MY WORST FEAR CAME TRUE!!

[bwalden]

So I moved my 4 week old babies to their new coop on Sunday and yesterday evening (Tuesday) I went to feed and water. I noticed when I walked up to the coop that one of the doors was wide open! Needless to say all 10 of them are gone. Found a few feathers and a little blood on the ground nearby. We have about 5-6 neighboorhood dogs running around all hours of the day and night. I guess they found a flaw in my coop design. I was soo mad! My 9 year old some was crying because he had named every one of them and made pets of them all. He went to sleep lastnight crying because he misses them already. Only thing I know to do is order some more and hatch them (Black Copper Marans). I still have 19 other 8 week old Welsummers but he had really taken up with the Maran chicks. Just dont know what to do about those stinking dogs. I have no idea who they belong to. Most have no collars. My mom suggested an electric fence wire around the outside of my run. Anyone else have this problem? How did you deal with it? What works and what doesnt?

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

You could call animal control. Electric fencing will work, around here there's loose dogs, I use a horse fence, non climb (it's wire) and it's 6ft tall with barbed wire at the top. Works well for me. I'm super sorry about your loss.

 

[GrandmaChickie]

Well, I'm not trying to sound sarcastic, but I'd put a dog-proof latch on the doors first off. You didn't say you forgot to close the coop, so the doors must have been too easy to open. Or did the dog tear open the coop at the door? Either way, I'd start where the dog got in.

 

[jecombs]

I have pad locks on my coop doors. I'm really paranoid about a coon or something else figuring out how to open the doors and eating my entire flock! All my chicks are locked in every night and only allowed out in their run if we are home.

I would contact animal control about the dogs. They can put out some live traps to catch all the dogs and get them out of the neighborhood. I love dogs. We have 2. I can't stand it when people just let their dogs run loose. It's so irresponsible on so many levels.

 

[bwalden]

Yeah it was the latches I had on the coop. I thought they were strong enough and dog proof but apparently they were not. I purchased some today at my local hardware store that I know are dog proof. I also purchased some more maran eggs today I hope to have them by the weekend.

I live outside the city limits so animal control isnt really an option. I guess if the dogs keep at it I may have little choice but to take drastic measures. I hate to kill a dog but they drew 1st blood!

I have dogs also and dont want to kill any dog. But on the same note I keep mine put up and they arent chicken killers.

 

[mohillbilly]

.any dog running loose threatening my chickens is a stray and I shoot them

 

[MollyAngel]

The 3 S's- Shoot, Shovel, Silence
I'm so sorry about your loss- I think I lost one of my hens to our neighbors dog once. She disappeared while they were free-ranging. I have my rifle ready for the fisher-cat (one hen lost, two injured) or the dog (threatens our hens when they are out.)

 

[speckledhen]

Do you know what barrel bolts are? I have them vertically and horizontally on each door, in addition to spring loaded hook-and-eye gate latches on my pop doors; at least, the one that doesn't slide shut and lock from the inside. One even has a bar across in in addition to the lock. NO dog can open that, no raccoon can open that unless he has a college degree and the strength of a bear.

If a dog could open it, it was very, very weak. A dog would literally have to chew through the wooden door to get into my coops and we keep baby monitors in the coops so we'd hear a commotion.

Roaming dogs are a problem, however, your coop should be safe when it's closed up. Work on that.

 

[rikithemonk]

I have pad locks on my coop doors. I'm really paranoid about a coon or something else figuring out how to open the doors and eating my entire flock! All my chicks are locked in every night and only allowed out in their run if we are home.

I would contact animal control about the dogs. They can put out some live traps to catch all the dogs and get them out of the neighborhood. I love dogs. We have 2. I can't stand it when people just let their dogs run loose. It's so irresponsible on so many levels.

I agree. I have gate latches to open and close my run doors. Both are padlocked at all times. Also I have a electric fence.




So far so good.

 

[bwalden]

I agree. I have gate latches to open and close my run doors. Both are padlocked at all times. Also I have a electric fence.




So far so good.

I have this type of latch on my run gate, but not my coop. I might have to try a few of these on the coop.