite restrained, should have seen what I DID REMOVE from my original post, I was nasty and meant it! New poster or not..if you own dogs be responsible and care for them, do not let the roam and protect them from themselves. I have no problem shooting one around here, do I enjoy it? No but I will. My birds are my pets and I do not allow my dogs to bother them why should I allow someone else's dog to bother them or kill them...on their own property? Get real and remember if you cannot handle the heat, don't go into the kitchen, especially with cute smiley faces of sarcasm.

Well at least now I know I'm not a thread killer... And if YOU read further down I have had that happen to ME, so I do know how it feels and I do have KIDS!! AND THEY HAVE SEEN IT HAPPEN IN FRONT OF THEIR FACES! (no smilies for you)

 

[Cetawin]

Well at least now I know I'm not a thread killer...  And if YOU read further down I have had that happen to ME, so I do know how it feels and I do have KIDS!!  AND THEY HAVE SEEN IT HAPPEN IN FRONT OF THEIR FACES!   (no smilies for you)

I remember...not fun or smiley worthy is it? Thread killer...this thread was killed before it started now wasn't' it.

 

[mulewagon]

Cetawin, please go take a break. You are completely misinterpreting what that person said.

Also, she did not kill your chickens, and the OP did not kill your chickens. If you find the responsible party, yell at them with my blessings.

But there is a difference between venting and taking things out on innocent people. And BYC is not a place where we take things out on innocent people.