Roaming Dogs coming in and killing yesterday

[BigBlueHen53]

Awww, maaaan! I hadn't read through the whole thread when I posted so I didn't realize your second bird had died, @pntdhorses. I'm really saddened to hear of your loss... not just of your guineas, but of their companionship, the joy they brought you, the serenity, the happy sound of their calls, all of it. Even though I don't have "ginnys" now, I have had in the past, and their raucous, rusty voices are a distinctive comfort, an alert that assures you that all is well in the world, the sentries are on duty and going about their rounds and routines with near-military precision. The world is weirdly silent when their voices are stilled and my heart aches over that silence in your world today. May the memories of their songs move your heart toward happy memories over time is my prayer for you.
Stef

 

[pntdhorses]

Awww, maaaan! I hadn't read through the whole thread when I posted so I didn't realize your second bird had died, @pntdhorses. I'm really saddened to hear of your loss... not just of your guineas, but of their companionship, the joy they brought you, the serenity, the happy sound of their calls, all of it. Even though I don't have "ginnys" now, I have had in the past, and their raucous, rusty voices are a distinctive comfort, an alert that assures you that all is well in the world, the sentries are on duty and going about their rounds and routines with near-military precision. The world is weirdly silent when their voices are stilled and my heart aches over that silence in your world today. May the memories of their songs move your heart toward happy memories over time is my prayer for you.
Stef

Thank you! Yes for some reason, this has particularly hit me hard. And I had to go thru the death throes of this little guy and all I could do was try to offer comfort. I never really wanted guineas or even knew what they were. I only got them because they had splayed legs as babies at our feed store and they were just going to let them die. And then I kinda fell in love.

They weren’t as tame as my chickens and were basically a-holes to them but I loved their personalities and set up a whole separate coop for them. I loved their goofiness and just the weird look of them. They thrived for 4 years here. It was truly a paradise for them. And yes, I will so miss their calls and their sentry duty. Your description of them is beautiful and poetic. It just saddens me greatly that this was their demise.

I’ve lost so many feathered babies due to sudden sickness, cooper Hawks, An owl, a coyote. I just lost my swan to probably raccoons while he was protecting their nest. But how can you keep them from what they need to do to thrive? But the guineas were true survivors. I thought I’d have them forever.

We live on 26 acres of truly lush paradise, my dream place. And it’s been nothing but death for 5 years. Never had so much trauma in my life. I’m about ready to move to a frickin’ condo on a golf course which is what hubby wants.

 

[Rooster_Tyranny]

I do agree with giving people/dogs the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the owner is completely panicked that their dogs are missing and are actively looking for them at the time. Seems a bit odd that they wouldn't have responded at all to the OPs post on the neighborhood app, but maybe they just didn't want a confrontation. I don't know. Doesn't scream overly responsible owner to me to not make any kind of contact at all after the incident. No apology, no confrontation over the threat to their dogs, nada.

Regardless of the situation, even if the owner is "working on it", the fact remains, if they're hurting my birds, they're dead. If they were just chasing/hadn't actually managed to maul/kill one yet I'd definitely try to catch the dog, but if it's already in the middle of an attack it's dead. OP can do what they like, as can you, this is just my opinion. I love dogs. I don't blame you for being "too forgiving", but I basically take the momma bear approach. You touch my babies, you die.

It could be that they don't have/use the app, or that they live more than 4 miles away. I know dogs that would travel that far.

I can completely understand that. And don't get me wrong if there was a dog attacking my birds I would hurt it. I'd throw rocks at it, shoot it with a BB gun, I might even tackle it if I had enough adrenaline in me, whether that would be a good decision or not . I just wouldn't kill it, at least not yet.

 

[bobbi-j]

It could be that they don't have/use the app, or that they live more than 4 miles away. I know dogs that would travel that far.

I can completely understand that. And don't get me wrong if there was a dog attacking my birds I would hurt it. I'd throw rocks at it, shoot it with a BB gun, I might even tackle it if I had enough adrenaline in me, whether that would be a good decision or not . I just wouldn't kill it, at least not yet.

