Not that we would do this but as a last resort....

[mamabahre]

maybe one of those little foghorn things?
They are super loud and might just scare the dogs away if you get close enough to get it in their face..I haven't ever tried it so I don't know if it would work but at least you couldn't be pinned for animal cruelty like with a bb gun or a paint ball gun and that way you don't have to use a "real" gun and actually hurt the dogs.

 

[amynbrent]

Well I was walking the back of my property and I found a broken chain and collar. The metal chain was really stretched and bent up at the collar. I hope the dog didnt get hurt. Anyway the spot that I buried my chickens was dug up and the chicks were gone. That tells me he really wanted in my yard! So the owner's are finally trying to do something but it didnt work and that tells me that when the chicks are moved out back to the coop the dogs will be here. I called A/C and complained again and asked how many time I had to call before they were removed or fined. They told me to catch them. I would if I could. I also told them that they are chasing my kids and jumping on them on the way to our bus that if one so much scratched them there would be he** and a lawsuit...maybe that was drastic but I said it anyway. I was thining about leaving food out at my back door and maybe gaining their trust that way so I can catch them.

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Quote:
I think you know nothing about raising chickens or any other livestock. This person should not have to go to additional expense to protect her children or animals. How could I have free range organic poultry on my own farm or property if I follow your thought process.. The last dog that killed a chicken here is DEAD. Better fence is a nice idea but not practical in many cases and very expensive as well as labor intensive. Dogs often can jump/get over a 4 ft fence or dig under. Get in touch with the reality. Owner of the dogs have to keep them home or accept that something bad could happen to their dogs.

 

[Nimby Chickens]

Quote:
I think you know nothing about raising chickens or any other livestock. This person should not have to go to additional expense to protect her children or animals. How could I have free range organic poultry on my own farm or property if I follow your thought process.. The last dog that killed a chicken here is DEAD. Better fence is a nice idea but not practical in many cases and very expensive as well as labor intensive. Dogs often can jump/get over a 4 ft fence or dig under. Get in touch with the reality. Owner of the dogs have to keep them home or accept that something bad could happen to their dogs.

I think you both have good points - people should be responsible and keep their dogs at home, but by that same mentality you should keep your chickens in your own yard too. How can you do that without fencing? Are you going to shoot every dog that comes along and kills a chicken? How is that proactive in any way? Seems like a sad waste of life to me. The dog is being a dog, and you're putting a chicken buffet out for him - you owe it to your chickens to protect them in proactive ways like fencing and hardware cloth and hot wire. A gun shot as the dog runs away with a chicken doesn't do the dead ones any good.

That's how I feel about it anyway. I'm a wildlife rehabber so I save a lot of animals that people here would kill without blinking an eye. Possums and raccoons and squirrels, and plenty of other chicken killers too. They're all just trying to get along in this world and people invite them over with improperly contained garbage, pet food left outside, house openings improperly sealed, and in this case a chicken buffet. If a predator got my birds, I would chalk it up to being MY fault because I failed to protect them. The only loss I can live with is a flying predator because I can't fence the sky!

SSS is barbaric. Proactive action would prevent most of this - and it is AWFUL that you have to take such steps to protect from dogs that irresponsible people own, but there will always be predators.

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Quote:
I think you know nothing about raising chickens or any other livestock. This person should not have to go to additional expense to protect her children or animals. How could I have free range organic poultry on my own farm or property if I follow your thought process.. The last dog that killed a chicken here is DEAD. Better fence is a nice idea but not practical in many cases and very expensive as well as labor intensive. Dogs often can jump/get over a 4 ft fence or dig under. Get in touch with the reality. Owner of the dogs have to keep them home or accept that something bad could happen to their dogs.

I think you both have good points - people should be responsible and keep their dogs at home, but by that same mentality you should keep your chickens in your own yard too. How can you do that without fencing? Are you going to shoot every dog that comes along and kills a chicken? How is that proactive in any way? Seems like a sad waste of life to me. The dog is being a dog, and you're putting a chicken buffet out for him - you owe it to your chickens to protect them in proactive ways like fencing and hardware cloth and hot wire. A gun shot as the dog runs away with a chicken doesn't do the dead ones any good.

That's how I feel about it anyway. I'm a wildlife rehabber so I save a lot of animals that people here would kill without blinking an eye. Possums and raccoons and squirrels, and plenty of other chicken killers too. They're all just trying to get along in this world and people invite them over with improperly contained garbage, pet food left outside, house openings improperly sealed, and in this case a chicken buffet. If a predator got my birds, I would chalk it up to being MY fault because I failed to protect them. The only loss I can live with is a flying predator because I can't fence the sky!

