One wounded :)

[SpottedCrow]

Your neighbours are idiots...there's a leash law for the dogs, not for the chickens!!!
Have you called animal control yet?
Also take pics of where they're digging and if you haven't, the next time that they come back, take a picture of them in your yard. That's evidence for when the dogs kill more of your birds.

 

[Windy Ridge]

... they told us not to let our girls out until after 5 when they are home to keep an eye on their dogs.

Yes... you should get the exact text of the leash laws in your area and tell your neighbors not to let THEIR DOGS out until after five when they are home to keep an eye on them... and even then, you can show them in the text of your local laws how the dogs must be kept leashed or restrained, even when they're home.

I know you don't want to start a feud with your neighbors. Still, if they don't take responsibility for their animals, it will lead to worse. I agree that you should take pictures of the damage and of the dogs in your yard. You may try explaining to them that if their dogs don't cease damaging your property (fence, etc., since they don't seem to care about the potential loss of the life of your hens), you'll have to send them a bill for repair because you're well within your rights to keep animals within your fence on your own property. THEY are the ones breaking laws by allowing their poor dogs to run.

You might also see if an animal control officer, police officer or some other person in authority could be present at this interview.

Do you honestly think they're going to sit outside with a watchful eye from five until dark just to make absolutely sure their dogs don't venture into your yard? No. They're asking you to take responsibility for this situation. If they were that type of owner, your polite talks would already have caused them to alter the way they let their dogs run. Obviously, they don't care too much what damage their animals do. They're the type of dog owners who will call their dogs back if they happen to hear a big ruckus, but by then, it may be too late.

You'd be doing not only your hens, but also their dogs a favor by getting them to take responsibility now.​

 

[arlee453]

Just as there is no reason for you to blame the neighbors if your chickens wander over there and their dog attacks one, there is no reason for them to expect YOU to accomodate them as far as their dogs are concerned.

We have a similar situation right now with our neighbor's pit bulls. He keeps them up when he's not home, but when he is home he likes to let them out to run while he's outside working in the yard or on his car.

Problem is that he has very little control over them. All he's doing by being outside with them is that he knows when they get out of hand - he can't stop them and they are not obiedient to him when they get something in their minds to do.

My issue is that I have small kids and they like to ride bikes up and down the road in front of our house. I live in fear that one day my kids will get attacked as the dogs will chase anything that moves. It's a shame - we feel like we are held hostage in our own home - the kids always have to look across the street to see if the dogs are up before they will venture off the porch.

One of his dogs has already attacked my little dog, who was ON A LEASH with my MIL who was walking him around the street. His dog zoomed out of his yard out of nowhere and had Petey by the back shaking him like a rag doll before my MIL even saw the pit bull coming. Keep in mind all this happened with my dog on a LEASH.

My MIL kicked the dog and he dropped Petey, about the same time the neighbor realized his dog had attacked. He came running (as I said, his being outside only means at least he KNOWS his dog just attacked something) and apologized profusely. At least Petey was OK except for a couple of puncture wounds...needless to say it could have been a lot worse - I shudder to think if the dog had turned on my MIL when she was trying to get him off Petey - she's 75 and not in the best of health.

Anyway, I suppose I'm just venting now... for the sake of neighborly peace we haven't called animal control... YET. One more aggresive move from these dogs towards my animals or kids and we definately will be letting our neighbor know that we will be calling animal control any time they are out of his yard from then on. Thankfully they do stay in his yard for the most part when they are out - they don't wander the neighborhood, but if they see something they want over here, they don't hesitate to come over.

 

[tiffanyh]

Put a couple strands of electric fence around the coop.....they'll stay away after that!

 

[MissPrissy]

There is always the SSS method. What no one knows won't hurt them. Gone. Forgotten. And never speak of it again.

Shoot it, shovel it, shut up. :|

 

[hsm5grls]

We have a similar problem. The neighbors diagonal from us have A LOT OF DOGS and they are always running loose. One is a pit bull mix. WE and our other neighbors have called animal control many times. THey come and eventually take the dogs because they are not well cared for (never good to have a pack of hungry dogs running loose). What always happens in within a couple of weeks they have new dogs and the cycle begins all over. I still don't understand why they are allowed to keep getting dogs. I swear animal control is at there house every other month.

 

[BlueDevilGirl67]

Do like we did --let them get in your vehicle and take them to a nice farm and drop them off--never to be seen again. This was after animal control had picked him up 3 times out of our yard and taken him to the pound ( and put a vicious animal ordinance on him) and the punk brat that has more femine wiles than I do and he is male turned him loose out of his fence on purpose. Our county has a leash law. These neighbors for lack of a better word have one of the nicer dog runs in the neighborhood ( and we were complimented on our dog run and coops by the animal control officer) and they refused to use it. All they know is he attacked someone's chickens and there are 4 of us in the neighborhood, so they don't know exactly who is responsible for reporting the dog or how the dog went missing.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Do NOT drop the dog off at a farm...most folks already have farm dogs and farm cats and they don't need anymore!
Especially one that just shows up and they know nothing about. A stray dog can wipe out a lifetime's worth of livestock breeding.

 

[newchickowner]

I was thinking the same, I'm tired of dealing with dogs that get dropped off near my place! Most of the time they aren't in the best of health and not friendly either. Please don't just drop dogs off where ever you want.

Print off the text of the Leash law and put it right in their mailbox, or tape it to their front door, get electric fence for your place, take pictures of the damage caused by their dogs, and sit on your front porch with loaded shotgun while watching your chickens and wave to them using the shotgun to wave, when they get home. A "howdy neighbor" waving a shotgun should give them a hint! Even in broad daylight, if their dogs come into your yard to attack your chickens (or whatever else) you have the right to deal with it. (I live in the country though, you may not be able to fire a weapon where you are, I don't know)

 

[Windy Ridge]

Quote:
Me, too... I also have chickens! Why would you want to dump a vicious, chicken-chasing dog onto someone's farm that could kill someone else's babies?