MY WORST FEAR CAME TRUE!!

[Triplell]

Most people don't understand that will eat and kill anything unless properly trained. I learned first hand what pet dogs can do. This might get graphic but its the truth...during my freshmen year is high school we had a dog attack with the H.S. Farm's sheep. The horrors that happend that night will never leave me. I had went to animal science mid year and joined FFA when all this happened. My class mates mom slapped me accross the face to get me to come to reallity that you need to show no negitive emothions so the animal doesn't give up. My dad came with me that Sat. morning to see what had happened as I was the farm manager and he gave me permission to help treat the sheep as we had no idea if the dogs had rabbies.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

It was so bad on one of them that you could reach in the neck on one of the sheep and grab her neck bones!

We saved all but one. We did find the dogs that did this deed cause they came back the next night. These were the dogs...1) german shepard 2) a terrier of some sort 3) a miniture poodle . Most people don't realize that anything more than 2 dogs are concidered a pack and will act as such. We had to pertect all animals with iron bars and padlocks from their on. PLEASE NEVER UNDER ESTIMATE THE SMALLER BREEDS OF DOGS. THE LARGE ONES TAKE THE ANIMAL DOWN AND THE SMALLER ONE'S DO THE KILLING! When we moved to Minnesota we started to raise sheep and if any dog got to the 2nd fence then it was shot on site and delivered to the owner my the sherriff. It was our right wether it had tags or not and the owners had to pay the damages to the livestock. We live on 80 achers and will never move in to town again.

 

[bwalden]

I have place and electric fence around both runs, I also put new locks on all the doors. It seems so far to be working well. We left for 3 days and came back and everything is in order no missing chickens or what even looks like any at a break in. So far so good.

 

[rikithemonk]

I dont understand.......!! You have fences and gates to keep your animals in and other animals out. Dogs are coming into your property and you um and er about it, even worse, you've got a young bloke going to shoot at them with plastic bb's. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
Fence your place properly, and shoot everything that you dont want inside that fence.
I am retired off 20,000 acres and I tell you, if anyone ever heard a strange dog barking, or our work dogs were agitated, it would be 4x4's, spotlights and rifles. You gotta Toughen up, protect what is yours.

Cheers........The Dog

Thats not entirely fair. Not all of us live in farm country. Some of us live in the center of major cities. We don't have the ability to use 4X4's, Coon dogs and Rifles. We do the best we can with what we have. I protect my flock with the BB Gun and electric fence I reviewed on this website. While its not spotlight and shot gun level security, its the best you can do when your in the center of the city. OP is doing his best in my opinion. (Although I support; "Shoot, Shovel and Shut-up" because I have used it myself.)

Riki

 

[zazouse]

Sorry for your loss

I would put a spring on the gate an electric fence is a good idea to keep critters out of the pen but they do not shut gates.
We live and learn threw our mistakes and tragedies with these cutes sometimes sad as it is.

 

[Nutz245]

I know you probably love all animals and you don't want to hear this but....

Put the airsoft away and get the AR-15 out. I tried using humane traps, etc. Coons catch on to this pretty quick and will just reach around the sides and take the bait inside and not go in. After losing several of my pretty pretties I have since quit using traps, etc. I now have cameras which alert me when something is moving around where it shouldn't be. I deal with predators with an AR-15 .223. That is a very humane way of dealing with them. It's quick and there is no suffering for them. Once they find your flock they will not stop. They WILL come back. I seen several coons around a cage. They circled around until they ran the ducklings within reach, grabbed them and ate them through the cage. That was the day I tossed the traps in the scrap pile and picked up the AR. Something to remember is this..If they loved their dogs then they would keep them where they are safe (their own yard). And for me, it's hard to kill anything I'm not going to eat. But I will resort to atomic weapons to protect my flock!

Sorry for your loss

 

[bwalden]

I know you probably love all animals and you don't want to hear this but....

Put the airsoft away and get the AR-15 out. I tried using humane traps, etc. Coons catch on to this pretty quick and will just reach around the sides and take the bait inside and not go in. After losing several of my pretty pretties I have since quit using traps, etc. I now have cameras which alert me when something is moving around where it shouldn't be. I deal with predators with an AR-15 .223. That is a very humane way of dealing with them. It's quick and there is no suffering for them. Once they find your flock they will not stop. They WILL come back. I seen several coons around a cage. They circled around until they ran the ducklings within reach, grabbed them and ate them through the cage. That was the day I tossed the traps in the scrap pile and picked up the AR. Something to remember is this..If they loved their dogs then they would keep them where they are safe (their own yard). And for me, it's hard to kill anything I'm not going to eat. But I will resort to atomic weapons to protect my flock!

Sorry for your loss

I can see your point. I have told my wife and 2 boys that if those dogs come back I will be using more than an airsoft gun. The electric fence around both my coops and runs seems to be keeping everything away. I have yet to see or hear anything get into the fence but I assure you that it works. Lol, yes I speak from experience. ouch!

 

[SkylaSilkie]

My worst fear came true this morning.OUR SILKIE WAS DEAD!! The silkie was just a baby and it had a name. I recomend no coop you can lift up like a portable run or something like that.Use a lock like on most bath room doors in a resurant or someplace like that.

 

[Triplell]

Hi guy's,

I woke up this morning only to find that one of my Call ducks was missing. The hubby found a very small pile of white down. They have been outside with the other drakes at night for about 3 weeks now and I had seen only one eagle try and the two RIR Roosters went on the attack plus two of the LF drakes did too. Because of all the rain we have been getting I had to close all the barn doors to keep rain and drafts out because of the brooders that I just left out all the ducks. My big mistake!!! Tommarrow I will be getting some garden netting and piece many of the together and attach it all to the top so nothing can get at them. I think it was my other drake. I started with 10 then a severe Thunderstorm colapesd their pen and lost 2. Now another and I am thinking of building something that is like a big rabbit cage of the ground with total coverage top and bottom.

 

[josebeth1]

Those latches are good but only with a padlock or something like the clip from the end of a dog leash or lead rope through it!! Both of my macaws will rattle the door till it finally rattles out of the latch and many of my alpacas and llamas know how to open them. Raccoons are very very smart--I don't think for a minute that they wouldn't outsmart that latch!!

It's a big commitment, but with people's dogs running loose and packing up and alpaca owners coming home to literally find their animals in pieces all over the pasture, we ended up getting a Great Pyranese. They are bred to be livestock guardian dogs and our girl absolutely loves "her" chickens! When I boarded ducks and a goose last fall, all I had to do was introduce her to them and she immediately understood. We even rescued 2 feral cats for mouse control, and she understood the introduction to them as well. To date, she has dispatched at least 5 raccoons and a groundhog for us. All last spring, we had a fox around who would literally hang on the other side of the pasture fence watching our flock but never in a million years do I think it will dare to come inside. Cassie has lots of medical issues and costs me an arm and a leg to take care of correctly, but I wouldn't trade her for anything--especially on those nights when I've got to go out to the barn at 2am to give a bottle or something and there's recently been a bear-sighting in the neighborhood!.

 

[Triplell]

I totally agree that the GP are absolutely wonderfull. I truely wish I could afford to get another one. The hubby and I are tempted to leave our lab out at night around the duck pens( he can't get in them and wont junp). The only thing is he was raised as a house dog and we or I don't want him getting any bad habits. I am thinking when my dad's large outside dog who is as dumb as a box of rocks but a giant teddybear passes on then I might think of investing in another GP if I am still able to keep all my birds. Only time will tell.