Toooooo close!

[BittyBanty]

I just nearly had a heart attack. I hear my birds in a panic and run out my back door (In my robe with only one cup of coffee under my belt, no shoes!) There are two big dogs POUNCING against my chicken pen. A young husky and a white mutt. I ran them off with a yard rake. They had jumped the wall to get into the yard. It is just decorative and only 4 ft high. I will take the rest of my coffee on the porch!

 

[woodmort]

They'll be baaaaaaak.

 

[herefordlovinglady]

Hey Bitty, Welcome to BYC.

you need to find out where they are coming from. They will return. How secure is your coop? Do you ever free range?

 

[BittyBanty]

The irresponsible owner has her dogs back. And a warning. I can't sss if they come back, I am in the city. But I can contain the dogs and turn them in. Albuquerque has a stiff Dog at large law.

HLL- I only free range in the evenings when I am out with them. Not that it would have helped. Those were young fast dogs and I am an old fat woman. My coop is a converted chain link dog kennel and I believe that is the only thing that saved my birds. it is 3 layers, hardware cloth exterior, chain link middle, chicken wire interior on a concrete slab foundation. That husky was POUNCING on the sides like you see wolves and coyotes pounce in films. The whole pen was rattling. Hens flying everywhere and the roo hiding in the small dog carrier I use for a next box. I may be looking for a new roo soon.

WoodMort- You are so right, they came back in the time it took me to grab the phone book and run back outside with the cordless. All in all I chased them away three times in less than 30 minutes. I am furious!!!!!!

 

[theFox]

Quote:
Albuquerque's law is likely no stiffer than New Mexico's dog laws which in part reads:

77-1-9. Dogs; destruction.

A. Any peace officer may impound any dog found running at large unaccompanied by and not under the control of the owner or handler, and further, the peace officer shall destroy the dog if it is in the act of pursuing or wounding livestock or wounding and killing poultry or attacking humans.

This (along with part B which shields the officer from any legal consequences) requires a officer to actually see the acts of the dog(s) then he is in essence ordered to destroy such dogs.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

The chain link run will keep them out short term. I foster dogs and have some chew their way out of those kennels, and I have the heavy duty ones! Since you don't have a secure yard I'd think about putting electric wire around your run, or adding some height to the wall that they're getting over. Like you said, even if you are out there, you wouldn't be able to stop any dog that is bent on getting at your chickens.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Quote:
Yes, and put several strands at different levels. Better yet, with those dogs, I'd consider stringing up a separate fence a few feet out from your run with three or four strands of hot wire. Get a good fence charger and just use metal T post's with the plastic fittings, nothing fancy or expensive, all it needs to do is hold up the wire, they are not likely to stick around after they've gotten a good zap.

I've had excellent results with electric fence and wouldn't be without it. Nothing so satisfying as hearing the sound that comes out of a dog when it has been sneaking around, checking out my coop and run and has just stuck it's nose on the hot wire!

 

[BittyBanty]

I'll be looking into running a seperate hotwire fence. It just has to succeed through the winter.

There are plans in the works to move the chickens to an area behind the house that is 40ft long and 6 ft wide with an 8 ft concrete block wall on one side ( Nothing comes over that wall, my neighbor has 3 huge GSD) and the house on the other. Just have to build a coop and secure both ends off, then roof it over. Hmmm..how many chickens can I have in there...here comes the chicken math!!!!!

Thanks everybody!

P.S. I am glad to hear about the "Shall destroy". If they return and terrorize or kill my chickens I will call the police and see that it is enforced. The gas man witnessed everything this morning. He was worried that I was going to get bitten and stopped in the road just in case.

 

[Mattemma]

I would get bear mace.Sprays about 20 feet and happily spray them next time they snarl at the property line. I had a husky come through my open gate and bite up my leashed dog.Cost $400 in vet bills. I beat the dog off mine.Wish I had done more but I was in such a panic trying to protect my old timer.

 

[Yardbirds286]

Hot wire baby! We had a neighbor dog in our yard almost everyday until.........he met the fence! Was fun to watch. Is that bad to say?? We have 5' woven wire with 3' high chicken wire run around the bottom inside the pen, and a hot wire 6-8" from the bottom and 8" from the top.