Neighbor's dog killing my chickens

[Charmdbychicks]

You can't afford a couple hundred dollars to fence off even 2 acres for the chickens and dogs to roam? What is the value of the eggs that aren't going to be laid now? What happens when you kill his dog, and he gets mad that you are letting your dogs free roam your property (And presumably, his) and he calls the animal control, and they impound all of your free range animals? What do you think that will cost to get everything back? What happens when someone claims your dog bit them and they sue you? Just the time off to go to court to defend yourself can be expensive.



200 dollars to fence off your property, or part of it, is very cheap insurance.

This is what animal control calls a neighborhood spitting war. (edited for public eyes)

 

[speckledhen]

I have reported this thread because of a rules violation. Minors are NOT to disclose their ages on this forum. Please refrain from advertising that you are underage. In addition, lets calm down a bit, please.

Can you post a link to that? I just checked the rules and I didn't see anything about that, just stuff about kids under 13 years of age. I'm certain I must have missed it though.

From the TOS (rules/terms of service) at the bottom of the forum page, https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/terms-of-service

Quote:
Absolutely, it is still in the rules that were in place during my 5 years as a moderator. There is nothing in there about a certain age as you stated. This is for their own safety. There have been incidents over the years that make this an excellent policy here and on every internet forum, trust me.

As to the fencing question:

We are on a military pension. We fenced 2 of our over 5 acres by ourselves, one roll of 330 ft. livestock fencing at a time and U-posts, as we could afford it. Took a few months, but yes, it can be done! The fence is as much to keep my chickens on their property as it is to keep roaming dogs from easily running across and slaughtering chickens as they go. A dog still has breeched the fence a couple of times, but that hasn't happened in quite some time. Foxes and coyotes just sail on over, of course, but haven't had a loss from those yet in the over 8 years we've kept flocks here. We are ready to shoot a dog if need be. We had dogs for most of our married life until the last one passed on in 2012. It is fully possible to contain a dog and completely the responsibility of the owner. I mean c'mon, it's a dog and we're humans and if we can't outsmart one canine, well, there isn't much hope for humanity.

 

[ChaoSS]

Absolutely, it is still in the rules that were in place during my 5 years as a moderator. There is nothing in there about a certain age as you stated. This is for their own safety. There have been incidents over the years that make this an excellent policy here and on every internet forum, trust me.

Amazing. I read that like two times and glazed right over that.

Not that it matters to me, I was just wondering if there was another page of rules I missed somewhere or something.

BTW, the thing about kids under 13 isn't a rule so much as this tidbit: "* Our Policy Toward Children: We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under 13. If a parent or guardian becomes aware that his or her child has provided us with Personal Information without their consent, he or she should contact us at [email protected]. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with Personal Information, we will delete such information from our files."

 

[speckledhen]

Amazing. I read that like two times and glazed right over that.

Not that it matters to me, I was just wondering if there was another page of rules I missed somewhere or something.

BTW, the thing about kids under 13 isn't a rule so much as this tidbit: "* Our Policy Toward Children: We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under 13. If a parent or guardian becomes aware that his or her child has provided us with Personal Information without their consent, he or she should contact us at [email protected]. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with Personal Information, we will delete such information from our files."

That last bit was added when BYC changed providers. It does come to the attention of the staff that someone is of a certain age, through many different channels, sometimes the child itself. If the child in question did ID herself as 13 at first, then said she had not reached her 14th birthday, it's not something you want advertised with all the internet predators we have today. Sometimes, kids need to have a gentle guidance from our staff, especially if their parents have not hammered it home about internet safety.


Now, back to the original subject, everyone, please. Gosh, I still feel like a moderator. *Psst, NO, Rob, I'm not coming back!* The OP has already removed the current dog threat. Let's hope the owners of said dog do not get another or they learn that the next one, if let roam, will also disappear.

 

[Starfire669]

Let me just say that, having been the victim of stray dog attacks as a child, thank goodness my German Shepard defended me or i would have been seriously injured by 2 dobermans, and the owner of a very strong athetic dog capable of breaking all but chains that each individual link had to be 1/2 inch think and welded shut, that dog attacks are very serious. An improperly feed dog will hunt to fill its belly, and the more it kills and eats its kill the more aggressive it can become. Its like a child learning to walk, the more success it has the more confident it becomes. After a while, larger animals are added to the menu. After that, when a person tries to defend their animal from the dogs attack the dog may be so bold as to fight for what it considers its prey and attack the human. A properly fed dog still prefers the taste of fresh meat over dry dog kibble, they are after all carnivores. And some breeds, like the Siberian Husky, Malamute, and other sled dogs were allowed to hunt their own meals even after domestication. They have a much stronger prey drive, and it is impossible to rehabilitate a Siberian that follows those instincts. I have tried with Sasha, tried desensitizing her to birds, and various other methods that did not evolve hitting her or tieing up a dead body to her collar for 3 days (I believe that it is mean/inhumane with how sensitive their nose is, and I only give 2 fingered corrective smacks, with a verbals command, for things such as "mouthing" hard and leaving marks with their teeth). My concern here is that someday a person will be injured, maimed, or killed because someone "knows" their dogs. I know my dogs and I also know that they could turn on me or my family and treat them with respect. Knowing that some insticts and behaviors cant be stopped i opted for containment, and it has proved to be the right choice. Male dogs will roam looking for females in heat and for food, "bachelor" packs form and become a very dnagerous problem. A female with young will go to extra ordinary lengths to feed her pups. This is why containment is so essential. Do I love my dogs, yes very much, I snugglethem all the time, and many of my past and current dogs were street dogs that I could rehab. My Belgian was a badly abused dog with man agression(now fixed), 1 is a backyard breeder pup that never knew human touch, the feel or grass or what being dry felt like, 1 is a shelter dog who has heartworms and has torn CCL ligament in her right knee, and 1 was a street dog with chicken killing instincts. I have donemy best to give them a good life, despite their bad start. And rehabbing all these dogs has thought me a lot. I am also teaching my children, what I know about dog behavior.

Anyway, if a dog comes killing you livestock, and you make the decision to shoot it, shoot to kill. Do not try to scare it off, or wound it. Put it out of its misery, because most likely it does not get taken care of properly, and it will be back now that your livestock are a food source. I think a clean kill shot to the head is more humane than leaving the poor dog to harass someone else or starve to death. Traps can be used, if your local animal control will come get them. Mine won't, and if we drop off the animal we have to pay a fee.

This is a harsh reality I wish I could change. But I was badly bitten trying to save and rehabilitate a stray dog that was killing livestock. Some just can't be saved, and I blame their "owners".

Sorry for the long post

 

[speckledhen]

Quote: Quote: Agreed 100%. The only thing I would slightly disagree with in the rest of your post is that most domesticated dogs just kill and don't eat what they kill. A super hungry one might, yes, but most just slaughter and spurred by adrenaline, they keep on until stopped.

And it's not my job to pay with money I don't really have to make someone take the dog, as you mentioned about animal control charging fees. Best to put the dog out of its, mine and the owner's misery. Sad, yes, but reality.

I hate to see dogs obviously feeding puppies somewhere roaming my area. Glad I have that fence. Have seen several lately, too.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

[sic]
Now, back to the original subject, everyone, please. Gosh, I still feel like a moderator. *Psst, NO, Rob, I'm not coming back!* The OP has already removed the current dog threat. Let's hope the owners of said dog do not get another or they learn that the next one, if let roam, will also disappear.

So now I know that you gave up the moderator position. I as wondering if you were still about the forum. I have been "roosting elsewhere" for awhile. Got very busy with life and every so often I find the time to get on the BYC (mostly in the dark AM of the day).

Still have chickens and Guinea Fowl. They have nice homes now on the new place.

It is a rarity to see a dog on this property. I got to be a rather good shot on the old farm though.

Guinea G.

 

[speckledhen]

So now I know that you gave up the moderator position. I as wondering if you were still about the forum. I have been "roosting elsewhere" for awhile. Got very busy with life and every so often I find the time to get on the BYC (mostly in the dark AM of the day).

Still have chickens and Guinea Fowl. They have nice homes now on the new place.

It is a rarity to see a dog on this property. I got to be a rather good shot on the old farm though.

Guinea G.

Good to "see" you! I do miss my guineas still. Hope to have more some day.

 

[Starfire669]

Agreed 100%. The only thing I would slightly disagree with in the rest of your post is that most domesticated dogs just kill and don't eat what they kill. A super hungry one might, yes, but most just slaughter and spurred by adrenaline, they keep on until stopped.

And it's not my job to pay with money I don't really have to make someone take the dog, as you mentioned about animal control charging fees. Best to put the dog out of its, mine and the owner's misery. Sad, yes, but reality.

I hate to see dogs obviously feeding puppies somewhere roaming my area. Glad I have that fence. Have seen several lately, too.

From what I have seen, the "bachelor" packs of dogs are most often the kill but don't eat culprits. I think that is due to their testosterone or something. Most female dogs however, I see them dragging off and eating their kills. Exceptions do exist, my Sasha is 1. And the "bachelor" packs will have 1 maybe 2 females, but there are like 5 males in the pack. Thats why i call it the bachelor pack.

But out here that is most often what I see.

 

[Starfire669]

I will also say that containment need not be too expensive. My dog pen does not have a roof on it. At the time I couldn't afford it as my house needed releveling. I put up 4 foot china link, which by it self will not stop a dog from jumping or climbing out. But I put leaners on the top. Leaners are what you see at airports and prisons with barb wire on it. I then ran some fencing wire with PVC in each slot between the leaners and I sank rocks under the fence. They can't dig out, when they jump they hit their heads on the PVC and if they try to climb the PVC rolls and they can't get a grip and so fall back down. I have not had an escape since I built their dog pen, it works and is cheaper than installing 6 to 8 feet tall fencing, which is what is recommended to keep siberians from climbing out. Here is a pic of my Belgian in his pen.