Neighbors Dogs killing chickens

[meriruka]

I had that problem here. There are no leash laws, however, all dogs must have a collar with a rabies tag.
If the dog doesn't have the tag, Animal control will come and get them. If it does have a tag and kills your chickens,
Animal Control will contact the owner and help you get reimbursed for the chickens.
If a dog threatens a human, they will come get it. If you don't want to shoot the dogs, just say it came after you -
I know, may not be exactly honest, but better than bullets flying around.

 

[NYREDS]

It was awful because I felt like they had killed my kid almost...

Your kid must feel good to know that he's at least a little more valuable to you than a chicken.​

 

[Lady Catrina]

Quote:
Sadly, once you tell the pound that the dog is a killer, it goes straight to the death chamber, do not pass go. I also do rescue, though I do horses. A picture was passed around of the damage done when a dog ran a horse into a fence - the horses hoof got ripped off. Another filly was almost beheaded by a fence - yup, chased by a dog. So, dogs go after more than poultry. Yes, it IS the dog owners responsibility, but I disagree that it is in every dogs nature to hunt and kill - Kodi will let babies (kittens, chicks, a gosling) crawl over him, and I never trained him for that. Mystery will tippie-toe around kittens, and go nuts when I am in the run with the peeps - she wants in there, to make sure they're 'okay'. My other three dogs MIGHT kill - I have seen the youngest try to chase cats - I have yet to train them against it, plan to get a training collar and work them individually.... but they are high dollar. In the meantime, the birds are under lock and key. They cannot free range right now, but I DO bring them buckets of grass every day.

As for the Johnson County Sheriff, I guess either the laws have changed, or Burleson has better protection than Joshua.

And, as for fencing - being a horse owner, and perhaps one day a WB owner, we have always had fencing. Sadly that is not always 100% effective - proof when I looked out my window and saw a bull looking back a me. Western neighbor has crappy fence to keep his goats and bull in. We dream of better fencing, and yes - PREDATOR PROOF all around our 10 acres, creek and woods included. We have more to do, ie down by the creek were the dogs from uphill come down onto our land. The investment in the fencing is paid back by not having to: - replace 2 horses, - fight rabies, and - face heartache of dead animals everywhere.

 

[strawberryfields]

My apologies because I skipped through most of this and am posting. So if I am stepping on any toes or repeating advice, I apologize.

I would not shoot the dogs. Even if the neighbor seems agreeable about it. We have neighbors with dogs and they just don't care. I approached them and they told me to shoot those dogs, they would understand. I had a pretty good gut feeling that they WOULD NOT understand.

And animals like dogs seem to have more and more "rights" these days from many animal lovers. You could conceivably find yourself in a lot of trouble over shooting a neighbors dog.

Animal Control was no help at all. Between myself and many of my other neighbors (who also have animals they wanted to protect) who complained frequently, these people simply denied the problem was their dogs.

This summer I took pictures of the dogs running through my neighbors yard and brought them to Animal Control. Guess what? My neighbors paid a $200.00 fine. If they continue to allow their dogs to roam free, the fine only increases.

And my birds are all contained in a large pen now. Life is much better

 

[strawberryfields]

Quote:
It seems like this would not only keep the chickens in, it would make it that much easier for the dogs to find them, and harder for the chickens to escape the dogs jaws.

 

[flakey chick]

Quote:
That is an excellent point. When dogs are in prey mode, they become especially dangerous. Up to you on whether or not to shoot the dog, but I strongly recomend arming your kids with pepper spray (depending on age).

