Parents dogs are a problem

[Brady Blankenship]

i am still a teenager so I can’t move my animals I raise ducks and chickens I have 2 different pens for them one for the young ones and for the senior ones, my parents dogs have attack my senior chickens in the past I have lost a total of 3 hens since my mother left them to me and her dog (Labrador mutt) attacks my birds and has gotten away with it also the mountain feist mutt and every time that I try and get them to get rid of them they say no and that there sweet but when I woke up recently my dad opened the pen to let them free range and didn’t watch them when I got up 3 hours later we couldn’t find half of them and even one was over in the neighbors yard frightened and clucking loudly and the dog were coming around the backside of them fence to attack her but luckily we got there and all of them came back but I know it was them because they were chasing it and it was running away from them as fast as it could, and I searched up this law that that you can kill a dog if it is killing your animals or call the sherif over to execute the animal but that wouldn’t go so well with my parents, so what should I do take matter in to my own hands and when I catch them attacking the bird kill them or something else what should I do

 

[Welshies]

First off, stay calm.

• Try introducing the dogs to the birds. One on one, with a leash, introduce a dog to a bird. If he sniffs at it or licks it, in a firm voice say No!. Stay persistent and they can be trained to leave them alone.
• Don't free range. Free ranging is just an invitation for predators (including dogs and cats) to come kill your birds.
• Build a run. Build a run with 10-30 sq ft of space per bird (or 10-30 sq ft of space per 4 sq ft of space in your coop). Make it 5 or 6' tall and cover it. Make it human accessible. Use 1/4" or 1/2" hardware cloth not chicken wire. Chicken wire is not predator proof.
• Do not kill those dogs. Those are not your dogs. You don't have a right to kill your parent's dogs. Respect your parents. If you don't you may get your birds taken away for good.

 

[CayugaJana]

Is there any way to completely separate the two? If your parents don’t want to restrain or get rid of the dogs, all you can do is keep the birds in an enclosure. And maybe chain up the dogs when and if you let the birds out to free range.

 

[lazy gardener]

Buy an electric fence set up. Put it around your chicken run, and keep your birds fenced in.

 

[Mraya]

1. You can't call the sheriff because that is not your property it belongs to your parents and the dogs belong to your parents.
2. I would make sure I am the one getting up and looking after my birds.
3. Be thankful your parents even let you have chickens.

This my sound rough but unless you are paying the bills around there you really don't have a say other then what you parents grant you.

Just as Welshies said Respect your parents. If you don't you may get your birds taken away for good.

 

[Welshies]

1. You can't call the sheriff because that is not your property it belongs to your parents and the dogs belong to your parents.
2. I would make sure I am the one getting up and looking after my birds.
3. Be thankful your parents even let you have chickens.

This my sound rough but unless you are paying the bills around there you really don't have a say other then what you parents grant you.

Just as Welshies said Respect your parents. If you don't you may get your birds taken away for good.

Exactly. x2!!! Thank you for this.
They are your birds. Your responsibility. You should be the one getting up and looking after them.

 

[Kristee]

I always kept all my chickens in a pretty sturdy, covered, paneled kennel when I'm not out there with them. Since you live with your parents, I would say to suggest to them that since their dogs are harming your pets, ideally they should help pitch in with buying you either materials for building a run, or a kennel that will keep dogs out. Maybe even reinforce it with an electric fence for the dogs, as gardener suggested. Like Welsh said too, do not kill the dogs. You will get in trouble and will more than likely lose your own birds. Otherwise, I'd just keep them separate. Try to get your parents to understand that you have your own animals, and they need to keep theirs under control.

 

[orrpeople]

It doesn't sound like you have the time (or maybe even the permission) it takes for long term dog training. We worked for a long time to get our dogs to leave our birds alone, and it was not easy. So, getting firm fencing (electric even, as lazygardener suggested) is probably going to be your best bet. Best wishes for a safe and healthy flock!

 

[Welshies]

Talk to them like an adult, too. Don't whine, snivel, or cry. Then they'll really not want to help.

 

[CayugaJana]

Thank you for caring enough about all of the animals to ask how to resolve the problem! Hopefully you can come up with something soon everyone can live with!