The problem with hurting a dog is, you could be charged with animal cruelty. Tackling a dog on a killing spree is a good way to get yourself badly bitten.

Let’s be honest - until one is in that position, you have no idea how you’re going to react. When a predator is terrorizing, shaking and shredding your prized/pet chicken, you might be surprised at how you really act.

 

[Henry&Friends]

Should’ve used ye olde shoot, shovel and shut up. If they’re letting their dogs roam, they’re letting their dogs get shot, sorry not sorry, etc. etc.

It’s not our responsibility to keep their animals out, as long as your birds stay on your property then you have the right to protect them.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

First off, it wasn't even chickens, it was guinea fowl. Secondly, the OP can do whatever she wants with her birds on her property. She could give them all little unicycles and teach them to juggle chainsaws if she wanted. Point is, those birds are protected on her property. They don't have to stay locked in a run 24/7 for fear of marauding dogs wandering by and deciding it would be fun to murder them.

If she was negligent (like the dog owner in this situation is) and her guineas were in the street out in front of her property or miles down the road and they got killed by a dog, cat, motorist or otherwise, it's obviously her fault for not keeping them on her property where they are safe/protected, just the way it's the dog owner's fault for letting the dog run wild off of their property where it's not protected.

And like bobbi-j said, once that dog trespasses on someone elses property and starts killing their beloved pets/food/source of income it's a predator that needs to be taken care of. If those dogs had just wandered onto her property peacefully and not done mortal harm to her pets I'm sure she wouldn't even consider killing the dogs, but they're not sweet little pets, they're killers.

If you'd really just stand by and let a dog murder your birds because it "doesn't know any better" then I don't think you should have birds. Our birds are completely dependent on us for their well-being and protection, and if you're not willing to kill an animal that's actively ripping them apart you have no business keeping birds. They're relying on you and you're letting them down in the biggest possible way.

Would you not kill a raccoon or a fox either because they're just trying to feed themselves and they don't know any better? (I honestly feel worse for the wild animals because they don't have anyone to protect them from the natural consequences of their instincts). If the owners of those dogs love them so much, maybe they should keep a closer eye on them/not let them off their property where anything could happen to them.

Ok, guinea fowl then.

I did not say she shouldn't not protect your birds. But killing does not need to happen in this case.

 

[Rooster_Tyranny]

The problem with hurting a dog is, you could be charged with animal cruelty. Tackling a dog on a killing spree is a good way to get yourself badly bitten.

Let’s be honest - until one is in that position, you have no idea how you’re going to react. When a predator is terrorizing, shaking and shredding your prized/pet chicken, you might be surprised at how you really act.

I never said it would be a good idea . While I have had the neighbor's dog kill one of my chickens before, you're right that I've never seen anything kill my chickens. But it is what I hope to do. We'll see once the times comes.

Getting charged with animal cruelty for hitting something instead of killing it seems ridiculous, but then again stranger things have happened.

 

[bobbi-j]

Getting charged with animal cruelty for hitting something instead of killing it seems ridiculous, but then again stranger things have happened.

Depends on how you look at it. Injure it with rocks, pellets or whatever - causing broken bones, infection, long-term pain is cruel. Killing it outright, it doesn't suffer.

 

[Henry&Friends]

causing broken bones, infection, long-term pain is cruel. Killing it outright, it doesn't suffer.

And letting it come back to tear your birds apart causes unwarranted suffering to your flock.

 

[Rooster_Tyranny]

Depends on how you look at it. Injure it with rocks, pellets or whatever - causing broken bones, infection, long-term pain is cruel. Killing it outright, it doesn't suffer.

I'm not talking about tying it up and beating it half to death. You'd just be doing the bare minimum to scare it away. If the dog's big enough to cause serious damage to my birds I don't think I could hit it hard enough to break its bones if I tried. Plus, the dog has a vet, it can heal. I would never think to do this to a wild animal.

And letting it come back to tear your birds apart causes unwarranted suffering to your flock.

I wouldn't call it unwarranted. I'd be giving the owner another chance to save themselves from a whole lot of pain.