Sad Day... Dog killed 37 meaties

[NancyinAlaska]

I have 6 house dogs and 18 sled dogs. A few weeks ago one of the sled dogs got loose, I was asleep and assumed it was the resident fox out back eating. Whe I FINALLY got up, I found one of the huskies playing with feathery squeeky toys, he had killed 36 5-8 wk old chicks and 6 baby turkeys. Made me sick but it was my fault for not getting up to see what was going on. Dogs don't know they are doing something wrong when they kill chickens, they are just being dogs.

 

[kerriliane]

My 5 month old pitty thought chickens were to play with, just like he thinks that the cat is a dog, and he can pick her up by the scruff and drag her... He's kinda dumb. but he killed my faaavvourite hen, and he right then and there learned his lesson. He now wanders around them slowly.. and licks up their poop (YUCK!) but doesnt try and play with them anymore. thankfully.

 

[jaku]

I lost well over half of the meat from my batch of Rangers, just a week before processing. My PVC/chicken wire coops are great, but don't hold up well to an attack from two dogs. I've never been so mad in my life. Luckily for me, the coop was easier to get into than out of afterwards... not so lucky for the dogs. Lets just say they won't be back.

 

[AussieAcres]

It surprises me (although it shouldn't) the number of people here who have said they would kill the dog as their reaction. Seems silly to me to place blame on the dog for doing what a dog does. This is certainly the risk that you take in raising predator and prey on the same piece of land. When things like this happen, ultimately, it is the fault of the human. There are quite a few more measures you must take to ensure the safety of your prey animals when you house a predator on the premises. Whether it is dogs, cats, ferrets, whatever.

 

[jemmasgrandma]

Quote:
I guess maybe you wouldn't feel that way unless you walked into your own coop to find all your chickens dead. ...just sayin

 

[redhen]

Quote:
I guess maybe you wouldn't feel that way unless you walked into your own coop to find all your chickens dead. ...just sayin

I have to say that i walked into my yard and saw all my ducks dead...
And i still didnt blame my dog... i didnt even scold her... because we came home after it was already done...
Its true that i couldnt look at her for a day or so..i was so angry... but really i was more angry at my foster son (18 yrs old..and knows better) that left the deck gate open...
It wasnt her fault.. at all.
How could it be her fault?

Shes a dog...

 

[jemmasgrandma]

Quote:
I guess maybe you wouldn't feel that way unless you walked into your own coop to find all your chickens dead. ...just sayin

I have to say that i walked into my yard and saw all my ducks dead...
And i still didnt blame my dog... i didnt even scold her... because we came home after it was already done...
Its true that i couldnt look at her for a day or so..i was so angry... but really i was more angry at my foster son (18 yrs old..and knows better) that left the deck gate open...
It wasnt her fault.. at all.
How could it be her fault?

Shes a dog...

I don't believe I ever said it was the dogs fault. He was bred & trained to hunt, I didn't blame my DH even though he knew Zack was an escape artist, I personally take all the blame. The dog was not scolded, not disciplined, not made to wear a dead chicken around it's neck... He was put back in his kennel and fed his nightly dog food... -- however I do understand the whole thought process of shooting the dog at the minute it happened. The mind thinks lots of things a time like that not that I would act on it.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
I have to say that i walked into my yard and saw all my ducks dead...
And i still didnt blame my dog... i didnt even scold her... because we came home after it was already done...
Its true that i couldnt look at her for a day or so..i was so angry... but really i was more angry at my foster son (18 yrs old..and knows better) that left the deck gate open...
It wasnt her fault.. at all.
How could it be her fault?

Shes a dog...

I don't believe I ever said it was the dogs fault. He was bred & trained to hunt, I didn't blame my DH even though he knew Zack was an escape artist, I personally take all the blame. The dog was not scolded, not disciplined, not made to wear a dead chicken around it's neck... He was put back in his kennel and fed his nightly dog food... -- however I do understand the whole thought process of shooting the dog at the minute it happened. The mind thinks lots of things a time like that not that I would act on it.

True...

 

[jaku]

MY dog has killed my chickens before, and I don't blame her a bit. If I'm dumb enough to free range my birds around a beagle/lab mix, I shouldn't be surprised at the result, and I never am. However, if strays or other animals come looking for a meal, there is almost no coop that is 100% predator proof, so it's NOT the chicken owner's fault- and once an animal finds a food source, they will be back until that food source is gone. It is also 100% legal in most rural areas to kill animals that attack your livestock, unless the offending animal is protected. One doesn't have to risk losing birds because other people aren't responsible enough to control their animals.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm "dumb enough to free range around lab mix dogs" and I would be very surprised if I found them killing the chickens after all these years of ranging together. I would certainly be angry, as they do know and understand what is expected of them in this setup.

They know many things and have enough understanding to act very ashamed after doing something wrong, even before they are reprimanded. If a dog is untrained to livestock and just happens to kill them, I don't see how it could be held responsible. But a dog that is trained and trusted should be eliminated if they break training to this degree. Wholesale mass destruction cannot be tolerated.

The dog in question is not to be blamed for this, though I feel it is wise to relocate this chronic escapee.