The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[SA Farm]

it is very clear here at my place. Your dog kills my chickens I kill your dog. Period. A dog that kills livestock is a dead dog. End of story.

Same here.

 

[FarmerJH]

If your neighbors know that then I don't see the problem but if the OP is just going to shoot the dog without confronting the neighbor about it then that's where I see issue. Google translator can help you write a note that says something along the lines of if your dog kills any more of my animals I will kill your dog in spanish.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
While I would not shoot the dog, only because I don't have the will power, I would turn it into animal control. The end result would be the same, no more dog.
And I'm thinking that the dog's owners should be learning basic English or they are hiding how much they understand.

 

[Ashdoes]

I think in certain areas people just know that if their dog wanders into the wrong yards it may be shot.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

If your neighbors know that then I don't see the problem but if the OP is just going to shoot the dog without confronting the neighbor about it then that's where I see issue. Google translator can help you write a note that says something along the lines of if your dog kills any more of my animals I will kill your dog" in spanish.

The dog should not be off their owner's property. By letting it run lose they are putting it at risk not the chicken owner.

 

[Ashdoes]

Well....so many are very (what word should I use...anxious? puzzled... 

)  about protein percentage that I keep wondering why they don't just come out and say - "they need a minimum of __ g of protein a day to be healthy. 

I think that might calm everyone down. 

I had to stop worrying so much about protein levels, I was making myself crazy with worry. I have a good All-Flock and that's what everyone will get, with an occasional addition of calf manna to the FF. I'm perfectly happy with some feed company deciding for me what the chickens should get.

 

[FarmerJH]

The dog should not be off their owner's property. By letting it run lose they are putting it at risk not the chicken owner.

I completely agree that people should control their animals and keep them off others' property unless invited to do otherwise. I still think talking to the neighbor and animal control are better option initially. If they retrieve the dog and it happens again then they have been warned and eliminating the threat is understandable. But just shooting it without talking to the neighbor herself/with help from her spanish speaking neighbor could cause pretty big problems with ALL the neighbors. If you live in a community where its well established that neighbors have the right to shoot the neighbor's animals that tread on your property and kill your animals then so be it, but there has been no mention of this agreement.

 

[SA Farm]

I completely agree that people should control their animals and keep them off others' property unless invited to do otherwise. I still think talking to the neighbor and animal control are better option initially. If they retrieve the dog and it happens again then they have been warned and eliminating the threat is understandable. But just shooting it without talking to the neighbor herself/with help from her spanish speaking neighbor could cause pretty big problems with ALL the neighbors. If you live in a community where its well established that neighbors have the right to shoot the neighbor's animals that tread on your property and kill your animals then so be it, but there has been no mention of this agreement.

I agree with you. In my area, it is already established that wandering dogs that attack/kill other peoples animals will get shot, but, you're right, it's not the same everywhere.
There should be a discussion or warning at least before calling animal control or taking more drastic measures.

 

[RedRidge]

It is the law here that an owner has a right to protect his livestock... The predator does not have to kill, only chase or harass to be shot.
Before I had maremma (when I lived on 25 acres surrounded by subdivisions) neighbors dogs were a bigger problem than coyotes.
It's the 3S rule here.
I love dogs, but my livestock is my livelihood. I will not hesitate to 3S anything that is a threat to them.

 

[SA Farm]

I had to stop worrying so much about protein levels, I was making myself crazy with worry. I have a good All-Flock and that's what everyone will get, with an occasional addition of calf manna to the FF. I'm perfectly happy with some feed company deciding for me what the chickens should get.

From what I was reading, laying feeds should be 17% or more protein and basic feeds should be 15% or so. Don't know if that helps...