Neighbors dog killed a bunch of my chickens!

[Chilali]

Sorry, but had it been me that would have been a dead dog, and my flock isn't nearly so valuable as the birds you lost. I would suggest calling animal control and tell them not only what the dig did, but how the owner reacted. He's clearly neglectful.

 

[WhiteLeghorn2]

I am so upset right now. I went outside this morning to find dead chickens and feathers all over my yard. We came out just in time to see our neighbors pit bull come around the side of the house with one of my welsummers in her mouth. We have about 100 chickens and we have only been able to find a handful alive. I have found 11 dead so far. We ran the dog back through the fence and went next door to tell the neighbor about what happened. The dog is kept on a chain but it keeps breaking its collar. This is the third time it has gotten loose but the first time it has killed something over here. I am so ready to quit right now and give up chickens. Things keep happening and I am starting to think I am not supposed to raise chickens. I just feel like crying.

Were they free ranging or in the coop?

I'm sorry for your losses.

 

[iwiw60]

I'm unsure what the laws are in Georgia but down here if an animal destroys or attempts to destroy your livestock you can legally kill it. Now I'm not advising that but I am saying it's an option. I'd first seek some legal counsel (if you can get it free or nearly so) on what you can do to have the neighbor compensate you for lost hens, eggs and emotional damages. People need to be responsible for their animals and saying "these things happen" is just crap.

Keep in mind if you do end up shooting the dog, or you have someone shoot it for you, leave it where it falls and call the police or fish and game department and let them come out and take a look. Then when the neighbor complains you can just smile and say "these things happen".

I do hope you get this resolved.

RichnSteph

I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a dog that did that much horrendous damage! But the best thing you can do is this:

1) Take PICTURES of the devastation...lots of them!
2) Call the POLICE! Have them come out and make a report.
3) Call the Animal Control in your area and make a report also.
4) Tell your neighbor that the dog will be shot if he comes over to your place again.

I'm so very very sorry for your losses. But don't give up! Take a few days to calm yourself, take a deep breath, and carry on....your lovely flock will help you get over this nightmare....

Keep us updated as things progress!!!

 

[Fletch83]

I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a dog that did that much horrendous damage! But the best thing you can do is this:

1) Take PICTURES of the devastation...lots of them!
2) Call the POLICE! Have them come out and make a report.
3) Call the Animal Control in your area and make a report also.
4) Tell your neighbor that the dog will be shot if he comes over to your place again.

I'm so very very sorry for your losses. But don't give up! Take a few days to calm yourself, take a deep breath, and carry on....your lovely flock will help you get over this nightmare....

Keep us updated as things progress!!!

I agree, PLEASE call both animal control and the police right away. At the very least they can write up a report and warnings, maybe a citation. Your neighbor absolutely needs to be held accountable fir what happened.

 

[6of6chicks]

It is legal to shoot an animal if it is attacking your livestock here. As a matter of fact, the neighbor asked my why I didn't just shoot it when I saw it attacking the chickens.

I'm so sorry to say this, but that statement right there tells me that you are always going to have a problem with this dog. ANY responsible, loving dog owner would NEVER even joke about killing their dog (much less saying that in seriousness). They might argue and deny it ("not MY dog,"), or make excuses for the dog's behavior ("he's normally SO nice..."), or best case accept responsibility for the dog's actions and apologize. But the suggestion that you shoot the dog indicates he has no emotional connection with the animal. THAT means he isn't going to take the time or effort to either properly contain the animal or properly train it. In fact, if you shoot it then you make HIS headache go away FOR him.

You're going to have to deal with it on your own. I agree with all others who said to file a police report. Take pictures of the damages. As awful as it is, take pictures the remains. Right now, while you are still thinking of it, document your conversation with the neighbor (word for word as you remember it). Then call a lawyer and find out the legal way to go about pressing charges and/or billing him for the damages. Estimate high on those damages - you want that neighbor to feel your pain.

As hard as it is to accept, this isn't the dog's fault. It is 100% the owner's fault. Certainly shoot the dog if you have to or if it creates a dangerous situation - but don't shoot it out of revenge.

Repair the fence, fortify the coop, and do NOT give up on your chickens. The next time you even SEE the dog call animal control and report it. Keep calling animal control and the police EVERY TIME you see the dog running loose, whether it has done further damage or not. Eventually the police will start fining your neighbor, which is another way to punish your neighbor (and not the dog).

And, as a TOTAL dog lover and supporter, it KILLS me to say this - but the fact that it was a pit bull is tremendously on your side. Pitties can be wonderful, sweet companions, but unfortunately they have a monstrous reputation. Even if the neighbor later denies it was his dog, most people will readily believe a pit bull is capable of such destruction. *sigh*

I am SO sorry for your loss. My heart just aches for you.

 

[iwiw60]

Quote:
I, too, am a TOTAL dog lover, but I have to disagree on the actions of this pit bull. I have seen the devastation they have done to human beings up to and including killing. While it's true that they can be wonderful companions to their owners, the breed is/was designed for protection and security and fighting. The main problem with pit bulls is their jaws. They are designed to "lock down" and once that happens nothing short of killing it will get it to release. Just my 2 cents....off my soap box...

 

[6of6chicks]

I, too, am a TOTAL dog lover, but I have to disagree on the actions of this pit bull. I have seen the devastation they have done to human beings up to and including killing. While it's true that they can be wonderful companions to their owners, the breed is/was designed for protection and security and fighting. The main problem with pit bulls is their jaws. They are designed to "lock down" and once that happens nothing short of killing it will get it to release. Just my 2 cents....off my soap box...

No, I agree with everything you said! I think I was just trying to say blame the owner, not the dog. With the right training that breed can be wonderful, but I agree that in the wrong hands pit bulls can be deadly. There are too many people with pit bulls / pit bull mixes who have no business going anywhere near that breed.

I think part of me was just sad because this particular dog is past the point of no return, and unfortunately it sounds like the owner was to blame. The owner didn't train it or safely tie it up, and the OP suffered a tragic loss as a result. The neighbor deserves the punishment, but it's the dog that will either be shot or put down (eventually) by animal control. I'd be willing to bet that the dog will get scooped up by animal control on the first call anyway - if the owner can't be bothered to tie the dog up and advocates shooting it, I doubt he kept current on the dog's shots. If he can't produce a rabies certificate then animal control will take the dog as a matter of protocol.

My own personal soap box is that it is almost never the dog's fault - most instances of dog trouble can be traced back to a bad owner. Whether it's abuse, neglect, ignorance, lack of training/socialization, whatever. Granted, in-breeding and poor breeding do create dogs that are unsound, but more often than not it's a stupid person who ruined a perfectly good dog. Okay, now I'm off my soap box!

 

[Jeniferl29]

Ok, here is an update, the total number of dead chickens is 11 and 1 baby duck who died of fright. I found two of my missing chickens which were a silkie roo and an easter egger hen. Both have injuries but I am hoping they will live. They have a bunch of feathers missing and some puncture wounds. I also found one black English Orpington hen. She is gravely injured on her back. Apparently she was picked up and shaken because she has puncture wounds and a pretty big chunk of skin missing. I probably should have sewn her injury on her back up but I left it open after cleaning out a substantial amount of gravel and dirt out. I could post pics but it is pretty graphic. I hesitate to call the cops and animal control. I know is sounds like I am not going about this the correct way but I live way out in boonies and I only have a few neighbors. People around here are very broke and I found out from another neighbor that the gentleman who owners the pittbull just lost his job and has had his cable cut off. I had to ask myself, who would I be helping by taking him to court. He can not compensate me for my birds and even if he could, I could not put a price on my little Echo who was just like a family cat to me and shadowed my every move. When he told me, I should have shot the dog, I was shocked too honestly. I have been in his shoes though because our dog Rusty started getting out of our fence and I found out he was chasing another neighbors goats. I have since put a very tight security on him and he has been staying home. Here where I live, our animal control. Has a zero adoption policy on pittbulls and if I had called animal control, it would have meant an immediate death sentence on his dog after only 3 days. His dog seems to be all this gentleman has and I can't bring myself to remove it. It won't bring my chickens back and we have talked a few times after the incident and he seems genuinely remorseful now. He has been repairing lawnmowers to make a little extra money until he can find another job and he asked could he repair my broken extra mower for free which has been sitting in the garage. I about cried this morning when I went to let my birds out into their yard. Normally they rush out all excited but today they didn't want to leave the coop. Do chickens get something like PTSD? I figure most of y'all will think this is stupid the way I am handling this but I though about it a lot and I am afraid I might be losing more than I would be gaining by going the legal route.....a neighbor, a dog euthanized, court costs, and what would I stand to gain? I have to admit though, I am afraid it will happen again. My neighbor helped clean up my yard, disposed of the dead birds,and offered to fix my fence which I am now in the process of reinforcing. I feel like part of this is my fault. I never thought this would happen. We have been letting our birds freerange I our yard. Today, I just feel sad and stupid. It doesn't help that I have a bad summer cold. Is free ranging a bad idea? Would y'all like me to post photos of my injured birds? Maybe y'all could give me advice.

 

[Kazfam]

It is legal to shoot an animal if it is attacking your livestock here. As a matter of fact, the neighbor asked my why I didn't just shoot it when I saw it attacking the chickens. The reason I didn't run for a gun is because I was afraid it could kill more in the amount of time ittook to retrieve the shotgun. I just got back in and I have found another dead hen. That makes 11 chickens so far and one duckling. I think the duckling just died of fright. It was laying there untouched. Another thing that upsets me is the dog pulled broody cochins off eggs and killed them. Its just a huge disaster. This is what it killed that I can name off of the top of my head.... an English black orpington laying hen, a broody barred Cochin hen, a beautiful silver partridge showgirl hen, two lavender cochins hens, a welsummer laying hen, a cream legbar roo that was my favorite chicken and would fly up on my shoulder when I called him, a lemon blue Cochin roo, and many many more are missing.

Dear Heart - there is your answer - neighbor expected you to kill it - have your gun ready and end its life. It has a taste for blood and will be back if it breaks its collar again.
Is there any way to fortify your fence?

I am so sorry...try not to let it overwhelm you...if need be get your chickens in an enclosed run where you are sure they are secure. We had to do that. No worries now.

 

[ChickenPox]

I don't think you are handling things the wrong way at all. There really is no "RIGHT WAY." It's all about how you feel. I would be very hesitant to call the cops on a neighbor too, unless they are obviously a problem for everyone. Sounds like this guy is just overwhelmed with life right now.

I am so sorry this happened, but glad to hear that the neighbor is trying his best to compensate in a way that he can. Absolutely let him reinforce your fence, fix your mower, and anything else he feels like he can do.

It may or may not happen again, but since it has happened (and I'm sad to say it probably has happened to the majority of us on this board) you now realize the risks. DO NOT beat yourself up over it, it was a lesson learned......for him as well as you.

Maybe only let the birds free range when you can watch them? Or not at all. Sadly, I don't let mine free range at all due to lots of neighborhood dogs, hawks, coyotes, etc. Even though I have a very secure pen, a predator got in and killed one the other day. It happens.

((((((HUGS))))))