 

[twister]

two weeks ago, we were living this exact senerio. Free ranged birds on 5 ac. Neighbors stupid goofy labs harassing the flock on OUR property. LUCKILY for us, BRAVE roo took them on. A second neighbor hear the commotion and drove over and honked to break up the fight. Dogs scattered and did the birds. No one died. I believe the dog were just being playful for if they wanted to have killed them all they certainly could have. ROO survived unscathed except minus most of his feathers. I went over to the quilty neighbor dog owner and asked politely to keep their dogs on their property. Two days later, dumb blankety blank dogs were IN the COOP. ( while the birds were out free ranging. ) I get the gun, shoot in the air to scare them off. SECOND trip to neighbor---- PLEASE , keep the dogs up... these birds are PETS, and not farm animals in the sense that some people may think of poultry. We quickly realize that 2X we have escaped disaster and put up a fence to keep our birds contained and they only may free range when we are home to look- listen-protect. This leaves me terrified b.c. on the second dog attack attempt, had my birds NOT been free ranging, they would have been slaughtered. DITTO really for the first attack , since the rest of the flock was able to flee while ROO held the labs off. THIRD attack.... dogs climbing on coop, chickens raising 9 kinds of ___ ___(albeit, safe)... i heard it ran out and shot in the air. THIRD time , husband went over to talk to neighbors , very very politely re-explained that these are pets to us and our child, as is their dogs are pets to their kids. I "THINK" they got the message...for their dogs haven't been back over here.
I have been so tempted to SSS, but as a dog lover, just could not bring myself to that ((( YET))). Hopefully it will never come to that. The surrounding neighbors have called animal control on these EXACT dogs for roaming loose, turning over garbage cans, and doing biz in their yards. On two occasions , the neighbors have had to bail these dogs out of doggy jail. I think 'maybe' we should have called animal control and hit their pocket book one more time ( these neighbors are fairly loaded, so i do not think that really hurts them) ...but glad in a sense that we didn't bc we will have to live w. these people for prob a long time and retailiation- anomosity is not a good feeling to have.
I am currently in the market for a GREAT watchdog, one that will put the fear of God in those two stupid dogs. (but not kill them)

 

[Miltonchix]

I'm always first to shout "SHOOT THE D**N DOG!!" But, I've given a pass to 3 dogs so far in the act of harrassing my chickens. I've had them in my sights but find it VERY hard to shoot a dog. The only thing that saved their stinkin hides is the chickens were locked up. They were chasing them around and around the run from the outside. (still could have legally shot them for "harrassing" livestock)
Killing doesn't come easy.
That being said, I will, and have with cats, Shoot, make sure its dead with a Shovel, and NOT Shut up if I can prove ownership of the offender.
What I don't/won't/can't understand is the mentality that I'm doing something immoral/wrong/illegal for protecting my livestock/pets/family.

Once a predator, be that domestic or wild, knows it has a smorgasboard in my backyard it will continue dining til the table is empty. Or, like in the neighbors dead cats, kill for sport. Sport=fun activity. These dead cats found it FUN to kill my poultry. Nothing was ever eaten, just killed and left.
When were animals given "rights"?? As in "human rights"
We ARE custodians of the planet. Custodians sometimes have to take care of messes too.

 

[chickenjones]

UPDATE!

My hubby went to talk to the neighbor to tell him we have talked to the sheriff and he told us our rights. He ended up talking to him over the phone and he said he didn't even know if his son still had the dog because he hasn't seen him in 2 days (What we have here is a failure to communicate!). Anyway he said he would try to find out. Well my hubby has been outside with the chickens as they have been locked up for almost two days. The guy that actually own the dog turned down our street to go home. My husband tried to flag him down, and wouldn't you know it, the guy flipped him off. WHATEVER.

So that seals the deal. Either he is mad because he got rid of the dog or he's just mad so we'll call again tonight and if he still has the dog we are calling the sheriff and filing a report. BTW the whole time my DH was outside he had his pistol with him. I didn't realize that until he came in and told me what happened- but evidently you can't be too careful.

Melody

 

[geebs]

pen up your chickens... very well and then redo the radiator in your car. my bad... I had a nieghbor do that to my escaping chickens... (btw it worked)... those chickens are gone now. I imagine it works the same for the dog. You really need a dog deterrant... I would pen and put some kind of deterrant... pet skunk... porcipine.. Idk... We can collectively think of something that the owner would get tired of messing with... say a line of motor oil??? Once tracked into the house few times should solve his desire to let his dogs run loose... just a thought.