Something Chewed on Our Chickens Today

[15chxinTX]

We are not sure what it was. I came home this evening about 7:30 and noticed feathers all around the yard. We had 26 chickens. I could tell immediately that one was dead and another was pretty hurt. Many are missing tail feathers and rump feathers. A few have gashes and punchure marks on their backs. We have a privacy fence around the paremeter of our property and the chickens free-range during the day. Can't find any tracks of any animal but wonder if it was a dog. Just don't see any place where it might have tunneled under. Any body have any ideas what it might be?

 

[12GAGirl]

dogs

 

[15chxinTX]

Our neighbors have two small dogs and I wondered if maybe they got into our yard somehow and then the neighbors came and got them out when they realized where they were, but we didn't hear from our neighbors today...Just couldn't determine where the entry point would have been.

 

[Sunny the Hippie Chick]

If the neighbors have small dogs.. They may have wiggled under the fence some where.. It dont take much space for a small dog to get through.. Mine can fit through a hole about 3 inches...

 

[KKatknap]

Oh, no.

Definitely dogs. Sounds like little ones - big ones would have left more dead birds. Check that fence really closely. They'll be looking to have some more fun.

Any way you could put a strand of hot wire around your fence...on the dog side?

 

[horsejody]

That definitely sounds like a dog or dogs. You might want to ask the neighbors. Don't accuse them. Just say, "Did you hear anything? It looks like dogs got in our yard and caused a massacre. We're really quite upset about it, and it caused quite a bit of suffering. I'm just asking everybody in the neighborhood if they saw or heard anything."

 

[15chxinTX]

UPDATE TO MY POST>>>
Well, we lost the second hen over night, she was just too chewed on. Hubby went out this morning and put bricks infront of all holes under the fence. But I think we may have found the dog...When I was leaving this morning, there was a very small shepherd mix sitting at the edge of our yard. I told my son to go and tell my hubby that it was there, but as soon as he opened the door she ran to our house. She had a tag on so I called the number. Turns out it isn't the neighbors next door but across the street. I told him that I was calling cause a dog had gotten in our yard yesterday and killed two of our chickens. So now he knows. I had never seen this dog before but apparently they had her for a while. I hope everything is ok today when we get home. Our girls sure have a lot of re-growing to do. Poor things.

 

[CityChook]

Now that they know the chickens are in the back yard, the dogs will be back. It's sad when we can't have safety in our own back yards. It sounds like a run might be in your future.