Stray dogs?

[Henry&Friends]

I live in a less than pleasant neighborhood. There are stray dogs that run around 24/7. No one knows who owns them (if anyone even does,) but it seems there are more and more appearing out of the blue. They’re vicious towards people, but most importantly they like to pick off of my flock. I only have five birds left (a rooster and four hens) and can’t get birds until spring. It’s legal for me to shoot them if I catch them chasing/maiming my birds, but since I don’t have a gun, and I’m not home to catch them in the act, it would be difficult to pull that off. I’m gonna try to get in contact with a dog catcher later on tonight, as they would have a field day up here. What else can I do? This is really frustrating.

 

[centrarchid]

In most areas you can shoot them. I have experience with that, but found putting up a good perimeter fence will get you into safer chicken keeping faster. You may still need to work on reducing the number of stray dogs.

I use a perimeter of hotwire all the times and during the summer use electrified poultry netting. Hotwire appears to be problematic in some areas where people are not familiar with it.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Some places it is illegal to shoot dogs, and is considered cruelty, so definitely check with you local animal control first.

 

[centrarchid]

Some places it is illegal to shoot dogs, and is considered cruelty, so definitely check with you local animal control first.

Shooting to kill is generally not considered cruel in eyes of the law. Shooting to cause pain is a legal no-no. There are times when causing pain would be smarter for all parties but can set stage for lawsuit. Too many lawyers.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Just saying OP should check their local laws first to avoid even more problems than dead chickens. Not every state has the same laws.

 

[PirateGirl]

This is a situation where I definitely think you need to call animal control and see what they recommend. I hope they can help you. In the mean time, @centrarchid is right, you need to work on a fence, even if only temporary. Any barrier is a better deterrent than no barrier. Keep yourself safe and keep your flock safe. For personal protection, depending on local laws, you may be able to carry mace or bear spray or something similar than can be used on a stray to hopefully stop an attack should one approach you. I don't know how desperate these dogs are, but strays can be unpredictable, and in areas where they run in packs, things like rabies and distemper tend to spread as well.

 

[Redhead Rae]

In WV, where I live, shooting an animal menacing or maiming your flock is perfectly legal. In fact, if a dog has been seen killing livestock, it is illegal for the owner to "harbor" the dog.

Where I used to live in the DC Metro area, it was VERY illegal to shoot a dog unless it was maiming a person. Which was more complicated by the fact that we weren't allowed to carry a firearm off of our property without a concealed carry license (which was almost IMPOSSIBLE to get).

 

[ThracianHorse]

Typically, shooting dogs in defense of livestock is not against the law unless there are provisions banning discharging firearms in the neighborhood. That said, if you can get the dog-catcher in there first, do so. They will undoubtedly have the equipment necessary to deal with animals who are likely to become vicious at close quarters.

I would also highly recommend stringing a line or two of electric fence, and building a stout run if it's in the finances.

 

[Kris5902]

They did mention that they can legally shoot them if they are harassing their birds, so I’m guessing they’ve already looked into their local laws on it, but that’s not a feasible solution for them.

Good fencing or an enclosed run until the dog issue can be managed sounds like the best solution for the short term. Buy a solid dog run for the chickens? If they keep dogs in, they should keep them out as well!

 

[PirateGirl]

A Premier 1 electric poultry netting kit or a chain link dog kennel kit will likely run you about the same amount of money new. I think these are two quick and relatively easy options for protecting your flock and can certainly be useful in future.