Need help, entire flock gone **warning- graphic photo**

[CabritaChicks]

If you're experiencing kills from different causes you might want to keep your chickens in a run until you find out what's killing them
Dogs kill for sport but rarely eat them .Wild predators kill for survival.

It was for sport- as the dogs were brought in... chickens are staying IN. and we are building a bigger coop and run, just needs to wait till after my surgery.

 

[McChooky]

It was for sport- as the dogs were brought in... chickens are staying IN. and we are building a bigger coop and run, just needs to wait till after my surgery.

You've selected some good breeds! I have a couple brown leghorns and a legbar rooster.I also have 3 big fluffy hens that don't handle heat well but it rarely gets above 90 here. Hopefully your dog problem will be solved soon so you can relax when the new chicks come

 

[Themellowyellows]

Wow! I am so sorry! This must be so hard for you.

 

[CabritaChicks]

Thank you. I talked it over with my husband and scoured the internet. Unfortunately, only two of our chickens came back (gypsy doesnt normally sleep in the coop- she is just a wild child at a fraction of the size).

I ended up finding Meyer Hatchery and ordered more than I initially planned—two extra hens and another free rooster, especially after this whole mess. My husband was definitely an enabler. They'll all arrive late September to early October, along with the others we had on order.

By then, my husband and I will have finished building a dedicated area—fenced, with a proper gate —attached to the coop and run. I have a soft spot for animals and hate the idea of confining them even if the gated area is the proposed 24x24ft, but after this… I know the human responsible for raising those dogs. Turns out they were supposedly- trying to go after sea ducks—still totally illegal here. And it explains the… well, I don’t even have words for it.

I'm in mourning. Others on island are stepping up and taking action.

 

[McChooky]

My camera is a cheapy that requires an sd card and 8 AA batteries but my audio is connected to ac power and it connected to a speaker in the house .I can hear everything outside so its annoying at times its saved my chickens multiple times

 

[CabritaChicks]

My camera is a cheapy that requires an sd card and 8 AA batteries but my audio is connected to ac power and it connected to a speaker in the house .I can hear everything outside so its annoying at times its saved my chickens multiple times

Thanks for the suggestion—we actually tried that. Unfortunately, the sound of the sea just 50 feet away drowns out any phone alerts for movement. On top of that, we can’t get Wi-Fi to reach the coop area because the signal has to pass through 12-inch steel beams and concrete, where the extender is currently located.

Our internet comes in through a rooftop portal, which only provides coverage inside the house and maybe 10 feet beyond. It doesn’t even come close to reaching the coop.

I just got a slew of those ultrasonic dog deterrent thingies- solar powderd- hubby cant hear them... but I can!!!! So freaking loud! doesnt bother the chickens... but my cat isnt bothered either (but she is elderly). Just hope dogs dont like it.

We’re in the process of building a larger, more functional structure (can we say a run so big I dont feel guilty?). For now, I let the two chickens out in the late morning and carry them both back down a massive amount of uneven stairs by 1 p.m.—which is a serious strain since I’m just five days out from back surgery. (I mean Isla come to me, but Roo? she is mostly leghorn- will be pet, eats out of your hand (but I ignored her as a youngster, as I thought she was a rooster... oops). She is skinny, fast and everything is on her terms.

I think a neighbor- who's small dog, and another neighbors cat- are heading this up. We are building a new coop, and further securing our fence with barbed wire.

 

[McChooky]

Thanks for the suggestion—we actually tried that. Unfortunately, the sound of the sea just 50 feet away drowns out any phone alerts for movement. On top of that, we can’t get Wi-Fi to reach the coop area because the signal has to pass through 12-inch steel beams and concrete, where the extender is currently located.

Our internet comes in through a rooftop portal, which only provides coverage inside the house and maybe 10 feet beyond. It doesn’t even come close to reaching the coop.

I just got a slew of those ultrasonic dog deterrent thingies- solar powderd- hubby cant hear them... but I can!!!! So freaking loud! doesnt bother the chickens... but my cat isnt bothered either (but she is elderly). Just hope dogs dont like it.

We’re in the process of building a larger, more functional structure (can we say a run so big I dont feel guilty?). For now, I let the two chickens out in the late morning and carry them both back down a massive amount of uneven stairs by 1 p.m.—which is a serious strain since I’m just five days out from back surgery. (I mean Isla come to me, but Roo? she is mostly leghorn- will be pet, eats out of your hand (but I ignored her as a youngster, as I thought she was a rooster... oops). She is skinny, fast and everything is on her terms.

I think a neighbor- who's small dog, and another neighbors cat- are heading this up. We are building a new coop, and further securing our fence with barbed wire.

My audio works on radio frequency and is good for 1000 ft but I don't know if it work any better there

 

[atomic]

I so feel for you, it’s amazing how attached you can get to each chicken. They are truly individuals. I’m so very sorry this happened, why on earth would someone hate your chickens to the point of releasing a dog? Simply cruel.

 

[SnackMeat]

You might consider putting live traps on your property at night. If you catch the cat or dog, does your island have an animal control? Otherwise, when it comes to livestock harm you have probably legally have the right to kill predators, even if they belong to other people, so long as they are on your property. However, when in doubt (and honestly even when you're legally protected) practice the three S's: Shoot, Shovel, and Shut up.

 

[McChooky]

My neighbors and I both got chickens around the same time but I kept my chickens contained until I trained both of my dogs. After the newness wore off they were easier to train. (it took at least 6 months for them to calm down and focus) Unfortunately my neighbors refused to put their chickens up so their dogs killed them everytime they left them there alone with them. I ended up rescuing the only surviving hen in the end.I never free ranged my chickens until they moved