I live in upstate NY and have had over the years just about every breed of chicken at one time or another. My husband and I have 2 propertys so keep breeding chikens at one farm and potential show birds at the other .We started with leghorns and booted bantams , then rhode island reds, then dominiques, a few assorted rare breeds just looking for a home from other farms that had a few too many. we always managed to keep it to a flock of 20 or so at each property. Over the years we settled on Australorps (Husbands favorite) and A few Sebrights (My fav)
a couple years ago I let the breeding flock out at farm 1 to scout around for greens and juicy bugs. That was a normal day.I thought I have pleanty of time to run over town and pick up a couple things by then it will be starting to get dark and they will get back into the cleaned pen. Went to grocery store and even picked up a bag of apples to cut up a few at a time to give to the chickens. When I returned , I just couldnt beleive what I found, There were dead chickens strewn everywhere it was pretty horrific. I wont get into details , it was bad. In the middle was an excited little red dog, a mixed breed very excited about his deed.This dog had killed every single chicken xcept one little white silkie amurcana X that we had as a handy brooder and lap chicken who loved people more than other chickens, she was hiding under some lumber that my husband proped against the wall for a future project. She was the sole survivor .
I went in called animal control , they came over right away but couldnt catch this dog, he took off, but they got to see him.
Just one week later My neighbor who lives a mile and 1/2 up the road let her prize winning silkies out and also had some lady amherst phesants (that are georgeous but look like something out of a science fiction movie) out into a large pheasant pen, silkies out in the yard, she had 36 birds in total.
Well this same little dog according to her came right out of nowhere and started grabbing and shaking her chickens and killing them one after another she ran in called authorities and this time they caught this dog, but not befor he killed the entire flock of 36.
We were both just devestated I vowed to rebuild flock but it sure hasnt been easy, try looking for top australorps? Not easy, even at shows the great ones are hard to find. same with sebrights.
As for my neightbor, she is still locked up in court with the dogs owner. She won a large sum of money , but he refuses to pay.
We have started rebuilding flock, this new chcicken house at farm 2 for show prospects and I just love it. Cluckingham palace is what my sister calls it. I was tentative for a while about letting birds out but slowly got over it . We do used chicken tractors at the other farm now. There is just nothing like seeing a flock out in the yard enjoying themselves.
a couple years ago I let the breeding flock out at farm 1 to scout around for greens and juicy bugs. That was a normal day.I thought I have pleanty of time to run over town and pick up a couple things by then it will be starting to get dark and they will get back into the cleaned pen. Went to grocery store and even picked up a bag of apples to cut up a few at a time to give to the chickens. When I returned , I just couldnt beleive what I found, There were dead chickens strewn everywhere it was pretty horrific. I wont get into details , it was bad. In the middle was an excited little red dog, a mixed breed very excited about his deed.This dog had killed every single chicken xcept one little white silkie amurcana X that we had as a handy brooder and lap chicken who loved people more than other chickens, she was hiding under some lumber that my husband proped against the wall for a future project. She was the sole survivor .
I went in called animal control , they came over right away but couldnt catch this dog, he took off, but they got to see him.
Just one week later My neighbor who lives a mile and 1/2 up the road let her prize winning silkies out and also had some lady amherst phesants (that are georgeous but look like something out of a science fiction movie) out into a large pheasant pen, silkies out in the yard, she had 36 birds in total.
Well this same little dog according to her came right out of nowhere and started grabbing and shaking her chickens and killing them one after another she ran in called authorities and this time they caught this dog, but not befor he killed the entire flock of 36.
We were both just devestated I vowed to rebuild flock but it sure hasnt been easy, try looking for top australorps? Not easy, even at shows the great ones are hard to find. same with sebrights.
As for my neightbor, she is still locked up in court with the dogs owner. She won a large sum of money , but he refuses to pay.
We have started rebuilding flock, this new chcicken house at farm 2 for show prospects and I just love it. Cluckingham palace is what my sister calls it. I was tentative for a while about letting birds out but slowly got over it . We do used chicken tractors at the other farm now. There is just nothing like seeing a flock out in the yard enjoying themselves.
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