*SOB* Raid tonight! Murder Mystery!!! 6 wounded alive so far found

[Buffarino]

Cricket, what a terrible thing.So sorry to hear of your loss and of the little hurt ones you also now have.

I have lost some (once only though) to racoons, but they don't leave much, but blood and gore. Now I have my little feathered dolls in what my husband refers to as the state pen.

We do see coyotes out during the day and this is in No. California. They will go after anything, but they usually eat what they get. There may have been a loose neighborhood dog. Makes me think a dog with the puncture wounds and after reading Oaknim's story.

Maybe some are hiding and will come back. Hope so. Good luck.

 

[DuckLady]

I am sorry for your loss. It absolutely sounds like a dog.
I am sorry.

 

[Cricket]

Oh, thank you all for the replies!!!!!

I'm just so devastated. 1 of my wounded babies didn't make it last night. :O(

We DID find another RI alive and well... she was hiding.

It got all of the light colored birds, even my 5 year old daughters MUCH loved peking.

We found a lot more bodies, and now we are only missing 3 birds total out of the 30-ish

1 bird was half buried in the dirt... which is something my dog does to his dog food. I also found his foot prints at the crime scene.

I'm REALLY suspecting the dog now... as we have found almost all of them, and they were just mauled and not eatened.

It seems a lot worse than a predator just trying to eat... this... THIS was Senseless killing!!!!!! I'm so MAD!!!!
I don't understand why the roosters didn't protect them... they are bigger than the dog and could have thwarted him. :O(

My coup is just a little house structure, with an area that is just enclosed in chicken wire. I'm DEFINITELY going to build a prison now... I guess if I want free-range eggs, I'm going to have to invest in one of those pull-it around coups.

My husband is currently looking for the last 3 hens... the other wounded are stabilized and living in our bathroom.

This is so hard on us... we are on a VERY strict diet, because we have food sensitivities and allergies. My children are sensitive to soy-fed chicken eggs. We were VERY much looking forward to having eggs again.

Cricket *devastated*

 

[chickbea]

I'm so sorry.
I was happy to see the one bit of good news right at the end, that you found a little RI hiding, alive and well. Yay!

 

[hencackle]

I'm sorry to hear what happened. It really sounds like a dog attack to me as well--one that is well-fed and has no real need to kill for food.

I can sympathize with your dealing with food sensitivities/allergies. Are you familiar with www.eatwild.com? The farmers listed on the website raise their livestock on pastures from start to finish, no feedlot confinements allowed. I'm sure you can find someone that will provide chicken and turkey raised without soy.
Stephanie

 

[Oaknim]

When our chickens were attacked, our head rooster did his best to protect them and he lost his entire tail - literally - it was ripped off whole - with the skin AND bone - and some of his wing feathers and nis neck feathers. I'm thinking that he eventually gave up on trying to fight the dogs and instead ushered his girls to a good hiding spot under some brush, which is where I found them all huddled when I came home and was able to contain the dogs. It's very hard to come to terms with your loveable dog doing such a heinous thing - I know. And maybe it wasn't him...

We have 8 dogs right now that KNOW our chickens are not toys or food. 6 of them could care less about the chickens, but I take the two that seem to have more of a desire to bite our feathered friends back there on a leash from time to time and make them lie down in the chicken coop and put chicks around them and jerk the leash (not too hard) and say a stern, "NO." if they show anything besides mild mannered interest. I fostered a golden retriever mix one that would try and pull the chickens through the fencing and succeeded in getting a buff orp pullet. I rolled her over on her back and stuffed the feathers in her mouth and told her, "NO!" for about ten minutes. I don't recommend this in every case, but it worked for her (the leash thing didn't work). *Note: I do not condone hitting animals or otherwise being infairly harsh or cruel to them. Dogs are pack animals, you are the pack leader - they need to understand that the chickens are YOURS and they are not allowed to hurt your things. Just like they know not to pee in the house or chew up clothes/shoes. It takes time and continuing education, but it's possible to have your dog and chickens co-exist. ~ Oaknim

 

[Rosalind]

one that is well-fed and has no real need to kill for food.

Agree. We've got some pretty well-fed coyotes in our neck of the woods, and they typically run off with the bodies or else eat most of them--they wouldn't see it as worth their while to claw through wire fencing just for a game, not when there are plenty of songbirds and squirrels that offer much more fun. I do worry about barn cats, but the roos are quite capable of putting the Fear Of Rooster into our local outdoor cat population.​

 

[montverdechick]

I know it's hard to deal with, but please know that if your dog did it, he wasn't being senseless or cruel, he was being a dog. Beagles are hunters, it's in their nature. I have two Lousiana Catahoula hounds. They are traditionally used to hunt hogs, mountain lions and work cattle...they are bay dogs. We don't hunt with ours, I don't want them to get hurt. Anyway, both were older when we got the chickens, so they are very excited by them and want to get to them. We have tried taking them over with the leash, letting them get it out of their system, sitting out there with them, holding a chicken up to the wire for them to smell, etc. Nothing has worked and we have to rotate them around, dogs in the kennel, chickens in the run. Then, chickens in the coup and dogs in the yard (they are outside dogs). Only thing is that it's hot in the afternoon here (FL) and I don't want the chickens to overheat. So, the other day, we tried to let all the animals have outside access. My male was going nuts running around the coup and trying to dig under the wire (it's buried 20 inches underground). We told him no repeatedly, spanked him (sometimes it's needed) and then finally my husband got his paintball gun and shot him in the butt! It stings a little, but not that bad from far away. Guess what, it got his attention and he stayed away from them the rest of the day and both the dogs and the chickens were able to enjoy their freedom. Might be a little extreme, but it worked. The problem isn't solved yet, but it's another step in the right direction.

Sorry for your loss, let us know if you figure out what happened.

 

[mudhen]

Oh, I'm so sorry for this tremedous loss.
I hope the other three are found hiding as well.
My heart goes out to you and yours...

 

[SpottedCrow]

I'm so sorry for your losses...
And as much as I hate to say it, the killer was probably YOUR dog. Dogs will kill just for the sport of it. A predator will most of the time take what it needs for food, and will keep coming back until you take care of said predator. Even the most well-fed, well-trained dog will kill for sport.