NEIGHBOR & PIT BULL TROUBLES! Any Suggestions for protection?

[buffalobaroness]

I have spent 2 years raising my beautiful girls and yes, they all have names. They are a mix or RIR, BR, RS, and BS's. They are phenomenal layers. We recently had new neighbors move in to the 20 acre piece behind us. They have a pit bull and a lab. Since they moved in 4 weeks ago their dogs have been on our property causing havoc EVERY DAY! We, as well as our neighbors have returned their dogs several times and asked them to please keep their dogs on their property. (20 acres should be plenty of room!) Still, they let them roam. Yesterday, their pit bull killed 4 of my 2 year old laying hens. We called them but they have not returned our calls or stopped by. (They have to drive through our easement to get to their property) Because they failed to respond I had to turn their pit bull over to the SPCA. Their lab was at my door the next morning! There is nothing worse than irresponsible animal owners!
My chickens are free range but never leave the area around their coop and always stay on our property. They have a coop but it has a full door on it. Is there any way to provide them with protection in case they are attacked again? If I put one in, would they use a small chicken door in the coop to save themselves? If anyone has had similar problems and found a solution I would love to know. (We are infested with coyotes here and in 2 years I have never lost one to coyotes, now they neighbors move in and in 4 weeks I lose 4!)

 

[Mattemma]

Why return the dogs after the first or second time?Obviously SPCA is a waste. SSS. Just make the problem disappear. Roaming dogs disappear and/or die all the time.It is the accepted risk of letting a pet roam.They get a new dog and it is on youre property make IT disappear before your livestock is killed. No need to stress or fight with the neighbors-just sss.

 

[spikesowner]

We have similar troubles with neighbors dogs although they don't know about my chicks since they haven't been out but their dogs go after my dogs but living in the country we own guns. Fired a shot way over their heads and they have't been back since and it's been over six months.

 

[christineavatar]

Have you contacted the neighbor? Direct talks could help. If not that would be my nest step. You could also present them with a bill for the killed hens. I think $40-$50 per hen is a fair price for laying birds. I would also advise them that their dogs on your property should not happen and a recurrence could result in their dogs being taken to the pound or shot by you.

 

[Jsoul96]

Ok i have 35 two month old pullets and my neighbor s dog has killed 7 of my hens and by law in Maryland after a second FARM animal is killed by a dog IF the dog is on ur property u can kill it as long as u give it to the owner so it can be buried or whatever they want to do with it. Look at the law in ur state to make sure.

 

[dsfrango]

I understand your frustrating situation. I absolutely agree with the 40-50$ bill per chicken and contacting the SPCA. The threat to make them disappear may start a game that wont end well for either side. Besides all that though, there is no need to focus on the fact that its a Pit Bull. Any dog could have done it. It could have been the lab for all you know if you didnt see it. But the fact of the matter is YOU were there first and they are the intruders. If you can manage, cage the dog for a day or 2 with food and water of course and see if they contact you then. Shooting the intruder would be LAST resort

 

[nickie]

Learn the laws for your state and fallow them. Here is a link to a helpful website. It links directly to ky, which is my home state, but I'm sure there is a search key where you could look up your state.


http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stuskyst258_005_991.htm

 

[nzpouter]

They have a coop but it has a full door on it. Is there any way to provide them with protection in case they are attacked again? If I put one in, would they use a small chicken door in the coop to save themselves? If anyone has had similar problems and found a solution I would love to know. (We are infested with coyotes here and in 2 years I have never lost one to coyotes, now they neighbors move in and in 4 weeks I lose 4!)

stop tip toeing over their feeling and shoot the dogs if your local laws allows you to.

 

[herfrds]

X2
SSS

 

[rarely bored]

The cost of the SPCA is quite a bit. They will be charged a steep fine for letting their dog run loose, and from what I've heard in the past, (ummm, 15 years ago) Clovis has low patience for owners who allow their dogs to run loose more than 3 times. Hopefully taking the dog to the pound will be all you need to do.