My young neighbors had gotten an electric fence for their dogs after the first time we caught them chasing our chickens. We thought--problem solved! Appearantly they never turned it on!
I knew they had 2 min-pins but did not know they had recently gotten a full-size doberman (the culprit)!! I would have said something sooner if I'd known. Even if I didn't have chickens, I still don't want their dogs running through my yard. I have 2 big dogs and I keep mine fenced. If I were as careless as they are, my dogs would have probably eaten their dogs by now.
Anyhow, I saw the dogs running back home and followed the trail of feathers to find my hen dropped just inside the boundary line of the electric fence. I picked up the dead hen and went to knock on the door. She was very apologetic and even a little shocked. I kept my cool and informed her that I have 40 meat birds coming next month and I just can't have this. I free range my birds for about 3 hours every evening. I told her I know I do so at my own risk, but if she wants to let her dogs run on my property, she will be doing so at her own risk!!!! I love dogs too, and I am no hot-head--but I will shoot her dogs if I have to. I know even with good efforts, that dogs may occasionally escape--but her dogs have been terrorizing us since summer. They let them out to potty and they come straight here. They run through my garden, pee on my firewood and dig in my compost too!
I tell you what, I do feel much better for having confronted her about it. We had been too passive about it for too long. I feel like I failed my girls though...
Anyhow, I saw the dogs running back home and followed the trail of feathers to find my hen dropped just inside the boundary line of the electric fence. I picked up the dead hen and went to knock on the door. She was very apologetic and even a little shocked. I kept my cool and informed her that I have 40 meat birds coming next month and I just can't have this. I free range my birds for about 3 hours every evening. I told her I know I do so at my own risk, but if she wants to let her dogs run on my property, she will be doing so at her own risk!!!! I love dogs too, and I am no hot-head--but I will shoot her dogs if I have to. I know even with good efforts, that dogs may occasionally escape--but her dogs have been terrorizing us since summer. They let them out to potty and they come straight here. They run through my garden, pee on my firewood and dig in my compost too!
I tell you what, I do feel much better for having confronted her about it. We had been too passive about it for too long. I feel like I failed my girls though...