SSS is barbaric. Proactive action would prevent most of this - and it is AWFUL that you have to take such steps to protect from dogs that irresponsible people own, but there will always be predators.

My property is fenced (hog tight). I pen all birds and livestock up at night. They do stay on my property. I have several llamas to keep coyotes and dogs away. Coyotes have learned and will go around the fence of any field the llama is in rather than try to cross that field. Wild animals are not a problem, domestic dogs running loose are. When dogs come on my property and I know who owns that dog I talk to them and explain what will happen if they continue to come around and harass or harm any livestock. Usually they were not aware their dog/dogs are not staying around home and take the proper steps. I do not want to kill any dog but they can not be chasing /harassing/killing any of my livestock or poultry.

 

[calista]

Lanatwo, while I commend you for your wildlife rehabbing pursuits, it is judgmental of you to use the sentence, "SSS is barbaric."

The forum rules state: "*Although some ways are not considered ideal to some, it serves the purpose of removing the offending predator. If you have an idea or a helpful comment, please do reply. If it is a sarcastic comment about the disposal or capture of a predator, please keep your thoughts to yourself. We are not here to judge one another on methods or ways and means."

Black Cochin Bantams made some very valid points.

SSS is a time-honored, perfectly acceptable alternative to dispatch animal predators OF ANY KIND when called for in situations where one's stock is being threatened and no other viable method is available that does not impose on the rights of the property and stock owner.

 

[mamabahre]

Quote:
I think the point is that it isn't so cool when OTHER methods haven't been exhausted yet you know?

I think a lot of people who are new to BYC (myself included) are somewhat shocked by the casual nature that some people refer to shooting other animals in defense of their chickens. Especially other people's dogs. I am not saying it is wrong. I am saying it is upsetting. My dog is always supervised outside because she does run off periodically and if she ran off one time and I couldn't get her immediately and someone SHOT her because she killed their chickens would be devastating for me.

There are absolutely legitimate times you might have to shoot someone's dog or a possum or a raccoon but I think what turns people off so much is the immediate jump to SSS that some people take. It's like sometimes there is no middle ground, "oh a dog killed a chicken, well shoot it immediately and ignore the fact that dogs are hunters and sometimes they get loose and do what hunters do..." So not fair to the dog...I don't object at all to the "no other viable method" but I take serious issue with people who jump to SSS without other measures first.

OP, I am shocked by your A/C people, I am glad you mentioned lawsuit because that is exactly what they would have on their hands. It is NOT your job to catch the dogs, it is literally their job...That is EXACTLY what they are there for. I would actually be calling them back 3 times a day until they came and took care of the problem.

 

[bobbi-j]

I think a lot of people who are new to BYC (myself included) are somewhat shocked by the casual nature that some people refer to shooting other animals in defense of their chickens. Especially other people's dogs. I am not saying it is wrong. I am saying it is upsetting. My dog is always supervised outside because she does run off periodically and if she ran off one time and I couldn't get her immediately and someone SHOT her because she killed their chickens would be devastating for me.

There are absolutely legitimate times you might have to shoot someone's dog or a possum or a raccoon but I think what turns people off so much is the immediate jump to SSS that some people take. It's like sometimes there is no middle ground, "oh a dog killed a chicken, well shoot it immediately and ignore the fact that dogs are hunters and sometimes they get loose and do what hunters do..." So not fair to the dog...I don't object at all to the "no other viable method" but I take serious issue with people who jump to SSS without other measures first.

It can seem like alot of people want to immediately SSS a dog that kills their chickens, but if you read the majority of the posts, these are dogs that are repeat offenders. Yes, there are some that would kill a dog the first time. But I think that many of the people on here would give a dog and its owner a second chance. I know I would, anyway. But if it kept coming back, no.​

 

[mamabahre]

Like I said, "SOME" people...not everyone. I know there are a lot of people who wouldn't jump to just shooting a critter. I know that. I thought I was pretty clear about it.
I am talking about the people whose first reaction is to grab their gun and start shooting. There is a huge difference. Also I get that repeat offender dogs are issues but that is a problem with the OWNER not the dog...Shooting the dog isn't going to solve the root problem it is just taking care of the symptom. Gotta look at it from a holistic perspective because that person can (and probably will) just get another dog and thus the cycle continues.

 

[theFox]

Quote:
I guess someone needs to to start a petition in every jurisdiction, calling for the removal of the owner from society, care to volunteer?