Neighbor dog got loose, went after chickens

[Jeffross1968]

I really hate the fact that because of a stupid owner, I may have to put down a dog myself. Dog is just doing what comes natural, but it wouldn't be an issue if it wasn't for the owner not tethering it correctly. My yard, my chickens. If my chickens found their way to his yard, it would be a different story. But now because this guy is an idiot, I'm going to have to take drastic measures.

 

[RanchoDelPolloLoco]

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Did the chicken come back? My fingers are crossed for you! I agree, it isn't the dogs fault, this lies completely on the owner! Funny I have 2 dogs of my own and I manage to keep them away from my own chickens... it isn't that hard! We use something called a leash

 

[RanchoDelPolloLoco]

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"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
-- Albert Einstein

Its incredible how ignorant some people are, no?

The other thing is... she isn't a next door neighbor, she is next door but one, not only does the dog leave her 10 acres, it crosses another 5 to get to me

Ohhh, my dogs are inside most of the day but when they are out I take precautions to keep my chickens safe. She keeps warning me about coyotes and mountain lions... but never about her own dogs

 

[doubleatraining]

I have been "educating" the loose dogs around my house with a bbgun or birdshot since I moved in. This was before I got chickens.....glad I did that now. They steer clear of the yard for the most part.

 

[tinydancer87]

Totally random comment...
RanchoDePolloLoco, your avatar pic is freaking adorable.
Just had to put that out there.


Any dogs that come on my property don't leave. Thankfully, in my area people seem to generally understand that, and I have only had to deal with one dog. Several cats though....they come into my yard and attack my little calico female. I have rescued her twice when she was up a tree in the front yard, screaming as a stray climbed up after her.

It's always something I guess.

 

[RanchoDelPolloLoco]

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Thank you!

 

[centrarchid]

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You could employ sublethal method to convence dog to avoid your place. Birdshot fired at dogs haunches from distance. You gotta be there and be willing to act quickly. It might ruin dog for hunting but it may not. Best if dog does not know you fired gun. Mystery will keep dog leary of location rather than you.

Another less pleasant option my dad used on neighbor's beagles that kept getting into hen house was to catch dog, rub his bottom with corncobb then apply turpentine. Dog dragged his butt on ground the whole 1/2 mile home. Dog avoided my dad thereafter.

I am a bit of a jerk, so I would catch dog and keep it at least for short-term. Train him / her not to go after birds. Then release. I have experience with rapid training of dogs but must taken into consideration how neighbor will react as you are doing now. If all worked out, then I would have another poultry guarding dog that I do not have to feed.

 

[zzGypsy]

we had a dog attack here a couple of weeks ago, lost 3 ducks, had 4 more mauled (but recovering) and 2 chickens and a turkey went missing. I did a thorough search for them the afternoon it happened and again the next morning without success. took 3 days, but the missing birds did come home. might try doing your usual chicken-feeding call a couple of times a day for the next several days, hopefully she hasn't gotten too far and that will help her find her way back.

it is a risk with free-range birds, we lose one occasionally to hawks, part of the free-range deal. still, 2x on being armed and protecting your livestock. it's a shame for the dog, but you can't have them killing your animals. stupid owners... they're the ones that should be picking bird shot out of their rumps.

if the dog's on your property as a frequent activity and you're not wanting to kill it outright unless it is on your birds, I'd get a bb gun. they're a useful educational tool. if the dog's in your chickens already, a shotgun won't help, you could end up killing birds along with the dog.

and of course, if you're going to arm yourself, get to the range and tune up your skills. You want to know where those bullets are going, even if it's just a .22 ... you'd be surprised how much your aim is affected by the stress of the moment.

hope your bird makes it home.

oh, one more thing, you do need to know the local, county and state regulations regarding defense of livestock and discharge of firearms. where I live now in MO, it's not an issue, but in CA where we used to live, it is. we spend a LOT of money on legal defense over defending our livestock in what appears to be a rural area, but is barely inside city limits. had a visit from the SWAT team too. BAD situation caused by stupid CA laws and firearms paranoia, along with a paranoid neighbor. before you get into that, you will want to know the applicable laws. just one of many reasons we no longer live in CA. and love living in MO.

 

[Talisman]

I hope you find your chicken. I wish people would control their animals.

 

[Jeffross1968]

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Unfortunately, no. After some hours went by today, I offered up some incentive for my kids to check out the briar patches on our property, where the dog chased the chickens into, but no body was found. I'm guessing at this point, either she didn't survive the dog attack, or survived injured, and then a night time predator got to her and took her away during the night.