***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Kassaundra]

I am sorry for your loss. Yes they will be back and yes they will attempt to breach whatever type fence you have, over through or under if they can.

 

[Karen523]

dunnmon, our fence is 8 ft tall. We have lost chickens to dog attacks before, but never a pack of 4 dogs. It was always one or two dogs. I'm also concerned because when dogs start running together in a pack, nobody in the neighborhood is safe. My chickens seem to be taking it fairly well. We have been putting lots of wood chips in the pen today to keep the smell down. And the wood chips give the chickens something to scratch and peck thru since they won't be out free ranging any more. As the wood chips break down and compost, I will put them in the garden and put fresh wood chips in the pen.

 

[Karen523]

I am sorry for your loss. Yes they will be back and yes they will attempt to breach whatever type fence you have, over through or under if they can.

Well, I hate for it to come to this, but I will protect my livestock. We also have a bull (soon to be a steer), a horse and a very small pony.

 

[dunnmom]

I hate to say it, but Kassaundra is probably right. The height is pretty good. A lot of people put a skirting around their pen to keep diggers out. I don't have one on mine, but we buried concrete blocks under the frame, and it's held so far.

 

[Al Capon]

Are the dogs likely to break thru the wood fence that surrounds my chicken pen? I really don't want to have to SSS but I will do whatever I have to do.

I'd SSS in a heartbeat. If it isn't your livestock, it will be some other poor soul's livestock.

People say "it's only a chicken". Yeah, well, I've got a grand or more in my coop, a couple hundred on chicken feed and chickens, and the doesn't even count the time I've put in. I don't like shooting dogs, but I like my chickens more than anybody's dog..

Hope you have better luck from now on..

 

[Karen523]

I'd SSS in a heartbeat. If it isn't your livestock, it will be some other poor soul's livestock.

People say "it's only a chicken". Yeah, well, I've got a grand or more in my coop, a couple hundred on chicken feed and chickens, and the doesn't even count the time I've put in. I don't like shooting dogs, but I like my chickens more than anybody's dog..

Hope you have better luck from now on..

Yes, I agree. Our chickens provide us with a lot of food, and yes, we have invested a lot of money in our coops and chickens.
I will do whatever I need to do to protect my livestock. I guess I was just hoping to figure out another way to deal with it. I know there are other folks with livestock in my area who would also hate to lose their livestock to a pack of dogs. The dogs went into my chicken yard to get the chickens. I had left the gate open so the chickens could free range. I now have the chickens in smaller pens inside the chicken yard. My Cornish cross chickens are in there too. I really wanted to move them out to the meat bird pen, but that pen isn't as secure and I don't want to lose a years worth of chicken meat.
The dogs haven't returned yet, so either they belong to someone in the area, or they just haven't made their way back to my property yet. Either way, I'm ready for them.

 

[dunnmom]

Hanging with my golden girls today and got a few pics.

 

[dunnmom]

I'm a little annoyed with my husband. We have a broody hen, and I'd like her to set eggs as opposed to breaking her. My husband says that breaking her would be less work for me than letting her hatch, but he didn't break the broodies last year, I did. One took a week, the other took 2, and it was back to back.

I think I might have to go over his head on this one, and let her hatch without talking to him about it. I know that he's just worried it'll make more work for him, because he thinks I'll end up handing him a chicken related honey-do list.

All of the chicken care has been my territory and responsibility ever since they started laying eggs, so I don't see the problem. My mom is ready and willing to enable me by getting me eggs through her guy in sneaky drug-deal fashion. Lol! She cracks me up with her incubation addiction...

 

[Kassaundra]

I'm a little annoyed with my husband. We have a broody hen, and I'd like her to set eggs as opposed to breaking her. My husband says that breaking her would be less work for me than letting her hatch, but he didn't break the broodies last year, I did. One took a week, the other took 2, and it was back to back.

I think I might have to go over his head on this one, and let her hatch without talking to him about it. I know that he's just worried it'll make more work for him, because he thinks I'll end up handing him a chicken related honey-do list.

All of the chicken care has been my territory and responsibility ever since they started laying eggs, so I don't see the problem. My mom is ready and willing to enable me by getting me eggs through her guy in sneaky drug-deal fashion. Lol! She cracks me up with her incubation addiction...

That is exactly how I "break" broodies, letting them hatch eggs. lol

 

[dunnmom]

I have hatching eggs coming Tues. for my broody. I'm going to have to move her, but I'm going to try to let her stay in the coop, and hope she's fit to protect her nest: