Stray Dog!

[Joken]

Our Chickens are now 17 weeks old and have a free range of our property but they don't venture far from the house or their coop. This morning I was pruning a large Cherry tree when I heard a dog bark. I looked at our fence line expecting to see one of the neighbors' dogs and there was none. I ran out front and there was a large white dog. I started screaming at it and away it went. I got my wife and we started looking for our Chickens. I found nine of the twelve all in a bunch in a corner of the hay shed near the coop. In another fifteen minutes or so we found another so only two to go. I found a bunch of feathers and feared the worst, but no bird anywhere to be found. After a bit I found another one hunkered down between the pump house and a garden cart. Now only one to go and we could not find her. After another half hour or so my wife called me and said that she had found her and thought she was dead. She was under a shrub that had a lot of dead leaves under it that was the same color as the Chicken. My face was three feet from her and I could not see the Chicken. I reached in and touched her and she didn't move so I reached with both hands to pick her up as I was sure she was dead and away she went! The poor thing was really scared. We found out the dog belonged to some folks a quarter-mile away. They had just gotten the dog and it had become a problem. The dog looked like a LGD to me. This all ended well but now we have to worry about it coming back. Animal control was notified and told about the dogs' visit. I never imagined that I would become attached to a bunch of Chickens

 

[Fishychix]

Our Chickens are now 17 weeks old and have a free range of our property but they don't venture far from the house or their coop. This morning I was pruning a large Cherry tree when I heard a dog bark. I looked at our fence line expecting to see one of the neighbors' dogs and there was none. I ran out front and there was a large white dog. I started screaming at it and away it went. I got my wife and we started looking for our Chickens. I found nine of the twelve all in a bunch in a corner of the hay shed near the coop. In another fifteen minutes or so we found another so only two to go. I found a bunch of feathers and feared the worst, but no bird anywhere to be found. After a bit I found another one hunkered down between the pump house and a garden cart. Now only one to go and we could not find her. After another half hour or so my wife called me and said that she had found her and thought she was dead. She was under a shrub that had a lot of dead leaves under it that was the same color as the Chicken. My face was three feet from her and I could not see the Chicken. I reached in and touched her and she didn't move so I reached with both hands to pick her up as I was sure she was dead and away she went! The poor thing was really scared. We found out the dog belonged to some folks a quarter-mile away. They had just gotten the dog and it had become a problem. The dog looked like a LGD to me. This all ended well but now we have to worry about it coming back. Animal control was notified and told about the dogs' visit. I never imagined that I would become attached to a bunch of Chickens

So glad they were all okay. We just had a visit of a great dane I’ve never seen before. It just came out of Nowhere and terrified my girls! One ended up on the roof!

 

[centrarchid]

Neighbor needs to keep dog on property. It will not be able to function as an LGD on your property.

 

[centrarchid]

When is comes to dogs you do not know and predators like fox and coyotes, a fence, especially hotwire or electrified poultry fencing can cut losses.

 

[Fishychix]

Neighbor needs to keep dog on property. It will not be able to function as an LGD on your property.

What’s an LGD?

 

[Hidrainja4]

Alls well that ends well. However, the problem with "free Ranging" chickens it ups the opportunity for predators of all kind. These people may well keep this dog under control. You have the right to manage your chickens on your property the way you want to. But what about the coyotes, fox, hawks, owls, weasels, raccoons, possums, skunks, snakes, ect. . IN MY OPINION, Disney really taught American children the wrong idea about how nature operates. I don't call my chicken free ranging I call them pastured. There is a fence, hawk shelters, a coop and I don't leave them out at dawn or dusk. So how attached are you to these fluffy butts? If they are free ranging there will be losses and that is OK, it is part of nature.

 

[Weeg]

You could set up a large live trap, if you are still concerned. I don't know exactly what yo would bait it with. Dog food, leftovers? Hopefully he just stays away, you can get large live traps at tractor supply.

 

[Folly's place]

You all were lucky today!
Free ranging chickens will mean losses to predators, sooner or later, and it can mean all of them at once! It's great to have them out there having a good time, but there's definitely risk involved.
Electric fencing, or electric poultry netting, properly set up, can keep most land predators out. Raptors will arrive too, and netting, places to hide, and shelters help with them.
People move out 'to the country', and think that their dogs can run free out there, which never ends well for anyone. I hope that this dog will be kept at home in the future, but beware!
Our birds free range, and we have had losses at times over the years, always miserable.
Mary

 

[Sunshine Flock]

Do you have any roosters? They're excellent for security. My roosters sound the alarm when there's a predator they're able to see. Their vision is superior to ours, and they almost always see them before I do, and often I can't see them at all because of how well they blend in with the trees and shrubs.

When they start mad clucking, a quick glance and I can tell if a hen's laying an egg (they always do this) or they see a predator. They saved my cat from a coyote yesterday by sounding the alarm.

Mostly I keep them in their yard, but I do try to free range them almost daily. I need to be with them, though. I'll sit on the deck and make sure they're not too far. It's a risk, but I feel free ranging benefits them greatly, and they always crowd near the gate when they see me and ask to be freed. Of course I don't want to lose any. I'm just not willing to keep them locked up as prisoner chickens when their natural inclination is to dig for insects and roam.

Predators have their own natural instincts, and one of my roosters had a bad experience with that a few years ago, and a hen was bitten by a rattlesnake (and survived). A hawk swooped down and almost got the same hen. But I'm of the opinion chickens need time to be proper chickens, not the factory version that's gussied up as quaint homesteading with cute little chicken yards and coops with white shutters.

I think my chicken setup is pretty nice. It just doesn't give them the fully monty of what they're needing.

 

[Folly's place]

Risks vary, depending on your neighborhood, and who's there at any given time. And your comfort level with possible losses. It's always favorites who are lost first!
Roosters can help, but most predators have no problem taking them out too.
Sorry to be negative here, but in spite of having disasters, we do still free range our flock.
Mary