Only lasted one night.

[jordanraugustin]

My husband and I are new to this. Dogs tore through fence and tore into coop and killed one of our rescued hens that we just got yesterday. The other is seemingly physically unharmed, but traumatized. She was lying in the yard, not moving. I assumed she was dead also, but when I went to examine her she popped her head up and started moving her legs around. I've brought her inside. She drank some water but still hasn't eaten. Any advice on what to do now to help her along? And also advice on how to keep them safe? She was inside a fence, inside a sturdy coop.

 

[duckmanjim]

My husband and I are new to this. Dogs tore through fence and tore into coop and killed one of our rescued hens that we just got yesterday. The other is seemingly physically unharmed, but traumatized. She was lying in the yard, not moving. I assumed she was dead also, but when I went to examine her she popped her head up and started moving her legs around. I've brought her inside. She drank some water but still hasn't eaten. Any advice on what to do now to help her along? And also advice on how to keep them safe? She was inside a fence, inside a sturdy coop.

Are you sure it was dogs? Seems odd unless feral dogs.

 

[jordanraugustin]

I am sure. There were paw prints all over the coop and my dog along with a stray dog that I've been feeding are now acting too interested in my neighbor's chickens (they're safe in an electrical fence). My dog has been here with us three years beside chickens and never cared one bit about them and now she's running the neighbor's fence, barking at the chickens. So I'm assuming she was in on this.
I'll add our fence is a work in progress so wasn't hard to get through. But since we had the girls locked inside a good coop, we didn't think the faulty fence was a big problem.

 

[TalkALittle]

Well, I'll argue that if the coop was able to be ripped into then it was neither good nor sturdy in design.

Maybe post a picture of the coop so we can see exactly how it was breached and give specific advice on how to modify it.

 

[jordanraugustin]

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/precision-pet-farm-house-coop?cm_vc=-10005

I am having a hard time getting a picture to post but here's the link to the coop we have.
The mesh on front was ripped down large enough for them to reach in and grab a hen off the perch and somehow the dogs jumped on the back hatch enough to unlock it. It was hanging open.

 

[TalkALittle]

Yup. I don't doubt they got in fairly easily. That's the problem with cheaply made, overpriced pre-fab coops like that one.

Most people end up replacing latches with more durable ones and reinforcing the structure. You can replace with a more durable hardware cloth and add trim to prevent it from being pulled off. An apron of hardware cloth can prevent diggers and bolting it to a wood frame (like a raised garden bed) can provide stability. Slapping a coat of wood preserving stain or paint can stave off the inevitable warping and rotting some.

 

[jordanraugustin]

Thank you! Will do all of that.

 

[SVTechChick]

Wow, this is so sad, sorry for your loss. We have two dogs, a Corgi and a rescue doxie. The Corgi is totally chill with the girls, but the doxie went nuts and tried to dig under the coop to get in. Our coop is custom built and sturdy, but the run could be breached if something dug under it. (Will look into the apron!)

Our solution was to put up a barrier between the backyard where the dogs are and the side yard where the coop is. The doxie can't see the coop, so is no longer interested. We also have tree cover in that part of the yard, so no flying predators can scope out the coop (we do have hawks), and while we also have raccoons and oppossums, the dogs will bark if they hear anything in their yard (and we'll hear it as well). So far, even the cat is mostly curious...he doesn't go into predator mode when the girls are out, and our EE scolds him when he gets too close.

We live in a very suburban area, though we do have an open field nearby, which is why we do have some predator load. My theory is, if something REALLY wants to get your girls, and is hungry enough, and there isn't another "alarm", all animals are somewhat at risk. We had a mountain lion in our neighborhood a couple of years ago, and several pets were eaten. Who'd a-thunk?

 

[jordanraugustin]

Thank you.
I'm hoping we can get the fence around the backyard finished and really secured and I'll feel somewhat better about it.