Howdy Y'all! *whew* what timing!
Since we got our nine baby's a month ago, the dog has taken a keen interest in wanting to get to know them better. A year ago, before I even thought of raising chickens, I came home to see our dog, who escaped the backyard, chomping on a chicken he caught. Though I was upset, it would have been worse now, knowing how much one can get attached to our feathered friends. I wish I knew whos bird it was, they deserve compensation for thier loss. Any how...
Two days ago, I stayed home longer than expected. and decided to go out to say hi to my chickies <so what it was the 20th time that day> To my horror and surprize, I saw that his head and shoulder were half way through the fencing I put up dividing the yard (he gets half, the girls get half). HE saw me and freaked (that bugger knows what he was doing was wrong) I scolded him, and went to fix the fence and reinforce... (all on a sprained ankle, but that is a different story).
Today, I happened to walk by a window and saw a brown tail go past a mound of weeds/branches that I piled for the girls to play in (I devise "toys" to entertain the girls...I think I am going coo coo!).
The dog found a weak spot in my fencing, dug through and was going in for the kill...my girls all ran into the center of the pile and huddled together....quite camofluaged, but he knew they were in there. Had I not detoured from what I was doing, just to peek at the girls .... <shudder>.
YELLING at the top of my lungs for my sons to run to the back yard, FAST!!!... I hobbled as fast as I could. My oldest knew there was something amiss and barged right through the fencing I made between our sunroom door and the outside (I like to hear my girls so I keep the door open with fencing otherwise they want to be indoor chickens)....I will reward my boys for their quick actions with a special dessert tonight for sure.
With his snout in the pile, the dog heard us coming, and ran like the dickens to the opposite side of the yard. I went to him, yelling and he slinked away back to the other side of the fence. I was/am soo angry! At the mutt, but more at myself for missing a weak spot in the fence.
I am thinking that it be best to give the dog to my inlaws than to have a dog around that will kill my girls.
FUNNY THING IS, they, it seems to me, taunted him....they go plucking around the fence while he is not there, but they are looking around for him.... pecking on HIS side of the fence (with an entire yard to play in, they go there...lol) A few days ago The bantam even went through and was pecking on his side... when I saw that , I almost died! hobbling as fast as possible, I tried to scare her back from the dogs side (kinda knowing if I tried to get to her from the other side, she would panic and run towards the middle of the dogs side.... but dummy girl when she saw me, she panicked with flapping wings and couldnt get through the fence....if I was the dog, she woulda been a goner.... so, after weeks of taunting the dog, he made it to thier side.
ANOTHER three minutes....one or more of them would have been in his jaws.
I am thinking we need a chicken friendly dog. One month with chickens and I can tell you right now... this fever aint gonna stop...told Wife the other day that we should go get three more...ONLY three...that's it...no more.... (this after we bought our initial six, and I sed, lets get a couple more...so we did....well...three more... <wink wink> I couldnt help it....there was one extra that was soooo cute...we had to bring her home too... besides... doesnt a "couple" mean three??? lol
Since we got our nine baby's a month ago, the dog has taken a keen interest in wanting to get to know them better. A year ago, before I even thought of raising chickens, I came home to see our dog, who escaped the backyard, chomping on a chicken he caught. Though I was upset, it would have been worse now, knowing how much one can get attached to our feathered friends. I wish I knew whos bird it was, they deserve compensation for thier loss. Any how...
Two days ago, I stayed home longer than expected. and decided to go out to say hi to my chickies <so what it was the 20th time that day> To my horror and surprize, I saw that his head and shoulder were half way through the fencing I put up dividing the yard (he gets half, the girls get half). HE saw me and freaked (that bugger knows what he was doing was wrong) I scolded him, and went to fix the fence and reinforce... (all on a sprained ankle, but that is a different story).
Today, I happened to walk by a window and saw a brown tail go past a mound of weeds/branches that I piled for the girls to play in (I devise "toys" to entertain the girls...I think I am going coo coo!).
The dog found a weak spot in my fencing, dug through and was going in for the kill...my girls all ran into the center of the pile and huddled together....quite camofluaged, but he knew they were in there. Had I not detoured from what I was doing, just to peek at the girls .... <shudder>.
YELLING at the top of my lungs for my sons to run to the back yard, FAST!!!... I hobbled as fast as I could. My oldest knew there was something amiss and barged right through the fencing I made between our sunroom door and the outside (I like to hear my girls so I keep the door open with fencing otherwise they want to be indoor chickens)....I will reward my boys for their quick actions with a special dessert tonight for sure.
With his snout in the pile, the dog heard us coming, and ran like the dickens to the opposite side of the yard. I went to him, yelling and he slinked away back to the other side of the fence. I was/am soo angry! At the mutt, but more at myself for missing a weak spot in the fence.
I am thinking that it be best to give the dog to my inlaws than to have a dog around that will kill my girls.
FUNNY THING IS, they, it seems to me, taunted him....they go plucking around the fence while he is not there, but they are looking around for him.... pecking on HIS side of the fence (with an entire yard to play in, they go there...lol) A few days ago The bantam even went through and was pecking on his side... when I saw that , I almost died! hobbling as fast as possible, I tried to scare her back from the dogs side (kinda knowing if I tried to get to her from the other side, she would panic and run towards the middle of the dogs side.... but dummy girl when she saw me, she panicked with flapping wings and couldnt get through the fence....if I was the dog, she woulda been a goner.... so, after weeks of taunting the dog, he made it to thier side.
ANOTHER three minutes....one or more of them would have been in his jaws.
I am thinking we need a chicken friendly dog. One month with chickens and I can tell you right now... this fever aint gonna stop...told Wife the other day that we should go get three more...ONLY three...that's it...no more.... (this after we bought our initial six, and I sed, lets get a couple more...so we did....well...three more... <wink wink> I couldnt help it....there was one extra that was soooo cute...we had to bring her home too... besides... doesnt a "couple" mean three??? lol