Neighborhood dogs keep killing chickens

[Trefoil]

Are you offering to finance making my 30 acres predator proof, so my animals are 'secure' from rouge dogs? And if you are, I'll have to pass because I personally don't desire to turn my property into a giant predator proof bird cage... I'll take steps to secure my property but it's not my responsibility to contain and control the neighbors dog, that is their responsibility...
Well said...
Who says I have to have a predator proof pen? I personally choose to have predator proof coop for night, but I'm not going to invest in predator proofing 30 acres because someone feels I'm obliged to for some obscure reason like keeping out a rouge dog... As for attempting to pass the blame to the chicken owner calling them lazy, what about the dog owner that is violating the law, damaging the chicken owners property, while the dog owner is failing to control their dog with a leash or fence, are they not the cause of the problem and if so why are are we blaming the victim not the perpetrator? As for being upset, I guess you also agree that when someone shoots a dog killing their chickens the dog owner as well can't be upset, it's a two way street after all?
As I explained earlier, domestic dogs are a unique predator due to the fact they no longer fear humans and hunt or even kill for fun during the day, and have learned how to avoid many barriers that deter wild predators... Chances of a natural predator beyond a raptor attacking my birds during the day when I'm outside is minimal to none, on the other hand a loose domestic dog likely won't hesitate and thus poses an exponentially higher risk, but a risk solved conclusively with a few pennies worth of brass and lead...

I didn't say you or anyone else had to predator proof your land. What I said was the only way to stop predator deaths is to predator proof their pens.

 

[I Love Layers]

Ok, so I live in-town and have a small flock of 6 hens and 1 roo, they are all red island red. Ive put up a nice fence and took measures to make sure nothing can get under. It is about 200 sq foot and is attached to an old garden shed that i turned into a nice little coop. I lock my chickens inside overnight because neighborhood dogs roam my yard at night while i'm asleep. I wake up every morning to something different. Last time, a dog found a weak point in the wall AND BROKE A HOLE INTO IT! They killed all of my chickens and I keep having to buy more. I have since boarded every wall but there always seems to be some way for a dog to get my chickens. I am considering killing the dogs but I am a humane person and would much rather get them to stop without harming them. I do not know who owns them. What can I do?

Call animal control, or tell the neighbors that you will take care of the problem next time you see the dogs over by taking them to the pound or handing them directly over. Tell your neighbor first about the dogs getting in so they no you will take precautions.
Granted I live in the country but all of our neighbors know, and have agreed with us that if there dog wanders to our place and goes after a chicken, that we can shoot the dog. And same goes for us if our dog was at there place terrorizing livestock they can take care of the dog in whatever form they want

 

[centrarchid]

At one time commercial poultry keepers kept their birds outside and took losses. As common sense and economics came into play they invested in better flock containment, predator exclusion and other anti-deity based actions to such a degree than predator management no longer deals with actual predators getting at stock.

Edited by staff

 

[Jesusfreak101]

But look at the quaintly of life said companies give their birds, a cage is still a cage if they cant eat grass or be truly outside on their owner's property then whats the difference sure you treat them better but they still don't get to be chickens. I have a neighbor who keeps his flock of twenty in a two small coops with a small run in between every-time i see that i want to cry my girls have 13000sq foot area to roam and three level coop. Sure he doesnt lose a hen like we have but who has the better life his hens or ours. I believe ours do they get to run jump and catch their own food. They get to be hens if i have to kill a predator to allow my flock this right then so be it. I wont own an animal if they dont get to live the life they were designed to.

 

[BBQJOE]

Anybody who has me half figured out knows what I'd do.


One last thought, Most animals, incl. dogs, hate the smell of ammonia. You might grab a few bottles, it's pretty cheap, and lay down a perimeter around your coop using it every few days. It might work, what do I know?

I prefer the proper introduction of lead.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Bigoledude lol its sister but i get your point lol

 

[jak2002003]

You can and are choosing to keep your stock any way you like... but its not working is it?.. Your birds are getting killed and you are having problems with dogs on your land.

My birds are in safe if a big dog proof run.. they free range when I am at home. I have no problems with dogs killing them anymore....

I don't have to worry or stress about it.. I don't have to get into arguments with the neighbours and I don't have to buy guns and ammo. I don't have to waste my time shooting dogs and hiding the evidence... I don't understand why anyone would like to do things that way.

Sure you kill some neighbours dogs.. and dispose of them so know one knows what you did... but then more dogs will come.. neighbours will buy more dogs.. or they will come from somewhere else... and also other predators.. so you will always be loosing birds, getting upset, loosing money.. having to buy more ammo and kill more animals.. its a vicious circle.

Edited by staff

 

[MeepBeep]

Quote:
You can and are choosing to keep your stock any way you like... but its not working is it?.. Your birds are getting killed and you are having problems with dogs on your land. 

A person with an IQ in the normal range should be able to see that if their current set up is not working they need to change it. [/quote]

Who said my (or others) ways are not working? I personally find my methods along with lead poisoning for predator threats to my livestock be very effective, conclusive and absolute in fact to those predators that get poisoned...

People need to house poultry in a dog proof run and coop, and free range carefully.

Or maybe people should control their dogs and keep them off other peoples property?

When did I tell you how to run your place.....?

Hmm lets look back a few sentences, in this same post of yours... "People need to house poultry in a dog proof run and coop, and free range carefully." is that not telling people how to house their poultry and range or did I misread it?

I don't have to waste my time shooting dogs and hiding the evidence... I don't understand why anyone would like to do things that way. 

Just a guess, but you have likely spent more time and money fortifying your coop then I have shooting predators, and I'm not going to include the cost of the firearms because I would own them even if I didn't have livestock or use them to protect the livestock...

Sure you kill some neighbours dogs.. and dispose of them so know one knows what you did... but then more dogs will come.. neighbours will buy more dogs.. or they will come from somewhere else... and also other predators.. so you will always be loosing birds, getting upset, loosing money.. having to buy more ammo and kill more animals.. its a vicious circle. 

You assume I'm loosing birds in a number that I'm upset with or causes me a financial burden to dogs, let me be clear you are completely wrong... You also assume that as soon as you eliminate at threat another appears instantly, I have not found this to be true, in my experience when I eliminate a threat it takes months if not an entire year for the same species threat to move in and then get bold enough to cause a threat... It's certainly not some overnight thing, and a few pennies of lead and brass and the clock resets, hardly stressful or upsetting to me... As for ammo, the total amount of money I have spent on ammo killing predators that have threatened my livestock in the last 3 decades is probably less then most people spend on coffee for the week...

 

[bigoledude]

Hey MeepBeep

While I was writing, you replied in nearly the same fashion as I was. I think yours was better.

No matter. Jak has been exposed for what he is.

I'm tellin y'all. Nothing provokes outrage here like killing predators!

 

[blucoondawg]

At one time commercial poultry keepers kept their birds outside and took losses. As common sense and economics came into play they invested in better flock containment, predator exclusion and other anti-deity based actions to such a degree than predator management no longer deals with actual predators getting at stock.

commercial poultry keepers are a completely different ballgame than almost everyone on this forum those people are in a business trying to earn a living from raising massive amounts of birds one dog attack could be completely devastating in a free range situation to their earning a living. Also there are other issues involved in why they choose to cage their birds or keep them indoors such as being able to easily control growth, feeding efficiency, etc. These bigger issues likely are more likely their reason for caging than predator attacks, if not they would simply put up strong fences and range their birds on feed that would be more or less free and more profitable for their bottom line but we all know chickens grow faster and perform better financially on commercial feeds