Peep and Chicken Massacre**update raccoons!*

[DuckLady]

Keep this thread helpful. I have now moved it to the Predators and Pest forum and it will be subject to the further rules of this forum.

If you can't be helpful in a helpful manner that does not attack or flame, then do not post.

 

[orcasislandchickens]

Thank you for the link to that site about preditors. There is a picture of a bird killed by a hawk/eagle there. Helped me to confirm that was what has taken two of mine now. Glad I covered the run. There is probably a new larger enclosed run in the future.

I am so sorry for your loss. Especially Hope. I was so impressed that you were able to perform an operation on her. Please do keep us informed as you make changes to your chicken setup. I learn so much and get so many good ideas from others that are struggling with the same issues.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

I have two dogs. One is a older Corgi. I trust her around the chickens. She just has no interest in them. The other dog is a red healer puppy. He has been trained (basically beaten to an inch of his life) with the chickens. I found him licking one as he had carried it down to the house. Now he is very wary of the chickens, but I lock him up every morning. He is 20 feet from the chickens in a nice indoor/ outdoor run. Although he is much better with the chickens, he is a pup and excitable. I just DO NOT trust him. He gets let out when the chickens go in and gets put up when the chickens go out.

So far so good. I do this religiously. I really do not want to lose my pup, I am keeping him alive as much as i am keeping my chickens alive. If I ever did find him with a chicken eaten, he wuold be killed.

 

[Southernbelle]

I'm so sorry! I enjoyed reading about your progress with Hope - it was such an amazing story and I'm so sorry that it's over. At least the rescue chickens were loved and cared for in their final days. They were probably happier in their short time with you than they had ever been before. :aww

 

[Jessika]

I am so sorry! Sending Hugs and Good Thoughts!!!

 

[Duppydo]

I'm sorry for your loss, and fear the same fate from roaming dogs in my neighborhood. It may or may not have been your dogs that killed your chickens. I was a bit annoyed at one persons cold response here, who basically said " dogs kill chickens, its your own fault, no one to blame but yourself" Well,I protest your ignorant remarks, not all dogs kill chickens, and to often roaming dogs, strong and aggressive do kill chickens..My property is well fenced, i don't own a dog, if a dog should get into my property,kill my birds, and i catch it, well....it won't be a happy ending for you know who...
Again,i'm sorry for your loss....Kevin

 

[chicksinthemachine]

We have decided to keep our dogs and our puppy who we seen chewing on one like it was a toy did get the crap knocked out of him by my DH and I am working with our Mastiff who got busted with feathers in his mouth, however I think it was weasels or something along those lines. They are no longer allowed to come within about 20 feet of the chickens, I found out they don't like to sprayed with the water house!

However our flock we adopted is still with us and all but Hope survived it was mainly my peeps that got killed and 2 adult roos. When I went out yesterday I found Midnight that has a very personal special meaning to me coming down the yard, she was almost decapitated but she is doing great in her recovery and the other peep that was barely wounded has almost already healed up! I just can't see our grown dogs doing this so it may have been our puppy or our kitten. The mastiff gets popped in the nose everytime he tries to get int the coop when I go in there and that seems to be working as well along with the water hose. I do know it is MY resoponsibilty to keep ALL of my animals safe and I am doing the best I can when it comes to these situations! Thanks for all the condolences from the BYC members. And I am going to try the deer netting for the run, thanks for the info. Sorry for the long post.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

I had shoulder surgery yesterday so this is going to be short. Accidents happen that is why they are call accidents. I sure hope the people that have flung stones at you are not living in glass houses. Where is the compassion people.

Why is it that there is always one or two ready to throw salt on an open wound or that kick you when you are down. Never will I understand people that have more compassion for animals and not for their fellow man. Amazes me.

You are a very compassionate young lady and I am so sorry that this has happened to your family. I don't think that it was your animals, maybe they might of got to them after the fact but no pup or kitten is going to take the heads off that many chickens. I think you got a coon or a weasel there.

Don't beat yourself up over this you do more for your animals then most and you should be proud that you do. The first natural reaction to anything like this is the desire to rehome the trouble makers, on second thought you try to find a way to make it work. Good luck watch for coons and/or weasels as I really don't think that it was your animals I would think they would pounce and kill not rip the heads off.

Now off for pain pills and an Ice pack. Again sorry for your troubles and hold your head up high as you are a very good pet owner.

 

[Biddieacres]

I followed your other thread closely and was routing for Hope and you and your husband. Tonight I was thinking about Hope and decided to check in. It was shocking to see she was killed. You and your husband worked so hard to bring her back to health. You are so kind to bring in all those sick chickens. So sorry to hear about this. I am sure she felt loved living with you and your family. Best wishes.

 

[chicksinthemachine]

Our training tecknics (sp?) are working out quite well with the dogs . And I agree that it was a weasel after my DH had read the thread he recalled having weasels around here when he was younger. Wing Clipping a success! Now maybe my 7 month old EE's will start laying in the coop because I could not find their hidey hole however I did find one of my Barred Rock's(Lucky) hidey hole 10 eggs! The little stinker also got her wing clipped and it very unhappy with me because she now has to lay in the box and you should see her when she has got to!! She runs back and forth in the run yelling at me to let her out so I have to go in get her and put her in the box and sit with her until she does! The things we do for our feather family.

Hopefully I won't have to do this much longer it is quite time consuming but you do what you gotta do. Thanks for the kind words from the compassionate BYC members. P.S. Midnight is recovering well but her brain is actually exposed and I was wondering if her skin will grow back or if she will have a little bald spot there?