Terrible dog attack

[chickory]

i am so so sorry. what a terrible thing to come home to. my hens think all dogs are nice since they can play with our dog. then when other dogs come into the yard they almost dont make it to safety cause they dont think dogs will hurt them.

 

[Hens_And_Chicks]

I am so sorry you lost your entire flock to a rotten dog. That's so awful that a dog owner has no clue where there dog is or what it's up to. Good for your caretaker for shooting it. Maybe the owner learned a lesson too.

I wish you lived close to me - I'd gift you some of my hens as replacements so the starting over was not so painful.

 

[Pennyhen]

I can so empathize with you dear one!
It was 14 years since my first flock here in Idaho was decimated by dogs that I found the strength to try again, and it was 6 weeks I had my chicks last year in late spring that a predator wiped them out. a friend had given me some mature banty's though, so I had a few to care for over the winter. This has been a live and learn situation for me and that which does not kill me makes me stronger. My pens are better, my coop is better, my chicken raising skills are better, I WILL NOT GIVE UP ON BEING A CHICKEN LOVER AND OWNER.
hang in there.

Laurie

 

[jenjscott]

my M-I-L once came home to find that her own English bulldog had killed her entire flock of 30 laying hens. And I have a dog now that I am sure would do the same if she had the chance (we had her before the chickens). So I have to take extra precautions, and no free ranging.

 

[Cetawin]

I am so sorry that you lost them all. I would be heartbroken and just sick over it. I have 29 girls and 1 roo and they are my pets as well as my layers.

Unfortunately dogs will do this, especially one that is genetically geared towards just that. Saldy, most were probably killed for sport. Dogs play with them and kill them in the process. Very rarely is it a case of hunger. she has pups and probably was hungry...but the sport of it in her nature led to enitre kill.

As you read more here (I am hoping that you stay) you will see where the majority of us run and bury hardwire cloth or chicken wire inside our run under the run fence and out 2 or 3 feets. This stops most diggers from getting in because they are hitting wire when they dig.

Do get some more, dig proof the run area and the hen house and enjoy having chickens.

 

[Badlatitude]

Sounds like the dog needs "lead poisoning" In the form of a bullet. I would skip calling local PD/ Dog catcher and call the local game warden , DEC , DEP office and get them out there ASAP. Its tasted blood and returned to kill for fun repeatedly. It needs to be destroyed. You shouldnt feel bad at all about this. Clearly its owner not only did not train the dog he also did not contain it to his own property. Which shows no concern for what the dog does to others or their property

Bird dogs are trained NOT to attack birds. They are trained to retrieve them. a trained bird dog will carry back a crippled bird gently in it mouth to its master and hand it over.

 

[horsejody]

I would strongly encourage you to try to identify the dog owner. I would also file a report with the Sheriff's Dept. The report will create a record of the incident in case you do ID the owner. Even though the the dog was shot the owners need to know what happened and be held accountable. Otherwise, they will just get another dog, the cycle will continue, and you might lose birds again.

 

[conroy]

Quote:
I don't think it was a rotten dog, it was a dog with rotten owners. The dog was just doing what it needed to survive... But either way what a tragic loss... I can't imagine how painful it must be, so sorry...

 

[damselfish]

Glad he got the dog. Best of luck to you, we've had a recent dog attack too.